what is a usb port

What is a USB port?

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USB Port stands for Universal Serial Bus, an industry standard for short-distance digital data communication. These allow USB devices to be connected to each other and transfer digital data over a USB cable.

USB-A, USB-B, and USB-C – USB port types

  • USB-A (Type A): Rectangular USB Type-A connectors approximately 1.4 cm (9/16 in) in length and 0.65 cm (1/4 in) in height are common use for wired mice and keyboards. USB sticks also usually have USB-A connectors.
  • USB-B (Type B): Less common than Type A, USB B devices are roughly square in shape and commonly found on routers, computers, printers, and game consoles.
  • Micro USB: So-called Micro USB versions of both USB-A and USB-B also exist – smaller versions than their native counterparts popular on mobile devices. Now obsolete “mini USB” versions can also be found on many older devices.
  • USB C Port: With dimensions of 0.84 cm by 0.26 cm, this new standard design to replace both A and B with smaller ports to better support the thinner form factors of mobile devices.

Where are USB ports found?

Desktop computer – A desktop computer typically has two to four ports in the front and two to eight ports on the back.
Laptop computer – A laptop computer has one to four ports on the left, right, or both sides of the laptop.
Tablet computers – The USB connection on the tablet is located in the charging port and is usually Micro-USB and sometimes USB-C. Some tablets have additional USB ports.
Smartphone – The USB port on a smartphone using as either USB-C or Micro-USB for both charging and data transfer.

How to use a USB port?

  1. Connect the two devices directly to a USB cable by plugging each end into a USB port.
  2. The cable can be plugged into a USB port even when the device is turned on or off.
  3. Connect multiple USB devices to each other using a single USB hub.
  4. A USB hub plugs into a USB port and has additional ports for other devices to connect to later.
  5. If you are using a USB hub, plug a separate cable into each device and connect them to the hub separately.

Note: Unplugging the USB cable from the device may damage the files in use on the device or computer. For this reason, it is always a good practice to safely eject your USB device before physically unplugging it.

USB Device Name –

Many different USB devices connect to your computer. The list below contains some of the most common.

  • Digital Camera
  • External drive
  • Gamepad
  • Headset
  • iPod or other MP3 players
  • Keyboard
  • Keypad
  • Microphone
  • Mouse
  • Printer
  • Joystick
  • Jump drive aka thumb drive
  • Scanner
  • Smartphone
  • Speakers
  • Tablet
  • Webcams