Let's begin with new standard. USB Type-C. designed to unify connectors on many devices from coffee makers, cameras, televisions to smartphones with computers.
Just imagine a world in which one standard reigns. You don’t need to take a bunch of adapters with you on a trip or think about whether your friends have the necessary cable at home when you go to visit them. In a world where USB Type-C reigns, you can always charge your device, anywhere and anytime.
Standardization is perhaps the most important trump card of USB Type-C and almost all users will ultimately experience it. Well, for the fact that the connector can be inserted from either side, special respect to the engineers who developed this standard.
More powerful charging
Charging your phone using a cable from a camera or from a computer is not the coolest thing USB Type-C can do. Initially, the standard specification included the ability to pass through a cable great amount energy up to 100 watts of power. Of course, such a current is not needed in smartphones yet, but it’s still nice to know that such a powerful potential is already inherent in USB standard-C.
Some manufacturers have already managed to implement their fast charging standards based on Type-C. For example, OnePlus' Dash Charge can deliver up to 5 volts at 4 amps, which equals 20 watts of power. Qualcom's Quick charge 4 also works on the basis of Type-C and produces about 18 watts at peak. It is possible that in the future some graphene supercapacitors will require a current of 100 watts to charge in a couple of minutes, and in this case Type-C will not rust.
Sound output
Based on the Type-C connector, you can implement a huge number of different interfaces, from a basic and banal audio connector to advanced Thunderbolt 3 or pci express. We won’t go far for examples. The market is already full of devices that simply do not have a standard 3.5 mm mini jack. It was successfully replaced digital interface based on USB Type-C.
LeEco was one of the first to show the public the advantage this method sound transmission. Their CDLA technology allows digital Hi-Fi sound lossless and implement the coolest noise reduction systems without additional power.
Video signal transmission via USB Type-C
But smartphone manufacturers have found one more thing interesting application for Type-C. After all, the connector can transmit not only sound, but also video. And at the same time, feed the device with energy. As a result, we saw a number of docking stations that turn the smartphone into a full-fledged system unit.
Microsoft first implemented this idea in its lumia. Later, devices from HP Elite x3 were added to them. They are all very limited in their functionality. Windows in continuum mode does not spoil the user with many possibilities, but still in this mode it is already noticeably more convenient to browse, work with texts and watch videos on YouTube. And just recently, with a similar station, it entered the market.
To summarize, thoughts come to mind about the future and how cool everything will be when a full transition to USB Type-C does take place. But looking around, I understand that this very future has already arrived. Type-C can be found in the most unexpected places. In consoles, cameras, TVs and cameras, even some inexpensive laptops. It remains quite a bit before a full-scale transition. We can only hope that engineers and manufacturers don’t come up with something new. If you found this article useful, then share it on social networks with your friends. Click on your icon social network below!
Updated: February 8, 2019 by: Gold
Recent changes and improvements in USB technology are expanding the choice of interfaces for users. Initially, the USB Implementers Forum renamed the USB 3.0 interface to USB 3.1 Gen 1. At the same time, specifications interface remained the same. The forum then introduced USB 3.1 Gen 2 and new type physical connector, which is called USB Type C. We decided to shed light on the situation around these standards and connectors.
USB 3.1 technology
Currently, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (formerly USB 3.0) technology is supported as a standard by the latest operating systems MacOS, Linux and Windows. The interface provides maximum theoretical throughput 5 Gbps and current up to 3.4 Gbps and up to 900 mA current for devices. Unlike USB 2.0, version 3.1 operates in full duplex mode, in other words, simultaneous sending and receiving of data is possible.
USB 3.1 Gen 2 offers users twice the throughput of Gen 1: 10 Gbps. USB 3.1 Gen 2 is not a standard for Intel or AMD, but may be supported third party drivers and controllers. Although Gen 2 received minor protocol changes, it is backwards compatible with Gen 1.
Sphere USB applications 3.1
So, USB 3.1 technology provides the user with significantly increased performance compared to USB 2.0. When using removable drives, more fast transfer data: large video files and images. USB 3.1 will provide support high resolutions and frame rates for cameras used in machine vision systems on production lines. Accordingly, PTZ cameras used both in video surveillance systems and in video conferencing systems without using a hardware codec can support resolutions of 1080p60 and higher. This undoubtedly improves the quality and reduces the cost of video conferencing systems, and also allows users to connect their own devices to Skype and WebEx.
