Design: Choosing USB-B/mini/micro ?

[SL4P]

My design application uses USB serial (with optional power).

But I can't decide between USB-mini B, or micro B connectors.

Any suggestions?
micro-B seems to be much more prevalent nowadays

Full size USB-B seems to have almost disappeared (and ages badly - becoming loose)

[Precipice]

Mini, without a doubt. Micro tears off the board unless you've got a very carefully manufactured case clamping it all together.
There are still plenty of mini cables and chargers in the wild.
You'll find plenty of rants in the archive.

[zapta]

Micro, without a doubt. Micro holds to the board very well when you use through hole tabs (you can still reflow it like any other SMD). 

Mini cables are a thing of the past and micro cables are everywhere. 

Edit: ebay micro usb cable -> 165K results,  mini usb cable -> 45K.

[SirNick]

How big is your gizmo?  I like B when there's room.  Less fiddly.  Then Mini.  Micro only if you're building something small enough to swallow.

[SL4P]

Hmm
I'm leaning towards mini.

Because as mentioned above - full-size tends to go soft after a lot of insertion cycles (the little mechanical cams wear out).

Mini are a bit clunky, and too many variants 4-5 pin, tall, short - but they seem stronger than micro, and anecdotally last longer than full-size.

Micro are just a bit too flimsy for a semi-permanent desktop application - although they are probably as solid as any if not chewed around!

[SirNick]

full-size tends to go soft after a lot of insertion cycles

Micro are just a bit too flimsy for a semi-permanent desktop application

Error.

[Bassman59]

My design application uses USB serial (with optional power).

But I can't decide between USB-mini B, or micro B connectors.

Any suggestions?
micro-B seems to be much more prevalent nowadays

Full size USB-B seems to have almost disappeared (and ages badly - becoming loose)

Micro SUCKS. While the contacts may be rated for 10K mate cycles, the connector is good for a few dozen and then it's done. I have a Mophie battery case for my iPhone and the cable won't stay connected to the jack so it won't charge.

[calzap]

"micro-USB connector much better than a mini-USB"  Dave Jones. EEVblog 220.

Mike in California

[Precipice]

Micro is better IF you can hold it down. Those 'through-hole' tabs, they do nothing. They're too short to have enough wetted area, whereas mini connectors have huge tabs holding them to the PCB, and come in through-hole variants too.
If your case design doesn't press the micro connector down hard onto the board, and hold it side to side, then it'll get torn off after the first hamfisted cable insertion / pull  / drop with the cable in. If you're sure your product will only ever be treated gently, then micro will do (even if it's impossible to see which way up to insert the connector...)

[SL4P]

... (even if it's impossible to see which way up to insert the connector...)

true.

[zapta]

Micro SUCKS. While the contacts may be rated for 10K mate cycles, the connector is good for a few dozen and then it's done.

You must be kidding. There are more than billion micro usb cells phones sold every year and people charge them at least once a day.

[mzzj]

... (even if it's impossible to see which way up to insert the connector...)

true.

With micro-usb you have try the connector always 3 times.   
1. Wont fit
2. Wont fit either, had to be the other way.
3. Connection

I bet micro-usb development team included Mr. Schrödinger Mr. Heisenberg and Mr. Murpy 

[Jeroen3]

Micro USB has a few disadvantages in imho, as you will read I'm not a big fan of it:
- Orientation not easy distinguishable, connector looks almost rectangular. And, it will fit a few mm the wrong way! (USB C will solve this)
- Connector doesn't seem to offer much support on the board. (USB C will also solve this, double holding clips)
- Plug will only go in so far, it will not go in all the way as (mini-)b does. (probably because of included plastic case in products)
- Wears out very quickly and then wont snap in very tight anymore. Like throwing a banana in the hallway. ( as will mini and normal B )

Mini has disadvantages as well:
- Larger than micro.
- Also wears out the snap-in spring if cheap connectors are used.

Normal B is a no go, unless your design requires a vertical PCB connector. Or if it will only see <100 mating cycles.
After a lot more the hold-in force will be severely reduced and the lightweight USB JTAG adapter will just "fall of".

Do not ever consider USB Mini A.

[Araho]

Sorry guys, but I totally disagree with most of you, especially from the consumers point of view. USB Mini sucks arse, it's the only ones I've had problems with.

If you get the micro, definitely get the ones with through hole tabs. They add the needed mechanical strength that you otherwise would need a really good mechanical engineer for. Paste-in-Hole- soldering is no problem these days. And if you need several attempts daily to insert the Micro-cable, you must be severely lacking in either cognitive function, eyesight or have a cable that doesn't have an up-marking Most cables are different on either side, and you quickly learn which way your device needs it.

