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AN INTRODUCTION TO
USB BASICS
Imagine a network based on inexpensive high volume “Can I add USB to a computer that
chipsets, with data rates reaching 5 Gbps, 25 meter
distance, designed with plug-and-play in mind. Add does not have a USB port?”
5 Volt power, with up to 500mA current capacity, and Today, most all new PCs come with USB ports. But other,
compatibility with many consumer products. especially older, computers may not have them.

What we just described is “Universal Serial Bus” (USB) You can add USB by installing a PCI add-in card. You may
— an external connectivity communications technology need to upgrade the computer’s O/S and BIOS for it to work.
for linking peripherals such as mice, keyboards, Are you running out of PCI or ISA slots? With USB you can
modems, joysticks, video and more to Macintosh and forget about setting COM ports and IRQ’s – just plug in a
PC computers. It has gained favor commercially and USB to RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 or parallel converter.
privately since its development in 1994.

Today, it is a standard feature on most all new PCs as

it quickly replaces PC serial ports. This has been driven USB Protocols, Data Rates, Devices
by some of the largest electronics manufacturers. It was Table 1. USB Protocols and Data Rates
inevitable that USB would also become a factor in the
retail, data collection and industrial worlds. USB Speed USB Protocol Rate Typical Devices
Low Speed USB 1.1, 2.0, 3.0 1.5 Mbps mice, keyboards, joysticks
Full Speed USB 1.1, 2.0, 3.0 12 Mbps printers, scanners, webcams

Where USB Came From High Speed USB 2.0, 3.0 480 Mbps multimedia, zip drives
USB grew from the requirement for a simple, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 4.8 Gbps HD video, hard drive backup
inexpensive expansion bus for PCs. PCI solved many
speed and compatibility problems that existed with the
ISA bus. But, the need to take the cover off the PC to
add a peripheral was a hassle. And, though PCI made
Windows plug-n-play possible, we have all experienced
the frequent reality of “plug-n-pray” instead.
.
Universal Serial Bus is a serial protocol (less costly
than parallel) and physical layer link. Data is transmitted
differentially on one pair of wires, providing relatively
good noise immunity. Another pair carries DC power to
downstream devices, allowing many low power devices
to be bus powered.

USB supports a high data rate and ‘hot swap’ connection

for PCs without rebooting and provides easy connections
to a wide variety of multimedia and network USB
devices. Peripherals are simpler and less costly.

A USB master does not have to be a PC, but usually is.

Today, all versions of Windows and Linux support USB. USB Star Topology Diagram
An embedded device is a computer that does not look
USB uses a “star” topology, meaning there is only one
like a computer. Only sophisticated embedded devices
with full operating systems will be USB masters. device connected at each end of a cable; multiple devices
require a hub to re-distribute the signal.
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Highlights Data Transfer Methods

• USB ports available on newer PCs and loptops – Four data-transfer methods are used with USB devices:
a single USB port can connect up to 127 peripheral • Bulk - used for devices that have large amounts of
devices. data to transmit or receive (canners, printers) and need
• Plug-and-play – USB supports Microsoft’s plug-and- guaranteed delivery, but have no particular bandwidth
play (PnP) specification as well as hot-swapping or requirements.
hot-plugging (i.e., you can unplug something and plug • Control, bi-directional - at rates of 8, 16, 32, or 64
in something else on the fly, without shutting down the bytes [1 byte = 8 bits], depending on device and transfer
computer). speed, and used by software to query, configure, and
• It is auto-configuring – the peripheral device and issue generic commands.
computer figure out how to communicate without • Interrupt - used to poll devices (keyboards, mice,
disrupting anything else. joysticks) that sporadically and unpredictably produce
• It is a “cross-platform” standard – it will work on either a small amounts of data, to determine if they have data to
Macintosh or PC. transmit.
• High data rates – up to 5 Gbps • Isochronous - used for time-critical data streaming or
• Noise immunity – real-time applications requiring constant, steady data
transfer rates.
• Power – It can support up to 500mA of current to items
on the bus.
Interfaces, Endpoints
USB devices have at least one interface, which is the
peripheral’s physical component.
Limitations
• 5 meters distance, average maximum
Each interface has a set of endpoints, which are data
• Not isolated (USB isolattion devices available) producers or consumers. All USB devices have a special
• Not always available on industrial/commercial devices endpoint called “endpoint 0” that supports generic USB
status and configuration protocol.

Device drivers establish logical communication channels,

Technology & Systems called “pipes”, which are software associations between the
Three aspects comprise USB technology: endpoints and driver.
• Host - master connector or controller, the host computer
Endpoint characteristics determine pipe characteristics (e.g.,
• Hub - host’s root node allows multiple USB devices to communication direction, required bandwidth, etc.).
be connected
• Function - actual USB devices (mouse, keyboard, etc.)
More on USB 2.0, OTG, 3.0
Version 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1 and also
retains the plug-and-play and hot-swapping capabilities of
Three aspects comprise a USB system: 1.1. OTG, a supplement to USB 2.0, allows mobile-device
• Host interconnectivity when a PC/laptop is not available.
• Device
USB 3.0 “SuperSpeed” adds even higher data rates, more
• Physical bus (represented by the cable) downstream device power, plus smart charging/powering.

Important to note is that, while each version of USB is

backwards compatible with its predecessors, it cannot make
earlier version devices go any faster.
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Common Hardware: USB hubs expand networks to

USB Summary accommodate up to 127 devices. ISA and PCI cards for USB
Origin: USB is a multiple platform serial network standard
are popular and adapters are also available for converting
created by Microsoft, Intel, and various PC vendors for
serial, parallel and Ethernet ports to USB.
linking low and medium speed computer peripherals.
Typical Applications: Consumer electronics such as digital
Power: 5V, up to 500 mA, for each device or hub on the
cameras, speakers, telephones, storage devices, scanners,
network.
printers, keyboards and mice. Also beginning to appear in
data acquisition systems as alternative to GPIB (General
Nodes: 127 (maximum)
Purpose Interface Bus) and in configuration ports for
embedded devices.
Distance: ~4 meters (14 ft) (maximum) without the use of a
hub; ~25 meters (82 ft) (maximum) with use of multiple hubs.
Additional Information: The USB Implementers Forum is
a not-for-profit organization created to promote, support and
Baud Rate: 1.5 Mbps and 12 Mbps can co-exist on the
market Universal Serial Bus, wireless USB, USB On-The-
same bus. However, mixing speeds should be avoided as
Go, plus specification and compliance maintenance.
it substantially slows communication. It is best to split the
www.usb.org
devices between two host connections. Note that 1.5 Mbps
wiring does not require shielding.
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Termination: Built in to devices.

Wiring: Cascading or star topology options; multiple devices

supported by extending with multi-port hubs. Cables have
a two-conductor, twisted-shielded pair of wires for two-
directional data, plus two heavier wires for 5V power and
ground.

Signal: Low-amplitude signal minimizes EMI/RFI

interference: 0.4 Volt differential centered at 1.75 Volts DC.

Intelligence at the Network Edge

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