Why is USB-C cabling a mess?

[Pew]

USB micro-B is still everywhere. A lot of random devices still use it as a charging port. I got an older Amazon Echo Dot that used micro-B for power, although the one I got with a clock uses a coax power connector. Last year I got a Roku Express 4K+ and that has a micro-B port for power. I found an image of the back.

I've also got a few USB mini-B devices. Some older external hard drives including bus or external powered. I got a Blue Snowball ICE microphone, which is still being made. I do remember when the Motorola RAZR V3 used it, but it didn't really work universally with any of my other power adapters other than ones specifically for that device which had a captive cable.

Sorry I should have been more specific, micro USB-B 3.0*. The non-3.0 one I can understand still being used because it's so small.

 

[bunnspecial]

Sorry I should have been more specific, micro USB-B 3.0*. The non-3.0 one I can understand still being used because it's so small.

I was going to comment on that one, and in fact I was just trying to use one a bit earlier today. My good Compact Flash card reader uses this type of connector, but one of the cables I have is really flaky and wants to randomly drop. I was copying files off CF cards onto an external HDD, and unfortunately the only other one of these cables I could put my hands on I had connected to my external hard drive.

Nikon was on a kick for a while of using the micro 3.0 cable also on their cameras. I think they've finally moved onto USB-C with the current models, but the one that's going to have to last me a while is my D850 and that's what it uses. Of course I rarely actually plug the camera directly into the computer, and the CFExpress reader I bought with the D850 fortunately is USB-C also. Lately I have been using a Fuji XT-5 a decent amount, and it is USB-C. That is relevant since Fuji apparently didn't see fit to put an external battery charger in the box with a $1600 camera and also their own post processing software will only work if you physically connect the camera to your computer while using it...

The one saving grace of the micro USB 3.0 is that you can use a standard USB 2.0 micro cable if needed...it just runs at 2.0 speeds.

 

[y_p_w]

Sorry I should have been more specific, micro USB-B 3.0*. The non-3.0 one I can understand still being used because it's so small.

The connector on the left? I still see that a lot. I bought a Seagate bus-powered drive last year and it uses that connector and had a USB-A cable in the box. That, and a lot of drive enclosures still use it.

 

[y_p_w]

The real strange thing about USB-C is that it was marketed as a huge leap in guaranteed interoperability, where it would at the very least be "safe" to use almost anything together where it would at least default to the lowest voltage.

But I'm participating in another forum where there have been some interesting discussions on what to trust in terms of cabling and power. I for one would have no safety/reliability concerns about any USB-C power adapter sold by or packaged with any major computer, tablet, or smart phone manufacturer, but some are saying that they can't be guaranteed to be safe. Even from Lenovo.

 

[racer12306]

The real strange thing about USB-C is that it was marketed as a huge leap in guaranteed interoperability, where it would at the very least be "safe" to use almost anything together where it would at least default to the lowest voltage.

You’re right, but in the end USB C is just a bigger mess.

There are too many options covered by the same form factor. If it’s the right form factor it should work or charge or whatever, but that is not the case. In the electronics world, not much peeves me more than something that says it’s usb c charging but then I plug my standard usb c cable in and nuffin. You have to use the provided usb a to usb c cord. Nope, returned.

 

[y_p_w]

You’re right, but in the end USB C is just a bigger mess.

There are too many options covered by the same form factor. If it’s the right form factor it should work or charge or whatever, but that is not the case. In the electronics world, not much peeves me more than something that says it’s usb c charging but then I plug my standard usb c cable in and nuffin. You have to use the provided usb a to usb c cord. Nope, returned.

Many users have no way of knowing what it's doing or what it's supposed to be doing.

I only have a few USB-C devices like an iPad mini 6 and a few computers that charge via USB-C. It's really weird trying to use a different power sources, although cabling isn't necessarily a big concern. Some simply won't take lower power, some give warnings, and others just take it without complaint.

But then many have no idea what it's doing when it indicates that a device is charging. Most people would like the maximum input power, but it's kind of hard to tell if it can do that since they rarely have any way for the user to determine that. Apple laptops do have that capability though with the System Report utility.

 

[Blueshound]

I plug my standard usb c cable in and nuffin. You have to use the provided usb a to usb c cord. Nope, returned.

What sort of device was that?

 

[racer12306]

What sort of device was that?

Most recent case was a pair of headphones. Specifically said USBC charging in the listing but when I got them, they wouldn’t charge with my normal stuff. Only with the provided cord.

I made a concession recently for an Inkbird thermometer since it only needs charged every few months. Headphones would be daily.

 

[y_p_w]

Most recent case was a pair of headphones. Specifically said USBC charging in the listing but when I got them, they wouldn’t charge with my normal stuff. Only with the provided cord.

I made a concession recently for an Inkbird thermometer since it only needs charged every few months. Headphones would be daily.

It wasn’t USB-C per se, and no way would I ever use one, but I’ve heard of the issues with using vaping equipment that was only supposed to charge safely using specific power supplies, where it formed a specific circuit such that they didn’t need to include regulated power. But they made the connection micro-USB and didn’t have a way to lock out noncompliant power.

 

[uc50ic4more]

 

[racer12306]

Spot on.