Micro

Many know the Micro-USB connection but others not so much, for this reason we have prepared this quick tutorial. And it is that unless you have had no relationship with the computing universe and you live oblivious to how the world moves today, it is very likely that at some point you have had to connect a device to your computer for some purpose and, of likewise, it is very likely that this connection has been established through a USB port.

Index of contents

A little history

USB stands for “ Universal Serial Bus”, a connection interface created in the 1990s with the aim of establishing a universal standard for connections between equipment, peripherals and other devices.

A goal that was more than fulfilled since, without a doubt, it is the most widespread port today, being found in all kinds of electronic devices.

Although it was created to succeed from the first moment, its extensive use was conditioned by the devices that were appearing on the scene that supported it, as well as the proliferation of adapters for the connectors that it would end up replacing.

In the early 2000s the connector was gaining strength and began to be used as the standard we know today, with the Micro-USB format being one of the most widespread. Today we will write about it and its applications.

Why did the Micro-USB appear?

Although when we think about USB many users think directly about the classic rectangular connector, the reality is that (as many of you already know) there are different types of USB, most of them can be included within two large groups, separated into two factors of different way.

Both formats contain the same number of pins and can serve the same tasks, so the differences are merely formal. We are talking about USB Type A (USB-A) and USB Type B (USB-B), the two great families that surround USB.

Image: wikimedia commons

These families respond to the need to adapt to different types of devices. As the number and types of devices making use of the connector increased, adapting the connector became a compelling necessity. That is where the reduced versions of USB-A and USB-B come into play, specifically: Mini-USB and Micro-USB. The protagonists of this article.

The uses of the Mini / Micro-USB format

A Mini-USB connector. Widely used in digital cameras during launch. Currently replaced by Micro-USB.

Both were developed under the protection of USB 2.0, the first major update to the format; and they were designed for devices smaller than a conventional desktop computer, such as digital cameras or the typical mp3 players that appeared during the first years of the new millennium. Both were launched in both A and B formats, although the latter was the most widespread for its greater durability.

Starting with the oldest, the first to appear was the Mini-USB (2005). Easily recognizable by its almost trapezoid shape, this connector had less power than its older brother, but its great resistance and small format made it the preferred option for Sony devices (cameras, controllers, players…) and BlackBerry; which greatly favored its popularity.

Two years later the Micro-USB (2007) would come into play. An improved version of the Mini-USB that had interesting features that would end up displacing the previous revision of the connector. One of the Mini-USB's strengths lies in the appearance of Micro-AB connections that allowed to place and use both types of connection without further distinction, making it much more versatile. In addition, it had higher transfer rates (480 Mbps at its output) and with significant improvements in durability and ease of use.

Rise and fall of the format

This made it the de-facto connector for all devices that previously benefited from Mini-USB and the existence of Profile 3.0 made it stand out in other devices, such as external hard drives. For greater success, it would also be the default connection of devices that would begin to emerge soon after: Android Smartphones. All this made this format the most widespread in the USB family for almost a decade.

USB-C is the format called to succeed all previous versions of the universal connector. Image: Niridya - Own work, based on: USB Type-C.

Today a new type of connector has appeared: the type C (USB-C), which promises to displace the hitherto unbeatable mini-connector, starting with what had been its most absolute kingdom: smartphones. This new USB-C has significant improvements over its predecessor and is already very small in itself, so it is more than likely (as we can see in current devices) that the Micro-USB has the days numbered.

With this we finish our tutorial on the Micro-USB connection. Undoubtedly, one of the surviving connectors on low-end mobile devices and other gagdets. Although it will tend to disappear due to the USB Type C connection.

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