USB On-The-Go

What Does USB On-The-Go Mean?

USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) is a new type of technology based on Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology, which was created at the turn of the millennium. Traditional USB was used with standard connectors for a range of devices, including laptops and desktops computers, smartphones, mobile devices, flash drives and cameras.

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Techopedia Explains USB On-The-Go

USB OTG builds on the traditional USB design, allowing for more versatility of interaction between networked devices. In a traditional USB, a device was programmed as a host or hosted device. Experts used the terminology master/slave to describe how a hosting device always included certain control features used for the interaction of USB connected devices.

USB OTG introduces flexibility in hosting relationships between devices. For example, where in traditional USB, a computer is the host for a mobile device or other attachment, USB OTG allows for a device, like a smartphone, to be multi-operational. The smartphone may be a host to a flash drive or other attached device, or a hosted device when hooked up to a computer.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…