USBS unplugged

This issue Ken Rigsby ties himself in knots over…

In the confusing world of technology, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) is the standard connection that promises the simple life. String a USB cable from your latest gadget to a USB socket on your computer and – bing, bing, bing, bong – Windows 10 tells you that it’s detected, connected, set up and ready to go.

At least, that’s what happens once in a blue moon. At all other times, USB has multiple ways to drive us all a bit around the bend.

First, there’s the little matter of getting the USB plug into the socket. Sod’s law dictates that your first attempt will be the wrong way up. So you flip the cable and try again, but it still won’t go in. Finally, you examine the plug, realise you had it right the first time, so you turn it round once more. Hey presto! It magically pushes home!

Quantum physicists joke that a USB plug’s state isn’t decided until it’s observed. They call this a ‘superposition’. I call it an imposition. Just get into the damn slot, dagnabbit!

Then, there’s the curse of the wrong socket type. If, like me, you’re the owner of a few PCS of varying maturity, then the particular USB socket you aim for might not be the right one for the device you’re connecting. Yes, all USB sockets look alike, but those little rectangular holes mask a litany of differing standards. Modern PCS have at least a couple of USB 3.0 sockets, but they might also have a few USB 2.0 ports. Unwittingly plug yoyour spanking-new USB memory stick into one of thesthese older ports and it’ll work, but around a tenth slower than it should.

You might know that USB 3.0 sockets are sometimes identifiable by a blue-coloured plastic insert, but that knowledge is no use if the ports are around the back of your desktop PC. Even with a laptop, you’ll need to crane your neck 90 degrees to spot the magic blue marker.

Did I say that all USB sockets look alike? Silly me! I’d obviously forgotten all about USB Type-b (the squarer one, probably on your printer), micro-b (Android phones and tablets, typically) and mini-b (sat-navs and older USB gizmos). Did you know that there’s also micro-a and mini-a? The industry pretty much gave up on those years ago, but you might still encounter one now and again, and it’s a given that you won’t have a cable to fit them.

At least USB is great for charging all our modern gadgets. Actually, that depends on the particular socket and the gadget being charged. Older USB sockets are good for up to about 500ma (0.5A, ie amps) of electrical current, which is fine for the average phone. USB 3.0 sockets generally push out around 900ma (0.9A). Again, enough for a phone but not for the average tablet. Some USB 3.0 sockets pump out 1.5A. Better! But it still won’t satisfy the electrical appetite of, say, an ipad, which needs 2.1A.

On the plus side the USB 3.0 Promoter Group has come up with USB 3.1, delivering even more power, and a new socket type ( Type-c) to boot. There are two generations of USB 3.1: Gen 1 and Gen 2. Gen 2 is faster. There’s also USB 3.2, which is basically exactly the same as USB 3.1 Gen 2, only faster still. These standards are also supported by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). USB-IF is a bit like the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, but USB-IF does the actual promotion. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group sets the specifications, but doesn’t actively promote them. All clear? Great. If only everything in life were as easy as USB!

Unwittingly plug your new USB stick into an old port and it’ll work a tenth slower than it should