Why do you need USB Type-C and which devices already have it? USB Type-C: everything you wanted to know Usb type c won't charge

The USB Type-C port is the successor to the original micro USB port and can be found in 2017 smartphones today, as well as external batteries, headphones and other devices. Galagram tells why the new Type-C is better usual micro USB, as well as what bonuses do owners of equipment with the new port standard receive.

3 Key Benefits of USB Type-C

It charges gadgets faster

The USB Implementers Forum, the industry association behind port development, has worked around bugs in its micro USB creation and created a USB Type-C with better specifications. Chargers with the new port are faster and typically charge smartphones with 15W of power. That's five times faster than most chargers using the old port. And most importantly, it does not create extra load to your battery.

Charging in both directions

Both ends of the cable not only look the same, they can also perform the same actions on both sides, which means you can tell which direction the current is flowing in. In some cases, this leads to funny results when your smartphone starts charging the power bank.

If you have a lot of battery power left, you can help a friend by charging his smartphone using just a Type-C cable. To do this, connect both smartphones with such a cable and direct the current in the right direction, that's all!

Transferring data from smartphone to smartphone

You just need to open the file explorer on the device where you want to receive the files. This is a pre-installed app on smartphones from many manufacturers, but otherwise it can simply be found in the settings.

How USB Type-C works

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a standard that defines cable, connectors and digital communications. Its first version appeared in 1998 and replaced the PC interfaces that were popular at the time. The USB Type-C connector appeared in 2014. It has more pins than its predecessor and they are symmetrically arranged. As a result, it doesn't matter which side you insert the cable - it's two-way and works the same way.

This is a 24-pin 2-way port

There are many differences between the connectors and USB versions. They have different electrical characteristics, indicators of power and data transfer rate. USB A and B connectors only have 4 pins, while USB 3.1 Type-C has 24 pins (standard pinout), which are needed to support higher currents and faster data transfer. In addition, the USB 3.1 standard increases data transfer speeds up to 10 Gb / s, and it also has innovative ways to charge devices.

The Type-C port specification requires a connector to withstand 100,000 connections per connector, with no signs of wear and tear. If you plug the port for example two to three times a day, the cable should last over 12 years. To meet these requirements and handle increased power flow, USB-C cables are typically thicker than classic micro USB cables.

What is Type-C for?

Lots of Android smartphones still have a micro USB port. In most cases, devices are charged through it from a voltage of 5V and a current of 2A. Faster charging speeds can only be achieved outside of the USB specification: Qualcomm Quick Charge, OnePlus Dash Charge, Oppo Vooc, and Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge are manufacturer standards that only work on certain brand devices.

Transmits more power than micro USB

The Type-C port delivers up to 100W of power using an open, free, conventional power system limited to only a cable, power supply, or target charging device. To minimize heat build-up and wear on electronic components, Type-C compatible devices constantly match voltage and current with each other. To recognize them, look for the USB logo on the charger, which was adopted in August 2016.

Can transmit HDMI and audio signals

Type-C connectors can replace many other cables. The certification process for many signals and protocols has already been completed. These include VGA, DVI, or HDMI, where the Type-C port mimics a display port, including protocol conversion. Of course, this requires appropriate hardware and software on the device, but this is already the business of the equipment manufacturers.

Xiaomi and LeEco get rid of 3.5 mm port in favor of Type-C

We are on the verge of significant changes - to replace the classic and familiar USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, a new, backward compatible type of connector is coming. In spite of external convenience, symmetry and visual simplicity, list USB capabilities Type-C is not only impressive, but at the same time fraught with many non-obvious difficulties for the user.

The first USB standard appeared in 1994 to solve the key problems of that time: the unification of the connector for the peripheral PC equipment combined with high speed data transmission. Since 2001, the version of the USB 2.0 connector (as well as its various variations) have become a universal connection standard for any peripheral. The key to fifteen years of USB success is simplicity, with only four pins inside that provide power and connectivity to the connected device.

