ESCON (or Enterprise Systems Connection) is an optical serial interface between IBM mainframe computers and peripheral devices such as storage and tape drives. ESCON is capable of half-duplex communication at a rate of 17 MB/second over distances of up to 43 kilometers. ESCON supplanted the older, slower, copper-based Bus & Tag channel technology introduced in 1960-1970 era mainframes. The substantially faster FICON, which runs over Fibre Channel, is in turn supplanting ESCON.

See also

• Direct access storage device (DASD)

Computer storage

ESCON | ESCON