Standard Technology - USB 3.0

History of USB:
USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology was originally introduced in 1996. Over the years, USB has become the most popular standard for connecting external peripherals to PCs and Macs. The popularity of USB stems from a combination of factors including, but not limited to:

• Widespread availability
• Plug-and-Play usability
• Device powering - USB supplies power to the peripheral device allowing devices like portable hard drives and mice to be used without an additional power source.
• Adequate performance

As technology devices and peripherals became faster, the need to increase the transfer speed of USB arose. In 2001, the USB 2.0 standard was ratified, increasing the transfer speed of full-speed USB by 40 times. USB 2.0 was commonly named hi-speed USB.
Today, USB 2.0 is still limited to transfer speeds that are significantly less than that of hard drives, optical drives, and hard-wired network protocols.
In 2009, the USB 3.0 standard was ratified, increasing the transfer speed of hi-speed USB 2.0 by an additional 10 times, or 400 times faster than the original USB 1.1 full-speed specification. USB 3.0 is currently called SuperSpeed USB.
USB 3.0 provides all of the traditional benefits of USB with an interface capable of delivering maximum performance with peripherals.
Compatibility with earlier USB standards:
The USB standards have always aimed to provide backward compatibility with prior USB standards. USB 3.0 is no different, though it uses different connectors and cables than earlier USB versions. Despite the changes, USB 3.0 connectors and cables remain completely compatible with USB 2.0. In most cases, USB 3.0 devices will be compatible with USB 1.0 and 1.1 devices, however it is not a requirement for USB 3.0 certification.
A USB 3.0 device purchased today is compatible with existing USB 2.0 compatible devices and provides a good technology investment for the future, as USB 3.0 becomes the dominant USB technology.
How USB 3.0 compares with other standards:
USB 3.0 is one of the fastest and most cost-effective interfaces for connecting peripherals. At 4,800 Mbps (4.8 Gbps), USB 3.0 is significantly faster than USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800 as well as the common SATA 1.5 and 3.0 standards.
Here is a comparison chart that shows popular interface speeds today:

Before USB 3.0, eSATA (external SATA) was the only interface capable of delivering internal HDD speeds via an external connection. However, eSATA is incapable of providing power to an external hard drive, as USB can. Additionally, eSATA is a hard drive interface technology that cannot be used for non-storage peripheral connections and it does not offer plug-and-play.
USB 3.0 connectors and cables are easily identifiable by the use of blue color in their connectors. Both the host and device connectors have blue colored internal components, as shown in the picture below:

How can I add USB 3.0 support to my PC?
USB 3.0 is a very new technology and almost all PCs purchased before 2010 will not have USB 3.0 ports. Adapter cards are available to provide USB 3.0 support for existing PCs.
Notebook PCs:
The Buffalo Technology USB 3.0 PC ExpressCard Notebook Adapter ICF-EC2U3/UC can be used with any notebook PC that has an ExpressCard 34 or ExpressCard 54 slot running Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, or Windows® 7.

Desktop PCs:

• The Buffalo Technology USB 3.0 PCI Express Desktop Adapter IFC-PCIE2U3 can be added to a desktop PC to provide SuperSpeed USB 3.0. The PC must have at least one PCI Express x 1 Rev 2.0 slot available and must run Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, or Windows® 7.

• Buffalo Technology has tested its USB 3.0 storage devices with Gigabyte motherboards. Gigabyte is a leading manufacturer of PC motherboards, now offering many with built-in USB 3.0 support. If building a new PC or replacing a motherboard, look for a USB 3.0 compliant motherboard.