Human Interface Device Protocol (HID Protocol)

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What Does Human Interface Device Protocol (HID Protocol) Mean?

The Human Interface Device (HID) protocol is a diverse USB protocol that is a very commonly used in consumer electronics, because its purpose is to accommodate peripheral computer hardware used by human users. This protocol is built into many of the typical devices sold on the market, and caught on quickly because it is extremely user-friendly.

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Techopedia Explains Human Interface Device Protocol (HID Protocol)

Human Interface Device protocol setups accommodate keyboards, headsets, microphones, mice, gaming controls and more. Some describe it as a plug-and-play technology that bypasses some of the more complex driver protocols, although driver necessities may apply. For example, many USB keyboards that are external can now be plugged in to a wide spectrum of devices through a completely standardized USB port in order to allow for human input.

Downsides of the Human Interface Device protocol include the need to establish legitimacy of devices and the ability of hackers to introduce malware and other problems through USB devices.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.