Editing USB (section)

{{Short description|Standard for computer data connections}}
{{about|the computer bus standard|other uses}}
{{use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{cs1 config|mode=cs1|name-list-style=none|display-authors=all}}
{{infobox connector
| name               = USB<br />Universal Serial Bus
| type               = [[Bus (computing)|Bus]]
| image              = [[File: USB Type-C macbook.png|frameless|upright=1.3]]
| logo               = Certified USB.svg
| caption            = The current connector for USB, Thunderbolt, and other protocols: USB-C (plug and receptacle shown)
| designer           = {{plainlist|
* [[Compaq]]
* [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]]
* [[IBM]]
* [[Intel]]
* [[Microsoft]]
* [[NEC]]
* [[Nortel]]
}}
| design_date        = {{start date and age |1996|1}}
| production_date    = Since May 1996<ref>{{cite web |url=http://download.intel.com/design/intarch/datashts/29055002.pdf |publisher=Intel |title=82371FB (PIIX) and 82371SB (PIIX3) PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator |date=May 1996 |access-date=12 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313120109/http://download.intel.com/design/intarch/datashts/29055002.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2016}}</ref>
| superseded         = [[Serial port]], [[parallel port]], [[game port]], [[Apple Desktop Bus]], [[PS/2 port]], and [[FireWire]] (IEEE 1394)
| superseded_by      = 
| superseded_by_date =
| open = Yes
}}

'''Universal Serial Bus''' ('''USB''') is an [[technical standard|industry standard]], developed by [[USB Implementers Forum]] (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical [[Interface (computing)|interfaces]], and [[communication protocol]]s to and from ''hosts'', such as [[personal computer]]s, to and from [[peripheral]] ''devices'', e.g. displays, keyboards, and mass storage devices, and to and from intermediate ''hubs'', which multiply the number of a host's ports.<ref name="USB42Spec">{{cite web |date=12 December 2024 |title=USB4 Specification v2.0 |url=https://www.usb.org/document-library/usb4r-specification-v20 |url-status=live |access-date=27 February 2025 |publisher=USB Implementers Forum |language=en-US |format=ZIP |edition=Version 2.0}}</ref>

Introduced in 1996, USB was originally designed to standardize the connection of peripherals to computers, replacing various interfaces such as [[serial port]]s, [[parallel port]]s, [[game port]]s, and [[Apple Desktop Bus]] (ADB) ports.<ref>{{cite web |title=About USB-IF |url=https://www.usb.org/about |url-status=live |access-date=27 April 2023 |publisher=USB Implementers Forum |language=en-US}}</ref> Early versions of USB became commonplace on a wide range of devices, such as keyboards, mice, cameras, printers, scanners, flash drives, smartphones, game consoles, and power banks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 December 1995 |title=USB deserves more support |url=http://simson.net/clips/1999/99.Globe.05-20.USB_deserves_more_support+.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406080011/http://simson.net/clips/1999/99.Globe.05-20.USB_deserves_more_support+.shtml |archive-date=6 April 2012 |access-date=12 December 2011 |newspaper=Boston Globe Online |department=Business |publisher=Simson |language=en-US}}</ref> USB has since evolved into a standard to replace virtually all common ports on computers, mobile devices, peripherals, power supplies, and manifold other small electronics.

In the latest standard, the [[USB-C]] connector replaces many types of connectors for power (up to 240&nbsp;W), displays (e.g. DisplayPort, HDMI), and many other uses, as well as all previous USB connectors.

{{As of|2024|post=,}} USB consists of four generations of specifications: [[#USB 1.x|USB 1.''x'']], [[#USB 2.0|USB 2.0]], [[USB 3.0|USB 3.''x'']], and [[USB4]]. The USB4 specification enhances the data transfer and power delivery functionality with "a connection-oriented tunneling architecture designed to combine multiple protocols onto a single physical interface so that the total speed and performance of the USB4 Fabric can be dynamically shared."<ref name=USB42Spec/> In particular, USB4 supports the tunneling of the [[Thunderbolt (interface)|Thunderbolt 3]] protocols, namely [[PCI Express]] (PCIe, load/store interface) and [[DisplayPort]] (display interface). USB4 also adds host-to-host interfaces.<ref name=USB42Spec/>

Each specification sub-version supports different [[signaling rate]]s from 1.5 and 12&nbsp;Mbit/s [[Duplex (telecommunications)#Half duplex|half-duplex]] in USB&nbsp;1.0/1.1 to 80&nbsp;Gbit/s [[Duplex (telecommunications)#Full duplex|full-duplex]] in USB4&nbsp;2.0.<ref name=USB31Spec>{{cite web |date= |title=Universal Serial Bus 3.1 Specification |url=https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/documents/usb_3_1_1_0.zip |access-date=27 April 2023 |publisher=USB Implementers Forum |format=ZIP |edition= }}{{Dead link |date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name=USB2Spec>{{cite web |url=https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/documents/usb_2_0.zip |title=Universal Serial Bus 2.0 Specification |edition=Revision 2.0 |date=27 April 2000 |format=ZIP |publisher=USB Implementers Forum |access-date=27 April 2023 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=USB32101Spec>{{cite web |url=https://www.usb.org/document-library/usb-32-revision-11-june-2022 |title=USB 3.2 Revision 1.01 – June 2022 |edition=Revision 1.01 |date=Oct 2023 |access-date=14 April 2024}}</ref><ref name=USB42Spec/> USB also provides power to peripheral devices; the latest versions of the standard extend the power delivery limits for battery charging and devices requiring up to 240 watts as defined in [[USB hardware#USB Power Delivery|USB Power Delivery (USB-PD)]] Rev. V3.1.<ref name=PDSpec>{{cite web |url=https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/documents/pd_specification.zip |title=Universal Serial Bus Power Delivery Specification Revision 3.0 Version 2.0a (Released) |format=ZIP |publisher=USB Implementers Forum |access-date=27 April 2023 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Over the years, USB(-PD) has been adopted as the standard power supply and charging format for many mobile devices, such as mobile phones, reducing the need for proprietary chargers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gsmworld.com/newsroom/press-releases/2009/3582.htm |title=Universal Charging Solution |publisher=GSMA |date=17 February 2009 |access-date=12 December 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130092204/http://www.gsmworld.com/newsroom/press-releases/2009/3582.htm |archive-date=30 November 2011}}</ref>