USB means Universal Serial Bus. The USB version 3.0 was released in November 2008. This article will tell you more about USB 3.0.
Often referred to as the SuperSpeed USB, the USB version 3.0 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, with the full weight of some of the latest computer innovations behind it.
Tech products with the USB 3.0 standard are able to transmit data at a maximum rate of 5 Gbps, or 5,120 Mbps. This comes with a major upgrade to the previous USB editions, with the USB 2.0 only able to transmit data of 480 Mbps. The USB 1.1 is even lower, operating on a data transmission of 12 Mbps.
The latest USB standard is USB 3.2. With a maximum speed of about 20, 480 Mbps (20 Gbps), it comes as an upgrade to its predecessor, the USB 3.1 (the USB 3.1 has a maximum speed of 10,240 Mbps).
All USB devices, cables, or adapters must support USB version 3.0 for real fast data transmission.
Get to know facts about the USB 3.0
- In 2009, Buffalo Technology, a Japanese company, became the first company to ship USB 3.0 products to consumers.
- Windows 8 became the first Microsoft operating system to include built-in support for USB version 3.0.
USB 3.0 Connectors
The USB 3.0 has a male connector and a female connector. The male connector on a USB 3.0 cable is called the plug. The female connector on the USB 3.0, which can be on a computer port, extension cable, or device, is called the receptacle.
1. USB Type-A: The USB Type-A connector, referred to as USB 3.0 Standard-A, is a rectangle type of the USB connectors.
These USB 3.0 Type-A plugs and receptacles are physically compatible with the ones from the USB 2.0 and USB 1.1.
2. USB Type B: The USB Type B connectors are officially referred to as the USB 3.0 Standard-B and USB 3.0 Powered-B. In the description, the USB Type B connectors are square in shape with a large notch on top.
You will usually find them on printers and other large devices. Note that the USB 3.0 Type B plugs are actually not compatible with Type B receptacles from the older USB standards. Plugs from those older standards, though, are compatible with USB 3.0 Type B receptacles.
3. USB Micro-A: The USB 3.0 Micro-A consists of rectangular connectors. They also possess two-part plugs an,d you can find them on various smartphones and other similar portable devices. For compatibility, the USB 3.0 Micro-A plugs are only compatible with USB 3.0 Micro-AB receptacles. Older USB 2.0 Micro-A plugs can work in USB 3.0 Micro-AB receptacles.
USB Micro-B:
Next is the USB 3.0 Micro-B connector, which is in almost every way similar to the USB Micro-A. And are found on similar devices. The USB 3.0 Micro-B plugs go hand in hand with the USB 3.0 Micro-B receptacles and USB 3.0 Micro-AB receptacles only.
The older version, the USB 2.0 Micro B plugs, are in the same vein, physically compatible with both USB 3.0 Micro-B and USB 3.0 Micro-AB receptacles.
We will like you to understand that the USB 2.0 specification includes USB Mini-A and USB Mini-B plugs, as well as USB Mini-B and USB Mini-AB receptacles. However, USB 3.0 does not work with these connectors. These connectors are simply USB 2.0 connectors.
And, if you want to be sure whether your device or port or cable is USB 3.0, check for the plastic surrounding the plug or the receptacle. The somewhat official color for this is blue ( USB 3.0 specification recommends the color blue to distinguish cables from those designed for USB 2.0).
Also For You: Can I Use USB 2.0 In A USB 3.0 Port?
The USB 3.0 is generally compatible with the USB 2.0. Also, you can get USB 2.0 speeds if you plug a USB 2.0 device into a USB 3.0 port.
The design of the USB 3.0 port is set up to support both USB 3.0 and 2.0. This means that it can use a USB 2.0 device just as well as use a computer with a USB 2.0 port.
But at the same time, there are some USB 2.0 devices (like the keyboard and mouse for instance) that will not function properly with the USB 3.0.
You could have a USB 2.0 mouse that will occasionally freeze on a USB 3.0 port. And even if you update the drivers, you could still be faced with the same problem.
So, while you can generally use USB 2.0 devices on a USB 3.0 port, especially external storage devices (this is what the higher speed was designed for), be in the know that there is every chance that you may contact a problem.
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