The Journey From USB 1.1 To USB 2.0

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) was first launchedand peripherals spotlighted the limitations of the
in 1996 by a group of IT Companies known asoriginal version of USB. USB 1.1 was not able to
the USB Promoter Group.fully support the speeds needed to run gadgets
This first version was known as USB 1.1 and waslike digital movie or video players, mobile phones,
a standardized serial connection that aimed tovideo phones, Web cameras, digital cameras,
provide a replacement for parallel and serial ports.MP3s or digital music players, PDAs and Palmtops.
Intended for mid-speed and slow computerWhen USB 2.0 version debuted, with 40 times the
peripherals, it created an intelligent serial bus.speed of the previous version, it offered the
In the early years, many people utilized USB oncapacity to operate most of the newly released
their own computers and it proved to work welltechnologies.
for most applications. In recent years, however,One of the most important features of USB 2.0 is
USB 1.1 has proved to be too limited. While USBthat it is backward compatible. In other words,
1.1 managed to remain useful to more modernUSB 2.0 hardware can be plugged to computer's
technologies, some loopholes in the initial versionold USB 1.1 port and will function properly because
were pointed as the source of major problems.both versions use same plug. USB 2.0 can
USB 1.1 was limited with a slower transferencetransmit data at speeds between 1.5 megabits to
rate of only 12-megabits/ sec. During the rise of480 megabits per second, but if USB 2.0
the USB 1.1 in the market, the Institute ofhardware is connected to a USB 1.1 port it will not
Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) unveiledattempt to transmit data at its maximum speed
the FireWire, also called i.LINK(tm), which had aof 480 megabits per second. Rather, it will slow
transfer speed of 400 blazing megabytes perit's rate of transmission in order to operate
second, then considered a fantastic rate ofproperly and compatibly with the older hardware.
transfer. This transfer speed made the uploadingUpgrading a computer to include USB 2.0 ports
of a full motion video from a camcorderinto a computer is a simple procedure. When USB
convenient. It threatened to push USB 1.1 out of2.0 ports are added with a PCI port card, the
the market, as it was not able to compete withoriginal USB 1.1 ports are retained and will continue
this newcomer.to function normally.
The creation of increasingly sophisticated gadgets