All About USB Cables

Get on the bus

Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology allows personal computers to communicate with digital cameras, scanners, mice, keyboards, speakers, printers, or any other peripheral device.  Further, USB supports two desirable forms of connectivity: hot swap (connecting or disconnecting a device while the computer is running) and Plug and Play (plugging in a device without complicated set up or installation).

Originally introduced to circumvent the tedious process of connecting computers to helper devices, USB proved popular because of its ease of use and reliability.  However, the most common version of USB, 1.1, had a speed limit of 12 megabits per second (Mbps). Although more than adequate for simple devices like mice and keyboards, USB connections tended to lag when transferring large quantities of data, such as movies, music, or photos.

Competing technologies emerged, most notably the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 standard, or FireWire.  At a data transfer rate of up to 400 Mbps, some 33 times faster than a standard USB connection, FireWire set the standard with manufacturers of digital cameras, external hard drives, and CD/DVD burners.

Round 2.0

Enter the most recent breakthrough of the USB standard: USB 2.0 or Hi-Speed USB.  At a speed of up to 480 Mbps, USB outpaces even FireWire.  Since it is backwards compatible (meaning that older devices still work with the newer controllers), slower devices with less intensive data transfer needs can plug into a USB 2.0-enabled port without any extra set up or installation. 

A data hog like a DVD burner can use the same port on a USB 2.0-ready machine and use the higher capability to send and receive information much more quickly.  However, computers must be equipped to handle the new standard; a computer will only run as fast as the slowest link in the chain.  New PCs and laptops support USB 2.0 automatically and older machines can be retrofitted with a controller card.

Whenever purchasing a device to work with a computer, look for the official Hi-Speed USB logo.   Devices without the logo may not function optimally or may cause conflicts with other USB devices in the system.

USB-B

The USB 2.0 specification also contains prescriptions for the development of a "mini USB-B" connector, the end of a USB cable that plugs into the peripheral device.  Smaller and more compact than the original, this new, standardized method of plugging in a peripheral device should be more attractive and cost effective to producers of tiny gadgets such as phones, PDAs, cameras, and MP3s players.  In addition to the standard, one-size-fits-all plug for computers, we can look forward to a standardizing the other end of the chord.

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