Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a technology that's been around for years, but it's so ubiquitous now that it's easy to forget how revolutionary it was when it first appeared. It was the first widespread standard for connecting peripherals to personal computers, and it has been mandatory on computers since Windows 98.
USB was originally developed for PC computers in the mid-1990s, and is now used in nearly every type of computer, including Apple's Macintosh line and some Linux machines. But have you ever wondered what USB is and how it works? In this blog post, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about USB and how it works. So keep reading!
What is USB?
USB is a communication protocol that allows a computer to communicate with external devices. While most devices have their own dedicated ports (such as printers, scanners, digital cameras, and keyboards), USB provides a way for these devices to share resources when needed. You will see two types of USB ports on your computer, one is a USB-A port or plug, and the other is a USB-B port. The three main characteristics of USB are speed, performance, and ease of use.
Speed of transferring data from USB
The USB standard supports data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbps (megabits per second) and has undergone several revisions since its original release. The latest version is USB 3.0, which can transfer data at speeds up to 5 Gbit/s (gigabits per second).
How USB works
USB is a serial bus. This means that information is transmitted bit by bit over the wire. For USB, this wire is split into two wires: one for the data and one for the clock signal. The data transmitted over these wires can be anything from music to mouse movements. It consists of a systematic design process that makes it easy to use and operate. When a peripheral is connected via USB, the host sends a signal to the computer driver, which then loads and activates it. The whole process configures itself, so you just plug in a new device and it works automatically.
The fact that a USB cable has two wires dedicated to data makes it very different from other types of cables that use a single wire for data transfer. Information transmitted over a USB cable is usually encrypted and encoded before leaving its source, so it can only be understood by the intended device on the other end of the cable.
Take away
USB is a great invention that allows us to expand the capabilities of our favorite devices. Whether you're connecting your keyboard to your computer or your iPhone to your computer, USB will do. The best part is that they are very easy to use and relatively cheap!