What Is Universal Serial Bus (USB)?

The USB is the world's most popular connector. It's everywhere you look. It's in your computer; it's in your phone; it's in your car; it's even in your toaster! You've probably heard of USBs before. They're everywhere these days. What exactly are they? How do they work? Why are they so important? The answer lies. (USB) The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an interface that connects a myriad of devices to a computer. It has replaced a wide range of interfaces like parallel and serial ports, which is good news for your pocketbook. Can use the USB for electrical power, so you don't have to worry about carrying around an extra battery pack or charging cable. You can use it to connect digital cameras, mice, keyboards, printers, scanners, media devices, external hard drives and flash drives. USBs were intended to enable plug-and-play and hot-swapping. When you connect your new device, it automatically configures itself and lets you start using it in seconds without restarting your computer. If You are tried using a USB with anything than a desktop computer, you know this doesn't work. There are also type B USB connectors. These are around barrel-like shapes and are used for printers, cameras, card readers, and other devices requiring data and power. An excellent example of a type B USB connection is the cable from your wall to your modem or router. The type B USB connector is the same shape as type A, but the interface is round. Type B is used for USB host devices such as a printer. The standard for the newest version of USB is typed C. Type C is a reversible connector that has the capabilities of both type A and type B and can be used on either side of the cable.