USB TYPE C

• 1. What is Type C?
• 2. Type C Port Identity
• 3. Type C Port Define
• 4. Type C Port Description
• 5. Type C Adapter
• 6. Type C PD
• 7. Future Development Trends

1. What is Type C?

USB TYPE C, abbreviated as TYPE C, it's an interface standard for USB connectors. Other common connectors are TYPE A, micro B, etc. TYPE C has a symmetrical design, no need to distinguish between top and bottom side, and it can be inserted in any directions. The product size is about 8.3mm x 2.65mm x 1.08mm, very small size, it can be used for cell phones, tablet computers and other portable mobile devices. 

Type C is the only supported interface for the latest version of USB4 standard, USB4 supports Thunderbolt interface protocol, with the mandatory requirements from European Union on Type C as a charging interface for mobile products, Apple gradually give up the Lightning interface, TYPE C has a tendency to dominate the world.

2. Type C Port Identity

3. Type C Port Define

The full-featured Type C is 24pin, but some applications do not need all functions, so some manufacturers use the simplified version of interface, in order to save cost. Type-C interface packages includes 24Pin Type-C\16Pin Type-C\12Pin Type-C and 6Pin Type-C

3.1. 24Pin Type C port define,full-featured interface

24Pin Type-C Male Connector

3.2. 12Pin Type-C, this interface only supports USB 2.0 transmission protocols, but it does not support USB 3.0 and above. 16Pin and 12Pin is actually the same, during the production, the cables from two Vbus and GND at both ends of the 16Pin TypeC female connector are merged together, by doing so, although the connection is still 16Pin, but the quantity of land on the back of the base are only 12, so it is customary to be called as 12Pin Type-C.

12Pin Type-C Female Connector

12Pin Type C Male Connector

3.3. 6Pin Type-C, USB-PD interface, this interface only has the function of power supply, data transmission is not supported.

6Pin Type-C Female Connector

6Pin Type-C Female Connector

4. Type C Port Description

5. Type C Adapter

As the functions of Type C are increasing and the application fields are expanding, many businessmen found the business opportunities. Therefore, a large number of derivatives with Type C functions appeared, in addition, because many old products do not have Type C interface, so a variety of Type C adapter came into being, such like Type C to HDMI cable, Type C to DP, etc..The following is a brief introduction for these products.

5.1. Audio Transmission

Type C can transmit high quality of AV signal, just need to add the DAC chip, you can get HIFI-class audio. TYPE C earphone is a typical product in this field, and even some cell phones canceled the 3.5 headset jack, only to retain the TYPE C interface. However, currently most of the earphone products in the market are 3.5 plug, thus TYPE C to 3.5 interface adapter is created.

5.2. USB OTG

As an USB slave device, such as tablets compute, cell phones, etc., also has the requirement for connecting the mouse and keyboard , thus we have the functions of USB OTG, the so-called USB OTG is a device with a USB interface, it not only can be used as a host device but also a slave device. When a cell phone with OTG function is connecting to computer, the computer can read and write the content from the cell phone memory; if a cell phone is connecting to mouse, the mouse can control the phone, Type c memory stick can be read and written by the cell phone, no need computer connection.

5.3. Video Transmission

Type-C interface not only supports 8K HD video transmission, but also provides 240W power supply, so it becomes more convenient to connect small display devices, users only need to use one Type-C cable to achieve high-definition video display. However, many display devices only have HDMI or VGA interface, so many video adapters have been created, the common adapters are Type c to HDMI, Type c to VGA and Type c to DP. Due to huge demand for video adapters, many IC companies have also launched dedicated Single-Chip Microcomputer solutions to reduce costs.

5.4. Type C Docking Station

Due to the powerful functions of Type C, Type C docking station with many functions combined together has appeared on the market. Type C docking station is a converter which supports charging, reading and writing memory card, HDMI, VGA interfaces etc.

Type C Docking Station

5.5. Others Adapter

Due to the existing of other interfaces at present, such as Apple's lightning, Intel's Thunderbolt, therefore Type C to Lightning, Lightning to Type C and Type C to Thunderbolt have been appeared, although Thunderbolt 3 and later products use the same interface as USB Type-C, but for previous products, an adapter is still required.

6. Type C PD

PD (Power Delivery) is a power transmission protocol, it can provides higher power transmit through Type-C interface. It can adaptively adjust the voltage and current to meet the charging needs of different devices. The biggest advantage of the PD protocol is the efficiency and flexibility, supporting high power transmission, up to 240W in the latest USB4 standard, far exceeding the charging capacity of traditional USB interface.

6.1 Charger Type C

For the chargers with Type c interface, it has the function of high power supply and fast charging.

Charger Type C

6.2. Battery Bank

Battery Bank, as the most widely used mobile power device, not only supports USB A interface, but also supports Type C. In addition to its own fast charging, it also supports the fast charging protocols of many cell phone manufacturers, and it can charge different brands of cell phones quickly, so that users can charge at any time when they go out.

Type C Battery Bank

7. Future Development Trends

With the widespread use of Type-C interface, its future development trend will be more diversified. On the one hand, we may see more devices which can support Type-C interface, including home appliances, cars, etc. On the other hand, the standard of Type-C interface may be further upgraded so as to provide higher data transmission speed and more functions.

Overall, the Type-C interface, as a comprehensive and efficient connection standard, which already profoundly influenced the way we connect devices in our daily lives. Understanding and making good use of the Type-C interface is helpful for us to make better use of the convenience brought by modern technology.