![]() ![]() USB is more than just a way to transfer data between devices. While Micro-B ports are still widely in use for smartphones, power banks and most modern small electronics devices, USB-C is quickly becoming the new standard for every device that uses USB, regardless of size. Mini-B ports can be found on devices like the PlayStation 3 controller. There are also Type-AB ports for devices that act as both a host and a peripheral.īefore USB-C ports, smartphones most commonly featured Micro-B ports. Game controllers, smartphones and other small devices can feature Mini- and Micro- versions of Type-A and Type-B ports. That’s it for the so-called “standard” ports, but there are “mini” and “micro” version of these for devices that are too small to handle full-sized USB-A ports. It replaces other connection types as of USB 3.2 onwards. With an adapter, this is compatible with all USB except for USB 1. Which means that unlike Types A or B ports, you can insert it any way around. This tiny, densely-wired port is reversible. Type B USB 1 and 2 ports are not physically compatible with USB 3 Type-B ports. It’s a female port for devices that aren’t “host devices” like a computer is. These are usually seen on devices like printers or external hard drives. Next we have the less common Type B port. USB 3 Type-A ports have nine pins in total, but are completely backwards-compatible. USB 1 and USB 2 Type-A ports have just four pins internally. This is the port type we all know and love, which can be found on everything from flat-panel TVs to clock radios. The original USB port is known as the Type A port. ![]() Before we do that however, here’s a quick tip – USB 3 ports are conventionally blue inside! That makes it easy to tell them apart from older USB port types. Now that we’ve covered the different USB generations, let’s talk about the actual physical ports. Thunderbolt is a neat technology, but this article is about USB, so we’ll leave it at that. Thunderbolt cables work as USB-C cables too.USB-C cables work as Thunderbolt cables, but cheap ones might not sustain the speed properly.Thunderbolt USB-C ports often have a small lightning bolt graphic next to them.A Thunderbolt device will not work in a plain USB-C port without Thunderbolt.Any USB-C device will work in any Thunderbolt 3 port.However, it uses the same USB-C port! This isn’t as confusing as it sounds, so let’s break down what you need to know: Thunderbolt 3 is an entirely separate data transmission standard to USB. USB 3.1 Gen 1 runs at 5 Gbps, but Gen 2 doubles that! The USB 3.2 generations run at 5,10 and 20 Gbps respectively. The generational versions are actually significantly different in performance. USB 3.1 has a Gen 1 and Gen 2 subdivision. These are further divided into generations. USB 2.0 received a single revision, but USB 3 has had the most revision work with USB 3.1 and 3.2. ![]() USB 1.1 is actually the most widely-adopted USB 1 standard, with virtually no USB 1.0 devices making it into the hands of users. USB 3 is the most recent standard at the time of writing and has a theoretical speed of an astonishing 5 Gbps (gigabits per second).The marketing name for USB 2 is “High Speed”. USB 2 is way faster, with a maximum theoretical speed of 480Mbps.It’s also referred to as “Full Speed” USB, which can be confusing. These old devices will work with current modern USB, but at no more than that speed and usually a lower one. USB 1 has a maximum theoretical speed of 12Mbps (megabits per second).Right now there are three generations of USB out in the wild, with a fourth as yet unreleased, but in the works. That means the computer, the cable and the device must all comply with that particular USB standard for it to run as well as possible. When you buy a USB peripheral, it will specify which the highest standard is that it supports and – sometimes – requires. Which means that some devices simply won’t work properly because they can’t push data through the cable quickly enough. The worst that can happen is that it defaults to the oldest, slowest standard that both devices can understand. In practice this means that if a USB cable fits into a port, it will work. Yet, a key part of USB is the “universal” bit. The hardware that sends and receives information is faster and the internal wiring differs significantly. That’s because USB standards have improved over the years. It’s important to understand that although two USB ports and cables might look identical, it doesn’t mean they have the same capabilities. ![]()
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