It requires very little software overhead to implement.

The TIA/EIA-232-F standard defines a 1997-approved physical layer specification for unbalanced, serial communication between Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment (DCE). It establishes electrical characteristics with a maximum capacitive load of 2,500pF and defines specific, single-ended signal lines for control and data interchange. For more details, visit Texas Instruments AN-216 Summary of Well Known Interface Standards