What is Micro USB?

If you can’t live without your cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA), you’ll be pleased to hear that micro USB connectors will soon make these gadgets even more convenient to use. USB, which stands for Universal Serial Bus, is an external bus, or cable, standard used to connect peripheral devices, like keyboards, to computers. It's an alternative to its common predecessors, serial and parallel standards. After some time, USB technology was enhanced and reduced to a smaller size known as mini USB. The micro USB specification is now scheduled to replace mini USB connectors in many different types of portable devices, including cell phones and PDA's. Standard devices will use Micro-B receptacles, while USB OTG (On-The-Go) devices will use Micro-AB receptacles. Micro-A plugs, Micro-B plugs, and standard cables will also be available.

The micro USB technology was developed by the USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB-IF), an independent non-profit group that works to advance USB technology. Nokia is one of many companies that will be using the micro USB specification in its upcoming products.

When compared to the mini USB, the micro USB offers many advantages. The most obvious benefit to this new technology is its smaller size. As cell phones and PDAs become thinner and lighter, consumers are frequently finding the mini USB connector is simply too large for practical use. The micro USB will allow manufacturers to push the limits of this trend towards sleeker design.

In addition to its smaller size, the micro USB is more durable than the mini USB connector. A micro USB features a stainless-steel shell to allow for over 10,000 insertion cycles, as well as a latching mechanism that provides higher extraction forces without sacrificing the USB’s ease-of-use for synching and charging your portable devices.

Another benefit to this new connector type is that the micro USB specification will support the USB OTG supplement, a technology that was invented to meet the need for portable devices to communicate directly with each other without the assistance of a computer. Whether you’re traveling on business or meeting friends for a casual lunch, the OTG supplement offers total mobile interconnectivity. It allows you to easily transfer, print, or share your documents, songs, and photos while using low power features that will help preserve battery life.