Next-Generation USB Will be Reversible

[Steven Bogos]

Next-Generation USB Will be Reversible

You'll no longer have to worry which way up your USB plug is when you blindly try to plug it in to the back of your computer.

When you try to plug in a USB cable, you have just a 50% chance of doing it the wrong way, and having to turn it around. Why then, does it seem that we try to plug it in upside down every time? USB cable developers have sympathy for our pain, announcing that an upcoming version of USB 3.0 - USB Type-C - will feature a connector that is completely reversible. Hooray!

Apple's proprietary lightning cable is currently already reversible, and this move will eliminate one of the advantages it currently has over USB. Other improvements coming with the new connectors include support for scalable power charging (allowing the cable to offer up to 100 watts), and data speed transfers of up to 10 Gbps, double what is possible at the moment.

The Promoter Group, which agrees on the design of the standard, is currently made up of representatives from Intel, HP, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments.

"Consumers are now demanding thinner and sleeker product designs and the USB 3.0 Promoter Group recognizes this need," said the group's president Jeff Ravencraft. He added that the decision to make the new connectors reversible was "unrelated" to the Apple lightning cable.

"This allows USB to increase performance and continue to deliver ease of use to several evolving product categories for years to come," said Roland Sperlich, from Texas Instruments.

From mice, to microphones, to smartphones, USB is without a doubt one of the most common connectors we use in our lives. Nice to see that it's still moving forward, and finally eliminating some of those niggling issues that have plagued it for too long.

Source: BBC [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25222101]

Permalink

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I'll miss the days of trying to put in my USB, it won't fit, flipping it over, won't fit, flipping back to the original position. Now it fits.

 

[Aeshi]

Pretty sure there are plenty of companies out there who already make this sort of thing, not just Apple.

 

[Pebkio]

Oh dammit is a thing? Really? No, I don't try to plug it in upside-down anymore, I haven't for at least a year, maybe two. Well, I understand that innovation is for the sole purpose of the unskiled being able to do what only skilled people did in the past.

I am completely serious about that, innovation is to make these things easier, even if it is the silliest, most trivial, things.

Heheheh... easy USB. Never mind it was THE easy hardware connector. NO MORE! It's not easy enough anymore! BLAARRG!

 

[martyrdrebel27]

Somehow, I think I'll still end up flipping the damn thing for 10 minutes blindly behind the computer.

 

[blackrave]

Oh dammit is a thing? Really? No, I don't try to plug it in upside-down anymore, I haven't for at least a year, maybe two. Well, I understand that innovation is for the sole purpose of the unskiled being able to do what only skilled people did in the past.

I am completely serious about that, innovation is to make these things easier, even if it is the silliest, most trivial, things.

Heheheh... easy USB. Never mind it was THE easy hardware connector. NO MORE! It's not easy enough anymore! BLAARRG!

Oh, c'mon it was so simple to achieve I wonder why it is done only now.
basically doing something like this

IIIT
= =
IIII

T is position identifier and port identifies it and flips functions of connectors if necessary
Although I for some reason think that they found even simpler solution

 

[Pebkio]

Oh, c'mon it was so simple to achieve I wonder why it is done only now.

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it hasn't been done because it's so massively trivial that it wasn't worth changing an entire standard just to cut 5 seconds out of plugging something into a computer.

Of course, now it's totally worth it... but don't you dare ask me why because I have no idea...

 

[MetalMagpie]

I'll miss the days of trying to put in my USB, it won't fit, flipping it over, won't fit, flipping back to the original position. Now it fits.

Me too. Everyone knows USB connectors exist in 4-dimensional space [http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2388].

 

[blackrave]

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it hasn't been done because it's so massively trivial that it wasn't worth changing an entire standard just to cut 5 seconds out of plugging something into a computer.

Of course, now it's totally worth it... but don't you dare ask me why because I have no idea...

Are you claiming that convenience isn't valid motive for development?
Because if that's the case, then your're wrong.

 

[AstaresPanda]

Oh, yeah, what a relief. Taking an extra 5 seconds with my USB drive was the bane of my life. Now this horrible nightmare will be over and I will finally be happy. Truly we are living in the 21st century.

glad im not the only one thinking the same. Who was demanding thinner usb design, those few seconds dicking around was really that much problem ? lol

 

[Pebkio]

Are you claiming that convenience isn't valid motive for development?
Because if that's the case, then your're wrong.

