Dongle facts for kids
A dongle is a small piece of computer hardware. It connects to a port on another device. Dongles add new features or allow other devices to connect.
At first, the word "dongle" mostly meant software protection dongles. These were special hardware pieces used for digital rights management. A computer program would only work if the right dongle was plugged in. These dongles often held a license key or other secret code.
Today, the term "dongle" is used for many small devices that plug in. Some examples include:
- Adapters that change one type of port to another. For example, a USB-C dongle can let you plug in a regular USB device.
- USB wireless adapters for things like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
- USB flash drives, also called "USB sticks" or "USB keys."
- Small digital media players that plug into HDMI ports. These are often called "media player dongles" or "media player sticks."
Contents
What Does "Dongle" Mean?
The exact origin of the word "dongle" is not fully clear. Some people think it comes from the word "dangle." This makes sense because these small devices often "dangle" from a computer port.
There was once a funny story that dongles were named after a person called "Don Gall." This was actually a marketing joke by a company in 1992. It became a popular urban legend, but it wasn't true.
Types of Dongles
Protecting Software
Security dongles help stop people from using or copying software without permission. This is called software piracy. Older dongles used ports like the serial port or parallel port. Most modern ones use USB ports.
Media Player Sticks
In the 2010s, small, stick-shaped digital media players became popular. Devices like Chromecast and Fire TV Stick are examples. They plug directly into an HDMI port on a TV. They get power from the TV's USB port or a wall adapter. These are much smaller than older set-top box devices.
Adapters for Connections
Many dongles are simply adapters. They let you connect different types of cables or devices.
- Some are very short cables that connect a large plug to a smaller one. This helps when there isn't much space for connectors.
- They can convert an old DVI display port to a VGA port.
- They can also change a USB port to an older serial port.
Other Cool Dongles
Dongles can do many other things:
- Cassette adapters let you play music from an iPod or smartphone through an old cassette radio.
- Personal FM transmitters let you listen to music from your phone on any FM radio.
- For old video game consoles, some dongles let you play many games from one cartridge. The Everdrive for the Sega Mega Drive is an example.
- The Nintendo DS had a slot for Game Boy Advance games. This slot was also used for add-on dongles like the Rumble Pak, which made the controller vibrate.
- USB dongles add many features to computers. These include Bluetooth, GPS receivers, SD card readers, and Mobile broadband modems for internet.
- Some dongles let older car stereos play MP3s from USB drives or SD cards. They make the car think it's playing a CD.
See also
In Spanish: Dongle para niños
- Emulator
- Repurposing
- Reverse engineering