What was an advantage in the 2000s, has become a bottleneck for modern devices - USB ports have ceased to cope with an almost exponentially growing volume of information, users have appreciated the advantages of symmetrical (and fast!) Mobile reversible connectors (such as Apple Lightning), cables in which you can insert both sides, and the speed wireless transmission data comes close to the speed of a cable connection.

USB 3.0 only emphasized the existing problem by mechanically increasing the number of additional contacts to five, which increased the maximum throughput from 480 Mb / s to 5 Gb / s, and the maximum current increased from 500 mA to 900 mA. The new connector also received its own distinctive marking - a blue socket. USB 3.0 connectors require 9 pins to function.

Let's see how much the USB Type-C / USB-C / USB C connector differs from its predecessors, what prospects and difficulties are fraught with the transition to a new type of connector and what types of cables it will be able to replace in the near future.

The confusion starts with the name: “USB Type-C”, “USB-C” and “USB C” are different names for a single connector that can handle different protocols. Until a common name has settled, we'll stick with the USB Type-C name - although the general trend indicates the growing popularity of the shorter version of USB-C.

The diagram of backward compatible USB Type-C protocols allows you to understand what functions the new connector can take on - there were unexpectedly many of them, which cannot but rejoice. The most important thing about this diagram is that each next level is backward compatible with the levels below.

The fastest protocol for the new connector is Thunderbolt 3. The Thunderbolt hardware interface was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. The Thunderbolt trademark itself was previously owned by Apple, but was later transferred to Intel. USB Type-C connectors working with this protocol are installed in new

And here USB port Type-C in the previous one is “a step below”, allowing you to connect peripherals compatible only with the USB 3.1 gen 1 standard, but not with Thunderbolt 3.

This is a good example that clearly demonstrates in practice why, despite the same USB Type-C connector, peripherals for Thunderbolt 3 cannot be connected to the Macbook 12, however, any accessories and peripherals for the Macbook 12 will work with new macbook Pro 2016.

Let's take a closer look at what other types of signals USB Type-C can transmit through itself.

First of all, this is classic USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 - this is important for mobile devices with a new connector (like the first USB Type-C tablet Nokia N1) that only supported USB 2.0 signals and power. Most modern mobile devices (e.g. l) support USB connection 3.0.

What does this mean in practice? When purchasing a USB Type-C cable for a mobile device, pay attention to the speed and compatibility of the connectors on both gadgets. A good choice for a modern Windows laptop with USB 3.0 would be a cable that will work via USB Type-C over USB 2.0 and 3.0 protocols.

If your mobile device, for example an Android smartphone, is equipped with a Micro-USB port (or its modification Micro-USB B), working with the USB 2.0 protocol, you can limit yourself to a cable, or. The maximum data transfer rate will be limited to 480 Mbps.

The next standard is USB 3.1 gen 1 - allowing you to connect hard drives, network adapters and a docking station. It is backward compatible with "SuperSpeed" USB 3.0, "Hi-Speed" USB 2.0, and even the original USB 1.x.

USB 3.1 gen 2 protocol - similar to the previous one, but doubles the bandwidth of USB peripherals to 10 Gbps. Only the latest USB-C devices support it.

USB 3.1 and USB Type-C connectivity support and external drives, for example .

Examples of accessories providing compatible speed network connection via USB Type-C:
and .

Audio Accessory Mode is a specification for use with analog audio that allows USB port Type-C will compete in the future with the analog 3.5mm jack.

Connection Mode Alternate Mode - includes all other non-USB protocols: DisplayPort, MHL, HDMI, and Thunderbolt (previously connected via DP). The main problem here is that not every device supports the Alternate Mode protocol, which is very confusing for buyers.

For video devices, not only branded USB Type-C adapters from Apple are available: an adapter, but also options from other manufacturers, for example.

But there are also advantages - the transmission of a video stream via the USB Type-C port does not in any way affect its energy capacity, because as many as four high-speed lines can be allocated to the needs of DisplayPort. In this case, it is possible to transmit images in resolutions up to 5120 × 2880.

