Unlike the Mini generation, both types of Micro USB connectors - A and B are still commonly found in the wild. As with Mini USB , the original intention was for Micro-A to be used for host connections (such as computers), while Micro-B was for devices.

Their versatility offers many advantages. "Ruled and holographic gratings are limited to relatively simple structures by the fabrication methods that are used," says W. Hudson Welch, also of Digital Optics. "The flexibility provided by computer-generated gratings allows the creation of essentially arbitrary grating patterns."

The very first USB came out in 1996, this was USB 1.0. With this USB you could send data at a speed of up to 12 megabits per second. That was very fast at the time, but it is not fast enough for today's devices. That's why newer USB have been created that are much faster. The latest USB , USB 3.2, can transfer data at a speed of 20 gigabits per second. That's about 1667 times faster than the first USB ! That shows how much the technology has improved since the first USB .

Joseph Fraunhofer first used diffraction gratings in 1819 to observe the spectrum of the sun. Earliest devices were multiple-slit assemblies, consisting of a grid of fine wire or thread wound about and extending between two parallel screws, which served as spacers. A wavefront that passed through the system was confronted by alternate opaque and transparent regions, so that it underwent a modulation in amplitude.

USB -C is the newest and most advanced USB connector to date. It has a reversible design, meaning you no longer have to worry about which side to plug in. USB -C is quickly becoming the standard for most portable devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, as well as the latest generations of Raspberry Pi and Teensy development boards. It also supports USB 3.1, which means it can support data transfer rates of up to 10 Gbps, as well as charging higher powered devices.

Diffraction grating reflectionequation

However, Micro-A is relatively rare compared to Micro-B. This is because many devices that require a USB host connection, such as computers and game consoles, still use the larger USB -A. Most smartphones and tablets, as well as many other portable devices such as Bluetooth speakers, headphones, power banks, and some models of Arduino and Teensy boards, use Micro-B connectors.

Hopefully this blog post will help you better understand the complex world of USB connectors and protocols. It is an essential part of modern electronics and understanding the different types can help you make the right choices when purchasing devices and cables. Regardless of the device - whether it's an Arduino , Raspberry Pi , Teensy board, or anything else - there's a USB cable that fits the bill.

USB , or Universal Serial Bus, is something we often use to connect devices such as a mouse or a keyboard to a computer. In the 1990s, before USB , there were many different types of cables and plugs. That was quite complicated. So big companies like Intel and Microsoft decided to team up and make something new. That became USB .

"The grooves are similar to the indentations made by a plow in soil," says John Hoose of Richardson Grating Laboratory (Rochester, NY), except that they are much closer together. Anywhere from one to 10,000 fine parallel lines per millimeter can be engraved. Light waves diffracted from these lines interfere, and all wavelengths but one are canceled in any particular direction through destructive interference. The depth of the groove changes the wavelength of the light wave being diffracted.

Kaiser Optical Systems Inc. (KOSI; Ann Arbor, MI), has developed an alternative to the classical or surface-relief holographic grating--the volume transmission holographic grating (see photo at top of this page; also Laser Focus World, Oct. 1995, p. 95). The grating is created in the traditional manner by recording interference patterns generated by two mutually coherent laser beams. After the pattern is defined in the photosensitive material, coated on glass, and the film developed, a top layer of glass is added, creating a totally transparent grating assembly. Light strikes the grating on one side and diffracts out through the other.

Diffraction gratingpattern

Holographic gratings can also be made from computer-generated interference patterns. The patterns are written onto a chrome mask using an electron-beam machine. The patterns on the mask are then etched into a material, such as fused silica, using photolithographic masking and etching techniques. "Computer-generated gratings have really just reached maturity within the last two years," says Michael Feldman, of Digital Optics Corp. (Charlotte, NC). "They are very flexible and easy to mass-produce."

Over the years, improvements in USB standards have also increased the amount of power that can be delivered. With the introduction of USB 2.0, the maximum current was increased to 500 milliamps (mA). The subsequent USB 3.0 increased this limit to 900 mA.

One of the main advantages of USB technology is its ability to power and charge devices. This is made possible by the fifth pin in the USB connector, known as the VBUS pin. This pin provides a voltage of 5 Volts, which is usually enough to charge and power most portable devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and even some laptops.

