In consumer products, the universal serial bus (USB) increases convenience and improves function, and it has enabled the widespread adoption of new technologies. For example, USB connectivity in digital cameras has helped to transform the PC into a home photo development laboratory, rendering the cameras superior to their analog film counterparts for most consumer uses.

The benefits made possible with USB have filtered into nonconsumer markets as well, and the standard is increasingly present in test equipment. USB is available in the beam profiling equipment used to characterize lasers and optics. These beam profilers are based on a silicon CMOS array sensor and provide two-dimensional measurements over a 350- to 1100-nm wavelength range. Users have been able to exploit the increased portability provided by USB, reducing their cost, increasing production throughput and providing better service to customers...

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