One Connector to Rule Them All: USB Type-C

By _Cadence - Breakfast Bytes

October 21, 2015

The original USB connector seems to be the only connector where it is always the wrong way up. Everyone has had the experience of trying to insert a USB connector, finding it won't go, turning it over. It still won't insert. Turn it back to the first orientation and finally it works. I have never heard a good answer as to why such a horrible connector was chosen for the original USB. It only has four signals in it and even in the mid-90s it was obviously too large. The motivation for having different plugs at each end of the cable was apparently to stop anyone from accidentally trying to use the cable to plug two computers together and frying something. Some sense prevailed and it didn't take long for a couple of much more practical mini-USB connectors to be created, for phones and cameras, but for computers the horrible old connector lived on. The only worse design is using a vehicle cigarette lighter outlet for recharging your phone, but at least it has the excuse that it was never designed to be a power outlet, it was designed to light your cigar. In 1956.

To read the full article, click here