5 Types of USB Cables Everyone Should Know

USB cables are everywhere! We use it for charging our mobile phones, transferring files from mobile to computer or vice versa, or for streaming the data on TV. The USB cable comes with almost every device we purchase these days. But the issue with these cables is they are often shorter in length which makes it difficult to connect to ends. It leads to a cluttered desk or sometimes even breakage of the cable. One simple solution to this problem is a USB extender or USB file transfer cables. To know how these will help you solve your issue, first, we must understand a little about the USB cables, their types, and how they originated.

What is a USB Cable and How Do They Work?

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. The USB connection was developed by IBM, Intel Corporation, and Microsoft to connect peripheral devices to the computer. It was first introduced in 1996 and after that, it has gone through a number of revisions. Each revision increased the connection speed of the cables for transferring data and power.

When we open a USB cable, it consists of four different color coded wires: White and green wires are for data transmission, red is the positive wire which carries 5 volts of current and the black is the negative wire also known as a ground wire.

The USB connection has a pinout system which is small metal strips inside the connector to provide access to each wire.

Types of USB Cables

There are various types of USB cables available in the market. To know which USB file transfer cable you need and how you can identify them based on their looks, keep reading.

USB Type A

USB A is the most used and familiar as it is widely used for computers as host controllers, charging devices, connector to stream content, etc. The physical appearance of this connector is that it is rectangular in shape and is larger than the other types. The male version of the connector is the USB A plug and the female connector is the socket or port. It is easy to connect and disconnect this cable.

We use this cable at least once in a day for charging our phones or connecting devices to our computer. And that is why there is more need for a USB extender as using only one cable often leads to breakage.

USB Type B

USB B connector is the second most popular cable after the USB A cable. The pinout layout is slightly different from the USB A. It is almost square in shape and the top ends on the corners are slightly beveled. It is the upstream connector used only for peripheral devices. And this is the reason most of the USB applications require the use of A to B cable.

USB Mini

The size of electronic devices is shrinking day by day. So even Type B seems large. And that is why the USB mini connector is used for cameras and mobile phones. It has two versions: USB mini A and USB Mini B. The size of the pinout is small but it provides a robust connection.

USB Micro

USB Micro is used for connecting and charging smartphones. They are available for both USB Micro A and USB Micro B. The pin layout of Micro USB is half the width and thickness when compared with mini USB.

The Open Mobile Terminal Platform has marked Micro USB as the standard connector for data and power transfer in mobile phones. The International Telecommunication Union has also announced that they have adopted Micro USB as its universal charging solution. This means that the same connector can be used for charging multiple types of equipment even if they are from different manufacturers.

Also, the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, announced that it had adopted Micro USB for its Universal Charging Solution. Thus, allowing standardization means that phones will have similar ports. This will allow the users to use a single charger for phones from different manufacturers.

USB Type C

The other widely accepted type of connector for mobile phones, desktops, tablets, and laptops is USB Type C. It is slim and has a reversible design meaning it can be inserted either way without worrying about which side is on the top. It is highly possible that USB Type C will replace USB Type A and Type B connectors fully in the future.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that gradually the connectors like PS/2 and AT are being converted to USB. To keep using electronic devices without any disturbance caused by wire breakage or short wire, you can use them with a USB extender. This extender will give your cables the length it requires to easily connect the two devices. It will also help you hide all the mess the wires create on the table because you usually keep everything on the table because of the short cable length.

Jennifer Truong is the owner of SF Cable, a california based online retailer of all kind of Computers, electronics, electrical accessories, networking accessories, cables, wires. Jennifer has extensive experience in the Electronics industry and blog.