Layout diagram USB pins 3.1
Like USB 3.0, USB 3.1 received additional contacts to support SuperSpeed. The D+ and D- pins remain the same, including (power) and (ground). To service the SuperSpeed tire, two additional tires have been added twisted pairs, which provide bidirectional SuperSpeed data transmission: StdA_SSRX+ and StdA_SSRX- (reception) and SSTX+ and StdA_SSTX (transmission).
USB Type C
The new type of physical connector brings significant qualitative changes that set it apart from USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2. Type C supports data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps (Thunderbolt 3 alternative mode) and current power of up to 100 Watts. Many have already appreciated the shape of the connector: it can be inserted from either side. Both the connector and connector are quite compact and much more durable than alternatives, for example, micro USB. The cables are marked with an electronic chip for correct use and preventing situations where it is not compatible or is transmitted too high power to a device that does not support it. Type C is backward compatible with USB 2.0, 3.1 Gen 1 and 3.1 Gen 2.
Type C can both consume and provide power. The same port can be used both to connect a flash drive and to charge a laptop. In addition, charging devices such as smartphones and tablets from Type C is faster.
Alternate Modes
USB Type C can work in the so-called alternative modes, which allow you to transfer through the connector and cables not only USB data. In this case, other physical protocols are used, and with each of them, current transmission with a power of up to 100 Watts is ensured.
- Alternate DisplayPort Mode– support for video transmission with resolutions up to 4Kp60 4:4:4 s DisplayPort version 1.3. Simultaneous transfer of USB 3.1 Gen 2 and USB 2.0.
- Mobil High-Definition Link (MHL) Alternate Mode— support for video transmission with resolutions up to 4Kp60 (1 line) or up to 8Kp60 (4 lines) using MHL 1.0, USB support 2.0 and 3.1 depending on configuration.
- Thunderbolt 3 Alternate Mode– Supports up to two displays with resolutions up to 4Kp60, PCIe 3.0, DisplayPort, USB 2.0 and 3.1 transmission, depending on configuration.
- Alternative HDMI mode – support for HDMI 1.4b specification (4Kp30, 4Kp60 4:2:0), without simultaneous support USB transfer 3.1 in any configuration.
Trends around USB-C
The features and advantages of USB Type C will certainly be reflected in the increased presence of the connector in mobile devices and laptops. Devices with this type of connector include flash drives, various docking stations, monitors and adapters for outdated interfaces. By 2019, up to two billion different devices are expected to be shipped.
Almost two years ago I migrated to USB Type-C and am still not blind. I'll tell you the whole truth.
The market is not ready
In 2015 year Apple presented to the public - the first laptop with progressive USB interface Type-C on board. I would have fainted with joy, but there was only one connector. But for everything at once, including charging a laptop. Only the lazy would not criticize the aluminum gadget for this port, although I personally found myself among such people. I didn’t scold it, but I was afraid that there would be problems with active use of the device.
I was afraid and still decided to buy. I really liked the device, in fact. Naturally, I bought it right away with an adapter - the most simple apple USB-C/USB. This is how mine began new life at the crossroads of generations, when the standard has already been launched to the masses, but the market is not yet ready for it.
Almost two years after the release of the MacBook 12, the market was still not ready for USB Type-C. At a minimum, this impression may be due to the public reaction to the use of the same ports in the new MacBook Pro. But often this is the opinion of theorists. In practice, everything is somewhat more prosaic. In this article I will share my experience of using a laptop with USB Type-C - the pros, cons and whether you should be afraid of the new standard.
USB Type-C is universal, but also not quite ready for the market
The functionality of the new standard is impressive and much has been written about it good articles, including . Briefly and simply, the connector is more compact than its predecessor, can be inserted on either side, supports data transfer (up to 10 Gbit/s or up to 40 Gbit/s if we are talking about Thunderbolt 3), video (up to 5K), audio and power up to 100 W inclusive.
Cool? Not that word!
The only difficulty is that when everything is mixed at once, overlaps, problems and incompatibility issues occur. The simplest example is MacBook 12 and MacBook Pro 2016, which seem to have the same connectors, but in fact they are different: classic USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3, respectively. The latter is more progressive, has backwards compatible, but not in everything. Available with Texas Instruments' first generation USB-C chipset (TPS65982). And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
There are several standards for USB Type-C cables that support different speeds data transmission (from 480 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s), different power supply voltages or no power lines at all, with video transmission function (via built-in DisplayPort or alternative Alternate Mode) and without it. All schemes and standards are clearly spelled out, but only underground Chinese factories don’t care about them, because price is a priority. As a result, you can use a cheap cable.
