Types of USB connectors: Explained.

 Universal Serial Bus:

                                                                        

USB Type A connector:

            USB type A and type B are the oldest USB form factors and they've been in use since 1996. Despite that USB type A is still commonly used today and you likely have several of these connectors on your computer with a few modern exceptions. These implementations feature four pins that have had their potential speeds upgraded over time. Beginning at mere, kilobits per second, and now can reach as high as 625 megabits per second. Their main disadvantage is their relatively large size compared to future USB implementations.

USB Type Mini:

            Next up was USB mini A and mini B. Introduced in 2001, these connectors were smaller and were easier to insert correctly; thanks to a defined camper shape at the connector end.

USB Type Micro:

            Next to type mini, was USB micro A and B microwave. Micro A is a flat rectangular shape that was later replaced by micro B which again has camphor to indicate which orientation it should be inserted in. As the name suggests, these connectors were even smaller than the mini connectors.

Lightening Connector:

            If you are an Apple user, you've likely encountered the lightning cable that the apple’s proprietary connector which is used in their modern iOS devices and accessories since 2012. Lightning uses eight pins and is much smaller than Apple's 30-pin dock connector that it replaced conveniently. Lightning was designed to be inserted in either orientation while, earlier versions of USB connectors were notorious for only being insertable in one orientation.

USB Type C Connector:

            Next is USB type-c which is the most recent entry into the Universal Serial bus family, and was introduced in 2014. Just like lightning, it can be inserted in either orientation and is designed to be much more durable than micro-b. It can deliver a much faster transfer speed set up to 2.5 gigabits per second and much higher power output, capable of quickly charging higher duty devices such as laptops. Type C can be used for more than just power and data transfer as well we may one day see it replaced.

 

 Stay Tuned.

Bye.