Dual-channel technology introduced to USB Type-C
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In 2017, the USB Developers Forum (USB Implementers Forum, USB-IF) officially announced the specifications of USB 3.2, in addition to increasing the transmission speed from 10Gbps to 20Gbps, it is also recommended that the future of each device to unify the Type-C connector-based.
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In addition, USB 3.2 also maintains USB consistent downward compatibility, compatible with older versions of the specification, whether it is USB 3.2 devices into the old interface, or old devices into the USB 3.2 connector, although not enjoy the full high-speed transmission, but will still be normal operation at a lower speed. With the release of the new generation of USB 3.2, the number of USB versions is also more, consumers have not yet fully understand the characteristics of USB 3.1, we must begin to prepare to face the new version, here to explain the characteristics of USB 3.2, as well as the previous version of the brief, and analyze the potential challenges facing the USB 3.2 current.
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Differences in USB Versions
Universal Serial Bus (Universal Serial Bus, USB) is a standard for connecting computer systems and external devices, and its development concept is to give users a more user-friendly way to connect external devices, providing plug-and-play functionality.USB has been launched since the first time, in addition to a number of versions, but also due to the different structure of the connector, there are different types of connectors, here to help you organize the differences between the various versions of USB and different connectors. Here we will help you to organize the differences between different versions of USB and different connectors.
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Introduction of different versions
The first generation of USB 1.0 was launched in 1996, with a theoretical transmission speed of 1.5Mbps. The main purpose was to replace the old-fashioned computer connection and improve convenience, so the transmission speed was not yet a priority. Two years later, as USB became more popular, USB 1.1 appeared, and transfer speeds increased dramatically to 12 Mbps. 2000 saw USB become the primary external device connection for notebook computers, so speeds increased to 480 Mbps, a 40-fold increase from the previous version. 2008 saw USB 3.0, which brought transfer speeds of 5 Gbps. In 2008, USB 3.0 came out with a transfer rate of 5Gbps, which was already able to smoothly transfer documents, music, images and other large files, and then the USB 3.1 was launched with a speed of 10Gbps, which was twice as fast as the USB 3.0. The latest USB 3.2 is expected to bring the ideal transmission speed of 20Gbps high-speed transmission, bringing more convenience to consumers' lives.
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Currently, the USB 4 specification has been released. For a detailed history of USB development and version comparison, see the USB version difference and development history section on the USB Chinese website.
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Different connector specifications
Depending on the connector structure of the cable, USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 connectors are divided into Type-A, Type-B, Mini-A, Mini-B, Micro-A, and Micro-B, while USB 3.0 is divided into Type-A, Type-B, and Micro-B. The biggest difference between the forms is the size of the connector, which can be applied to devices of different thicknesses. The biggest difference between the forms is the size of the connector, different sizes can be applied to different thicknesses of devices, such as general computers and common USB devices are using the standard version of Type-A, while many smart phones are using the Micro USB version. With the release of USB 3.1, the new Type-C connector appeared, the advantage of which is that both sides can be inserted into the port to read the file, and another advantage is that it is small in size and thin in thickness, and the latest launch of the USB 3.2 will also continue to use Type-C.
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USB TYPE-A connector
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For more information about TYPE-A, TYPE-B, TYPE-C and other types of USB connectors, please refer to USB Chinese website for a complete list of USB connector types.
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USB 3.2 Features
The latest USB 3.2 was officially released at the end of September this year. The USB-IF expects to consolidate the troubles caused by the previous USB versions to the consumers, and to achieve the purpose of improving the transmission performance under the premise of minimum changes, and to establish a unified specification here.
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Transmission speed exceeds 20Gbps
The key to doubling the speed of USB 3.2 lies in the improvement of the USB 3.1 Type-C connector's usage mode. The Type-C connector has two main data transmission channels, which were initially designed to allow the connector to be inserted into the header smoothly regardless of the front and back sides, while USB 3.2 not only retains this feature, but also In addition to this feature, USB 3.2 also allows both channels to operate simultaneously, allowing data transfer speeds to be tripled compared to the previous version.
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According to the specification provided by the USB-IF, the goal of USB 3.2 development is not only to increase the transmission speed, but also to allow consumers to continue their past habits and achieve a “painless upgrade” experience, therefore, USB 3.2 will continue to use Type-C connectors, which have been in use since the beginning of USB 3.1, so that users can continue to use their old USB 3.1 cables without the need to purchase an adapter, which saves money. Users can continue to use the old
USB 3.1 CABLE without the need to purchase an additional adapter, saving money. In addition, USB 3.2 is backward compatible with previous versions of USB 3.1, so that data can be transferred as soon as the device is connected.
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Conditional High-Speed Transmission
Although USB 3.2 enables high-speed data transfer, there are two conditions necessary to achieve 20Gbps. The first is that the devices on both ends of the cable must use the USB 3.2 specification. For example, if you want to transfer data from a computer to a cell phone, and the computer uses the USB 3.2 specification but the cell phone uses the USB 3.1 specification, the specification, while still able to transfer properly due to backwards compatibility, will be based on the speed of the lower version of the speed benchmark, which, in this case, would be 10Gbps for file transfers at the USB 3.1 speed. In this case, the file transfer is at USB 3.1 speeds of 10Gbps. The second condition is that the cable used must comply with the existing USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C specification in order to enjoy high-speed transmission.
Challenges Facing USB 3.2
While the convenience and high-speed transfers offered by USB 3.2 may seem wonderful, it still faces many challenges.
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New Specification Penetration Rate
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The biggest challenge lies in the speed of popularization, as desktop computers and laptops in the market generally adopt the USB version of USB 3.0 and 2.0, and at most use an additional set of USB 3.1 Type-C for extra use. After the release of USB 3.2, although desktop computers can take advantage of the benefits of USB 3.2 by upgrading from expansion cards, laptops and mobile devices in general have to wait for manufacturers to launch new products before they can be used. The new version of USB 3.2 will be available only after the launch of new products by manufacturers. In addition, the price of the new version is more expensive than the old one, and it is still a challenge to convince consumers to give up the low price of the old version and buy the more expensive USB 3.2 products.
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