The symmetry of the contact pads made it possible to make the port reversible, and depending on the connected device, a different number of connections are involved.

The first USB 1.0 port provided only 0.75 W (0.15 A, 5 V) power. For USB 2.0, the current strength was increased to 0.5 A, which made it possible to get 2.5 watts from it for power, for example, external hard drives format 2.5 ". Not surprisingly, connecting more power-hungry drives sometimes required multiple ports at once.

For USB 3.0, a current of 0.9 A is provided, which, with a supply voltage of 5 V, guarantees a power of 4.5 W. Against these numbers, the 100W transmission capability is truly impressive!

To ensure the transfer of this amount of energy, the supply voltage can be increased up to 20 volts. Contacts Secondary Bus and USB Power Delivery Communication is designed to select the desired operating mode between the connected gadgets - after all, if the device is not capable of receiving 100W of energy, it will simply burn out! Thanks to the preliminary data exchange, compatible devices go into an advanced mode of operation with enhanced power capabilities.

There are five such profiles: “profile 1” guarantees the ability to transfer 10 W of energy, the second - 18 W, the third - 36 W, the fourth - 60 W, and the fifth - a whole hundred!

The PD (Power Delivery) function requires a separate cable, for example

The prospects for USB Type-C or USB-C are very bright. Besides Apple, USB ports Type-C is beginning to be equipped with both productive desktops (motherboards) and mobile devices. So far, the leading place is occupied by USB protocol 3.1 in both of its variations (and mobile devices are just getting closer to USB 3.0 speeds).

It won't be long before we can finally switch to a universal type of USB-C with USB-C cables (such cables are available now) to connect the rest of the peripherals. It is especially gratifying that accessories purchased today will continue to function thanks to Backward Compatibility mode. Important note - USB Type-C is an open standard that does not require any license fees from manufacturers.

Risks and difficulties are only when connecting new peripherals (requiring the fastest protocols such as Thunderbolt different versions) to older versions of USB Type-C devices operating at USB 3.1 speeds - at best, they will be able to continue working at a reduced speed.

When buying accessories and USB Type-C cables, be sure to consider at what speeds your device should (and can) work - if USB 2.0-3.1 speeds are suitable for mobile devices and gadgets, then it can be important to transfer video signals or data from high-capacity hard drives Thunderbolt 3 compatible.

For your convenience, we have collected in a separate section of the catalog.

Strange, but I have not met a single person who could actually say that he does not like the standard MicroUSB connector. Is it such a big problem to correctly insert the cable into the port of the smartphone? However, statistics allegedly show that users are incredibly annoyed when they cannot immediately insert the cable correctly. Yes, it will probably annoy you if you try to feel it in the dark. Be that as it may, but we came to a new standard - USB Type-C, which can become a panacea for some problems and claims. However, it is worth talking about the issues that USB Type-C can have.

1.USB Type-C does not mean support for fast charging

One of the most common misconceptions about USB Type-C is the myth that this port supports fast charging or very fast data transfer by default. This is not true. USB Type-C is not a new standard that allows you to work with your smartphone in a different way. This is just a physically new form, and in fact it could be USB 3.1, but some manufacturers hide the old USB 2.0 under this port. To make matters worse, I have not come across a single USB Type-C smartphone that actually supports fast charging. So be careful.

2.USB Type-C does not mean support for fast data transfer

The second misconception about USB Type-C is support for fast data transfer, almost at the speed of light. Again, this is not the case. We can work with such a connector, but it will be USB 2.0, 3.0 or 3.1. So don't expect a smartphone with such a connector to spend less time downloading a movie or a huge amount of photos.

It is theoretically possible to get a speed of 10 Gb / s, but on condition that it is USB cable 3.1 Type-C. If your laptop or computer has an older USB connector, then there is definitely nothing to talk about. It will be a pipe dream for you to download a movie in 4k resolution in a few seconds.

