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First Images of New Reversible USB Connector

posted by n1 on Thursday April 03 2014, @07:32AM   Printer-friendly
from the new-better-than-old dept.

AndyTheAbsurd writes:

Intel has released a rendering of the new USB Type C connector, which is reversible so no more jokes about "USB cables exist in the fourth dimension". The new connector is smaller than the Type A connector that we're all used to seeing on our desktops and laptops and looks to be slightly larger than the micro-B connector found on most smart phones and tablets.

From the article:

Unlike today's USB connectors, which requires a user to correctly orient the plug, USB 3.1 Type-C cable is reversible. Initially, the USB 3.1 Type-C specification will support up to 10Gbps data transfer speeds.

The Type-C connector and cable will support scalable power charging in order to grow with future USB bus performance requirements. The first iteration will have a 5 volt power transfer rate, but that is expected to deliver up to 100 watts for higher power applications.

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday April 03 2014, @11:07AM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday April 03 2014, @11:07AM (#25614)

    What I want to know is: why the heck did it take them this long to standardize on a reversible connector for USB? OK, I'll give them a pass for USB1.0, and maybe 1.1, but after that when USB started getting used for everything, and people complained about how it only goes in one way, but the rectangular shell doesn't make it obvious which way, they should have made a reversible connector for the newer standards. Instead, we went through the mini, micro, 2.0, and 3.0 connectors/standards before we finally got here, over the course of about 2 decades.

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  • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday April 03 2014, @11:57AM

    by tangomargarine (667) on Thursday April 03 2014, @11:57AM (#25652)

    Or hell, just add a bit of plastic filler to the sides of the plug "casing" (or whatever you call it) so the whole plug assembly is trapezoidal like the microUSB plug. Then standardize on devices "narrow side = up or to the right."

    --
    A Discordian is Prohibited of Believing what he reads.

  • (Score: 0) by contrapunctus on Thursday April 03 2014, @02:23PM

    by contrapunctus (3495) on Thursday April 03 2014, @02:23PM (#25726)

    Because they saw the lightning connector and facepalmed.

    • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday April 03 2014, @02:36PM

      by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday April 03 2014, @02:36PM (#25741)

      Or, why didn't they just make a non-rectangular connector to begin with? The original FireWire connector wasn't rectangular; it was plainly obvious which way it went in (and trying to insert it backwards wouldn't work, nor would it damage the connector).