What do we end up with? There is only one connector, it supports many standards, it can do almost everything, but there is also back side medals in the form of a great confusion among cables and peripherals. The wires are the same, but the possibilities are different. The connector is the same, but it is not a fact that it can do everything stated in the standard specifications. By the way, in new MacBooks Pro Thunderbolt 3 ports really do everything, but it just doesn’t solve compatibility problems yet.
These are the realities transition period, in which we found ourselves through the efforts of Apple. On the other hand, if it weren’t for the heavy tarpaulin boot with the logo of a bitten apple, from time to time kicking the market in the sirloin places, who knows how long the dominance would have been observed optical drives in laptops and how fast Wi-Fi would spread.
Let's take a better look at working in USB Type-C in the real world and at real device- is the devil really as terrible as he is painted.
Two years of life with USB Type-C
Each story is strictly individual, including mine. On the other hand, there are always some common points in the operation of devices. I will try to focus attention on them so that you can try on the described experience to your personal situation.
The first thing that raised concerns was whether the laptop had enough charge to restore it. backup copy Time Machine With external hard drive? When I purchased the device, in my region only a simple branded adapter was available, as in the photo above, that is, you can either connect power or an external drive. I was afraid in vain. 250 GB of "personal workspace" quickly settled into new car, using only 30% of the battery in the process. The big plus was that the external hard drive supports USB 3.0, like the adapter, so data was copied at very high speeds (more than 40-50 MB/s).
I recommend not to save USB adapters Type-C and take branded, proven models so as not to run into the low-speed option (480 Mbit/s). And when it comes to powering a laptop, then the choice is only among TOP brands or branded Apple adapters. This is not the moment when you can save money and when you need to save money, since not only the functionality of the I/O port is at stake, but also the health of the gadget.
Having settled on a laptop and having worked for a couple of weeks, I somehow didn’t notice any particular need for the old ones USB ports, even when I needed to transfer photos from a memory card (which I do quite often on duty) or connect some equipment. I even reflashed my favorite camera (Sony A7r) via USB Type-C and a proprietary adapter - the process went without a hitch. The only difference was the need to connect this same adapter, which is a matter of seconds.
That is, there were no problems associated with the fact that the port hole in the laptop is mechanically not directly compatible with 99% of devices on the market. The need to use an adapter did not bother me at all and still does not bother me.
The first rough edges began when I needed to travel frequently on business trips. To have something to do on the road besides writing articles, I usually record movies and TV series on a tablet or smartphone. The difficulty turned out to be that there is only one port and I also have a single adapter. I didn’t buy the more expensive branded one, it was crushed by a toad. Thus, to record video from an external hard drive to an iPad and iPhone, you first had to copy the content to the laptop’s own drive and then transfer it to the mobile Apple gadget. Extra action and extra time. Not critical, but still annoying.
At first I solved the problem cheaply Chinese USB Type-C hub, what is it about. It has nothing to do with power supply, so I wouldn’t burn the laptop even if I wanted to. The only ambush - low speed data transmission, limited USB 2.0 (up to 30 MB / s), but the adapter pulled three connected devices at once. True, the card reader built into it died the next day of operation. However, 20 GB of video easily flew with external storage through this miracle of Chinese engineering and then recorded similar portions of content several more times.
After some time, I solved the problem radically by ordering a high-quality and very compact USB hub Satechi Type-C Pass Through USB Hub. By the way, there are many analogues - they all cost about the same. Moreover, there are similar hubs, but also with HDMI output. In general, this miniature thing solved the problem of powering a laptop when a couple of USB accessories are connected, plus it contains SD and MicroSD card readers. Unlike the Chinese hub, the memory card slots are still working. There is only one catch - the aluminum adapter heats up noticeably, but there were no difficulties with this. Worked, stuck for 5-6 hours in a laptop - everything is ok.
Also, from Type-C accessories, I purchased a flash drive with two ports at once - it’s convenient to transfer some content from the MacBook to a device with old USB ports.
As you can see, there are roughnesses, but even with only one USB port Type-C of some kind critical situations did not arise. But there are also advantages. For example, the fact that I can . In addition, the included power supply, but also iPhone, iPad and any other USB device. You only need the simplest Apple adapter.
Got and external battery with USB Type-C, capable of charging the MacBook 12 even when it is actively working, which increased the autonomy of the device by another 3-4 hours.
