A cable is a cord that is made up of different conductors, which are insulated from each other, and which is covered by a sheath for protection. USB, according to abbreviationfinder, is the acronym for Universal Serial Bus: a standard that, in the field of computing, establishes the protocols and connectors used on a bus to connect devices.
The USB cable, therefore, is the connector that allows different elements to be linked through the Universal Serial Bus. This interface was created in the second half of the 1990’s by various companies, including Microsoft, Intel, IBM, and NEC, to make their devices compatible.
In a computer (computer) that has USB ports, it is possible to connect all kinds of peripherals: from a keyboard to a mouse (mouse), through a printer, a scanner, speakers or a gamepad (gamepad). You can even connect external hard drives, TV tuner cards and other devices.
Suppose we want to copy the photographs we take with a digital camera onto our computer. For this we must have a USB cable that at one of its ends has the necessary connector to plug into the camera. In general, cameras already come with this cable included. Therefore, we must connect one end of the cable to the camera and the other to the USB port of the computer. It is likely that the equipment will automatically recognize this connection and offer us the possibility to copy the images in question.
In addition to data transfer, the USB cable is used to power devices, either to charge their batteries or simply to allow them to function. Nowadays, it is very common for monitors to have one or more USB inputs so that the user can comfortably charge phones and tablets by plugging them directly there, instead of the computer tower, which is usually in a less accessible place.
Although one of the principles of the USB standard is the simplification of connections, the interests of hardware manufacturers and the desire that many companies have to stand out from the competition at any price have led to the creation of too many types of connectors, to the point of generating confusion for less expert consumers. “Do I need a” micro “or” mini “USB cable to connect this graphics tablet? Also, is it type A or B? “
Let’s look at the most common types of USB cable:
* type A: it is the most used type. In fact, it is what we usually find in the entrances of computers, both desktop and laptop. When we say “USB” in everyday speech, we usually think of this type of connector;
* Type B – Has a “square” connector and used to be used in most printer models, but is not as common today;
* type C: is the most used today. Compared to its predecessors, it offers a higher data transmission speed and is also capable of transferring more electrical energy. Most of the successful devices of recent times have adopted this type of USB connector, including the Nintendo Switch console, which uses it for charging its battery and transmitting image and sound to the TV, all through a USB cable. very thin;
* mini USB: before the advent of the USB C cable, this was the most common type in mobile phones and digital cameras;
* micro USB: it is still used to charge certain mobile phones, especially those of the mid and low range.
