Difference Between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 on POS Machines

USB is a very common port in a POS machine. But what’s a USB? And what’s the difference between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0?
In short, USB (universal serial bus) is the standard used to connect POS peripherals — , thermal printers, barcode scanners etc. — to POS machine. USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 are commonly used on various electric devices including POS machines.

There are five main differences between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0:

1. Color
The USB 2.0 Connectors is colored white inside, while the USB 3.0 is colored blue inside.

2. Speed
USB 2.0 speed is at 480 megabits/s (60MB/S). USB 3.0 is approximately 10 times faster than USB 2.0 with a data transfer rate up to 5 Gbit/s (625MB/S).

3. Connector Wires
USB 2.0 has a total of 4 connector wires, supporting half-duplex communication. USB 3.0 has a total of 9 connector wires. With these five additional wires, it increases the bandwidth of USB 3.0 by permitting two-way communications simultaneously.

4. Power Management
USB 2.0 provides power up to 500 mA whereas USB 3.0 caters up to 900 mA, resulting in an increase in total power delivery from 2.5 W to 4.5 W (at 5 V). So as for USB 3.0 vs 2.0 charging, USB 3.0 devices can be charged faster, and USB 3.0 ports can support more power-consuming devices.

5. Compatibility
USB 3.0 ports are totally backward compatible, which means it will work with other USB versions, including 2.0. When you plug a USB 2.0 drive into a 3.0 port, it will work. However, if you plug a USB 3.0 drive into a USB 2.0 port, it will be limited to the max speed of USB 2.0.

The number of POS machine USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 depends on the generation of the processor and the design of the motherboard, please refer to the Sunany product specification or consult the sales team for details.