USB 3.1 Gen 2 Front Panel

USB means Universal Serial Bus. It is hardware that is used to connect printers, keyboards, mice, mobile devices, digital cameras, joystick, iPod, scanner, webcam, microphone, MP3 player, and external storage to the computer.

There are different types of USB. It is used in powering devices such as smartphones and tablets. Computers have at least one USB port. It is the most recognized PC connectivity standard found on modern hardware.

It is used to regulate the connection and communication between computers and external devices and it replaces other interface standards. Also, USB was jointly developed by Intel, Compaq, digital, IBM, Microsoft, NEC, Northern Telecom, and other computer and communication companies in 1995, which gradually formed industry standards.

What is the USB 3.1?

USB 3.1 is a generational number that defines the data transfer speed of the USB connector. It replaced the USB 3.0. USB 3.1 is the recent version of USB and it is known as super-speed USB which boosts data transfer speed from 5Gbps per second.

There is two specifications for USB 3. 1 currently and they are: USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.1 Gen 2. The main difference between the USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.1 Gen 2 is in terms of it speed. USB 3.1 Gen 1 was an upgrade to USB 3.0, however, it is limited to 5Gbps data transfer speeds, on the other hand, the USB 3.1 Gen 2  boosts data transfer speeds to 10Gbps.

Furthermore, USB 3.1 Gen 2 is capable of 10 Gbps transfer speed and it accomplishes this by using 128b/132b encoding in a full-duplex communications mode.

Full-duplex communication is interesting because the information can be transferred and received at the same time which makes it faster. USB 3.1 Gen 1 is the same as USB 3.0.m and with the release of USB 3.1 Gen 1, all existing USB 3.0 connectors were renamed to USB 3.1 Gen 1 and cables and devices through support USB 3.1 Gen 1.

With its new name, the data and power transfer capabilities stayed the same as specified in USB 3.0. USB 3.1 Gen 1 supports speeds up to 5 Gbit/s or 625 megabytes per second (MB/s) and power up to 900 mA at 5V which is supported over the USB 3.1 Gen 1 connector which looks like a USB 2.0 A connector.

Unlike Gen 2, Gen 1 also includes more than one connector type. There’s the bulky Type B connector, as well as the slim Micro-B connector seen above. Those connectors are not capable of supporting the full power of the USB 3.1 Gen 2 specifications. 

Additionally, USB 3.1 Front Panel can connect without stress into any 5.25-inch drive bay which gives convenient access. The USB 3.1 Gen 2 characterizes a set of data and power signals. Also, the cables that are required to transport the USB 3.1 Gen 2 signals need the following: current, voltage, and signal integrity which must be sufficient to handle and not degrade the USB 3.1 Gen 2 signals.

It supports 10 Gbps communication rates. It has up to 100W charging power via the first port. It’s the fast and future-proof way to connect, charge and eliminate the messiness of multiple cables. The USB 3.1 Gen 2 is compatible with all ports.

It comes with the following ports: 3 x USB-A 3.1 Gen2 port,1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen2 port, and 2 x QC3.0 charging port. The cable length is SATA Cable 31 cm, USB3.1 Gen2 Front Panel Cable 61 cm. It is compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. 

The USB 3.1 Gen 2 port comes with USB – A 5V 2.4A output which supports 3.1 Gen2 speed up to 10Gbps. Also, the three USB-A ports make it easier for users with older devices to charge and transfer data at 10 Gbps. The USB-C 5V 3A output supports 3.1 Gen 2 speed up to 10 Gbps. It comes with an aluminum alloy panel that fits any 5.25 inches computer case front bay. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• It charges devices at a maximum of 20 volts at 5 amps for a total of 100 watts of power.
• It offers backward-compatibility with previous USB standards. 
• The USB 3.1 data transfer can be used on existing USB Type-A, USB Type-B plugs and USB-C plugs.

Cons

• It is not compatible with USB – B 2.0 ports
• It has expansive applications 

Conclusion

Interestingly, USBs have a very high transmission speed. They can meet the application environment requirements of high-speed data transmission, convenient installation and configuration, simple expansion port, diversified transmission modes, and good compatibility.

USB has successfully replaced the serial port and parallel port which makes it one of the standard expansion interfaces and necessary interfaces for a large number of computers and intelligent devices in the 21st century. USB stands out for its fast transmission speed, convenient use, hotplug support, flexible connection, independent power supply, among others.

The interaction between the devices such as computers and external data is mainly based on network and USB interface.

The quick charge 3.0 ports of the USB 3.1 Gen 2 which provides the fast charging speed for phones and tablets which is 4 times faster than a standard charger. It comes with an in built smart IC chip which provides short-circuit, over-heat, over-current, over-voltage, over-charge protection which keeps the devices in safety protection range. 

The charger is widely compatible with Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, Samsung Note 9, Samsung Note 8, Samsung Note 10, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S5, LG, Moto, Google, Sony, Nokia, Kindle, Tablet, Pad, Camera, etc.

USB 3.1 Gen 2 is where the upgraded version preserves the 5 Gbit/s transfer rate of USB 3.1 Gen 1 and also allows for a higher maximum speed of 10 Gbit/s. Also, only the USB Type C connector can handle the full power and bandwidth of Gen 2. The cable length is more limited in Gen 2. Furthermore, devices and cables supporting the newer Gen 2 standard are less common. Visit Amazon.com to see different USB options.