Lacie d2 Quadra USB 3.0 User Manual - Page 38

USB Questions & Answers, What Are The Ideal Uses For USB?

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LaCie d2 Quadra Quadruple Interface Hard Drive USB Questions & Answers page 37 6. USB Questions & Answers ■ What Are The USB Interface Benefits? • Cross-platform: Use your USB peripherals on both Mac and Windows platforms. • "Hot Swappable": No need to shut down or restart your computer when adding or removing a USB device. Plug it in and it's ready to use. • Automatic configuration: Once your device is connected, your computer recognizes the device and automatically configures the necessary software. • Daisy-Chaining: with USB ports on your computer, you can connect up to 127 peripherals using hubs. • Easy Installation: One standardized port and plug combination makes it simple to connect. ■ What Is The Difference Between USB And Hi-Speed USB 2.0? The main difference is speed. The original version of the interface is capable of throughput up to 12Mb/s. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 supports data speeds up to 480 Mb/s, making it 40 times faster than its predecessor. This increased bandwidth translates into higher performance in demanding applications requiring high transfer rates. ■ What Are The Ideal Uses For USB? USB is perfect for more traditional connections such as keyboards, mice, joysticks and scanners. These types of devices don't require fast data transfer rates, and operate very successfully at the slower speeds. ■ What Are The Ideal Applications For Hi-Speed USB 2.0? Digital cameras, CD/DVD drives, hard drives and scanners will all benefit from the added bandwidth and performance gains of the new implementation of the USB standard. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 provides the necessary fast data transfer rates that today's devices require, and combines the earlier specifications so older devices that operated under the original USB standards will still work with Hi-Speed USB 2.0. ■ Will USB Devices Run Faster When Connected To A Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Bus? Unfortunately, no. The Hi-Speed USB 2.0 specification is specifically written to allow developers to design higher speed peripherals that can take advantage of the extra bandwidth. USB devices, though, will still operate at 12Mb/s at full-speed and 1.5Mb/s at low-speed on a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 bus. Even though USB devices won't run any faster, they can work alongside Hi-Speed USB 2.0 devices on the same bus. However, if you plug in a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 device to a USB bus, the speed of the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 device will decrease to 12Mb/s. ■ What Is A USB Hub? Technically, you can connect up to 127 devices to a single USB bus. For more than two devices, though, you must make new connections using a peripheral called a "hub." A hub, which you hook up directly to a USB connector on your computer, usually has 4 or 7 output connections enabling you to connect the same number of peripherals. One of the hub's main functions is to regenerate signals that lose strength as they are transmitted via the USB cable. By connecting yet another hub to a connector on the existing hub, you can then plug in a new set of peripherals etc, up to a maximum of 127. Some hubs have no power supply and others are self-powered. When you choose a hub, opt for the selfpowered variety, as they have their own AC adapter. The most powerful hubs provide 0.5A of power to each

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LaCie d2 Quadra
Quadruple Interface Hard Drive
page ³·
USB Questions & Answers
What Are The USB Interface Benefits?
Cross-platform: Use your USB peripherals on both
Mac and Windows platforms.
“Hot Swappable”: No need to shut down or restart
your computer when adding or removing a USB de-
vice. Plug it in and it’s ready to use.
Automatic configuration: Once your device is con-
nected, your computer recognizes the device and au-
tomatically configures the necessary software.
Daisy-Chaining: with USB ports on your computer,
you can connect up to 127 peripherals using hubs.
Easy Installation: One standardized port and plug
combination makes it simple to connect.
What Is The Difference Between USB And
Hi-Speed USB 2.0?
°e main difference is speed. °e original ver-
sion of the interface is capable of throughput up to
12Mb/s. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 supports data speeds up to
480 Mb/s, making it 40 times faster than its predecessor.
°is increased bandwidth translates into higher perfor-
mance in demanding applications requiring high trans-
fer rates.
What Are The Ideal Uses For USB?
USB is perfect for more traditional connections such
as keyboards, mice, joysticks and scanners. °ese types
of devices don’t require fast data transfer rates, and oper-
ate very successfully at the slower speeds.
What Are The Ideal Applications For
Hi-Speed USB 2.0?
Digital cameras, CD/DVD drives, hard drives and
■
•
•
•
•
•
■
■
■
scanners will all benefit from the added bandwidth and
performance gains of the new implementation of the
USB standard. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 provides the neces-
sary fast data transfer rates that today’s devices require,
and combines the earlier specifications so older devices
that operated under the original USB standards will still
work with Hi-Speed USB 2.0.
Will USB Devices Run Faster When Con-
nected To A Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Bus?
Unfortunately, no. °e Hi-Speed USB 2.0 specifica-
tion is specifically written to allow developers to design
higher speed peripherals that can take advantage of the
extra bandwidth. USB devices, though, will still operate
at 12Mb/s at full-speed and 1.5Mb/s at low-speed on a
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 bus. Even though USB devices won’t
run any faster, they can work alongside Hi-Speed USB
2.0 devices on the same bus. However, if you plug in a
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 device to a USB bus, the speed of
the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 device will decrease to 12Mb/s.
What Is A USB Hub?
Technically, you can connect up to 127 devices to a
single USB bus. For more than two devices, though, you
must make new connections using a peripheral called
a “hub.” A hub, which you hook up directly to a USB
connector on your computer, usually has 4 or 7 output
connections enabling you to connect the same number
of peripherals. One of the hub’s main functions is to re-
generate signals that lose strength as they are transmit-
ted via the USB cable. By connecting yet another hub to
a connector on the existing hub, you can then plug in a
new set of peripherals etc, up to a maximum of 127.
Some hubs have no power supply and others are
self-powered. When you choose a hub, opt for the self-
powered variety, as they have their own AC adapter.
°e most powerful hubs provide 0.5A of power to each
■
■
6. USB Questions & Answers