hardware handshaking
<communications> A technique for regulating the flow of data
across an interface by means of signals carried on separate
wires.
A common example is the RTS (Request to Send) and CTS (Clear
to Send) signals on an {EIA-232} {serial line}.
The alternative, {software handshaking}, uses two special
characters inserted into the data stream to carry the same
information.
(1995-01-23)