[SOLVED] Why are there no USB 3.1 Gen 2 or USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A to Type-A cables?

[mact]

I have several "10-speed" USB Type A ports on the backside of my X570-Pro Mobo. But I cannot find any cables to connect to them and to another Type A device that promise to deliver the Gen 2 speeds. All of the "Gen 2" cables I can find have the tiny Type-C on one end and a Type A on the other. But that won't work to connect from the Type A on the mobo to another Type A device. There are adapters, but I've found many if not most are cosmetic not functional.

Also...If data flows from a "10 speed" port (and assuming the cable can transmit that spec) into a normal USB 3.0 external SSD (there are no connectors USB>SATA that are not old 3.0 that I know of) AND given that USB 3 is a taste slower than Sata 6, would the drive record at a faster than regular 3.0 or would it go SATA 6 or ?

In another way of asking, how is a 3.0 cable different from a 3.2 Gen 2 cable? In 2 to 3 there was a clear difference in the cable, 4 conductors vs 6. But is there any such between Gen 1 and 2? And ARE THERE Gen 2 cables with Type A connectors at each end? I haven't found any.

I have googled and googled but only get the usual pap.

TIA

 

[velocityg4]

Going by the below linked article. Any SuperSpeed USB rated cable should work at full speed. As long as it is an A to A USB 3 cable and both devices are some variant of USB 3. The cable should allow 10Gbps speed if both devices are 10Gbps devices or 20Gbps for 3.2 Gen 2x2. Although the quote mentions USB C. I think it's applicable to all USB 3.X cables. Then again it may not. You can dig deeper into the standards if you wish or spend $7 on a cable to find out.

Of course, in order to enjoy that increased speed, you will need USB 3.2-compatible devices. However, what you won't require is a new cable.

"When we introduced USB Type-C to the market, we intended to assure that USB Type-C cables and connectors certified for SuperSpeed USB or SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps would, as produced, support higher performance USB as newer generations of USB 3.0 were developed," Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman, explains.
Of course, in order to enjoy that increased speed, you will need USB 3.2-compatible devices. However, what you won't require is a new cable.

"When we introduced USB Type-C to the market, we intended to assure that USB Type-C cables and connectors certified for SuperSpeed USB or SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps would, as produced, support higher performance USB as newer generations of USB 3.0 were developed," Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman, explains.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/usb-32-uses-same-cables-doubles-data-rates

 

[Paperdoc]

According to the specs, a USB 3 Gen? Type A cable is supposed to work for both the 5 and 10 Gb/s speeds. What I gather is that the Type C connector is more reliable, and so it is recommended to be sure it works as expected.

The numbering changes have been confusing, but the actual result is simpler. First there was USB (versions 1 and 1.1) which few are still using. Then came USB 2, a newer faster version still in wide use. Then came USB 3. Then came confusion as more refinements were added.

The entire USB 3 system was re-named USB 3.1, and had two speed versions issued. ALL of the USB 3 systems require a new cable type and connectors, but the Type A cable connectors are designed so that you CAN use either type in both USB 2 and USB3 sockets. HOWEVER, you only get the fast USB 3 speeds if ALL of the system - the controller on the mobo, the sockets, the cables and their connectors, and the end device - are for USB 3.

Attempting to make it all easier, they re-named the USB 3 systems again, but without actually changing any big stuff. Now they all are called USB 3.2, but with added details. So there is USB 3.2 Gen1 which can to data transfer at 5 Gb/s. USB 3.2 Gen 2 can do 10 Gb/s. And the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 can do up to 20 Gb/s. That latter normally uses a different mobo header socket called a Type E. And I doubt you can get that data transfer reliably with a Type A connector system. However, that will be hard to test (see next).

When you use such systems to connect to storage drives, other limits come into play. As a starting point, recognize that the USB 3.2 system was intentionally designed so that its is CAPABLE of those data transfer max speeds, but it is expected that right now there are NO devices you can connect that really reach those speeds. So the USB 3.2 systems will NOT be a limit on what your connected device actually does.

For example, the SATA III newest system for hard drives etc. has its own data transfer max of 6 Gb/s. But again, that in itself is deliberately designed to exceed the actual capability of most storage drives. Mechanical hard drives with moving heads on arms and spinning disks can actually deliver data transfer of about 1.0 to 2.0 Gb/s, not even as fast as the previous SATA II design. The very fastest mechanical drive may reach a little over 3 Gb/s, slightly faster than SATA II specs, but not near the 6 Gb/s limit of the SATA III communication subsystem. The closest you may get is a non-mechanical drive, a Solid State Drive (SSD) that will get closer to the 6 Gb/s limit. Now, some SSD's of a different design (the NVMe system) can exceed that, but as far as I know there are no SSD's build to use the SATA interface that can exceed 6 Gb/s max data transfer rate.

So, right now you may get some way to connect a device capable of data transfer over 6 Gb/s, but not over 10 Gb/s. Such a device may come soon, who knows? And when will we see devices able to deliver 20 Gb/s data transfer? Not so soon. One thing for SURE: you will never see a mechanical hard drive able to deliver data over 6 Gb/s - the limits are imposed by the speed of rotation of the disks and the movement of the heads.

Your query is a little unusual, because most recent USB 3.2 Gen 2 devices capable of 10 Gb/s data transfer max are supplied with Type C sockets. Do you really have such devices with only Type A sockets? If so, this unit claims to be an adapter that will convert the Type A female socket into a Type C female socket so you can plug in a cable that ends in a Type C. I do NOT know whether this adapter device actually does what it claims.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q81GD5G?th=1

 

[mact]

The ASUS X570 Mobo has several (2 or 4, don't recall and can't get at it to look just now) Gen 2 Type A ports. A couple Gen 1s, and a single Type-C assumed to be Gen2.

(note) for sake of thread size, I will delete your very helpful (incredibly informative!) reply from this posting....observers should read the original. Not even Google returns this information<G>.

So...if I can restate in my own words so I understand: A USB 3.0 cable, Type-A to Type-A, (6 conductors) will work at the "destination" device's specification speed, be it 5 or 10, so the "source" port's speed matches that of the "destination." If the destination's spec is lower, then the transfer will be at that lower speed regardless of the potential sped of the "source."

IOW, USB 3.0 cables will work at "10 speed" if connected to a "10 speed" source and a "10 speed" destination device. Similarly, they will work at "5" if the devices are "5" and less if that is the case (USB 2 devices or older).

BUT they will still work regardless of the speed of the source or destination. Just at different transfer rates.

mobo header socket called a Type E. And I doubt you can get that data transfer reliably with a Type A connector system. However, that will be hard to test (see next).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q81GD5G?th=1

 

[Paperdoc]

Yes, you got that right. A small addition: the more modern cables often are labelled as "Superspeed" just to emphasize that they are designed for the new USB 3.2 Genx systems. These MAY be made a bit better than older USB 3 units to ensure that they do deliver on the speed capabilities of the new system. But in terms of the types and layout of electrical connections the USB 3... (whichever) are all the same.