USB Connections Types

With the popularity of computers and mobile phones, various professional names such as USB 3.0, Type C, USB-A have appeared in life, this article makes a simple introduction to this problem.

• 1.What is USB?
• 2.USB port types
• 3.USB version
• 4.The relationship between the type and version of the USB interface
• 5.Detailed introduction of various interfaces
• 6.Summary

1.What is USB?

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a new PC serial communication protocol jointly initiated by Intel,Microsoft ,and other companies in 1995.After years of development, there have been many versions of USB.The USB 3.0 mentioned above is one of these versions.In each USB version, there are two descriptions:the connection method and the transmission method, and the connection method is the hardware standard, which describes the interface type and cable characteristics of USB, such as USB-A, which is one of the hardware standards.The transmission method is the software standard, which describes the USB transmission protocol.

2.USB port types

First,let's talk about the interface type.In order to adapt to different electronic devices, USB has derived many types of connections.The current connection types include USB-A, USB-B, USB-C, Micro-USB, and Mini-USB.Among them, USB-A, USB-B, USB-C, are respectively USB Type A, USB Type B, USB Type C for short, also known as Type A,Type B, Type C.Among them, Micro-USB and Mini-USB are designed for portable electronic products, which belong to the hardware standard of USB, and each interface will be explained one by one below.

3.USB version

After years of improvement and development, the USB version includes USB 1.0,USB 1.1,USB 2.0,USB 3.0,USB 3.1, USB 3.2, and USB4.There may be new versions in the future.With the increase of the version, the function has also expanded from the initial data transmission to high-power power supply and image display, and the application field is more and more wide.Although the latest version is USB4, USB 3.2 is still widely used.In order to facilitate customers to buy different products, each manufacturer has also made corresponding marks on the product.The version and features of each tag are shown in the figure below. The logo below is only used on the outer packaging of the product, promotional materials, advertisements, product manuals, etc.

The logo below is only used for connectors and device sockets of various USB cables.

USB Log

Identification Specification

Initial design, no certification required.

USB 3.0, USB3.1 Gen1, 5Gbps

USB3.1 Gen2, 10Gbps

USB1.0/1.1/2.0, supports USB PD fast charging

USB3.1 Gen1, 5Gbps, supports USB PD fast charging

USB3.1 Gen2, 10Gbps, supports USB PD fast charging

4.The relationship between the type and version of the USB interface

Since there are different interface types and many versions of USB, there is an interface that can have different versions.Also, a version can have different interface types.The correspondence between them is somewhat complex, as shown in the following table.

5.Detailed introduction of various interfaces

5.1 USB-A

USB-A is mainly used in PC devices, used to connect mouse, keyboard, U disk and so on.Versions below USB 3.0 are marked in white, while USB 3.0 is marked in blue.Because of the asymmetric special design, users do not have to worry about the reverse insertion.Although the USB 2.0 version of the transfer speed is slow, but for the mouse and keyboard, it does not need high speed, so it will still exist.

5.2 USB-B

Like USB-A, USB-B also comes in two versions.This interface is mainly used in ancillary devices such as printers, routers and scanners, and computers are not common.

5.3 USB-C

USB-C, also known as Type-C, is a new USB interface standard that has just emerged in recent years.Its plugs and sockets are much smaller than USB-A and USB-B, the transmission line is increased to more than ten, and the data transmission performance is greatly improved, mainly used in mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets.In order to meet the requirements of frequent plugging, Type-C introduced the reversible pluggable interface design, so that users can get rid of the trouble of looking for the socket direction. In addition, Type-C can support versions of USB 3.1 and above, providing a maximum power output of 100W.It can not only achieve fast charging, but also transmit data and video, and even directly power low-power appliances such as small displays.Compared with HDMI and DP interfaces, it has unique advantages.

5.4 Micro-USB

Micro-USB can be seen as a scaled-down version of USB-A and USB-B.It's mainly used on smartphones.However, with the rise of USB Type C, Micro USB faces the situation of being eliminated and is no longer used in new high-end smartphones.But Micro USB will still be in cheap phones and other electronic devices for some time.

5.5 Mini-USB

And Micro-USB, Mini-USB is also a scaled-down version of USB-A and USB-B.Mainly used in MP3 music players, tablet computers, digital cameras and other portable electronic products.As these products continue to be replaced by mobile phones, the market share of Mini-USB will become smaller and smaller.

6.Summary

Finally, although there are many versions of USB, they all have backward compatibility.For example, your computer USB interface is 3.0, and the U disk you use is 2.0, although it can be used, but the transmission speed is much slower, can not play out the high-speed transmission performance of 3.0.The reverse is also true, only the two versions are the same for the best performance.