History of the USB standard - that replaced it and what could not replace it
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
USB is not perfect, but it was replaced by a number of different ports, which we will never see. As with all technology, this standard has evolved over time. Despite the fact that the "U" in the acronym "USB" is - a "universal" for the 18 years of its existence, it has spawned many standard versions with different speeds and lots of types of connectors.
USB Implementers Forum, A group of companies which oversees the standard, is fully aware of this problem and want to solve it by using a new type of sockets, known as "Type-C". It is intended to replace connector plugs USB Type-A and Type-B (all sizes) on smartphones, tablets, computers and various periphery. Type-C will support the latest USB 3.1 specification with its enormous speed, to have a reserve for the future, when the bandwidth will be increased.
It is possible that in a few years, Type-C will become the norm and will replace all this motley zoo cable and connector, which is stored in drawers in each of us. And until that happens, and we do not know whether the Type-C we get rid of this hell cable or aggravate it, let We look back and remember what competing USB standards sent to the dustbin of history, and what it is trying to do with him.
That replaced the USB?
If your familiarity with computers began ten years ago, you must be perceived as a given USB. Despite the abundance of species of the USB connector, it is still a huge step, compared to what it was before.
If you are working with computers in those days, when the USB is not there, say in the era of Pentium or Pentium ll, then you probably know that for connecting peripherals to a PC could be used a bunch of different variations ports. Do you want to connect a mouse? you ponadoditsya PS / 2 connector or serial port. I need a keyboard? Again, PS / 2, it is possible Apple Desktop Bus or DIN-connector. Printers and scanners used old parallel portsAlso they can be use for external storage devices, if you do not want to use SCSI. Connecting gamepad or joystick, often required the presence of game portWho in the 90s was usually built in sound cards (yes, while some cards that connect to both desktops and laptops to be used to output the sound).
As you can see, the problem is that some of these ports tebovali special expansion cards, they took a bunch of places, and their set-up and troubleshooting, in case of breakage, were very troublesome business. By the end of the 90s, in computers began to incorporate a pair of USB-port (usually on the back), it was the USB 1.1, the speed limit which is 12 Mbit / s (or 1,5Mbit / sec to the periphery of such a keyboard and mouse). Manufacturers peripherals not immediately switched to the USB standard, but gradually midi-keyboards, mice, printers, other accessories steel steel equipped with additional USB-ports, and later it was used already as the main interface.
When USB 2.0 has become more common (early-mid 2000s), he was replaced by an even greater number of things. USB-stick tightened the noose on the neck of floppy-disk drive, and proprietary solutions, such as zip drive. Then gradually fade and optical media. Why use CD and DVD data storage or ustanoviki operating systems, if there is more versatile and compact USB-drives, which make the job faster? USB 2.0 is also embodied in the reality of a convenient connection of external peripherals - Wi-Fi-adapter, Ethernet-ports and everything else that was previously connected through the motherboard bus inside the computer. data transfer rates up to 480 Mbit / s allowed to make all of this possible, and USB era reached its apgogeya replacing outdated ports in desktop computers, especially in laptops. Very often, at the rear of the computer there were up to four USB ports, plus to this, one or two on the front panel for easy access.
USB really matured with version 2.0, and when it was increased up to 5 Gbit / s, it has become even more useful for all the above-mentioned scenarios in USB 3.0 speed: backup It takes less time, once this giant video files are copied faster and also have been reduced "bottleneck" when using the 802.11ac standard wireless adapters and Gigabit Ethernet-cards. With USB 3.0 hard drives and flash drives can even be able to start the operating system, and they are relatively fast.
Often, the USB-ports are the only ones that are available to us on laptops, the more that the ubiquity of Wi-Fi has reduced the need for a full Ethernet-port. And USB expansion contributed to the support of the manufacturers of chipsets from Intel and Qualcomm to AMD (today Intel chipsets support up to 14 USB ports, and it is a huge gap compared to the two ports, which were in the early systems).
In other words, the USB (though not without problems) managed to win and, importantly, retain the support of technology companies. The base connector Type-A can be found on most computers, but its size and shape remained unchanged for nearly twenty years. Given the diversity of interfaces, the zoo, on change which he came, and successfully replaced - this is really a great achievement.
What survived USB?
Several different interfaces have tried to challenge the dominance of USB. Usually they have been successful on a small scale or in certain types of devices. Most often, they have some of the features that help them to do things that could not USB, but in the end, the universality and ubiquity of USB allows it to hold a dominant position.
One of these ports has been FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394), Which is standard from the end of 90th and beginning of 2010, supported by Apple. At that time, FireWire had several advantages over USB. FireWire-devices could be connected to each other in series, which means the presence of just one FireWire port to which can be connected tens devices. FireWire also did not use the CPU resources of the host system and can transmit data in both directions at the same time ( "Duplex"), while the USB simultaneously transmit information in one direction only ( "Half-duplex"). In addition, FireWire was much faster of USB-ports: FireWire 400 provides speeds of up to 400 Mbit / s, while USB 1.1 only - 12 Mbit / s; FireWire 800 - 800 Mbit / s, against 480 Mbit / sec for USB 2.0.
