The latest major revision of the standardised USB interface, USB 3.0 or SuperSpeed USB, has been hailed as remarkable for the tenfold improvement in data transfer speed it produces. Eminently compatible with a wide range of electronic goods with either USB 2.0 or the new version, USB 3.0 has had an enormous impact on the range of technology available for storing, transporting and retrieving data.

The new USB 3.0 features a massively improved data transfer rate.

The original Universal Serial Bus (USB) was created in 1996 and USB 2.0 was the dominant interface standard for many years. USB 3.0 is considerably faster, benefiting from a number of technical changes. Especially, USB 3.0 delivers increased rates of data transfer, up to 5Gbps – or 5 gigabits per second.

This has a positive knock-on effect of increased power and efficiency.

Changes since the advent of USB 2.0 include the provision of more power when it is needed and improved power efficiency too – in effect, power saving when less power is needed.

The power increase manifests itself in two ways: up to 50 per cent more power is available for suspended or un-configured devices and up to 80 per cent more for configured devices. USB 3.0 allows battery-powered devices to charge more quickly and more devices that use a lot of power to be powered by USB. In addition, whereas the USB 2.0 had two usable wire contacts, the USB 3.0 has four, thereby eliminating any requirement for a separate power supply for a connected device.

The power saving element comes into play when either the device or the host computer is in idle mode – either device can identify and initiate power saving modes. When bulk transfers take place, streaming enables faster performance and time-dependent transfers enable a return to low power levels between busy periods.

Another key feature is Full Duplex; resulting in increased flexibility and compatibility.

Data transfers are Full Duplex, so one link allows transmission in two directions at the same time. The interaction between computer and the USB device is therefore enhanced. Careful planning at the outset has ensured that USB 3.0 can be used with all the devices and applications pertaining to USB 2.0, so there are no backwards compatibility issues. For example, the USB connector is exactly the same shape as the rectangular one for version 2.0 – and has the same four USB contacts located as before. However, there are additional new connections, and so there are new physical cables that enable a higher speed of transfer operation.

The sheer speed of USB 3.0 has had an amazing impact on the data storage and retrieval industry – imagine being able to download photographs from a digital camera, totalling about 8GB of memory, in just 20 seconds. Extend this to the scenario of downloading several films in HD – for example; 27 GB worth of data – and the realisation that this can be achieved in one minute will give a clear indication of the power and beauty of SuperSpeed USB.

USB 3.0 remains the optimum version of the high-end USB flash drive, and the improvements on version 2.0 make it a very valuable asset, for businesses especially, indeed.

Simon is part of Bespoke USB. Specialising in printed USB sticks. Make a statement for your business with your own promotional USB as a corporate gift.

Simon is part of http://www.bespokeusb.co.uk. Specialising in printed USB sticks and relevant areas of interest. Make a statement for your business with your own promotional USB as a corporate gift.

Author Bio: Simon is part of Bespoke USB. Specialising in printed USB sticks. Make a statement for your business with your own promotional USB as a corporate gift.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: flash drives, usb drives, branded usb, memory sticks, data storage, computers, hardware