USB Products Information

USB Products Information

USB products (Universal Serial Bus) covers a wide range of devices that function using this fast bus standard. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, keyboards, printers, monitors, and other devices. There are two technologies available: USB 1.1 that supports data rates of up to 12 Mbps, and USB 2.0 supporting data rates of up to 480 Mbps. Product type, technology, and features are important specifications to consider when searching for USB products.

Product Types

Product types of USB products include host controller or adapter or interface, hard drive, hub, CD-ROM, modem or fax, and router.  An interface or adapter is a computer board that translates the data from the USB bus to another bus and vice versa. It is used to connect two non-compatible buses. A hard drive is a device used to store data in a computer. A USB hub is a device that adds several USB ports to an existing USB port. A Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) is a type of optical disk used to store large amounts of data. A Modem / Fax (MODulator-DEModulator) card enables a computer to transmit data over the telephone lines. Because computer information is digital data and information transmitted over the telephone lines is transmitted in analog waves, a modem converts between these two forms. A router is a device that connects any number of networks.

USB Technology Choices

USB technology choices include USB 1.1 or USB 2.0.  USB 1.1 is the original standard that supports data transfer rates of up to 12 Mbps. USB 2.0 is the faster and more advanced enhancement of USB 1.1.  USB 2.0 supports data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps.  Other features to consider include compatibility, and number of ports.  Compatibility choices are Mac or Windows.  Mac compatible devices are compatible with Apple's Macintosh computers.  Windows compatible devices are compatible with Windows® based computers. The number of ports or channels available in the device is also important to consider.