7. USB Questions & Answers
page 47
LaCie Big Disk Extreme with Triple Interface
User’s Manual
7. USB Questions & Answers
What Are The Benefits Of The USB Interfaces?
• 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
its ready.
• 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.
