Table 1. USB evolutionType Data Transfer Rate Category Introduction YearUSB 2.0 480 Mbps High Speed 2000USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 5 Gbps Super Speed 2010USB 3.1 Gen 2 10 Gbps Super Speed 2013USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 (SuperSpeed USB)For years, the USB 2.0 has been firmly entrenched as the de facto interface standard in the PC world with about 6 billion devices sold, andyet the need for more speed grows by ever faster computing hardware and ever greater bandwidth demands. The USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1finally has the answer to the consumers' demands with a theoretically 10 times faster than its predecessor. In a nutshell, USB 3.1 Gen 1features are as follows:• Higher transfer rates (up to 5 Gbps)• Increased maximum bus power and increased device current draw to better accommodate power-hungry devices• New power management features• Full-duplex data transfers and support for new transfer types• Backward USB 2.0 compatibility• New connectors and cableThe topics below cover some of the most commonly asked questions regarding USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1.SpeedCurrently, there are 3 speed modes defined by the latest USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 specification. They are Super-Speed, Hi-Speed and Full-Speed. The new SuperSpeed mode has a transfer rate of 4.8Gbps. While the specification retains Hi-Speed, and Full-Speed USB mode,commonly known as USB 2.0 and 1.1 respectively, the slower modes still operate at 480Mbps and 12Mbps respectively and are kept tomaintain backward compatibility.USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 achieves the much higher performance by the technical changes below:• An additional physical bus that is added in parallel with the existing USB 2.0 bus (refer to the picture below).• USB 2.0 previously had four wires (power, ground, and a pair for differential data); USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 adds four more for two pairsof differential signals (receive and transmit) for a combined total of eight connections in the connectors and cabling.• USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen 1 utilizes the bidirectional data interface, rather than USB 2.0's half-duplex arrangement. This gives a 10-foldincrease in theoretical bandwidth.Technology and components 9