The USB Vision: 10 Years Later

March 25th, 2005
By John Koon, Senior Industry Analyst, Tech Idea International

Tech Idea International, based in San Diego, California, USA and was founded in 1997. Its mission is to provide relevant marketing information on USB, USB On-The-Go, Wireless USB and other Wireless Technologies. It publishes the USB Technology and Market Report since 1998.

USB: From Concept to Reality

USB MILESTONES
2005	Wireless USB released
2001	USB OTG specification released.
2000	USB 2.0 specification released. USB started to gain reputation as a mainstream bus technology.
1998	Apple shipped iMac with USB ports only. USB 1.1 specification released.
1997	USB-IF membership increased to over 400 companies. Over 500 USB products were in development worldwide.
1996	USB 1.0 specification released. First USB product introduced. First USB Plugfest compliance workshop held.
1995	USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) formed with an initial membership of 340 companies. Intel introduced the first USB silicon.
1994	USB core companies assembled.

The past 10 years have witnessed the birth and growth of a new bus technology called Universal Serial Bus (USB). For the first few years after its introduction, many industry insiders wondered where this technology was heading. While it was designed to connect computers and telecommunication gear, it became a universal bus for a host of peripherals including consumer electronic products. Since its inception, USB has made significant contributions to the desktop, and peripherals alike.

Universal Serial Bus is a success story. Officially introduced by a consortium of seven computer and telecommunications industry leaders in 1995, USB has evolved to become a truly universal technology - not only for personal computers, but also across the consumer electronic product platform. In fact, it has become so pervasive, that at any electronic retail stores in the U.S., such as CompUSA or BestBuy, it is easy to find numerous consumer products with a USB connection.

The seven core companies included Compaq, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC and Northern Telecom. Since the introduction of USB ten years ago, DEC was bought by Compaq which merged with Hewlett Packard. Today, the 1000-member USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB-IF) is steered by the USB promoters represented by Agere, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, NEC and Philips; only three of which are from the original team.

Unlike interfaces like parallel, serial, PS/2 and game ports, USB features a single set of "universal" connections for all USB peripherals to the personal computer. In theory, this single set replaces the need for multiple external ports and allows up to 127 peripherals to be connected sequentially into a single external USB port using multiple USB hubs.

In the early days of USB, early adopters and developers would gather together in the Embassy Suites in Milpitas, California to perform tests of each other’s products at an event called the Plugfest. It’s interesting to note that this hotel was chosen because it offered two-room suites; one room was used for sleeping, and the other for product testing. It was quite a sight to see the developers from fifty or more companies go from room to room on different floors just to test their products with others.

During the three-day meeting, representatives from each company would gather together in the evening to connect their latest USB product to the "official" host system. In the early days, when ten devices were successfully connected to a PC without crashing the system, developers found cause for celebration. More devices were added to the PC until the "blue screen" finally appeared on the Windows-based PC. "Oohs" and "aahs" were heard from spectators until that happened. During these events, an early milestone was achieved when 127 devices were successfully connected to a PC; however, most of the devices were USB mice.

Even the USB logo took time to become what it is today. In fact, it is a little known fact that the logo took several months to develop. The logo evolved over the past few years to become the logo used today.

Original USB logo concepts

Currently used logos

The USB Revolution

Next: The USB Revolution

Next: Breakthough: USB 2.0 & USB OTG

Next: Wireless USB