USB 3.0 Technology

USB or Universal Serial Bus is considered as the more popular means to connect a computer with various peripheral devices and portable gadgets. It was intended to replace the older serial and parallel connectors and ports. And currently, it has become a standard connection among newer devices today. It is also undergoing its own improvements with the introduction of the USB 3.0 in the near future.

With newer devices becoming more advanced and more modern, faster data handling and transmission between the computer and other devices become more and more essential. That is why many experts in the field have suggested more improved specifications in order to accommodate the needs for faster data handling and transmission. This eventually leads to the development of the USB 3.0 technology.

USB 3.0 is also more commonly known as SuperSpeed. It is said to be a faster version of its predecessor, the USB 2.0 which is the current standard. This is done by increasing the number of wires being used to transfer data from 4 to 9. This results in faster data transmission speeds of up to ten times that of current USB 2.0 connections. While USB 2.0 can only transmit data packets at 480 Mbit/s, the USB 3.0 will be capable of handling packet transfers of up to 4.8 to 5.0 Gbits/s.

The new USB 3.0 is also designed to have separate lanes handling data reception and transfer. This allows the new standard to transmit and receive data at the same time, unlike the USB 2.0 which can only perform data transfers in one direction at a time. The USB 3.0 is also backwards and forwards compatible. This means that the new USB 3.0 connectors will fit and work into older ports and vice versa. But backwards compatibility of USB 3.0 will not result in faster data transfers if used in older ports.

The USB 3.0 is currently being developed but is not yet being used as a standard for the current gadgets and peripheral devices. Newer gadgets that will be using the USB 3.0 technology will begin production sometime in 2011. Hopefully, it is being planned to replace the current USB 2.0 technology around 2012.