Type of USB Cable and difference between USB 3.1 and USB type C

Type of USB Cable and difference between USB 3.1 and USB type C

There's lots of different types and standards for USB these days, but what do they all mean? What's USB-C and what's USB 3.1

If you’ve spent time shopping or researching new consumer gadgets you will have heard about the new USB ports and standards. There’s USB 3.0 and 3.1, and then there’s something called USB-C, officially known as USB Type-C. You may be wondering what these are, whether they are the same thing, and what the difference is. How is USB 3.1 different from USB 3.0 or even 2.0? The USB, or Universal Serial Bus, is a port standard that has been around for nearly 20 years and is the most widely used. As there are so many devices that support USB, keeping up to date on the latest developments in this port, cable and standard is important.

There are multiple improvements in the trusty USB port we’ve been using for so long. I’m sure we’ve all had difficulty plugging in a cable or flash drive because we’ve had it upside down. The new USB Type-C cable and port is reversible, so there is no “up” or “down,” and you can plug it in either way. There are other new features in USB, too, like ultra-fast data transfer speeds up to 10Gbps, and up to 100W of power – enough to charge a laptop, and even adding an HDMI or DisplayPort video signal into a single cable.

The USB, or Universal Serial Bus, has been a staple in the electronics world since 1996, when its first iteration, USB 1.0, was released. This technology was pretty revolutionary at the time: it could move an ambitious 12 Mbit/s, which at the time was an extraordinary feat. Since then, USB has taken over the digital world. You’ll find it in desktops, laptops, phones, cameras, tablets, and even furniture, cup warmers, and plasma balls.

Since its original conception, there’s been a huge variety of succeeding versions. The most common is Type-A, which can be found in every variety of computer for the last 25 years or so. There’s also USB Type-B, which is most commonly found in printers. Now, there’s micro and mini variants of both A and B, in addition to 4 pin and 5 pin variations.

Different types of USB have different purposes, but are there too many? In an ideal world, we’d have one singular USB that encompasses all prior versions, but is this available? Well, almost.

Let’s take a look at the types that try to solve the problem of having too many options: USB 3.1 and USB Type-C (or USB-C).

USB 3.1 and USB-C, what's the difference?

The two newest versions of USB, 3.1 and Type-C came into production at around the same time in 2013 and 2014, because of this, many people often confuse them, considering them to be the same thing. However, they’re different in important ways.

USB 3.1 is a standard, in the same way that Types-1, 2 and 3 were the standards that came before it. In contrast, USB-C is a type, in the same way that mini-USB and micro-USB are different types (connector variations) of the USB standard. Put another way, if USB-C is a pipe, then USB 3.1 is one of the things that can flow through it. This also works with older standards of USB: you can have, for example, USB 3.1 flowing through a USB-B cable, or USB Type-2 flowing through a USB-A cable.

Like Types-A and B, the name USB-C somewhat describes the shape of the port itself.

USB-C is small, thin, and flat and is the same port at both ends. The format may be small, but the implications are big: USB-C promises to be the one cable that really can do everything, and that can eventually replace mini, micro, A and B.

USB-C is also unidirectional, which means you’ll no longer find yourself repeatedly turning the USB connector over until it finally fits. It’s also backwards compatible all the way to USB 2.0, and with the right adaptor, it’ll even work alongside A, B, Mini and Micro.

The future adoption of Type-C is very likely to be driven by the relentless need for smaller and thinner devices. And because USB-C's four data lanes transfer audio and video, it could finally do away with conventional 3.5mm jacks —whilst providing a superior digital alternative in the process. This is a switch we've already started to see in a number of new smartphones, though to some initial backlash and reluctance from those not yet willing to give up their beloved 3.5mm jacks.