All Things USB 3.1 And USB Type-C: An Explainer

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I predict we'll be seeing a USB 4 standard in a few more years that combines all this nonsense into a single port / cable type with a single set of "required" standards.

Nah, screw USB, what I want to see for the next high-speed external interface is a PCIe:Optical spec. One cable and connector specification for 5-1000Gbps. 12V as the new standard supply voltage for the optional power wire pair and a pair of ClearCurve or similar SM fibers for RX/TX, the end.

 

[2Be_or_Not2Be]

I predict we'll be seeing a USB 4 standard in a few more years that combines all this nonsense into a single port / cable type with a single set of "required" standards.

Nah, screw USB, what I want to see for the next high-speed external interface is a PCIe:Optical spec. One cable and connector specification for 5-1000Gbps. 12V as the new standard supply voltage for the optional power wire pair and a pair of ClearCurve or similar SM fibers for RX/TX, the end.

Why stop there - why not opt for multi-mode fiber?

 

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Why stop there - why not opt for multi-mode fiber?

Single-mode fiber is the type you want for very high speeds since it is effectively immune to modal dispersion over cable runs shorter than a few kilometers. With multi-mode fiber, dispersion becomes an issue after only a few meters even at "low" speeds like 10Gbps. The only benefit of MMF is that the bigger core makes it easier to couple light into and out of it.

 

[Valantar]

It's really no wonder that the USB 3.1 Gen X names have caught on for consumers - the "Superspeed/Superspeed plus" branding is just plain stupid. Who conveys this nomenclature to consumers? Retailers, marketers and tech fans. What term are they going to use? The simplest one - mostly, the one that's the easiest to say/type. I've never, ever, seen or heard anyone use the term "Superspeed USB." Ever. And I've worked in computer retail for as long as the term has existed, and frequented a few tech forums for years. Also, a name like USB 3/3.1 is easily translatable, usable in pretty much any language. The same does not apply for "Superspeed."

Branding needs to SIMPLIFY what it attempts to name, not make it harder to say, pronounce, translate and talk about. The USB IF has failed miserably in this regard.

There is never, ever going to be a USB 3.2, 3.3, or anything like it. So why not simply keep "Gen 1" as USB 3.1 (given that it needs to be termed differently from USB 3.0 towards consumers, which I don't get, but they seem to insist on), and make "Gen 2" into USB 3.5, 4, Pi or whatever?

 

[Dr_b_]

Firewire cables were too thick and inflexible.

With all the new wires and PD Is USB going in this direction? Thick, hard to bend cables?

 

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Firewire cables were too thick and inflexible.

I have a couple of 400Mbps FireWire cables and they are no worse than decent quality USB2 ones with #24-gauge power wires.

 

[alextheblue]

I kind of wish they didn't mix Thunderbolt into this mess. It was silly enough to have gen 1 and gen 2, oh I'm sorry I mean Superspeed and Superspeed+/10. Then you've got three different possible Thunderbolt configs? Plus PD?

"Oh here, I've got the USB cable you need for sale right here."
"Does it support 100W Power Delivery and Thunderbolt optical?"
"Uh... it's got the same plug thingy. Makes it the same, right?"

 

[killerb255]

It seems like they're mixing too many standards on single physical connectors. USB 3.1 is just the latest example of this.

M.2 slots have this problem. Is the M.2 card speaking in USB language? PCI-Express language? SATA language?

 

[WyomingKnott]

It's interesting that this is happening. Way back when, building computers was much harder because things were not plug and play. Later, it went through a phase where everything was standardized: if you had a VGA card, it would work in any board with a VGA slot. As I just wrote in another thread, memory could be mixed and matched.

Nowadays, you have to know what a particular USB C or m.2 slot can actually do, and (in the latter case) what other features will be disabled if you use it. And four sticks of the same make and model of memory are likely to fail to work together. Life is getting complicated again.

 

[scolaner]

I kind of wish they didn't mix Thunderbolt into this mess. It was silly enough to have gen 1 and gen 2, oh I'm sorry I mean Superspeed and Superspeed+/10. Then you've got three different possible Thunderbolt configs? Plus PD?

"Oh here, I've got the USB cable you need for sale right here."
"Does it support 100W Power Delivery and Thunderbolt optical?"
"Uh... it's got the same plug thingy. Makes it the same, right?"

#BestBuyProblems 😉

 

[Eggz]

#BestBuyProblems 😉

OMG! Can you imagine how many returns there are going to be because Best Buy people in the knick knack department misinform customers about this new USB stuff, assuming Best Buy even begins stocking USB 3.1 before the next standard comes out.