LabRats #078: Understanding USB

Serial and parallel ports still exist, and they do a marvelous job, but USB (Universal Serial Bus) has become the king of linking appliances to a computer. Serial ports throw one bit of data at a time in a seemingly unending series. Parallel ports send a whole bunch of data together, side by side. The USB replaces them both.

It all started with USB 1.0 that was quickly replaced by USB 1.1, basically, a patch, just a minor improvement. These days, it's USB 2.0 that rules the roost. It can transfer huge loads of data, and it does so fast. Most of us connect our cameras (still and video) to our computers using USB cables, many of us use USB memory sticks. The great thing these days is that USB connections work on both Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X and the newest versions of Linux. Now, the issues. USB delivers power to the gadgets it connects to, but – on occasion – it's not enough and the peripheral instrument refuses to work.

The solution: upgrade your power supply. See LabRats’ Episode #43 to find out how to do it. A powered USB hub can help, too. You can also have problems with USB hubs on your machine. Sean explains and demonstrates how to get rid of the problematic piece of software and re-install it.

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