The universal serial bus, or the USB, is a staple for many gadgets in this day and age because of its plug-and-play functionality and increased data transfer rate. The technological evolution of the USB is fast, much like many of the gadgets we have today, and this is necessary to fulfill the needs of the growing market. Almost every device in the market uses the USB because of its versatility and accessibility when it comes to connecting a device to one another. However, not many people know about its other important part, which is the USB cable.
The USB cable is an assembly of wires and conductors constructed together to connect a main device such as a computer to its peripherals, like a keyboard, mouse, speakers, printers, and more. Depending on the make or type of the USB cable, transferring data will be faster and compatibility between devices may vary.
Before diving right into knowing what varieties there are, familiarizing the parts that make up a USB cable would help make it easier to understand.
Typically, a USB will have its connector and its cable. There are various connectors, from the standard Type-A (what is usually seen and used on most computers to connect its peripherals and is generally the end that powers a device) to the Type-B end, which receives the power, to the most recent USB-C, which is slowly becoming the standard for most upcoming devices. Connectors will normally have female and male parts to easily distinguish its placement and connection between devices. Female connectors are also known as jacks or ports, which can be found on the main or host device, such as computers, smartphones, and power bricks, while male connectors are also known as plugs and are usually found on USB cables.
USB cables only have three types, and the most recent cable that comes after will always have backwards compatibility, which means it will be usable even on an older connector. The main factor that sets apart the different kinds of USB cables are its data transfer rate—the newer models will allow for faster transfers. Secondly, USB cables are the only cables that can carry power along with data, hence why portable devices such as smartphones and tablets will often come with a USB cable for charging its power. Also, all USB cables come as “hot pluggable” or “hot swappable,” meaning they can be unplugged even without the need for the main device to be turned off. With that, here are the three types of USB cables and their uses:
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USB 1.x
The first of its kind that started in 1996, the USB 1.0 had a maximum data transfer rate of 1.5 Mbit/s, which during the time was a pretty good speed for transferring data between devices. The first use of this USB was only for peripherals like keyboards, computer mice, and game controllers, which meant that only minimal data and power was needed for the device to work properly. Then during 1998, the USB 1.1 was introduced, and its maximum data transfer rate increased to 12 Mbit/s and became the standard for most computing devices of this time.
This first type paved the way to making the USB the standard for devices and computers, replacing the many kinds of cables and connectors like serial and parallel cable to one single port and cable setup. Although unknown to many, the USB 1.1 is forward compatible for USB 2.0 but will still only transfer data in its full 1.5 Mbit/s capacity.
USB 2.0
The USB 2.0 started making waves during the 2000s and is often referred to as the hi-speed USB. The USB 2.0 has a faster bandwidth of 480 Mbit/s, which is four times faster than the USB 1.1. Most of the computers in this day and age started regularizing the USB 2.0 as the go-to port, which makes it even easier to transfer data from one device to another. At least four ports are made available to computers and laptops for USB connections.
Because of its much faster data transfer rate, the USB 2.0 allowed for more power-consuming peripherals like gaming keyboards, gaming mice, and surround-sound headsets to be plugged into a computer with no problems. Different kinds of connectors were introduced during the age of the USB 2.0, especially the mini-USB connector, which was the standard for smartphones and tablets during this time.
USB 3.0
Also known as the super-speed USB, the USB 3.0 is the current standard of today’s devices. Made from the demands of the market for higher bandwidths, the USB 3.0 was born out of that need. First introduced in 2008 and fully embraced by the market as the standard in 2012, this last USB type can be easily identified because of its SS mark on the cable and port. One other distinct physical difference between a USB 3.0 and a USB 2.0 is the blue-colored housing of the pin on the USB 3.0 compared to the usual black-colored housing on the USB 2.0.
Much of the USB 3.0 use is still geared toward peripheral connections, but because of its higher bandwidth promising up to 4.8 Gbit/s worth of data transfer, high-power consuming devices are often paired with this USB type. This means high-quality monitors and speedy portable hard drives typically have USB 3.0 ports and cables with them. Power efficiency is also a first for this USB type as link level power management is used to initiate a power-saving state when either the host or main device isn’t in use.
One of the major limitations of the USB 3.0, however, is its cable length. Currently, the most practical length without compromising the speed of the data transfers done is at three meters, which can be remedied with the use of external hubs like a USB multiport. Because of the ever-growing need of the market for even faster speeds, the USB 3.1 and 3.2 were introduced, having 10 Gbit/s and 20 Gbit/s of data transfer rates, respectively. The USB 3.1 cables feature the new USB-C connectors, which are capable of reversible connection—meaning it can be plugged in whatever side—thanks to its double-sided 24-pin connector. Because of its ability to transfer data at even faster rates, some USB-C connectors are being used in place of 3.5 mm audio jacks, effectively replacing them.
The fast pace of technological advancements doesn’t seem to have a break, and the USB types will grow with the needs for even faster data transfers. Talks about the USB 4.0 have surfaced in 2018, but only speculations about its speed being 40 Gbit/s of data transfer is known of for now.
The USB’s one true purpose evolved with time—from being solely a means to give and receive power to becoming a staple in the technological industry for almost every device imaginable. With its almost boundless uses for everything data, can you even begin to imagine a world without the USB today?
