USB Type-B is a square-shaped connector with slightly beveled corners on the top, commonly used for peripheral devices like printers, scanners, and external hard drives. It was designed to prevent the connection of two host devices to each other, which could potentially cause damage.
The USB-B connector is compatible with USB 1.1, USB 2.0, and some variants of USB 3.0 (which adds additional pins and is usually colored blue). The design helps ensure that cables are connected in the correct orientation.
Key features include:
USB Version | Max Data Rate | Common Applications |
---|---|---|
USB 1.1 | 12 Mbps | Older printers, scanners |
USB 2.0 | 480 Mbps | Printers, scanners, external disk drives |
USB 3.0 | 5 Gbps | External hard drives, high-speed scanners |