Oh no, of course not, as I said in that first post of mine, I'm a fan of progress. But it has to be a bit of a balance. For instance, value of change vs cost of change.

Now, it seems that a reversable dsign is going to have to be a new design which means that my older hardware will potentially not be able to accept the newer peripherals. Unlike the switch between USB 1 and USB 2, which used the same stadard shape and size. I'd have to buy a converter piece to use new peripherals until I can scrape together enough to upgrade my system.

That's the cost.

The value? I get to avoid the very very slight annoyance of accidentally trying to plug something in upside-down.

 

[blackrave]

Are you claiming that convenience isn't valid motive for development?
Because if that's the case, then your're wrong.

Oh no, of course not, as I said in that first post of mine, I'm a fan of progress. But it has to be a bit of a balance. For instance, value of change vs cost of change.

Now, it seems that a reversable dsign is going to have to be a new design which means that my older hardware will potentially not be able to accept the newer peripherals. Unlike the switch between USB 1 and USB 2, which used the same stadard shape and size. I'd have to buy a converter piece to use new peripherals until I can scrape together enough to upgrade my system.

That's the cost.

The value? I get to avoid the very very slight annoyance of accidentally trying to plug something in upside-down.

Well, they could design it so it can accept ordinary USB as well
.
.
.
[facepalm]
Oh, right- humanity.
Who am I kidding? It most probably will be half-done and barely functioning at first
Maybe USB 4.0 will do it right.

 

[Pebkio]

Well, they could design it so it can accept ordinary USB as well
.
.
.
[facepalm]
Oh, right- humanity.
Who am I kidding? It most probably will be half-done and barely functioning at first
Maybe USB 4.0 will do it right.

Well, that's why I say "potentially". There could be some magic that'll happen, but I don't see how. Our current USB plugs are designed for a single-sideed pin setup and reversable is, as far as I'm aware, dual-sided. Reversable USB cables would never be able to be reversable on my computer's USB ports.

You can't chaulk it up to humanity this time, the two designs are a bit incompatible. It's a big leap, and those are needed sometimes... but not for a petty annoyance. Y'know, I don't actually have any written evidence of this, but I'm pretty sure we had the technology and design knowhow to make USB 2.0 reversable, but it would still be a big change in design standards.

Again, I don't really know how they can justify such a big change for a such a small reason NOW, but it's going to happen, and I'mma head to a hardware store to pick up my USB 3 to USB 2 converter when it does.

 

[blackrave]

Well, that's why I say "potentially". There could be some magic that'll happen, but I don't see how. Our current USB plugs are designed for a single-sideed pin setup and reversable is, as far as I'm aware, dual-sided. Reversable USB cables would never be able to be reversable on my computer's USB ports.

You can't chaulk it up to humanity this time, the two designs are a bit incompatible. It's a big leap, and those are needed sometimes... but not for a petty annoyance. Y'know, I don't actually have any written evidence of this, but I'm pretty sure we had the technology and design knowhow to make USB 2.0 reversable, but it would still be a big change in design standards.

Again, I don't really know how they can justify such a big change for a such a small reason NOW, but it's going to happen, and I'mma head to a hardware store to pick up my USB 3 to USB 2 converter when it does.

Doubling number of contacts (and speed) would be quite a good reason for changes.
Also current USB design could use only half of port
I'm sure there is a way to make it happen
I just don't know how, yet.

 

[Metalrocks]

sure sounds good. not that i had a problem with it since i have 2 USB slots in front of my tower and can easily plug in any sticks or other devices knowing how to put it in.
im just wondering if we still can plug in our 2.0 in to it.

 

[Jadak]

Pretty sure there are plenty of companies out there who already make this sort of thing, not just Apple.

They didn't say Apple was the only company doing this, nor was that overly relevant to the article, just a simple reference as an example to where this can already be found. Apple makes a better example for most people than "random company 12".

 

[grrrz]

the info that got my attention is "up to 100 watts of power"
with the annonced death of firewire, good news for people who like plugging sound interfaces and hard drive on the road.

 

[SomeGuyOnHisComputer]

Yes, change the shape of the plug so we have to rebuy every usb device ever in 5 years if we don't want to have a fuck-ton of of converters laying around >_>