What is Type-C USB

Page 1: Multifunctional plug-in Apple lets the public know Type-C

The name "Type-C" became well known with the release of Apple's new generation of MacBook laptops, and many people exclaimed "Wow! One interface can serve as a USB, video output and so many interfaces, What a god! "

The appearance of the Type-C interface seems to have pushed Apple to the altar. Many people think that this is Apple ’s feat. It is unknown that the Type-C interface appeared before the release of the new Macbook, and of course the Type-C standard was not Apple's designation. of. Here, I want to weep silently for the Nokia N1 tablet, because the Type-C interface of the N1 is clearly two months before the new Macbook.

The birth of the new MacBook with a Type-C interface has also made the general public aware of this new interface

I have to admit that Apple's light can be quickly known, and Apple does have the ability to further promote a standard, and often can succeed ... Of course, except for the tragic Thunderbolt interface, it is basically It has disappeared. However, the new MacBook's Type-C interface is really very suitable. The thin-to-thin body cannot carry a large number of interfaces, and the compact Type-C can integrate charging, data transmission and video output. As an industry leader, Apple's innovation ability and strength are still worthy of recognition.

Back to the point where we discussed: thenWhat exactly is Type-C?

Type-C stands for USB Type-C interface. It is a brand-new USB interface form. It came out with the latest USB3.1 standard. It has been almost a year since its release (yes, it is really a year). After all, it's a USB interface (yes). In fact, the value of Type-C for the new MacBook is not even as great as that of a pure USB interface, because it solves the most troublesome worldwide problem since the emergence of the USB interface, and that is it"No longer distinguish between directions, can be inserted in both directions."

USB interface that can be plugged in both directions, which is so cool

The emergence of the Type-C interface can be said to have saved OCD and Virgo, and also eliminated headaches such as "The Law of Attraction" and "Murphy's Law".

Okay, although I know what the Type-C interface can achieve and what it is, but many people may still have a question, such as lingering in the throat, that is"Why is it called Type-C? Where have both A and B gone?"

Indeed, where did A and B go? This is indeed a good question. In addition, the author will also discuss the development of USB standards and interfaces in depth, let everyone know clearly.

Page 2: This page allows you to find out all specifications of the USB interface

Since there is Type-C, there must be Type-A and Type-B. What exactly Type-A and Type-B look like, you can see at a glance in the picture below:

USB interface: Standard Type-A interface, Type-B interface, and Type-C interface from left to right

After reading the picture, you should suddenly realize that the Type-A interface is the most commonly used standard USB interface! Indeed, the English name of the Type-A interface is "Standard Type-A USB", which means that it is a standard USB interface, and other shapes of USB interfaces are derivatives.

For the Type-B USB interface, although its appearance rate is far lower than that of the standard Type-A interface, presumably everyone will not be unfamiliar with it, because many external USB devices such as printers, monitors, USB HUBs, etc., use Type-B USB interface.Generally speaking, USB interfaces on PCs are all standard Type-A, while external devices mostly use Type-B.

Finally, there is the new Type-C interface. It has a much smaller volume than Type-A and Type-B, and its size is comparable to Mini-USB and Micro-USB. It is the latest USB interface form factor.In addition, Type-C is an interface type that can be applied to both the PC (master) and external devices (slave), which is epoch-making.

Wait, just mentioned Mini-USB and Micro-USB Can we talk about it in detail?

no problem……

●Don't get dizzy after watching: Family portrait with USB interface

After the Type-C interface was released, a friend asked the author: "Is Mini-USB called Type-A, Micro-USB called Type-B, and the new one is called Type-C?" I tell you that this is not the case, so after reading the following family portrait of the USB interface, I believe everyone will understand.

Family portrait of USB interface (except Type-C)

Nothing is more intuitive than a picture. The Mini-USB and Micro-USB that we often use were born according to the USB2.0 transmission protocol. Amazingly, they are also divided into Type-A and Type-B. In the USB 3.0 era, the increase in transmission speed has brought about an increase in pin positions. Therefore, only the Type-A USB 3.0 interface remains the same shape as before. Both the Type-B and Micro-USB have changed their shape (enlarged volume). ).

●Mini-USB2.0 interface

Mini-USB 2.0 Type A and Type B Interface

The Mini-USB interface is also an interface we are very familiar with. It is widely used in digital products, such as MP3, digital cameras, and mobile hard drives. Compared with the standard USB interface and Type-B USB interface, its volume is greatly reduced. Maybe most of the Mini-USB interfaces you see are Mini-B type. This is because the Mini-A type has poor foolproof interface, so it has the Mini-B type to replace it. But don't worry, even the older equipment equipped with Mini-A interface can still use the Mini-B type data cable.

●Micro-USB2.0 interface

Micro-USB 2.0 Type A and Type B Interface

Mini-USB interface is divided into A / B, Micro-USB is no exception. The Micro-USB interface is an improved version of the Mini-USB interface, which has reduced the size again, and is more suitable for increasingly thin and light mobile devices. At present, most of the portable devices we use have adopted the Micro-USB interface, and Mini-USB has been basically eliminated. In addition, the European Union also requires that by 2017, all mobile phones sold in franchise countries must use the Micro-USB interface, which shows its success and wide coverage.

Similarly, the Type-B type of the Micro-USB interface is also an improved version of the Type-A type. It is not difficult to see from the figure that the shape of the Micro-A interface is rectangular, which greatly increases the mis-plugging rate! Want to know that we often plug in the standard USB interface, but how can we play Micro-A so effective? Soon Micro-B appeared, and the fool-proof design was excellent, and Micro-A was quickly eliminated.