Diffraction gratingexperiment

An advantage of a transmission volume grating is its relative insensitivity to angle, says James Arns of KOSI. A Bragg-type structure follows the classical grating equation concerning image position but with the added ability to adjust the intensity profile over a range of wavelengths. To describe the capability, Arns compares a Venetian blind to lines painted on a window. When the blind is positioned with the slats horizontal, it diffracts light in the same way as the painted lines or a surface-relief grating. When the slats are angled, the element of depth is added to how the light is diffracted. Because of this added dimension, the grating efficiency can be adjusted over the wavelength bandwidth to favor one side or the other. Also, the low sensitivity to incidence angle means the grating can be angularly tuned without influencing the image position.

Diffraction gratings are fundamental optical elements that have a precise pattern of grooves superimposed on them. These minute, periodic structures diffract, or disperse, incident light in such a way that the individual wavelengths making up the incident light can be differentiated. Gratings are indispensable in helping physicists determine the structure of atoms or helping astronomers calculate the chemical composition of stars and the rotation of galaxies. Applications are expanding; one of the fastest growing areas for gratings—laser pulse compression—didn’t even exist until a few years ago.

"It also has a high efficiency," says Arns. "Depending on the configuration, the grating can produce 90% efficiency in the first order. If the thickness or the frequency of the grating is high enough, higher orders that otherwise might be propagated are extinguished." Another advantage, says Arns, is that the element can be handled and cleaned in the same fashion as a high-quality cemented lens because the grating is sandwiched between two layers of glass. Also, because the Bragg-type grating is a transmission device, optical elements and instruments can be brought close to it, resulting in a compact design.

Since the invention of the replication technique, diffraction gratings have replaced prisms in many commercial spectrometers. A prism will bend short wavelengths more than longer ones (see Laser Focus World, Jan. 1997, p. 101). Prisms that transmit visible light absorb most UV and infrared wavelengths, whereas reflection gratings can be suitably coated for high reflectivity in wide spectral regions. Gratings are considered superior to prisms in many applications. Seeking to combine the best of both, Richardson Grating Laboratory has fabricated a "grism," a part-grating, part-prism optical element useful in spectrometers that require in-line presentation of the spectrum, as in astronomy. The light diffracted by the grating is bent back in line by the refracting effect of the prism. The dispersion of the grism is not linear, because the dispersive effects of the prism and grating are superimposed.

Diffraction grating reflectionformula

If the gratings are arranged in a nonparallel arrangement, a pulse can be stretched. Pulse stretching uses two identical gratings, allowing lower peak power to be transmitted through the laser system and increasing the amount of stored energy that can be extracted.

Grating applicationsLight incident on a diffraction grating is dispersed away from the grating surface at an angle dependent on its wavelength, allowing a grating to be used to select a narrow spectral band from a much wider band. This ability of a grating is particularly useful for laser tuning, especially in the visible region of the spectrum. Two primary configurations for selecting a narrow wavelength are Littrow and Littman. In the Littrow configuration, the wavelength of interest diffracts at exactly the same angle as the light incident on the grating. Littrow tuning is done either with fine-pitch first-order gratings (typically 1800 or 2400 grooves/mm, either ruled or holographic) or a coarser grating used in higher orders. The alternative approach is to use the grating in a fixed grazing incidence mode together with a rotating reflecting mirror. Pairs of diffraction gratings can also be used to compress or stretch a laser pulse. When a spectrally broad laser pulse is incident on a diffraction grating, the various wavelengths that make up the pulse will diffract from the grating at angles determined by those wavelengths. If the pulse is chirped so that the frequency changes linearly during the length of the pulse, then diffraction will spread the pulse out across the second grating. When the light diffracts from the second grating, which is oriented parallel to the first grating, the different parts of the pulse will diffract at angles that yield a pulse whose parts are synchronized. This increases the peak power while the total energy remains the same. Pulse compression uses two gratings with the same groove frequency and efficiencies peaked for the polarization and wavelength of the laser. If the gratings are arranged in a nonparallel arrangement, a pulse can be stretched. Pulse stretching uses two identical gratings, allowing lower peak power to be transmitted through the laser system and increasing the amount of stored energy that can be extracted. Since the invention of the replication technique, diffraction gratings have replaced prisms in many commercial spectrometers. A prism will bend short wavelengths more than longer ones (see Laser Focus World, Jan. 1997, p. 101). Prisms that transmit visible light absorb most UV and infrared wavelengths, whereas reflection gratings can be suitably coated for high reflectivity in wide spectral regions. Gratings are considered superior to prisms in many applications. Seeking to combine the best of both, Richardson Grating Laboratory has fabricated a "grism," a part-grating, part-prism optical element useful in spectrometers that require in-line presentation of the spectrum, as in astronomy. The light diffracted by the grating is bent back in line by the refracting effect of the prism. The dispersion of the grism is not linear, because the dispersive effects of the prism and grating are superimposed.New fabrication techniquesKaiser Optical Systems Inc. (KOSI; Ann Arbor, MI), has developed an alternative to the classical or surface-relief holographic grating--the volume transmission holographic grating (see photo at top of this page; also Laser Focus World, Oct. 1995, p. 95). The grating is created in the traditional manner by recording interference patterns generated by two mutually coherent laser beams. After the pattern is defined in the photosensitive material, coated on glass, and the film developed, a top layer of glass is added, creating a totally transparent grating assembly. Light strikes the grating on one side and diffracts out through the other.An advantage of a transmission volume grating is its relative insensitivity to angle, says James Arns of KOSI. A Bragg-type structure follows the classical grating equation concerning image position but with the added ability to adjust the intensity profile over a range of wavelengths. To describe the capability, Arns compares a Venetian blind to lines painted on a window. When the blind is positioned with the slats horizontal, it diffracts light in the same way as the painted lines or a surface-relief grating. When the slats are angled, the element of depth is added to how the light is diffracted. Because of this added dimension, the grating efficiency can be adjusted over the wavelength bandwidth to favor one side or the other. Also, the low sensitivity to incidence angle means the grating can be angularly tuned without influencing the image position."It also has a high efficiency," says Arns. "Depending on the configuration, the grating can produce 90% efficiency in the first order. If the thickness or the frequency of the grating is high enough, higher orders that otherwise might be propagated are extinguished." Another advantage, says Arns, is that the element can be handled and cleaned in the same fashion as a high-quality cemented lens because the grating is sandwiched between two layers of glass. Also, because the Bragg-type grating is a transmission device, optical elements and instruments can be brought close to it, resulting in a compact design.Holoplexing, a technique devised by KOSI in which two gratings are placed together in the same structure to cover multiple spectral ranges at one time, is useful for imaging on charge-coupled-device (CCD) cameras for broadband applications. Holographic transmission gratings are also used in Raman spectroscopy and for pulse compression in ultrafast lasers.Holographic gratings can also be made from computer-generated interference patterns. The patterns are written onto a chrome mask using an electron-beam machine. The patterns on the mask are then etched into a material, such as fused silica, using photolithographic masking and etching techniques. "Computer-generated gratings have really just reached maturity within the last two years," says Michael Feldman, of Digital Optics Corp. (Charlotte, NC). "They are very flexible and easy to mass-produce." Their versatility offers many advantages. "Ruled and holographic gratings are limited to relatively simple structures by the fabrication methods that are used," says W. Hudson Welch, also of Digital Optics. "The flexibility provided by computer-generated gratings allows the creation of essentially arbitrary grating patterns."Fiber gratingsFiber Bragg gratings, another recent development in grating applications, are made within a fiberoptic cable. Fiber gratings are fabricated by exposing the core of a single-mode fiber, 8 to 10 µm thick, to a periodic pattern of intense ultraviolet light. This pattern is created when a 248- or 193-nm laser passes through a special diffractive phase mask. When a fiber is placed in the intense UV light pattern of the mask, a permanent modulation of the index of refraction is generated in the fiber core. This photo-generated index modulation acts as a grating. Light traveling along the fiber core impinges on the grating, and each area of different refractive index scatters a small portion of the beam. If the wavelength of the signal is twice the distance between the periodic refractive elements (typically <1 µm), then the signals scattered back down the fiber core will add constructively to give a large reflection. The wavelength at which the reflection occurs is the Bragg wavelength. A Bragg grating can operate at precise wavelengths that can be accurately preset and maintained, says Keith Brundin at 3M Specialty Optical Fibers (West Haven, CT).There are also long-period fiber gratings that have index modulations with periods of hundreds of microns (see Laser Focus World, June 1996, p. 293). Instead of producing a reflected signal, these gratings create a phase-matching, or Bragg, condition that couples a forward-traveling signal into forward-traveling cladding modes. The signals coupled into the cladding are absorbed by the coating, creating a loss. Long-period gratings thus act as wavelength-selective absorption filters and are used in wavelength-division-multiplexing networks and in gain-shaping filters for rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers. Fiber Bragg gratings have been commercially available only since 1995. They are becoming increasingly popular in telecommunications and the laser industry for such applications as external reflectors for stabilizing semiconductor lasers (see Fig. 4) and single- frequency fiber lasers.

