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USB Reversable Cable Images Emerge

Posted by Soulskill on from the saving-you-3-annoying-seconds-a-couple-times-a-day dept.

Lucas123 writes: "A presentation released today by Intel revealed images of the USB 3.1 Type-C cable and connectors, which is symmetrical and will no longer require a user to correctly orient the plug. Initially, the USB 3.1 Type-C specification will support up to 10Gbps data transfer speeds. The Type-C connectors resemble those of Apple's Thunderbolt cabling in that they are much smaller than today's USB SuperSpeed connectors. The receptacle opening is 8.3mm x 2.5mm.The first iteration will have a 5 volt power transfer rate, but it is expected to deliver up to 100 watts for higher power applications in the future."

10 of 208 comments (clear)

  1. Voltage != Power by x0ra · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't want to sneak peak, but "5 volt power transfer rate" makes strictly NO SENSE. The "volt" is not a unit of power...

    Damn incompetent journalists ...

    1. Re:Voltage != Power by idji · · Score: 4, Informative

      IAAP (I am a physicist).
      There is nothing wrong with "5 volt power transfer". It is just saying that the power (whether 100mA or 100A) is always transferred at 5 volts, and not at 0.5 V or 50V. What is strange here is the "power transfer rate". Power= "energy transfer rate". "Power change rate" would make sense when talking about power ramp up, (i.e. how many milliseconds it needs to go from 100mA to 1A).
      A Type-C cable with100W racing through it sounds like a fire hazard to me.

    2. Re:Voltage != Power by compro01 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Realistically, how many amps is thing thing going to allow?

      They're saying 5A at 20V.

      Realistically, I wish the USB-C connector could start at 5 volts but negotiate to 12 volts to offset voltage drop.

      That's mostly what it's going to do. It starts at 5V, and negotiates up to 12V or 20V.

      Here's the whole presentation - https://intel.activeevents.com...

      --
      upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
  2. Re:Reversible by Teun · · Score: 3, Informative
    Indeed. :)

    And I worry about 100W @ 5V, that's 20 A!
    Sounds a bit troublesome through these small connectors.

    --
    "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  3. Why still male-female ends? by InfiniteLoopCounter · · Score: 3, Informative

    Seriously, why can't we have cables that fit into each other as well as be symmetrical. Oh wait, that's thanks to the patent system. At least this is progress and maybe we will have one standard for most types of application (not holding my breath).

    1. Re:Why still male-female ends? by Necroman · · Score: 3, Informative

      The linked patent expired in 2006, so that specific one isn't an issue in this case. Also, round connectors in general are a pain to line up properly and connect.

      --
      Its not what it is, its something else.
  4. Re:Reversible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The 100W case will be 20volts at 5amps

    It's in the Intel pdf file at https://intel.activeevents.com/sz14/connect/fileDownload/session/3446B9E71F4FD3D70D8FB478DA239801/SZ14_HSTS002_100_ENGf.pdf

  5. Re:Reversible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    You see, it is listed:

    http://www.dumbtionary.com/word/reversable.shtml

  6. Re:Hey you, early USB plug apologist by meerling · · Score: 5, Informative

    You obviously never had to actually deal with serial and parallel connectors and their little screws to hold them in place.
    USB was a freaking godsend!
    Of, things can certainly get better, but companies hate jumping into new territory and would rather do it one increment at a time, if they can't avoid changing in the first place.

  7. Re:Reversible by jcdr · · Score: 4, Informative

    The same document in page 14 limits the 60W and 100W profiles to the A and B type. So the C type is probably limited to 36W.