Not to mention the fact that Micro USB is the standard connector for ALL mobile phones sold in Europe (Yes, even including Apple phones. In the future. Probably.) (Source: http://www.gizmag.com/standard-micro-usb-charger-europe/12108/). This means that your customer will without a doubt have an extra cable, probably even an AC-to-DC-adapter, spare, which makes it easier for them to bring your gizmo wherever they want.

[SirNick]

Being a fan of Apple products, but not so much a fan of proprietary cables, I wish Apple had engineered the USB micro B standard rather than rolling their own.  The Lightning cable is pretty fantastic, mechanically and in terms of current capacity.

Micro B is just horrible.  Alright for a Bluetooth earpiece that will be lost in two months anyway, but on bigger toys I tend to treat it like 0.2mm mechanical pencil lead.

[hagster]

Personally I prefer mini, but it's a depreciated standard so you really shouldn't be using on new designs. In practice there is nothing to stop you though.

On a related point has anyone used the mid mount micro connectors? The look like the might get a bit of extra sideways rigidity from the pcb and they're thinner too.

[victor]

This post needs a illustration.


The micro is smaller and last for more cycles, and have latching.

They claim that the micro last for more cycles, but I this is probably laboratory tests, I'm not sure if it takes into account user fiddling to insert it, the female is pretty flimsy. The orientation is not obvious, and I've seen people trying to insert it the wrong way pretty hard and the connector come loose of the board and sticked out of the surface mount solder.

The mini the orientation is more obvious here , and trying to insert it in the wrong way you can't insert it a couple millimeters giving you a false impression that it is right.

[Christe4nM]

The choice is up to you of course, but in principle the choice is governed by the USB standard.

If your device is a USB host only you need to use the A type connector.
If your device is a USB device only, you need to use the standard B or mini B.
The micro B was introduced to support USB OTG. So use that if your device can be both a host our device.

As far as I know micro B is not used for USB device only, but I stand to be corrected on that.

So there you have it: my two cents

[Precipice]

The Mini AB also supports OTG - it's what the ID pin is there for (and the name is a hint

[AndersAnd]

Mini are a bit clunky, and too many variants 4-5 pin, tall, short - but they seem stronger than micro, and anecdotally last longer than full-size.

Micro are just a bit too flimsy for a semi-permanent desktop application - although they are probably as solid as any if not chewed around!

Get Micro-USB. Mini is basically obsolete and has been replaced with Micro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Mini_and_Micro_connectors

The Micro plug design is rated for at least 10,000 connect-disconnect cycles, which is more than the Mini plug design.[5][55] It is also designed to reduce the mechanical wear on the device; instead the easier-to-replace cable is designed to bear the mechanical wear of connection and disconnection.

But soon all USB connectors (standard, mini and micro) will be replaced by a common the new Type-C reversible connector introduced with USB 3.1 (almost the same size as Micro-USB)

Reversible USB Type-C connector finalized: Devices, cables, and adapters coming soon http://www.extremetech.com/computing/187882-reversible-usb-type-c-connector-finalized-devices-cables-and-adapters-coming-soon

USB Type-C connector will also support DisplayPort: Finally, one cable will fit every hole http://www.extremetech.com/computing/190742-usb-type-c-connector-will-also-support-displayport-finally-one-cable-will-fit-every-hole

DisplayPort Alternate Mode for USB Type-C Announced http://www.anandtech.com/show/8558/displayport-alternate-mode-for-usb-typec-announced

USB 3.1 And Its Disruptive USB Type-C Connector http://www.tomshardware.com/news/usb-3.1-usb-type-c-connector,27796.html

[con-f-use]

Another vote micro. Mini was an accident and manufacturers agreed to make it disappear in the long run.

[SL4P]

Yup - micro is winning in anticipation of future reversible leads..

Just need to ensure the connector and plug are well supported mechanically for a semi-permanent installation.

Thanks for all the comments. QI

[SirNick]

Another USB connector, and another option for carrying video.  Yeezus H Christo, just what we needed.  Between the USB forum and HDMI, consumers are guaranteed to have the wrong cable for any given job.

[Bassman59]

Micro SUCKS. While the contacts may be rated for 10K mate cycles, the connector is good for a few dozen and then it's done.

You must be kidding. There are more than billion micro usb cells phones sold every year and people charge them at least once a day.

And the phones are replaced before the connector starts to fail ..

[miguelvp]

My blackberry bold that is over 4 years old has not experienced any problem with the micro usb connector or anything else for that matter.

But my daughter used to go through phones fasts usually with bent connectors. Until my wife and I decided to demote her phone and get her the cheapest one ever. Eventually we got her a new smartphone again, and she still has it.

So bent connectors and all, I'll go with micro USB (btw she probably bent the minis but they are a bit more forgiving.