Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms: USB (Universal Serial Bus)
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
a standard way of connecting peripherals to computers, designed to replace serial, parallel, SCSI, and other kinds of ports.USB1.0 provides a data rate of 12 million bits per second (Mbps), slower than its rival, Firewire (IEEE 1394), but cheaper to implement. USB 2.0 ("Hi-Speed USB") achieves 480 Mbps and is fully compatible with the previous version. The maximum cable length is 5 meters (16 feet). Any USB port can be expanded into many ports by using a USB hub, and long cable runs can be achieved by inserting a hub every 5 meters (5.5 yards).
USB was developed by Intel and other companies starting in 1997. For more information see www.usb.org.
