1.2.3

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

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Universal Serial Bus (USB)

USB connects a wide range of electronic devices (like keyboards, mice, printers, and external hard drives) to computers. It is one of the most common input/output devices.

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How does USB transmit data?

  • USB uses serial data transmission.
    • This means data is sent one bit at a time along a single wire.
  • A USB cable contains multiple wires: two for power and two for data.
    • The data wires are used for full-duplex transmission, meaning data can be sent and received at the same time.
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Benefits of USB

  • Universal standard:
    • USB is a widely recognised standard, allowing great compatibility between devices from different manufacturers.
  • Plug and play:
    • USB devices are automatically recognised by a computer's operating system when plugged in.
  • Hot-swappable:
    • USB can be plugged in and removed without having to switch off the computer.
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More benefits of USB

  • Power supply:
    • USB ports can provide electrical power to devices, eliminating the need for a separate power cable.
  • Speed:
    • Newer versions of USB (USB 3.0, USB-C) allow faster data transfer.
  • Reliability:
    • USB includes error checking in data packets.
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Drawbacks of USB

  • Cable length:
    • The standard USB cable is limited to a few metres – beyond this, data can become corrupted.
  • Transfer speed:
    • USB can still be slower than other specialised interfaces in some professional applications.
  • Connector variations:
    • There are many types of USB connectors (e.g. USB-A, USB-B, USB-C), which can be confusing for users.
    • Newer USB types (e.g. USB-C) may not fit older ports.

Jump to other topics

1Computer Systems

1.1Data Representation

1.1.1Binary Numbers

1.1.2Negative Binary Numbers

1.1.3Hexadecimal

1.1.4Using Hexadecimal

1.1.5Converting Binary & Hexadecimal

1.1.6Converting Denary & Hexadecimal

1.1.7Capacity

1.1.8Calculating Capacity Requirements

1.1.9Binary in Computer Systems

1.1.10Data Compression

1.1.11Run Length Encoding

1.1.12File Formats

1.2Data Transmission

1.2.1Packet Switching

1.2.2Data Transmission

1.2.3Universal Serial Bus (USB)

1.2.4Parity Check

1.2.5Checksum & Echo Checks

1.2.6Encryption

1.3Hardware

1.3.1Elements of Computer Systems

1.3.2Types of Computer System

1.3.3Von Neumann Architecture

1.3.4The Fetch, Decode, Execute Cycle

1.3.5Factors Affecting CPU Performance

1.3.6Computational Logic

1.3.7Input Devices

1.3.82D & 3D Scanners

1.3.9Code Readers

1.3.10Solid State Storage

1.3.11Magnetic Storage

1.3.12Examples of Magnetic Storage

1.3.13Optical Storage

1.3.14Examples of Optical Storage

1.3.15Types of Optical disk

1.3.16Storage Requirements

1.3.17Translation - Compilers

1.3.18Translation - Interpreters

1.3.19Translation - Assemblers

1.3.20Acoustic Sensors

1.3.21Flow Sensors

1.3.22Gas Sensors

1.3.23Humidity Sensors

1.3.24Infrared Sensors

1.3.25Level Sensors

1.3.26Light Sensors

1.3.27Magnetic Field Sensors

1.3.28Moisture Sensors

1.3.29pH Sensors

1.3.30Pressure Sensors

1.3.31Proximity Sensors

1.3.32Temperature Sensors

1.3.33Network Hardware

1.4Software

1.4.1Operating Systems

1.4.2Interrupts

1.4.3High-Level Languages

1.4.4Low-Level Languages

1.5The Internet & its Uses

1.5.1The Internet

1.5.2Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)

1.5.3DNS

1.5.4HTML

1.5.5Cookies

1.5.6Web Hosting

1.5.7Digital Currency

1.6Cyber Security

1.6.1Forms of Attack

1.6.2Penetration Testing

1.6.3Types of Malware

1.6.4How Malware Spreads

1.6.5Protecting Against Malware

1.6.6Information Security

1.6.7Structured Query Language (SQL) Injection

1.6.8Firewalls

1.6.9Authentication: User Access Levels

1.6.10Authentication: Passwords

1.6.11Social Engineering

1.6.12Phishing

1.6.13Denial of Service Attacks

1.7Automated & Emerging Technologies

1.7.1Automated Systems

1.7.2Robotics

1.7.3Artificial Intelligence

2Algorithms, Programming & Logic

2.1Algorithm Design & Problem Solving

2.1.1Computational Thinking - Abstraction

2.1.2Computational Thinking - Decomposition

2.1.3Computational Thinking - Algorithmic Thinking

2.1.4Pseudocode

2.1.5Flow Diagrams

2.1.6Interpreting, Correcting & Completing Algorithm

2.1.7Correcting Algorithms

2.1.8Completing Algorithms

2.1.9Testing

2.1.10Types of Testing

2.1.11Test Plans

2.1.12Validation & Sanitation

2.1.13Authentication & Contingencies

2.2Programming

2.2.1Programming Fundamentals - Variables & Constants

2.2.2Programming Fundamentals - Comments

2.2.3Programming Fundamentals - Input & Output

2.2.4Data Types

2.2.5Casting

2.2.6Controlling Program Flow - Sequence

2.2.7Controlling Program Flow - Selection

2.2.8Controlling Program Flow - Iteration

2.2.9Modularity - Subroutines

2.2.10Modularity - Scope

2.2.11Arrays

2.3Databases

2.3.1Structuring Data - Records

2.3.2Structuring Data - Databases

2.3.3SQL

2.4Boolean Logic

2.4.1Binary Systems

2.4.2Logic Circuits

2.4.3Truth Tables

2.4.4Evaluating Expressions

2.4.5Boolean Operators

2.4.6End of Topic Test - Logic

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Data Transmission

Parity Check