The main difference between USB 2.0 and 3.0 is that USB 2.0 offers a data transferring rate of 480Mb/s while USB 3.0 offers a data transferring rate of 4.8 Gb/s, which is 10 times higher than USB 2.0.
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. It is an industry standard. Most importantly, it defines cables, connectors, and protocols for connection, communication and power supply between personal computers and their peripheral devices. USB 2.0 and 3.0 are two standards of USB.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is USB 2.0
– Features and Functionality
2. What is USB 3.0
– Features and Functionality
3. Difference Between USB 2.0 and 3.0
– Comparison of Key Differences
What is USB 2.0
USB 2.0 is an old standard of the USB released in 2000. Its data transferring rate is 480 Megabits per second (480Mb/s). This means, if the user has a 10GB file, it will take around 3 minutes to transfer that file. Furthermore, USB 2.0 provides 0.5A current to the connected devices. Since data transmission in USB 2.0 occurs in half-duplex, it is possible to send or receive data at a time.
What is USB 3.0
USB 3.0 is a newer standard of the USB released in 2008. Its data transferring rate is 4.8 Gigabits per second (4.8Gb/s). Therefore, it is 10 times higher than the USB 2.0. For example, if the user has a 10GB file, USB 3.0 only takes around 20 seconds to transfer that file. Moreover, USB 3.0 provides 0.9A current to the connected devices.
Figure 1: USB Port
If the user has a USB 3.0 device and if he connects it to a USB 2.0 port it will not be possible to get the required performance. Therefore, it is important to connect that device to USB 3.0 port to achieve the maximum speed. In addition, the data transmission is full duplex. In other words, it is possible to send and receive data simultaneously between the connected devices.
Difference Between USB 2.0 and 3.0
Definition
USB 2.0: A hardware serial interface to connect peripheral devices to computers and other electronic devices
USB 3.0: Third major version of Universal Serial Bus standard for interfacing computers and electronic devices
Data Transmission Rate
USB 2.0: Provides a data transmission rate of 480Mb/s
USB 3.0: Provides a data transmission rate of 4.8Gb/s
Data Transmission Method
USB 2.0: Can send or receive data at a time (Half duplex)
USB 3.0: Can send and receive data simultaneously (Full duplex)
Current
USB 2.0: Provides a current of 0.5A at 5V to the connected device
USB 3.0: Provides a current of 0.9A at 5V to the connected device
Released Year
USB 2.0: In 2000
USB 3.0: In 2008
Price
USB 2.0: For a similar product, it is cheaper than USB 3.0 version.
USB 3.0: For a similar product, it is expensive than USB 2.0 version.
Conclusion
The difference between USB 2.0 and 3.0 is that USB 2.0 offers a data transferring rate of 480Mb/s while USB 3.0 offers a data transferring rate of 4.8 Gb/s, which is 10 times higher than of USB 2.0. USB 3.0 device should be connected to USB 3.0 port to achieve the maximum speed.
Reference:
1. “USB Explained (Official Dell Tech Support)”, TechSupportDell, 11 Nov. 2016, Availablve here.
2. “USB.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 May 2018, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “USB Connector” By Aidan C. Siegel – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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