3. USB-C Type can be a headache when traveling

If you suddenly forgot your MicroUSB cable while traveling, then you can use a spare one without any problems, ask someone else for a while. That is, it is not even a problem in reality. Standard MicroUSB cables are very common and everyone has one if they have a smartphone or tablet.

However, I can tell you about one unpleasant case when the owner of a OnePlus 2 smartphone came to Berlin for the IFA 2015 exhibition, but accidentally forgot to take a USB Type-C cable with him. Believe it or not, this turned out to be a huge problem at the exhibition of mobile technology, because no one could help - they simply did not have the same cable. And that brings us to the next ...

4.USB Type-C cables are rare and expensive

Strange, but no matter how hard the manufacturers try to extol this type of USB, it will still be very difficult to find such a cable. They are even more expensive and not all hardware stores have heard of them. This is due to extremely low demand. Thus, even if you have a lot of cash to buy a spare cable on the road, it is not a fact that you will find a store where you can buy a USB Type-C cable.

5. All current accessories become useless

If you have a bunch of additional accessories at home that you used with an old smartphone, then you will either have to abandon them and buy new ones, or look for an adapter from MicroUSB to USB Type-C. There are very few accessories with the new port being produced today, and they are not physically compatible with your new smartphone.

Today I will introduce you to the various USB Type-C cables. And I will try to dispel doubts about their expediency. The review contains cables from Orico, which are designed to connect your device with a newfangled connector to a computer or other device with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports.

The USB type-C connector is only gaining popularity and many have not just "not seen it", but also do not understand what innovations are behind it. On the basis of which opinions such as "everything will burn out" and "why do I need one more connector?"

I will try to tell in my own words. The rest can find the specification "USB Type-C Specification Release 1.1.pdf". ...

Throughout this text, I use the word "connector" as an umbrella word for the concepts "connector", "socket", "connector", "port" and so on.

Historical background

USB type-C properties

The main new introduction:
- one connector for everything (for printers, smartphones, flash drives ... monitors!)
- mirrored connector (no need to guess how to insert it sideways)
- small size (it is slightly larger than micro USB)
- the connector is very securely fixed in the socket (hurray!)
- must withstand up to 10,000 connections
- the connector supports USB 1.0 - USB 3.1 standards
- it invites the devices to independently decide who to be the master / slave and the source / consumer of power
- the cable can be passive and active (with electronics inside)

The main old introduction:
- the standard does not define the length of the wire, it has already been defined in the data transmission standards
- the connector can withstand up to 5A, but this is described in the BC1.2 and Power Delivery standards

Next, you can talk about DisplayPort integration, audio transmission and more. And I will try to do this in the next reviews, but for now, let's look at the implementation of three USB Type-C cables with backward compatibility.

Unpacking

Each of them is packed in a small bag, in a cardboard box and in one more bag. Two of the three boxes were crumpled during transportation. All cables are exactly 1 meter long and 3 mm thick (except for the LCU-10-BK, it is 4 mm). The wires are a little harsh and gladly return to their old position.

Pinout

Test stand

The table contains the results of measurements of cables at different currents.

* Direct column shows voltages without any cable. The rest of the columns need to be compared with Direct and with each other.
* gray column ECU10bk shows the result USB enable type-C connector on the other side.
* the rest of the gray columns contain data on some cables I have previously measured.

Summary

* The USB type-C connector has shown itself in all its glory. It is easy to insert, firmly held and pulled out with effort. And has a mirrored arrangement of contacts.

* the most popular ECU-10-BK (USB type-C to USB type-A) cable has shown good results. He can painlessly pass about 2A through himself. But yes, he falls short of his meter-long relatives.

* a slightly specific cable LCU-10-BK (USB type-C to micro USB 3.0) suddenly showed completely identical results with different cable thicknesses and different connectors. It's even strange somehow.

* what happened to the MCU-10-BK (USB type-C to micro USB 2.0) cable I can't say. Perhaps it's just a marriage.

P.S. check of speed characteristics will be, but in another review.

The product is provided for writing a review by the store. The review is published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.