The document discusses the STM32 USART (Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter). It can operate synchronously or asynchronously and in full-duplex mode. Synchronous operation involves transmitting data in frames with character boundaries, while asynchronous operation uses start and stop bits to encode timing properties. The USART can be used for serial communication and interfaces like I2C, RS-232, and Ethernet. It involves transmitting one bit at a time compared to parallel communication which transmits multiple bits simultaneously. The USART includes features like interrupt requests and a data frame format involving start, data, parity, and stop bits.