USB-C is just around the corner – Small plug that seems to do everything

By Faryad On Jun 14, 2015

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At the Computex, Intel and AMD announced new processors, all motherboard manufacturers showed new boards , and we encountered new housings , laptops , SSDs and much more. Yet almost everything left or right seemed to have to do with one thing: USB-C.

We encountered the new connection on many motherboards and laptops and manufacturers of peripherals used the Computex to equip all their devices with the new USB plugs. Still, we were left with some questions, because at what speed does USB-C actually work, what about Thunderbolt and can you charge one laptop with the other via USB-C? At the Computex, we talked to several people to find out what’s going on.

Usb-c = usb 3.1, or not?

The first confusion surrounding the new USB standard has already arisen because USB 3.1 and USB-C were released at the same time. USB 3.1 is the successor to USB 3.0 and doubles the maximum transfer speed to 10Gbit/s. In addition, USB 3.1 has less overhead than 3.0, thanks to a more efficient encoding method. We already tested an early version of USB 3.1 in February and we came up with impressive speeds.

Unlike USB 3.1, USB-C is not a specification of a protocol, but actually not much more than a specification of a connection. This connection has the great advantage of being reversible, so you’ll never try to plug in your USB cable the wrong way again. Usb-c can support speeds of up to 10Gbit/s, but may also work at a maximum of 5Gbit/s. The confusing thing is that in both cases ‘usb 3.1’ is spoken of, with the slower variant being further specified as ‘usb 3.1 gen1 ‘, while the fast variant is called ‘usb 3.1 gen2′ .

A USB-C connector therefore always uses the USB 3.1 protocol, but that does not mean that you can immediately use the 10Gbit / s bandwidth. However, the 3.1 protocol specifies more than just extra speed. For example, it is possible to supply up to 100W of power, and to send DisplayPort and HDMI streams directly over USB.

Applications

The best-known example of the possible applications of USB-C can be found in Apple’s MacBook. At the moment, the MacBook is one of the few laptops on the market that is equipped with USB-C . Although the maximum speed is gen1 , all other options of USB 3.1 are supported. As a result, with an original Apple adapter it is possible to simultaneously charge the laptop, connect an external screen via HDMI and use the USB-A connection for peripherals, such as an external drive. more extensive.

For example, the Usb-IF demonstrated a prototype hub from Texas Instruments. The hub was connected to an Apple MacBook and charged the laptop, but at the same time connected an external USB drive, controlled a monitor over USB-C, connected a USB stick, and a wireless keyboard and mouse set. Other manufacturers, such as Pqi, are preparing for USB-C by releasing cables and USB sticks with both USB-A and USB-C. A nice invention was the micro SD reader, where the SD card fits into the USB-A connector. Just like the aforementioned USB stick, that card reader is equipped with a USB-A and a Type-C connector.

Charging over USB: a matter of luck?

If USB-C becomes as ubiquitous as the standard USB-A connections already are, it could save a lot of cables and chargers. Smartphones, tablets and laptops can all be powered by the same USB-C charger and use the same USB-C cable.

One connector to rule them all , if it is up to the USB organization, but the final adoption will probably be a bit more complicated. That is because one USB-C connection is not the other and there will also be a difference in the cables. While the USB standard allows power up to 100W to run over a USB cable, virtually all USB-C connectors we’ve seen on motherboards and laptops support no more than 5V and 2A, or 10W, and you’ll find the higher voltages on separate chargers. To this end, the Usb-IF proposes five different profiles in the pd 2.0 specification.

Profile 1: at least 5V, 2.0A
Profile 2: at least 5V, 2.0A and 12V, 1.5A
Profile 3: at least 5V, 2.0A and 12V, 3.0A
Profile 4: at least 5V, 2.0A; 12V, 3.0A and 20V 3.0A
Profile 5: at least 5V, 2.0A; 12V, 5.0A and 20V 5.0A

So if you want to benefit from the full 60 or 100W, you will have to find a charger with a USB-C connection that meets profile five. That is not the only thing, because not every cable will be suitable for carrying so much power. USB 3.1 cables have e-markers on board for this purpose, or chips that indicate the maximum voltage and speed at which they can work. If you’ve got the right charger, the wrong USB 3.1 cable can still result in your laptop not being supplied with power. If you are not sure whether you are using the correct charger and cable, it is a matter of luck whether you can use the correct charging current.

If you do have such a new cable, it offers new possibilities. At the Usb-IF stand, the functionality of usb-c was demonstrated using the new Chromebook Pixel and the Apple MacBook, both of which are equipped with usb-c. If you connect both laptops, the Pixel will start charging the MacBook.

When asked if it could also be done the other way around, one employee answered negatively. The MacBook will act as a “receiver” in these situations, while the Pixel will gladly provide power. The employee expected that in the future smartphones might be able to control the energy direction. That would mean that you can charge a smartwatch or other phone with your smartphone.

Distinguish one from the other

It would be useful if you could distinguish USB connections and cables with different speeds and powers. With USB 3.0, the USB-IF still suggested making the 3.0 connections blue to distinguish them from the slower 2.0 connections. That proposal was not an obligation, and laptops from Apple and Dell, among others, were therefore simply equipped with black USB 3.0 connections.

With USB 3.1, no color has been proposed at all, which is why we have seen light blue USB 3.1 connections from Asus and ASRock on the Computex, while MSI and Gigabyte have gone for red. The number of housings with USB-C at the front was also small at the fair, because a standard motherboard connector for front USB has not yet been decided. That decision is up to Intel and the company has apparently not yet made the decision. Some manufacturers of motherboards and enclosures have already anticipated that decision and have simply used the same internal connector as with USB 3.0.

The Usb-IF makes logos available for certified devices and cables, but as a manufacturer you are not obliged to use them. Moreover, the logos only indicate the speed and possibly whether the USB connection can be used for charging with 5V. No logos are available for USB connections that can handle higher powers.

And then thunderbolt?

Thunderbolt still doesn’t really want to break through as a competing standard of USB, but that didn’t stop Intel, the developer of thunderbolt, from releasing version 3.0 of the standard during Computex: thunderbolt 3. The new thunderbolt standard increases the transfer speed to 40Gbit/s and can deliver 100W of power. To make the usb-c story even more complicated, Intel has abandoned the use of the minidisplayport connection for thunderbolt and has opted for the usb-c connector as a new connection.

This means that motherboards with support for thunderbolt can control both USB-C and Thunderbolt devices via that one connector, but also, for example, screens, thanks to the support for displayport by both USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt. The thunderbolt chip is relatively expensive to implement, which is probably why we only encountered thunderbolt 3 on the Computex on Gigabyte motherboards.

Conclusion

With support for delivering high powers of up to 100W, transfer rates of up to 10Gbit/s and support for DisplayPort streams, usb-c could well become the connector that will replace many other connections. However, the standard covers so many different powers and speeds that there will still be some confusion with cables and chargers that don’t deliver the speed or power you expect when plugged in. In addition, manufacturers are not obliged to use the different logos or a certain color, which can lead to even more confusion.

For the time being, there is not much USB-C equipment available and it is expected that it will take just under two months before the bulk of the USB-C equipment becomes available. Then Windows 10 will be released and we expect new laptops with the operating system and USB-C. At the beginning of August we expect Intel’s Skylake processors with the accompanying motherboards, which are also partly equipped with USB-C connections. In short, good times, with few cables, lie ahead.