Chapter 4Inside a USB Hub

What Does a USB Hub Do?

Hubs in the Universal Serial Bus world provide the connection point between devices and the host. All devices plug into hubs, and hubs plug into either the host or other hubs (creating a tiered layer of hubs). The host even has an integrated hub, known as the root hub. The hub supports many of the attributes that make the Universal Serial Bus easy to use, and it helps to hide the complexity of the USB from the end user. It should be noted up front that, as far as the USB is concerned, the hub is just another USB device (which we’ll cover in the next chapter). While the hub may be just a device, it is a device with special responsibilities.

Among the functions that the hub provides to the USB ...

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