This little gadget to find out which type of USB-C cable you have
cross-posted from: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/22828099
USB was supposed to rule them all but it's now a mess of standards sharing the same connector. Different speeds, voltage, charging protocols, alt modes, even the number of pins used is variable.... For those asking, the thing is available on Kickstarter
If only USB-IF would do their fucking job and create actual standardized names with standard features instead of shit like USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
like USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
Did you see that the newest version is called USB 4 2.0? lol
That is very very explicitly just the name of technical the specification. Its a documents for people who design usb devices. The tech media failed us by reporting on it like they did.
The spec also explicitly tells us that we should refer to the usb cables/ports/devices as e.g. "USB4 40Gib" or "USB 3 20GiB". So in fact we have easy to understand names but only a few manufacturers actually print that on the boxes or cables.
This 100%. Wi-Fi Alliance did it right ditching the standard names like 802.11ac and 802.11ax and going to simple names like Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. Everyone knows 6 is better than 5 so there's no confusion.
USB-IF needs to do the same thing, and also stand up a little bit to the manufacturers who want to build the cheapest possible products. Set a couple of certification levels. Like level 3 cable supports 30 w and 480 Mbps USB 2.0, level 4 cable supports 100w and 2 gbps, level 5 cable supports 100w and 10gbps, level 6 cable supports 240w and 20gbps etc We don't need infinite variations of power and data capability. It just confuses customers. But customers will understand a level 5 cable is better than a level 4 cable. And if the device says you need a level 5 cable for full capability, they will understand a level 4 cable isn't good enough.
And then relabel all the old standards when they create a new one so every generation you need to figure-out what al the new names mean.
They actually renamed the types which makes everything even more confusing
That U is becoming more and more a joke..
It's very universal, you can plug it into any port that is USB C, whether it does what you ask it to or not is a whole other story.
I want this device, can't expect every cable to be thunderbolt grade.
A Chinese projector light uses the same port for charging, can't expect a thicc cable there
The most expensive Thunderbolt 3 USB-C cables let you get lengths of 2 meters + at 40 Gbps but only hit USB 2.0 480 Mbps speeds if used as a regular USB C cable.
That U is becoming more and more a joke..
Importantly, it’s universal compared to having parallel and Serial and PS/2 and the old joystick port and FireWire and whatnot.
How annoyed everyone is/was about Lightning sticking around should be pretty good evidence of how universal USB is. Especially since Lightning still used USB-A or USB-C on the host end.
Sure there are different versions of USB, but they will still work. They might not work at their best if they don’t have compatible higher-end features, but they’ll still communicate.
but where is the diy version that we actually want that uses arduino or esp or something with all the details on a git readme?
Yeah, no. They're trying to sell them for 89$
Are they insane? I already have a free tester -- the device I want to use the cable on. I would pay maybe $15 for this, but perhaps I am not part of the target market
Imagine the world if USB cables where properly labeled.
I'd pay $30-40 for one, but the asking price now is too much.
Media doesn't load here (both through my instance's web front, as well as through discuss.tchncs.de's web front)
Edit: never mind, I got it to load now, maybe it was a temporary lag. It remembers me these Ethernet testers (in such a way that it's capable of testing individual pins for electrical continuity), but digital and with more features:
I have that model.. so weird.
I have one of those, it may pass as the great grandfather ;)
I guess it's neat that it's kinda like whatever this guy is called https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CF95VL2Y plus the power-z tester built into one. I wonder if the power-z could be updated via software to do cable pinout testing.
What I'd really like to see is a device that actually tries to send 40gbits of data down the cable and makes sure it comes through clearly and provides a signal integrity reading. The only devices I've seen that do that are essentially just oscilloscopes and signal generators.
This is nothing new. You can buy these USB cable testers on Amazon or directly from Alibaba. They just put some fancy visualization on top so you don't have to look up what the individual LEDs on the tester mean.
As others have generally noted about Kickstarter, this is just another scam with cheap Chinese gadgets.
The thing is from Austria though?
Yeah, the whole experience of going from lightning cables and mini display port and such has been less than overwhelming. I eventually had to buy a USB C from the Apple Store to get one that actually did 100W power instead of just lying about it on the box.
Even then, Apple USB-C charging cables only hit USB 2.0 480 Mbps speeds.
Yes because being able to handle 5 amps does not mean it having the USB 3+ lines, but only V+, D+, D-, and a CC line. A cable that supports 5 amps has a build in chip (eMarker) that is powered by the other CC pin (which is not led through the cable) that is in that case called Vconn. For fast data, you have two additional pairs of data wires with better isolation from interference (like in HDMI, DP, Ethernet etc.) How well those insulation work is rated with the 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 gb/s spec. Theoretically, a good 10gb/s cable may be able to handle more bandwidth. Additionally for thunderbolt, you as well need a chip in the cable for some stuff I have not learned yet.
Interesting. Luckily I only needed it to power my docking station so I can plug in power, ethernet, USB and monitor with one plug so not an issue for me luckily.
i know the cable is a piece of shit because i plug it into my camera and it doesn't do anything
Will this just become obsolete the next time they update usb c to support something new? A tester that goes out of date as quickly as the cables it's testing feels pretty pointless to me
It doesn't loose its ability to tell all the variations up to the point in time.
For the switch to 240W USB-C it may become obsolote but at least you will know they are 100W and 10gbit capable?
Why the heck does the "cross-posted from" link direct me to BDSM content on Jerboa? 😲
I'm also using jerboa and got no issues
Same. Super disappointed
Works fine on browser - seems like a Jerboa issue
Also works fine on Boost, links to a post on !technology@lemmy.ml
Maybe you should open an issue about it?
It's a bug in your client, and the post it gets is related to your instance. That's why the other person that says they get the same incorrect post is from your same instance.
Huh, same here, that's odd
AI?
Sounds and reads as a solid product idea.
I just bought an expensive c-type ($18) which said superfast on its packing only to found out now its charging speed is super slow: more than 3 hrs to charge my phone while another c-type I have does it in less than 1.5 hrs.
Yeah, unfortunately fast data and fast charging are two independent characteristics...
Even at early bird pricing (39,-€) I'd rather get a cable that has the specs I need.
This seems to do a little bit more than simply list the specs (show shorted pins and whatnot), but it doesn't do any kind of load testing (tests like does sending 240 watts over the wire somehow interfere with the data transfer).
Most of the cables that I have lying around are USB 2.0 100 watts PD, as that's what most devices come with that have a cable in the box. For other cables I know what they're capable of because I read the spec sheet before purchasing them.
This might be useful to shops who sell refurbished phones that want to quickly check whether used USB-C cables are still good, but I don't see why anyone would want this for personal use.
I'd rather get a cable that has the specs I need.
Well, duh, this would be more useful for those cables laying around your house that you've forgotten or never known the specs of.