USB interface; Type-A, Type-B, Type-C, miniUSB, and microUSB

Let's talk about USB ports. Due to the confusion over the naming of the USB-IF standard, most people are confused about the various versions of USB naming, so let's get this straight... Since the USB 1.0 standard was released by the USB-IF organization in 1996, the USB standard has experienced the development of multiple versions of USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, and USB 3.2. In 2019, the USB-IF organization released the latest USB4 standard, which brings a new standard specification for USB interfaces. Specifically, you can see the following diagram:

After a third name change in 2019, the final name now looks like this, as you can see below:

So comrades, when you buy a USB flash drive or hard disk, be sure to keep your eyes open and see what the standard is. Some claim it's USB 3.2, but it's actually USB 3.2 Gen1, the original USB3.0 standard. Different standards support different maximum transfer rates.

USB ports The USB ports are classified into standard USB ports, Mini USB ports, and Micro USB ports.

1. Standard USB interface

It is divided into Type-A and Type-B, and its appearance is as follows:

Type-A and Type-B can be classified into USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 standard USB ports based on the supported USB standards. Depending on the color of the port, it's easy to tell whether the port supports USB 2.0 or USB 3.0. Type-A interface is also the most common USB interface in our daily life, widely used in mouse, keyboard, U disk and other devices, Type-B is often used in printers, special monitors and other devices.

2. Mini USB interface

Mini USB interface is a small USB interface with The same indicators as standard USB, but with the addition of ID pins (used to distinguish whether the device is a host or a peripheral) to support OTG (On The Go, this function allows the realization of data transmission between devices without the host) function. Mini USB ports are mainly divided into two types: Mini-A and Mini-B. Their appearance is as follows:

Due to its relatively small size, the Mini USB port is commonly found on some small devices, such as MP3, MP4, radio, etc., and some models of mobile phones also use the port.

3. Micro USB interface

Micro USB interface belongs to the next-generation specification interface of Mini USB. The plug of Micro USB interface is made of stainless steel material, and the plug life of Micro USB interface is increased to 10000 times. Compared with Mini USB interface, the height of Micro USB interface is reduced by half while the width is almost the same. Micro USB interfaces can also be divided into Micro-A and Micro-B, and their appearance is as follows:

Micro-B USB interface, I believe we all know it, but we don't know its professional name. In the early stage of the development of smart phones, the vast majority of smart phones (except Apple phones) adopted Micro-B interface as the charging and data interface. After the release of USB 3.0 standard, the Micro-B interface also has a new shape, I believe you are familiar with it, we bought USB 3.0 support mobile hard disk box most of the use of this interface.

4. Type-C interface

Type-c interface, is a new Type of USB interface in recent years, the interface for the user, I believe the biggest benefit is that you can plug and unplug it. According to statistics, the average person wastes 30 minutes a year plugging in a USB! The first time you plug it in, you can't plug it in. When you doubt your life for many times, you finally find that the first time is the right thing to do, and the subsequent N attempts are just small twists and turns in your life. With the type-C interface, you can finally solve it all at once. The appearance of a Type-C interface is as follows: The latest USB4 standard only supports Type-C interface at present. Meanwhile, USB4 adopts Thunderbolt protocol (commonly known as Thunderbolt Interface protocol), which is an interface protocol developed by Intel and has the advantages of fast speed, strong power supply, It is compatible with lightning, USB, Display Port, PCIe, and other interfaces/protocols. Therefore, Type-C interfaces that support the USB4 standard are compatible with lightning interfaces. So the Type-C interface is the way to go. 5. USB transmission standard and interface Finally, a diagram summarizes the support relationship between USB transmission standard and interface for reference