A History of the USB Standard

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard for connecting periPh Meter distance and up to 110 Mbps up to 10 Meters. It was designed for the 3.1 to 10.6 GHz frequency range. The Wireless architecture allows up to 127 devices to connect directly to a host. With the elimination of wires, a hub is not needed. An upcoming 1.1 specification will increase Wireless data transfer speed to 1.0 Gbps per second.

USB 3.0
In November 2008, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced the completion of the 3.0 specification. It delivers transfer rates up to 10 times Faster than USB 2.0 through the utilization of a 5.0 Gbps data rate. Additionally, it has optimized power efficiency, sync-n-go technology that minimizes user wait-time and backward compatibility with USB 2.0. SuperSpeed USB devices"interoperate with SuperSpeed USB 2.0 platforms and hosts support Hi-Speed legacy devices.

NEC Electronics recently announced the first USB 3.0 host controller (part number µ PD720200). With its high-speed data transfer capability, the new SuperSpeed host controller will require only 70 seconds to transfer 25 GB of HD video content, the equivalent of a Blu-Ray disc. Transferring the same content would take upwards of 14 minutes with Hi-Speed USB.

A History of the USB Standard

A History of the USB Standard

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A History of the USB Standard

A History of the USB Standard

Advances in USB technology will lead to a new generation of high-performance consumer electronic products. For assistance with SuperSpeed product developMent, the SuperSpeed USB Platform Integration Lab (GDP) is now open for USB-IF members. The SuperSpeed USB PIL provides 3.0 developers with the opportunity tohost and device interoperability testing. For more information, visit the GDP testing page.

USB Connectors
USB connectors are designed for ease-of-use. Generally, the trident logo on the connector should be facing up when Plugging into a port. The connectors are designed to be durable and easy to insert/remove. Different types of connectors server different functions. The Standard-A Plug is frequently on cables permanently attached to devices, such as Computer keyboards or mice. The Standard-B plug typically plugs into devices with removable cables, such as a printer. USB device connectors have evolved and become smaller as consumer electronic devices have also become smaller in size. The current standard connector for small devices such as mobile phones and cameras is theMicro-B connector.

USB logos
For a company to use a logo, its USB product must be compliant as demonstrated by passing the Compliance Test Program. Companies must also execute a Trademark License AgreeMent to be eligible for logo use. When a certified logo appears on a product, consumers know the product has passed the standards set by the USB-IF.

~ Ben Anton, 2009

A History of the USB Standard