Yet another USB connector? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 06:15:35 am
content: Got a new LG phone and it came with this charger connector. It doesn't fit in a standard micro USB connector, nor in an iPhone. On the bright side it is very symmetric, both ends of the cable are identical and it can be inserted rotate 180 degrees.Is it a proprietary connector or some emerging standard? If so, how is it called?I am yet to find a cable that will allow me to connect it to my computer.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 06:25:31 am
content: That's the new USB Type CIt detects the orientation plus the hardware negotiates power requirements.It's pretty cool, but the cables might cost more because I think it has some ICs on them.Edit: Another more technical video by cypressbtw 100 amps capability, or did I hear that wrong? Edit, sorry 100 watts (up to 20V 5 Amps)

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 06:57:28 am
content: Quote from: miguelvp on November 12, 2015, 06:25:31 amI like the idea of the USB-C connectors, but are those contacts really up to carrying 5A, with thousands of insertions, and being tugged around roughly? The USB connector designers have a pretty poor track record, so "they will have thought about this" doesn't really cut it as an argument.

author: TheAmmoniacal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 07:06:36 am
content: Which rock have you been living under?

author: DrGeoff
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 07:08:53 am
content: USB-C is a great idea. It is also designed for Thunderbolt use as well (TB3), and apparently will allow both USB and TB to exist on teh same connector and be automatically selected according to the type of peripheral you plug it in to.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 07:46:55 am
content: Quote from: coppice on November 12, 2015, 06:57:28 amThey are "smart" cables and part of the protocol specifies the manufacturer, current and voltage specifications of the cable, or at least that's my understanding.Not really sure if that means that depending on what cable you use it might not be able to deliver the full 20V at 5 amps specially if dual power role devices are hooked to each other.So we might end up with a confusion of cables after all if not all can support the high currents. And that's probably worse if all the cables look alike.Then what if some cheap manufacturer programs the cable to lie on the cable capabilities?Then again, I haven't look too deep into the specs, but I guess I'll buy mine from monoprice just to be sure, but so far I don't have any devices that uses that connector.

author: mich41
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 08:14:40 am
content: Quote from: miguelvp on November 12, 2015, 07:46:55 amThey supposedlyencode current rating using pull-up resistors, so hopefully they aren't as smart as you think. But I also didn't bother reading the spec, so take my words with a grain of salt

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 08:33:46 am
content: QuoteI am not sure that I am convinced that the trend to ever-more expensive, ever-more fragile (because of having more conductors) cables is a good thing.Micro-USB was supposed to be more reliable than previous connectors, and that may be true at the level of male/female connector mating, but that's little consolation when the female connectors tend to rip off of PCBs (taking traces with them) and the cables break with such frequency.And it doesn't look like USB-C - where are all the other conductors? Are they really THAT recessed for hot-swap, or are we now blessed with a bunch of "this is apartialUSB-C cable, usable only for charging/data communications withthisparticular device." (Should look like this? Maybe they are "that recessed")

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2015, 03:22:12 pm
content: Let's say that I have a design of a simple MCU with a micro USB connectorhttps://github.com/zapta/arm/raw/master/pro-mini/board/arm-pro-mini-schematic.pdf. How difficult it is to convert it to USB-C? Is it just a matter of replacing the connector (and footprint) and connecting the existing traces to some subset of the USB C pads?BTW, looking at a random USB-C footprint herehttp://www.jae.com/z-en/pdf/MB-0297-1E_DX07.pdf, the hidden row B of pads is not very DYI friendly.