What is the difference between USB and micro USB?

The Origin and Evolution of the USB Cable

USB , or Universal Serial Bus, is something we often use to connect devices such as a mouse or a keyboard to a computer. In the 1990s, before USB , there were many different types of cables and plugs. That was quite complicated. So big companies like Intel and Microsoft decided to team up and make something new. That became USB .

The purpose of USB was to have a standard cable that allows you to connect devices easily and that works without hassle. This means that if you connect a device with a USB cable, the device will work immediately without having to install any additional software.

The very first USB came out in 1996, this was USB 1.0. With this USB you could send data at a speed of up to 12 megabits per second. That was very fast at the time, but it is not fast enough for today's devices. That's why newer USB have been created that are much faster. The latest USB , USB 3.2, can transfer data at a speed of 20 gigabits per second. That's about 1667 times faster than the first USB ! That shows how much the technology has improved since the first USB .

Known as "SuperSpeed", this A-style connector is commonly found on host controllers in computers and hubs, the A-style connector is a flat, rectangular interface. This interface holds the connection in place by friction which makes it very easy for users to connect and disconnect. Instead of round pins, the connector uses flat contacts which can withstand continuous attachment and removal very well. The A-socket connector provides a "downstream" connection that is intended for use solely on host controllers and hubs. This connector is similar in size and shape to the A-Type connector used in USB 2.0 & USB 1.1 applications. However, the USB 3.0 A-type has additional pins that are not found in the USB 2.0 & USB 1.1 A-Type. The USB 3.0 connector is designed for USB SuperSpeed applications; however, it will carry data from slower speed connections, and it is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports. USB 3.0 A connectors are often blue in color to help identify them from previous versions.