{"id":3677,"date":"2017-12-06T06:07:43","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T06:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uaetechnician.ae\/?p=3677"},"modified":"2020-02-05T11:19:31","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T11:19:31","slug":"usb-on-the-go-what-it-is-and-how-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uaetechnician.ae\/usb-on-the-go-what-it-is-and-how-it-works","title":{"rendered":"USB on the go: what it is and how it works"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>Suite of communication protocols, are inserted in the USB 2.0 standard and allow you to connect USB flash drives or joypad to the smartphone. that’s how<\/p>\n Maybe you have read it while brushing the technical specifications of the top of the range Android smartphone you want to buy for a long time.\u00a0And, maybe always, you started asking yourself\u00a0what USB\u00a0on-the-go is<\/em>\u00a0and what it’s for<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0And, above all, because it is a feature that is easier to find in the technical sheet of high-end devices than in the mid-range or medium-low range.\u00a0But let’s proceed with order.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Often abbreviated to USB OTG or simply OTG\u00a0, USB\u00a0on-the-go<\/em>\u00a0is a collection of communication protocols belonging to\u00a0<\/strong>the USB 2.0 standard\u00a0(and later) that makes its first appearance in 2001. These protocols allow any device equipped the\u00a0Universal Serial Bus<\/em>\u00a0can act both as\u00a0host<\/em>\u00a0both\u00a0devices<\/em>\u00a0: this way devices such as keyboards and mouse, gamepad and USB sticks can be connected to a smartphone or tablet (or any other compatible USB device OTG) that feed them and they exploit the functionalities.\u00a0The OTG standard defines two different roles for each supported device:\u00a0OTG a and OTG b<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0The first acts fromhost<\/em>\u00a0and is, in the pair, the one supplying the electrical energy necessary for the functioning of the second.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n It must be said, however, that this communication standard\u00a0is not exclusive to Android smartphones<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0Being part of the specifications of the USB 2.0 standard, all compatible devices could take advantage of its characteristics and peculiarities.\u00a0It is the manufacturer of the device or device that decides to\u00a0turn on or off<\/em>\u00a0the OTG of its device, providing the necessary software to manage the communication flows and, therefore, to make it fully functional.<\/p>\n To guarantee the full functioning of the OTG devices,\u00a0three new communication protocols<\/strong>\u00a0have been included within the 2.0 standard (and following)\u00a0, which determine the same number of phases in the exchange of data and information between two USB devices compatible with the OTG.<\/p>\n In the event that your Android smartphone supports OTG protocols, you can start connecting USB devices and expand their functionality.\u00a0First of all, however, we would need an\u00a0OTG adapter cable\u00a0that allows the two devices to communicate without problems.<\/p>\nWhat is USB\u00a0on-the-go<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
How USB OTG works<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nHow to find out if your smartphone supports USB\u00a0on-the-go<\/em><\/strong>While not an exclusive feature, it is useless to deny that smartphones are the first devices that come to mind when it comes to USB\u00a0on the go<\/em>\u00a0.\u00a0To verify that your\u00a0mobile\u00a0device<\/em>\u00a0is compatible with OTG protocols you can follow different paths.\u00a0First of all, just check if the box is printed with the “USB on-the-go” logo, as in the image.\u00a0Alternatively, you can search for your smartphone model on\u00a0the GSM Arena portal\u00a0and verify that the “USB host” specification is in the data sheet.\u00a0Last but<\/em>\u00a0not\u00a0least<\/em>\u00a0, you can rely on\u00a0USB OTG Checker<\/a>, a free Android app downloadable from the Play Store, which will check the compatibility of the device with protocols\u00a0on the go<\/em>\u00a0.<\/p>\nUSB\u00a0on-the-go applications<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n