USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a serial bus standard to connect various devices to a host computer. It was developed to allow many peripherals to be connected to PC using one standardized interface socket. This standard allows devices to be connected and then disconnected without rebooting the computer or turning off the device.

USB features such pleasant options as providing power to low-consumption devices; you can even charge certain cell phones. Also allows many devices to be used without manufacturer-specific device driver installation.

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Some historical facts about USB

The USB 1.0 specification was introduced in 1996. It was developed to replace the numerousness of connectors at the PC's back and to simplify software configuration of communication devices.

The USB 2.0 specification was released in April 2000 and was standardized by the USB-IF at the end of 2001.



The USB 3.0 specification was released on November 12, 2008 by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group. It is up to 10 times faster than its predecessor specification.

The USB 3.1 specification was announced on July 31, 2013. It increases the signalling rate to 10 Gbit/s, twice more than USB 3.0. USB 3.1 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.