More USB Type-C, even more to jump into a brighter future
When were new models announced? MacBook Pro and people began to actively scold Apple for abandoning a bunch of different holes in favor of USB Type-C, all this hype just made me smile. There are no real difficulties in switching to a new standard, there are only extra costs for adapters, but compared to the price of the laptops themselves, this is a trifle.
Complaints that pros will have to carry adapters with them are unfounded. Real pros understand that in a year or two, when you need to replace your monstrous laptop, there will be no more problems - the peripherals will catch up to the new standard. Those pros who decided to switch to new device Now, they don’t worry either. Because guys (and girls) already carry around a bunch of adapters for all occasions in life. That's why they're pros. Adding a couple more threes is not a problem. But any connector can be implemented on any side of the laptop, if we are talking about older MacBook models Pro.
The USB Type-C port has at least one undeniable and obvious advantage in front of the micro USB port - you can insert the connector into it from either side (like Lightning). But USB Type-C also has disadvantages, we will talk about them today.
1. USB Type-C does not support fast charging
Currently, no smartphone with a USB Type-C cable is compatible with technologies that support fast charging (for example, Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0). Perhaps it will appear in the future, but definitely not on those smartphones that have already been released.
2. USB Type-C does not guarantee high speed data exchange 
USB Type-C is only a connector form factor, not a data exchange standard. Myself USB cable Type-C can comply with different standards - USB 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1. Even if the cable supports USB 3.1, the data transfer speed through it will be limited by the port of the smartphone or computer. In theory, data can be transferred via USB 3.1 at speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, but in reality such speeds will most likely be unattainable even under ideal conditions.
3. USB Type-C is not widely used
Surely you have often asked your friends for a charger or cable to charge your dead smartphone. In the case of USB Type-C, this will not work - it’s unlikely that anyone will have such a cable. Ask micro cable Any passerby can have USB. They may refuse, but almost everyone has it..
4. USB Type-C is expensive
The worst thing is if the cable gets lost or becomes unusable - a micro USB cord is very cheap in computer stores, and USB Type-C is not available in all retail outlets, and you will have to pay a lot for it more money. In addition, there is no guarantee that the new cable will be of the same quality as the one that came with the smartphone; there is a high risk of running into a fake.
5. USB Type-C does not support common accessories
If you have already purchased for your smartphone various accessories, like portable chargers, OTG adapters, flash drives, speakers, etc., be prepared that they will be incompatible with USB Type-C. Finding accessories that support this standard is currently quite difficult.
All this does not mean that the USB Type-C standard is bad, it’s just that its time has not come yet. In addition, many compatibility issues can be resolved by purchasing USB adapter Type-C -> micro USB.
In 2015 it was shown a new version MacBook Air. Tim Cook at the presentation Apple CEO, as usual, talked about the new functions and capabilities of the device. There was one detail in it that interested not only Apple adherents. As you might have guessed, we were talking about a completely new USB connector Type-C.
What it is?
USB Type-C is an evolutionary stage of development of the universal format serial bus(USB), which you've probably heard of and which is perhaps the most common technology in the field of mobile and peripheral devices.
This is precisely evolution, not revolution, although some individual moments can be called revolutionary. Thus, USB Type-C allows you to transfer not only files, but even video!
I would like to immediately talk about the designations USB Type-C and USB 3.1. They don't mean the same thing, although they go hand in hand: USB Type-C is USB specification, USB 3.1 is essentially a numerical designation that refers to data transfer speed. Roughly speaking, USB Type-C works on USB 3.1 technology. By the way, the data transfer speed is very high - over 1200 MB/s versus 500 MB/s for USB 3.0!
Compare USB Type-C and USB Type-A:
And here is a comparison of USB Type-C and microUSB (one of the most popular formats used in the mobile industry):
What is the advantage of USB Type-C?
As was written above, in data transfer speed. But this is not the only advantage of this technology. So, USB 3.1 has more maximum power, which means that soon it will be possible to connect additional devices like speakers without an additional power source. Just imagine - you took the speakers out into the wild and connected them with via USB Type-C and listen to music!
Another huge plus is the current strength is as much as 5A. This allows you to charge your smartphone, tablet or any other device much faster. The main thing is that this device supports fast charging technology.
Finally, the plug can now be inserted in either direction - it is symmetrical. Until recently, such pleasure was available only for iPhone and iPad, and now - for all other devices that use USB technology Type-C.
What devices use USB Type-C?
Many. These include laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Probably a move to USB in the future Type-C devices on Android based will speed up significantly because Google company advised manufacturers to use exactly this interface in their future new products.
Google laptop:
