USB is the abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus and describes one of the most frequently used connections and protocols that are built into computers and small electrical appliances. USB was originally developed in the mid-1990s as a standardized solution for connecting peripheral devices such as printers and keyboards to computers and has replaced the old parallel and serial connectors over time. USB and automotive cable suppliers can carry both power and data and are used in a variety of ways in many electronic devices, including cell phones, cameras, and video game controllers.

A simple USB type A or B connector has four pins. These are connected to four wires inside the USB cable, each of which is color-coded, usually white, green, red, and black. The white and green wires carry data, one to the host device and the other back from it, while the red and black are for power. Higher versions, e.g. USB 3.0, have even more wires. This means that higher USB versions remain backwards compatible, while data can be transferred even faster. As the second letter in the name suggests, this is done serially, i.e. bit by bit. Serial interfaces have the advantage that they manage with just one wire regardless of the device. They are also less prone to errors than parallel interfaces at high data transmission speeds.

The efficiency of usb cable manufacturing has been increased again and again through continuous further development. At the same time, the relatively simple design, which requires only a few wires, ensures the versatility and preservation of the compact size of USB, which has even got smaller over time. Each USB connector (type A, B, C, micro and mini) has a pin assignment that is designed for access to each of these lines and their capabilities.