FireWire is the biggest problem was in its implementation of a more expensive, as were required separate chips for data processing for computers and peripheral devices. In the first years of existence, FireWire, manufacturers had to pay Apple a license. This has led to confusion and has generated a lot of names for one and the same interface: i. LINK - from Sony, mLAN - at Yamaha, SB1394 - from Creative or awkward IEEE 1394. Go with FireWire 400 to FireWire 800, also demanded a different type of cable, while the USB 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 I used physically compatible connectors for all generations of the standard (if not to take into account the special mini and micro-plugs).
As a result, FireWire is gaining momentum in high-end external storage devices and video equipment, MDM requires high bandwidth. However, USB is still cheaper and therefore more widely used, while having widespread support. Other FireWire more rapid revision to ensure maximum speeds of up to 1.6 Gb / s, 3.2 Gb / s and 6.4 Gbit / s are at various stages of development, but since Apple discontinued FireWire installation in most of their devices support this interface goes on not.
Instead, FireWire, as a brand and a faster alternative to USB, Apple builds into its PCs Thunderbolt ports. Basically, it is associated primarily with poppies (because it was first launched on them), but the actual Thunderbolt interface developed and podderzhivatsya Intel. Originally called Light Peak, in its first iteration of Thunderbolt can transfer data in both directions simultaneously at speeds up to 10 Gbit / s - it was twice as much as in USB 3.0. In this case, Thunderbolt went on sale a couple of years ago, before the USB 3.0 is widely used in computers.
Thunderbolt-controllers second generation rate increased to 20 Gbit / s, changing the data transmission principle. The first generation of transmit data via a PCI Express bus, "resting" in the 10 Gbit / s, while the second generation controllers use two PCI Express, thus increasing the data rate if you pass them in one direction. The next generation of Thunderbolt will require changing the type of sockets, but promises speeds of up to 40 Gbit / s. A future version of the fiber optic Thunderbolt can provide up to 100 Gbit / s, although it is likely to be only a few years.
Thunderbolt is in active development, and has the support of several large companies, so it is too early to write off. However, in opposition to USB he manifested the same basic shortcomings that have FireWire. The most important of these is the cost - to support Thunderbolt manufacturers must integrate into their own separate controller PC, and manufacturers of accessories and peripherals must also provide nekotrye capabilities that are needed to support interface.
Theoretically, Intel, using their superiority in the market, could push Thunderbolt development, integrating controllers directly into their chipsets, but there are some drawbacks. This will increase the amount of silicon needed to produce each of the chipset, which, in turn, will increase the costs for OEM and impact on Intel's profits. In addition, it will increase the power consumption of the chipset, while Intel is doing everything possible to reduce it.
At this point, these factors limit the Thunderbolt and although it is a useful technique, especially if you are using 4K displays or work with large volumes of data - for most common USB people is still quite fast and extremely common, to satisfy all their needs.
future opponents
Assuming that no major changes in the battle between the USB and the Thunderbolt, which is gaining momentum, not It happens - the most serious competitor to USB are technologies that make all the same as he, but without wires.
Now in most cases we use wireless technology to the needs of those who used to satisfy the USB. Cloud services keep our mail, contacts, calendars, files and purchased media content by synchronizing all of this on all our devices to use without the need for wires. Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, and AirDrop replace USB for file transfer lump and Miracast and AirPlay to connect your devices and the TV using wireless technology (though you still need a receiver like the Apple TV or Chromecast if your TV is no built-in support of these functions). Wireless printers, memory cards and even cameras have long become familiar to us.
The biggest obstacle to all of these functions tend to speed. If you need to pass a lot of photos, or work with 1080p video, which is able to shoot your smartphone, you probably do not want to communicate with wireless gadgets and prefer them to USB 2.0, which is faster and reliable. Developers and other craftsmen, of course, will continue to use USB to connect devices to your computer as firmware smartphone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is not yet possible.
Even if you never connect your device to your computer, they still depend on the wires that need to be charged. There are some achievements to replace USB wireless charging methods, but these technologies are still facing difficulties. Many competing standards prevent the unification of the technology. In addition, the charge efficiency is not as high as in direct connection. In addition, many of the wireless chargers themselves require power via USB.
In any case, even with the development and spread of wireless technology, USB is not going anywhere anytime soon. As well as the emergence of Wi-Fi has not caused widespread rejection of the Ethernet, wireless technologies are not yet able to completely replace the USB. Even allowing for all the variety of speeds and plugs that are necessary for work, convenience, USB speed and versatility, it tells us that this standard will exist for quite for a long time.
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