●Micro-USB3.0 interface

Micro-USB 3.0 Type A and Type B Interface

Because the transmission speed of the USB 3.0 interface has been greatly improved compared to USB 2.0, its pins have also changed. As a result, the Micro-USB 3.0 interface has to change its appearance. The Micro-USB3.0 interface is no different from Micro-USB2.0 in height, but the length has increased significantly. Similarly, Type A and Type B also appeared on Micro-USB3.0 ... I really can't understand why the USB Association has to create A and B on the small USB interface every time, so there is not much talk here .

The Micro-USB3.0 interface devices that we are most in contact with are high-speed mobile hard disks, most of which are Type-B.

●USB Type-B is a bit 囧

The same Type-B interface, USB3.0 (right) increases the interface height compared to USB2.0 (left)

Due to the large size of the standard Type-A USB interface, its appearance has not changed since it was developed to USB 3.1. However, the Type-B USB interface is a little awkward, because it is not much smaller than the standard Type-A USB interface in terms of volume, but it may be that the future development was not considered at the beginning of the design, resulting in no additional pins to be placed. Therefore, the Type-B USB3.0 interface has to change its appearance, increasing the height compared to Type-B USB2.0.

●USB3.1 interface and Type-C

USB3.1接口与USB3.0接口仍然以颜色来区分

In the industry, the USB 3.0 interface is made blue to distinguish it from the black of the USB 2.0 interface. At present, ASUS has launched a motherboard with a standard Type-A USB3.1 interface. Its interface color is blue-green, which is different from USB3.0. Although the USB Association does not stipulate the color of USB3.1, it will be inevitable to distinguish by color.

The author again reiterated that the Type-C interface was launched at almost the same time as the USB 3.1 standard, and the Type-C specification was indeed formulated in accordance with USB 3.1, so Of course, USB3.1 can be made as Type-C, but Type-C ≠ USB3.1: For example, Nokia N1 tablet uses the USB2.0 standard Type-C interface, while Asus Z97-K / USB3.1 uses Standard Type-A USB3.1 interface.

Comparison of previous USB specifications

version

Maximum transmission rate

Code

Output current

USB1.0

1.5Mbps

LowSpeed

500mA

USB1.1

12Mbps

FullSpeed

500mA

USB2.0

480Mbps

HighSpeed

500mA

USB3.0

5Gbps

SuperSpeed

900mA

USB3.1

10Gbps

SuperSpeed+

900mA

Page 3: Micro-USB / Lightning / Type-C comparison

Except for Apple products, almost all mobile devices on the advanced market use the Micro-USB interface. Since the iPhone 5, Apple has also replaced the previous Dock port with a more compact Lightning interface, which is similar in size to the Micro-USB interface. Now that Type-C interfaces have been born, it is likely that there will be a tripartite situation in the future.

From top to bottom: Micro-USB-B / Lightning / Type-C

The above picture shows three devices: Android phone with Micro-USB interface, iPhone 5S with Lightning interface and Nokia N1 with Type-C interface.

Among them, the Micro-USB interface has a fool-proof design and can only be inserted on one side. The Lightning interface and Type-C interface can be inserted in both directions, which greatly facilitates the user's daily use. However, here is a digression, that is, since Apple adopted the Lightning interface, including the data cable that comes with the purchase of the mobile phone, I have replaced 6, 7 Lightning data cables, they will soon break down, This is something I have never experienced in the Dock era!Perhaps the durability design of the Lightning interface has yet to be perfected.

Type-C / Lightning / Micro-USB-B male comparison

The size of the Type-C interface is 8.3mm × 2.5mm. Its size is similar to that of Micro-USB and Lightning, and its portability is beyond doubt.

●Some ya (blind) think

The USB3.1 specification has a transmission rate of 10Gbps, which is twice as high as USB3.0 5Gbps, and reaches the same speed as a lightning interface. With ultra-high bandwidth, it also supports powerful power transmission functions up to 100W. In addition, the Type-C interface can also be used as a video output interface.

Mainstream devices using three interfaces

At present, the bandwidth of the HDMI 1.4 specification is 10.2Gbps, which is almost the same as the 10Gbps of USB3.1. In addition, the Type-C interface used in the new MacBook has integrated DP, HDMI and D-Sub interfaces. The high integration of multiple functions and powerful performance, in the future, we can have reason to believe that Type-C will become a perfect solution to replace many video and data interfaces and unify many interfaces.

In addition, the high-cold Apple will always be different from others. Whether it is the previous Dock port or the current Lightning port, it is different from the Micro-USB interface of non-Apple devices. However, the new MacBook uses the Type-C interface. It can be said that everyone is looking forward to it: Will Apple products uniformly use Type-C in the future? After all, the Type-C interface is a universal standard, so we don't have to have many data cables in the future.

Type-C is an epoch-making interface that can be used on both master and slave devices (picture quotes Intel IDF official information)

Type-C is revolutionary. What do you say? When the author released the USB port family portrait in the previous article, will everyone feel too messy? Yes, the shapes of the master device interface, slave device interface, and mobile device interface are all different, and each type of interface is also divided into A / B, etc ... We can't help but sigh: Why can't we unify? The emergence of Type-C solves this problem. It is different from Type-A used only in the master device, Type-B used only in the slave device, and Mini & Micro-USB used only in the mobile device. The interface can be used in the master device, in the slave device, and also in the mobile device.

Not only the USB interface specification is numerous (confusion), other interfaces also have this problem (the picture shows the four types of HDMI interface)

The confusion of the USB interface specification is not an example, and there are many interfaces with similar problems. For example, HDMI, we commonly use standard HDMI (A) and mini HDMI (B), but also Micro (D) and bulky D-type, it seems that the emergence of the latter two is unnecessary. However, Type-C is so powerful, will there be room for survival in the future HDMI interface?