 Pins of the USB-C connector | |||
| Type | Digital audio / video / data / power – connector | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Production history | |||
| Designer |
USB Implementers Forum[1] Intel Microsoft HP Inc. Renesas STMicroelectronics Texas Instruments | ||
| Designed | 11 August 2014 (published)[2] | ||
| Superseded |
All earlier USB connectors (Type-A and -B, and its different sizes: Standard, Mini, and Micro) DisplayPort Mini DisplayPort Lightning | ||
| General specifications | |||
| Pins | 24 | ||
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USB-C, or USB Type-C, is a 24-pin connector (not a protocol) that supersedes previous USB connectors and can carry audio, video, and other data, to connect to monitors or external drives. It can also provide and receive power, to power, e.g., a laptop or a mobile phone. It is used not only by USB technology, but also by other protocols, including Thunderbolt, PCIe, HDMI, DisplayPort, and others. It is extensible to support future protocols.
The design for the USB-C connector was initially developed in 2012 by Intel, HP Inc. Microsoft and the USB Implementers Forum. The Type-C Specification 1.0 was published by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) on August 11, 2014.[3] In July 2016, it was adopted by the IEC as "IEC 62680-1-3".[4]
The USB Type-C connector has 24 pins and is reversible.[5][6] The designation "C" distinguishes it from the various USB connectors it replaced, all termed either Type-A or Type-B. Whereas earlier USB cables had a host end A and a peripheral device end B, a USB-C cable connects either way; and for interoperation with older equipment, there are cables with a Type-C plug at one end and either a Type-A (host) or a Type-B (peripheral device) plug at the other. The designation "C" refers only to the connector's physical configuration, or form factor, not to be confused with the connector's specific capabilities, such as Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort 2.0, or USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. Based on the protocols supported by both host and peripheral devices, a USB-C connection normally provides much higher signalling and data rates than the superseded connectors.
A device with a Type-C connector does not necessarily implement any USB transfer protocol, USB Power Delivery, or any of the Alternate Modes: the Type-C connector is common to several technologies while mandating only a few of them.[7]
USB 3.2, released in September 2017, fully replaced the USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 specifications. It preserves the former USB 3.1 SuperSpeed and SuperSpeed+ data transfer modes and introduces two additional data transfer modes by newly applying two-lane operations, with signalling rates of 10 Gbit/s (SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps; raw data rate: 1.212 GB/s) and 20 Gbit/s (SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps; raw data rate: 2.422 GB/s). They are only applicable with Full-Featured USB-C Fabrics (connectors, cables, hubs, host, and peripheral device) at all connections.
USB4, released in 2019, is the first USB transfer protocol standard that is applicable exclusively via USB-C.
- ^ "Universal Serial Bus Type-C Cable and Connector Specification" (PDF). USB 3.0 Promoter Group. 2014.
- ^ Universal Serial Bus Type-C Cable and Connector Specification Revision 1.3 (14 July 2017), Revision History, page 14.
- ^ "Universal Serial Bus Type-C Cable and Connector Specification" (PDF). USB 3.0 Promoter Group. 2014.
- ^ "IEC Formally Adopts USB Type-C, USB Power Delivery and USB 3.1 Specifications" (Press release). 2016-07-13. Archived from the original on 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
- ^ "USB Type-C Cable and Connector : Language Usage Guidelines from USB-IF" (PDF). Usb.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
- ^ Hruska, Joel (2015-03-13). "USB-C vs. USB 3.1: What's the difference?". ExtremeTech. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
- ^ "USB Type-C Overview" (PDF). usb.org. USB-IF. 2016-10-20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-20.