Holoplexing, a technique devised by KOSI in which two gratings are placed together in the same structure to cover multiple spectral ranges at one time, is useful for imaging on charge-coupled-device (CCD) cameras for broadband applications. Holographic transmission gratings are also used in Raman spectroscopy and for pulse compression in ultrafast lasers.

Fiber Bragg gratings, another recent development in grating applications, are made within a fiberoptic cable. Fiber gratings are fabricated by exposing the core of a single-mode fiber, 8 to 10 µm thick, to a periodic pattern of intense ultraviolet light. This pattern is created when a 248- or 193-nm laser passes through a special diffractive phase mask. When a fiber is placed in the intense UV light pattern of the mask, a permanent modulation of the index of refraction is generated in the fiber core. This photo-generated index modulation acts as a grating.

Diffraction gratingPDF

Before the micro- USB connector was invented, you had the Mini USB . This compact version of the USB -B connector was widely used for portable devices such as digital cameras, older MP3 players and certain types of Arduino boards, such as the Arduino Nano. Although it has been largely replaced by Micro USB and now USB -C, you will still come across devices that use Mini USB . The characteristic of a Mini USB connector is the five-pin configuration. Although smaller than USB -B, it is slightly larger than Micro USB . The connector cannot be inserted in reverse; there is a specific way to connect it.

But the real game-changer came with the introduction of USB Power Delivery ( USB PD). This is a specification introduced with USB Type-C that allows for up to 100 Watts of power to be delivered. As a result, even devices with high power consumption, such as laptops, can now be charged via USB . This makes USB a versatile solution for powering and charging a wide variety of electronic devices.

The successor to the Mini USB is the Micro USB . Even more compact than the Mini USB , this smaller connector quickly became the standard for many portable devices, including most Android smartphones and certain models of Raspberry Pi . While some manufacturers have moved to USB -C, Micro USB remains common, particularly in lower-cost devices. The Micro USB connector is smaller than Mini USB and can only be plugged in one way.

What isdiffraction gratingin Physics

In 1882, Henry A. Rowland invented the process of ruling, or scratching parallel notches into metal deposited onto the surface of a flat, clear glass plate—a method that produced gratings of exceptionally high quality. Modern ruled gratings can be either reflective or transmissive and are fabricated with a single diamond point that burnishes grooves on flat or concave surfaces.

The author wishes to thank John Hoose of Richardson Grating Laboratory (Rochester, NY) for his help in preparing this article.

There are also long-period fiber gratings that have index modulations with periods of hundreds of microns (see Laser Focus World, June 1996, p. 293). Instead of producing a reflected signal, these gratings create a phase-matching, or Bragg, condition that couples a forward-traveling signal into forward-traveling cladding modes. The signals coupled into the cladding are absorbed by the coating, creating a loss. Long-period gratings thus act as wavelength-selective absorption filters and are used in wavelength-division-multiplexing networks and in gain-shaping filters for rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers.

USB -B connectors are another well-known form of USB connector, although they are not as common as USB -A. They are almost square in shape and are usually used in larger peripherals such as printers, external hard drives and also in some Arduino models, such as the Arduino UNO. While not as widely used as USB -A, USB -B remains an important part of many devices, especially those designed for heavy use and requiring a strong, sturdy connector.

