A personal computer needs a compact and fairly fast I/O port to communicate with other devices. At one time, this function was performed by the so-called COM port, which has a number of disadvantages. First of all, the developers were not satisfied with its dimensions, while the speed faded into the background. Also a good option at that time was to use LPT, which has remained unchanged until now. This is exactly where the printer is connected. Can you imagine what size flash drive you had to create in order to use this connector? Nevertheless, it has survived to this day and is characterized by high performance due to the use of a parallel data transfer protocol.
To solve this problem, the so-called mini USB port was created, which is used when working with compact and small-sized devices. They are equipped with mobile phones, video cameras, chargers, programmers, video surveillance systems, etc. Due to its small size, it easily "fits" into the designthese devices and does an excellent job.
According to the principle of operation, a mini USB port is no different from its large “brother”. Structurally, it is made of two power wires and two intended for data transmission. Wires twisted into twisted pairs for
reducing interference during operation. For the same purpose, they are placed in a special screen. Typically, the adapter cord is short enough to fit the electronic device near the computer. This also has its own meaning. The shorter the connection, the more stable the operation of the mini USB port in the mode of receiving / transmitting data. Since the devices operate with low-current circuits, it makes sense to place the cord itself away from mains or other sources of interference.
The data transfer protocol is serial, and the process itself is controlled by a special controller. The speed of this communication method is enough to ensure stable operation of the electronics.
The power wires embedded in the mini USB connection perform two useful functions at once:
- Firstly, they stabilize the process of data transfer itself. This is due to
- Secondly, the mini USB connector allows you to "power" low-power devices, for example, to recharge your mobile phone.
that the magnetic field that creates a twisted-pair power supply has a constant component. It prevents the penetration of extraneous interference into the “information” wires.
An alternative to such a connection iswireless communication, for example, Bluetooth or Red Port, but they all lose to a wired connection in speed and noise immunity.
A fairly promising direction in the development of mini USB connections is the development of new controllers operating at an increased clock frequency. This increases the data transfer rate. Further miniaturization will depend on the design features of the instruments. It should also be taken into account that the optimal port sizes are directly related to the maximum current for the power wires. The maximum power when recharging electronic devices also depends on this.
