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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.
(Score: 2) by Foobar Bazbot on Thursday April 03 2014, @11:46AM
I expect that there will be some sort of negotiation -- the port will start at 5V, and every device must work at 5V (full functionality may need more, but at 5V it will enumerate and negotiate for more power). Then the device says what voltages it can handle. and the port increases the voltage to the maximum available in that range.
This way dumb 5V chargers are still good, and hosts with only 5V available can continue to operate more-or-less as they do now, but hosts with higher rails available can deliver more power and/or deliver the same power more efficiently, but any devices that don't ask for more voltage still get the safe 5V. (And 5V being 3A means current devices that want 2A or 2.1A won't need special handling, while new ~10W devices will (hopefully) work from either 5V or 10/12/20/whatever.)
Of course, some morons will inevitably release non-compliant high-voltage dumb chargers, but those already exist -- e.g. my Transformer tablet charges slowly at 5V or fast at 15V (over the same pins in the dock connector), so obviously it ships with one dock-connector/USB-A cable for both transferring data to a computer and charging, and a 15V wall wart with a USB-A female socket. At least if the standard specifies negotiation, there will be an option to make a smart, enumerating & negotiating high-voltage USB charger... (not that I really believe this will happen, any more than the standards-correct (pre-USB-IF BCS) smart USB chargers that would negotiate up to 500mA ever did.)
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