subject: Usb Cable - Recognizing And Using Usb Cables [print this page] USB (Universal Serial Bus) cables are used for a huge number of different applications in today's world of home electronics, and getting familiar with them is key if you want to correctly hook up your various devices to your home computer. Some devices even use a USB cable not only to connect to a home station, but to charge as well (such as an iPod). Getting acquainted with the appearance and usage of a USB cable is important for anyone who plans on getting more connected, so here we'll go over how to easily and accurately tell this cable apart from others, as well as some of its more common uses.
USB cables are typically thin, black cables with rectangular ends. If the USB cable is designed so that only one end has a USB output and the other end is for a particular appliance (again, in the case of an iPod), then the cable will only have one rectangular end. On the USB end of the cable there will be a unique symbol consisting of three prongs, with a circle on the end of one, a square on the end of the other, and a triangle on the final prong. The USB end of the cable will also have a rectangular opening with a flat opening on one side and a raised portion on the other.
This combination of one indentation and one raised area means that there is no "male" or "female" end of a USB cable. The jack into which the cable is fitted uses a similar interface, thus ensuring that the cable is plugged in the right way. This allows you to quickly and easily make sure that you have the cable plugged in firmly and correctly.
Many different devices use USB cables today, and the number of devices that use them is growing. This means that being able to properly identify and use a USB cable is becoming increasingly important for those that want to correctly use them. USB cables are used not only to connect large devices like printers and scanners to personal computers, but smaller peripherals like mice and keyboards as well. USB devices are also used in a variety of devices not related to personal computers at all, and are becoming increasingly common throughout the world of home electronics. Getting to know the types of cables used can be a significant advantage.
