subject: Thank the Humble USB for Your Modern Computing Lifestyle [print this page] Thank the Humble USB for Your Modern Computing Lifestyle
Considering how often we make use of the ports everyday, it's no wonder someone would ask, "How does USB work?" To start, it's important to understand what problem these special ports were created to solve. They actually solve several different issues, such as the need to install special drivers and other types of software any time you wanted to use a new device with your computer. Another issue was speed - when you attached a device to your computer via serial port or parallel port, you would often have to suffer through slow data transfer times.
Now though, those problems are no longer an issue thanks to USB ports which can connect to over 100 different devices, such as printers, speakers, mice, external hard drives, and digital cameras. It is easy enough to connect any of these devices to your computer, as the ports are displayed prominently on most modern units. Fortunately, when you plug a new device in, the computer's operating system typically detects it and prompts you to begin the setup process. Of course, once the setup process has been completed once, the device can usually be connected or disconnected at any time to begin and end use.
There are two different types of connectors at the ends of each cord that connects a device to the computer. The long, flat side goes into the USB port on the computer while the more square side connects to the device. It was purposely designed this way in an effort to prevent people from getting confused about which side connects to which port.
Another concern that you may face with with regards to ports is the amount you have available to use. A typical computer only has so much room to allocate toward USB ports, so for those that require more, special devices called hubs exist. These are designed to connect to computers through one port, and each one has four or more of its own. Therefore, you can turn two built in ports to eight different ones by using two hubs. These are especially convenient for those that don't wish to constantly plug and unplug different devices that they need to use.
So, the short answer for the question, "How does USB work?", is that there are many components involved. When you understand that each device that connects to the computer needs power from some source, you will realize why some need to be plugged in and some don't. For example, a computer mouse needs a tiny amount of power, so it can take that form the computer itself. However, a larger device like a printer needs to be plugged directly into a wall outlet, because it would draw too much from the computer.
