In the constant advancement of physical connectivity for data and energy transfer, one of the biggest steps has been that of the USB-C connection. You will have noticed that this connection is used more and more, especially in more modern smartphones that they no longer use the Micro-USB connector and other portable electronic devices.
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What is USB-C
USB-C is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector. With this, it is achieved that it does not matter in which direction you connect it, the data transmitter pins will always be in contact with other data transmitter pins, and the same with the energy ones. In addition, it prevents the connector from being damaged by accidentally inserting the cable in the opposite direction.
It must be said that there is a big difference between the USB-C connector and the USB-C cable. The connector is the female connection with the correct shape and pins, and the USB-C cable is the connection cable that transmits the information. Although when it is said that a device uses a USB-C cable, it is understood that it uses this connection and is compatible with its cables.
It is technically known as USB Type-C 1.0This specification was published by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) in August 2014. It was developed around the same time as the USB 3.1 specification. In July 2016, it was adopted by the IEC as "IEC 62680-1-3".
It should be noted that a device with a Type-C connector does not necessarily implement USB, USB Power Delivery or any alternative modes. The Type-C connector is common to several technologies, while only requiring some of them to be on the cable. One USB-C cable may only carry power for power charging, and another cable has all the features.
USB 3.2 It was published in September 2017 and replaces the USB 3.1 standard. It retains the existing USB 3.1 SuperSpeed and SuperSpeed+ data modes and introduces two new SuperSpeed+ transfer modes over the USB-C connector using dual-lane operation, with data rates of 10 and 20 Gbit/s (1 and ~2,4GB/s). USB4 was released in 2019, and is the first USB transfer protocol standard to be only available via USB-C connector.
cable connectors
Because of the way the USB cable connector is made, there are two horizontal rows of twelve connector pins. The design makes it so that no matter how you insert the connector, it will always connect correctly. From left to right, the pins are in the following order in the top row of connectors:
- Earth Return
- Positive SuperSpeed Differential Couple
- Negative SuperSpeed Differential Couple
- bus power
- adjustment channel
- Differential pair of USB 2.0 positive
- USB 2.0 negative differential pair
- Use of additional band
- bus power
- Negative SuperSpeed Differential Couple
- Positive SuperSpeed Differential Couple
- ground return
If we look at the top row of connectors, the connectors will follow the order above, but from right to left. thus the multiple pairs of differentials will always fit, as well as the four ground return points.
What devices use USB-C
To take advantage of the high information speeds that this connector gives when using SuperSpeed, one of the first uses is portable SSDs. We have gone from USB storage to SSDs by being able to take advantage of the high speeds that this connector brings us together with US 3.0. You will recognize if your PC tower has USB because it has the protective plastic with the connectors in blue compared to the black and white of other USB protocols.
Your PC may have its own USB-C connector so it's possible to use a cable with two USB-C connectors. But they are rarer and many boxes coming out today don't use that connector.
The future of USB-C
In the absence of official approval in the European Union, USB-C is expected to remain the standard for energy and information connection for all devices sold in the territory. With this, it is intended that with a single cable model, all mobile phone models or any other portable device can be recharged.
The only exception would be to use wireless charging. It is this resource that has made it rumored that Apple in its next iPhones and Ipads, remove the physical connector to focus only on wireless charging, since they do not want to leave behind their lightning connector.
Thus, it will only be necessary to carry a dock and a cable to be able to recharge all our devices. Although not officially enforced, all manufacturers are opting to use UBC-C in their devices as they can use an open connector that is cheap to produce, and even not have to offer a cable and charger in the box since any cable on the market will do.
The subject of your data speed and energy load will be the fields in which there is much more progress. Recent advances in power transfer have made it possible to charge a gaming laptop faster than it consumes electricity, allowing it to run without battery if connected via USB-C cable to a power outlet via a dock with a capacity sufficient energy transformation.
How to know if it is USB-C?
It is easy to know if it is a USB, since it is an oval-shaped connector, and with completely symmetrical connection pins.
What cell phones have a type C charger?
All current mobile phones on the market have a type C charger. Apple will begin to implement it in iPhones starting with iPhone 15.
What types of USB-C are there?
There are several types of USB-C, since with USB-C we refer to the connector, but they can have several types of USB interfaces.
- USB 2.0: Reaches data speeds of up to 480 Mbps
- USB 3.1 Gen 1: It reaches speeds of up to 5 Gbps.
- USB 3.1 Gen 2: reaches speeds of up to 10 Gbps
- Thunderbolt 4: A proprietary interface for Intel motherboards, it reaches speeds of up to 40 Gbps. version 5 has recently been announced.
When is USB-C mandatory?
Due to Directive 2022/2380 of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, the USB-C connector has been established as a universal charger, being mandatory from December 28, 2024 for all products that are put up for sale.
How to charge a type C phone?
To charge a Type C phone, you'll need to connect a USB cable with a USB-C connector to the phone and a compatible charging station. Depending on the cable type and charging station, it may have features like fast charging.
What is the name of the USB cable that is not type C?
The most used non-type C USB cable is the Micro-USB. This connector will soon disappear from new devices due to a European Union ordinance.
What is a USB type B port?
A USB Type B cable is the connector commonly used on devices such as printers and scanners, typically to provide power and data. The USB type B connector has an almost square appearance, and due to its size, it only fits into large devices.
How do I know if my laptop charges via USB-C?
To find out if your laptop charges via USB-C, you need to check the USB-C charging mode it has, which can be found in the laptop settings in the operating system. It is usually in the “power” or “battery” section. There you change the Type-C output, choosing whether to receive power to recharge it, or to send power to use the laptop as a battery.