USB Standards
- Standard USB Speeds:
- Low-speed USB USB 1.1—-1.5 Mbps
- Full-speed USB USB 1.1—-12 Mbps
- Hi-Speed USB USB 2.0—-480 Mbps
- Super-Speed USB USB 3.0—-5 Gbps
- SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2—-10 Gbps
- Types
- USB A—’normal’ USB interface
- Mini USB—for some cameras
- Micro USB—for some phones
- USB C—New interface model that plugs in in either direction.
- Quick Review
- Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.1 comes in 1.5 MB/s & 12 Mbps; USB 2.0 runs at 480 Mbps
- USB 3.0 runs at 5 Gbps; USB 3.1 runs at 10 Gbps
- USB versions often use colors to indicate version
- USB connectors come in many types: Type-A; Type-B; Type-C; Standard; Mini; and Micro.
- White—usually signifies an old-school USB 1.0 connector or port
- Black—this color identifies a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connector or port
- Blue—this signifies a newer USB 3.0 SuperSpeed connector or port
- Teal—identifies a 3.1 Superspeed + connector or port
- USB ports colored red, orange, or yellow don’t indicate a USB specification like 2.0 or 3.0, but instead mean that power to the port is always “on”. This feature is sometimes called “sleep & charge” because you can plug-in a device (like a phone) into the port & let it charge while the computer is “sleeping” or even turned off.
- Understanding USB
- All USB devices connect to USB controllers built into the motherboard of the system: the USB controller is in charge of all connect USB devices.
- This creates an upstream/downstream concept.
- USB Type-A connectors connect downstream USB Type B connectors connect upstream, though there are exceptions.
- Configuring USB
- HID (Human Interface Device)
- USB devices must have a device driver
- Operating systems come with thousands of built-in device drivers
- In some cases, you may need to download the correct driver for a USB device from the Internet.
- Thunder & Lightning
- Thunderbolt is a general purpose I/O port that runs at 10 Gbps to 40 Gbps.
- Thunderbolt uses a mini Display Port or a USB C connector
- The Lightning standard is exclusive to Apple products
- Lightning uses a proprietary lightning connector.
- Keyboards & Mice
- Keyboards use either a USB or PS/2 connection
- Mice almost exclusively use USB
- Game controllers often have a proprietary connection that requires a converters piece.
- Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) switches give the ability for a single keyboard, monitor, and mouse to connect to multiple computers.
- Sight & Sound
- Sound is commonly built into todays systems
- Speaker systems come into combinations with names like 2.1, or 5.1 systems
- Sound uses 3.5mm jacks or SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
- Many devices, like web cams or headsets, include speakers
- Readers & Scanners
- Smart Cards/Magnetic Readers are used to read cards
- Flash memory readers read many types of flash memory
- SD Cards are very popular flash memory (Also know about the Olympus ‘XD’ picture card)
- Scanners read paper documents. Automatic document feeders enable multiple pages to scan.
- Barcode & QR code scanners read printed coded labels.
- ADF (Automatic Document Feeder)
- Using Expansion Cards
- Always handle expansion cards carefully, avoiding the contacts.
- Apply power, data connections, or dongles as needed.
- Make sure to add the correct driver, check Device Manager to confirm good drivers.
- A new device installation is a common place for Blue Screen of Death screens
