Asynchronous The opposite of synchronous. Events are not occurring at regular intervals and are not governed by the same clock. In asynchronous transfer, pieces of data to be sent are separated by start and stop bits. Most communication between computers (and devices) is asynchronous, as it occurs at irregular intervals. Asynchronous also means that an operation can be started before another operation is terminated. A telephone conversation is an example of asynchronous transfer, as the persons involved can talk whenever they like – sometimes at the same time!