Author Topic: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?  (Read 2262 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline iXodTopic starter

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 350
  • Country: us
Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« on: January 20, 2019, 06:44:33 pm »
Reversible--doesn't care which way you plug it in:

https://imgur.com/a/kE4KIfh

iX
 

Offline KaneTW

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 805
  • Country: de
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2019, 06:48:36 pm »
That looks like it'll break within 10k cycles.
 

Offline tsman

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 599
  • Country: gb
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2019, 06:49:43 pm »
They're significantly weaker + more fragile than a regular USB connector. It is also non-standard and would fail the USB-IF certification if you wanted to use the logos.
 

Offline SiliconWizard

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 14297
  • Country: fr
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2019, 06:58:12 pm »
Ever heard of USB-C?
 
The following users thanked this post: GeorgeOfTheJungle, Yansi, Tom45, Doctorandus_P

Offline Twoflower

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 735
  • Country: de
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2019, 07:01:37 pm »
That looks like it'll break within 10k cycles.
You'll be surprised that 10k cycles would actually exceed the USB requirements for USB B cables. According to USB.org USB B connectors must last at minimum 1500(!) cycles the extended lifetime rated connectors must last at minimum 5000 cycles. Source: https://usb.org/sites/default/files/CabConn_Legacy_3_1_Compliance_Rev_1_1.pdf page 7
 

Offline james_s

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 21611
  • Country: us
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2019, 07:15:04 pm »
They should have made the original USB connector asymetrical so that it's obvious which way to plug it in, like they did with the later mini and micro USB connectors, that would have solved that issue.

I'm not a fan of USB-C, it is still a bit of a bit of a mess from a standards standpoint and breaks backward compatibility with the huge array of existing USB devices on the market. My work laptop is a Macbook and I hate how I need dongles for everything, the cure is worse than the disease. I really don't have that much trouble plugging in regular USB connectors. If it doesn't fit one way I flip it over, no big deal.
 

Offline jfiresto

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 804
  • Country: de
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2019, 07:22:43 pm »
They should have made the original USB connector asymetrical so that it's obvious which way to plug it in....

They did try to make it obvious. Per the USB 2.0 Standard, §6.5.1, USB “receptacles should be oriented to allow the Icon on the plug to be visible during the mating process.”
-John
 

Offline james_s

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 21611
  • Country: us
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2019, 07:28:18 pm »
That works until it's installed in something that sits vertically. Generally not a big deal though.
 

Offline tsman

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 599
  • Country: gb
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2019, 07:37:08 pm »
If it doesn't fit one way I flip it over, no big deal.
You've never had to do the double flip? ;D Try to insert it. Doesn't fit. Flip it. Still doesn't work. Flip it again. Goes in first try now.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2019, 07:43:00 pm by tsman »
 

Offline jfiresto

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 804
  • Country: de
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2019, 08:04:48 pm »
That works until it's installed in something that sits vertically. Generally not a big deal though.

The standard could have fixed that by using "shall" rather than "should", which would have ruled out ambiguous, vertical USB connectors. ;) Committees are not always courageous.
-John
 

Offline james_s

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 21611
  • Country: us
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2019, 09:47:28 pm »
What then do you do about those PCs and other devices which are designed to sit either horizontally or vertically? Then you have motherboards that could be installed into either an old style horizontal desktop case or a tower.
 

Online tszaboo

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7305
  • Country: nl
  • Current job: ATEX product design
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2019, 11:00:10 pm »
If it doesn't fit one way I flip it over, no big deal.
You've never had to do the double flip? ;D Try to insert it. Doesn't fit. Flip it. Still doesn't work. Flip it again. Goes in first try now.
Yeah, they should have written into the standard, that USB connector has to be 3 dimensional, not 4 or five, like the ones that they place everywhere. And you cannot even filter on Digikey for the 3D ones.
 

Offline tsman

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 599
  • Country: gb
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2019, 11:04:45 pm »
The standard could have fixed that by using "shall" rather than "should", which would have ruled out ambiguous, vertical USB connectors. ;) Committees are not always courageous.
Wouldn't help. Too many people ignored the specifications and skipped certification. They misused the USB logo or just omitted it entirely.
 

Offline texaspyro

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1407
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2019, 05:08:53 am »
You've never had to do the double flip? ;D Try to insert it. Doesn't fit. Flip it. Still doesn't work. Flip it again. Goes in first try now.

When I connect a USB cable, right as I am about to plug it in... I rotate it 180 degrees.   Successfully mates 90% of the time.   >:D  If you don't do this, it is wrong 90% of the time.

As far as connecror life goes,  all my main USB connectors on my computers have short USB3 male/female cables on them.  The connector on the end of the cable will wear out, not the one on the computer.
 

Offline james_s

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 21611
  • Country: us
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2019, 08:00:45 am »
I've never managed to wear out a USB connector. I have broken a couple of them by snagging on a cable that was plugged into one though. If you are testing hardware devices and plug and unplug your USB devices hundreds of times each day then you might possibly wear one out before the whole computer is hopelessly obsolete but that isn't a typical use case.
 

Offline SilverSolder

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 6126
  • Country: 00
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2019, 02:54:25 pm »
Phone charging...  once a day.  365 times a year.   The 1500 cycle life of a USB connector would be used up in 4 years!
 

Offline glarsson

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 814
  • Country: se
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2019, 03:04:33 pm »
That's why our phones don't have USB for charging. :-)
 

Offline jfiresto

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 804
  • Country: de
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2019, 03:06:18 pm »
I've never managed to wear out a USB connector....

I had a USB 2 extension cable fail through loss of contact pressure after leaving it plugged for a couple years. It was a cheap cable, however, and could very well have used deficient spring metal.

The standard could have fixed that by using "shall" rather than "should"....
Wouldn't help. Too many people ignored the specifications and skipped certification. They misused the USB logo or just omitted it entirely.

A very good point.
-John
 

Offline james_s

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 21611
  • Country: us
Re: Why aren't all USB connectors like this?
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2019, 05:32:43 pm »
I think I've charged my phone from a computer 2 or 3 times in a pinch, but the rest of the time I've used the wall plug charger that comes with it.
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf