A USB device is any electronic device that interfaces with a computer through the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. If this appliance or device has the ability to store large amounts of data, it is treated by computer operating systems as a USB mass storage device. Some examples include memory cards or USB sticks, digital cameras, flash memory cards, MP3 players, and external CD/DVD players.
Pen drive.
Your computer can recognize and interoperate with USB devices thanks to a set of protocols developed by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and maintenance of USB standards. These communication protocols are grouped into the USB mass storage device class. USB-IF members include Microsoft® and Apple®, among others, making the USB standards universal rather than proprietary. A Macintosh® computer will detect a USB device the same way a PC computer does, so your memory card or other external USB device will work with all computers, regardless of brand or operating system.
USB cables are used to connect devices, such as printers, keyboards, and music players, to computers.
Thanks to these protocols, many devices can use the USB port for plug-and-play functionality, adding considerable value to the system. It’s almost impossible to imagine living without some of the USB mass storage devices we’ve grown accustomed to, including external hard drives and personal digital assistants that combine laptops with cell phone service. This class of protocols can also recognize some newer cell phones, although most phones require proprietary USB drivers.
Devices using USB 3.0 technology can have speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps.
Data transfer rates for USB connected devices have improved over the years. The first standard, USB 1.0, runs at 1.2 megabits per second (mbps) and is still used for USB keyboards, mice, and joysticks due to its low requirements. Other devices, such as memory cards, used the USB 1.1 protocol that operated at 12 Mbps. USB 1.1 was replaced by USB 2.0, which increased the speed to 480 Mbps. USB 3.0 is the newest standard with a data transfer rate ten times faster at 5000 Mbps (5 Gigabit/s).
USB 3.0 will certainly make the USB mass storage device even more popular, if that is even possible. USB devices are supposedly the most successful and ubiquitous devices of our time. Data Transfer Rate 3.0 will dramatically reduce backup time to external drives and media file transfers between digital film cameras, flash cards and other storage media. If you are looking for a USB device in the market, please check the compatibility with 3.0 before you buy it.
Newer cell phones may have the ability to be used as a USB storage device.