Light traveling along the fiber core impinges on the grating, and each area of different refractive index scatters a small portion of the beam. If the wavelength of the signal is twice the distance between the periodic refractive elements (typically <1 µm), then the signals scattered back down the fiber core will add constructively to give a large reflection. The wavelength at which the reflection occurs is the Bragg wavelength. A Bragg grating can operate at precise wavelengths that can be accurately preset and maintained, says Keith Brundin at 3M Specialty Optical Fibers (West Haven, CT).

Diffraction gratingformula

The concept of diffraction gratings is simple, yet elegant. For more than one hundred years, they have been used in dispersive optical systems. Applications for gratings are expanding as the fabrication technology grows. Fields as diverse as telecommunications, astronomy, microlithography, lasers, and metal analysis are driving these changes.

Commercial surface-relief gratings are produced using an epoxy casting replication process developed in the mid-1900s. The process involves pouring a liquid into a mold, allowing the liquid to harden, and then removing the hardened material from the mold without damaging either. The replication process yields a grating that is an optically identical copy of the original. The two basic types of grating masters are ruled and interference.

Reflection grating

In today's digital world, Universal Serial Bus, commonly known as USB , is ubiquitous. But there is some confusion about USB connections and protocols. Let's unravel this mess and learn more about the different USB types and their applications, especially when it comes to products from Opencircuit.

In addition to the different forms of connectors, there is also a variety of USB protocols, which determine the speed and capacity of data transfer. USB 1.0 and 2.0 were the first versions, with 2.0 supporting a maximum transfer rate of 480 Mbps. USB 3.0, also known as USB 3.1 Gen 1, increased this to 5 Gbps, while USB 3.1 Gen 2, also known as USB 3.2, further increased this to 10 Gbps. The latest protocol is USB 4, which supports speeds of up to 40 Gbps. These protocols can be used with any type of USB connector, depending on the specifications of the device.

Light incident on a diffraction grating is dispersed away from the grating surface at an angle dependent on its wavelength, allowing a grating to be used to select a narrow spectral band from a much wider band. This ability of a grating is particularly useful for laser tuning, especially in the visible region of the spectrum. Two primary configurations for selecting a narrow wavelength are Littrow and Littman. In the Littrow configuration, the wavelength of interest diffracts at exactly the same angle as the light incident on the grating. Littrow tuning is done either with fine-pitch first-order gratings (typically 1800 or 2400 grooves/mm, either ruled or holographic) or a coarser grating used in higher orders. The alternative approach is to use the grating in a fixed grazing incidence mode together with a rotating reflecting mirror.

USB -A is probably the best known and most used connector. This type of connector is found at the end of most USB cables and is the plug that plugs into your computer or charger. USB -A's design is simple: a rectangular connector that plugs in only one way. This type of connector is still widely used, especially in desktop computers, laptops, Raspberry Pi boards, and in charging adapters and power supplies.

Pairs of diffraction gratings can also be used to compress or stretch a laser pulse. When a spectrally broad laser pulse is incident on a diffraction grating, the various wavelengths that make up the pulse will diffract from the grating at angles determined by those wavelengths. If the pulse is chirped so that the frequency changes linearly during the length of the pulse, then diffraction will spread the pulse out across the second grating. When the light diffracts from the second grating, which is oriented parallel to the first grating, the different parts of the pulse will diffract at angles that yield a pulse whose parts are synchronized. This increases the peak power while the total energy remains the same. Pulse compression uses two gratings with the same groove frequency and efficiencies peaked for the polarization and wavelength of the laser.

The Mini-A connector was originally designed to connect to a computer connection and the Mini-B connector to connect to a device. This means that if you had a digital camera with a Mini USB port, for example, it would probably be a Mini-B connection. However, Mini-A was soon discarded due to its limited utility, and you'll rarely, if ever, come across it these days.

The main physical difference between Micro-A and Micro-B is the shape of the connector. Micro-A is rectangular, while Micro-B is a bit asymmetrical with a small notch on one side. This makes it easy to distinguish them visually and prevents you from accidentally using the wrong cable.

The purpose of USB was to have a standard cable that allows you to connect devices easily and that works without hassle. This means that if you connect a device with a USB cable, the device will work immediately without having to install any additional software.