What is MCA?

MCA, or Micro Channel Architecture, is a proprietary 16- or 32-bit parallel computer bus introduced by IBM in 1987 for its PS/2 line of computers. It was designed to offer improved performance and features compared to the previous ISA bus. MCA supported bus mastering, which allowed peripherals to directly access system memory without involving the CPU, thereby improving overall system performance. It also supported Plug and Play functionality, a precursor to later industry standards, making it easier to install and configure expansion cards. However, MCA's proprietary nature and licensing fees hindered its widespread adoption, and it was eventually superseded by the PCI bus.