USB 3 ports

Yes. You may only have 1 USB A style connector on it for legacy devices plus 1 or more USB C connectors.

Thank you er mm0mf

Richard

mm0fmf...

My laptop - all USB3 - came with an adaptor with USB2 and HDMI on it. But that was quite bulky, so got a couple of tiny 3-2 adaptors which are left plugged in - as most of the stuff I've got is USB2.

USB3 (Type A) connectors have nine pins

TX+, TX-, GND, RX+, RX- <=== high speed part VCC D+ D- GND <=== USB2, USB1.1 part

USB3 uses the bottom four pins, to "plan" the usage of the top five pins. The two interfaces never run at the same time, and do not run in parallel to increase the data rate. Using USB2, the device can announce it is USB3 capable, and then both ends switch to USB3. It is something along those lines.

When some USB4 comes out, it will lose USB2 capability, presumably as the operating voltage of the data signals will not be 5V tolerant.

There are a multitude of USB3 options now, so we have to be careful with USB3.2 Gen1, USB3.2 Gen2, USB3.2 Gen2x2 and so on.

But vanilla USB3 should definitely be OK.

USB2 can have a black tab. USB2 USB3 (vanilla) is blue tab. USB2 USB3 (double speed) is red tab. USB2 USB3 (USB-C connector) can run up to Gen2x2 mode. Dunno Gen2x2 mode will not be supported on USB4, which will have some different kind of 2x2 mode (a cable encoding change?).

And yes, it's confusing. I saw a table the other day, but neglected to put a copy in my notes file because I was busy. The table might have been in a Reddit thread.

You would not expect usb.org to have a table because... zzz.

Paul

USB 3 and USB 2 use the same connectors. The old square connector is the USB type A connector, and the newer small oval connector is a USB type C connector.

Laptops typically come with some mix of A and C connectors (some are only C these days). They will probably run USB 3 Superspeed (5Gbps or more) over it, rather than older USB 2 High Speed (480Mbps). But you can run either speed over either connector - for example many phones have a type C connector but only USB 2 signalling.

Type A / type C = connector USB 2 / 3.x / 4 = specifications Full Speed = 12Mbps (introduced in USB 1.1) High Speed = 480Mbps (introduced USB 2.0) Super Speed = 5Gbps+ (introduced USB 3.0)

Everything is backwards compatible so you can plug a full speed device into a 3.x port, or a superspeed device into a 1.1 port, and it should still work. (although things like charging or video might not)

Theo

Tricky Dicky snipped-for-privacy@sky.com wrote

Yep.

The other stuff will work fine.

Are we talking the new type of plug that is just a little flat bit sticking out or the speed difference? If the former, lots of adaptor leads around now I'd not go for the hard ones they will sooner or later break the socket, Use the cabled ones. As for the rest. If the usb 3 speed is needed by the device then most won't work in older sockets but the other way around, ie older usb devices into the high speed socket seem to work. I'll be glad in many ways if we can get over to the new plugs cos they are reversible are firmer and not prone to intermittent connections in my experience, but it will take years, in the meantime I just wish socket makers of usb A ports could mange to make them more robust. On my TV you can hear the noise rustle as it is moved slightly. Rubbish.

Brian