What is USB type A? What is the connectivity of USB type A?

The appearance of USB ports is increasingly appearing on electronic devices, especially on laptops, because of their convenience and multitasking. But do you clearly understand the definition of USB and what is USB type A? Let's find out with TipsMake!

What is USB? 

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a general-purpose serial connection standard in computers. USB is used to connect peripheral devices to computers, they are usually designed as plugs.

It can be understood that the USB port allows devices equipped with USB ports to be connected to each other and transfer digital data via USB cables, and can also transmit electrical power to devices that need electricity to operate. USB was released in 1996, the USB standard is currently maintained by the USB-IF organization. USB has had 4 generations including: USB 1.x, USB 2.0, USB 3.x and USB4. USB connection ports have 2 types: wired and wireless, but the most popular is still the wired USB port.

Currently, there are 3 most popular USB types: USB Type A, USB Type B, USB Type C. Each type of USB has its own characteristics, all with the common task of transferring data between devices with USB ports without using the network. USB Type A is currently the most commonly used port. Let's find out what USB Type A is!

What is USB Type A? What is the connectivity?

USB Type A is commonly used in most computer devices today. Including desktop computers, laptops, tablets. USB Type A ports are used on computers to connect to keyboards, mice, connect USB Flash drives, and can transfer data between devices. USB Type A has many other uses. Nowadays, when we talk about USB, we mostly refer to Type A.

USB Type A ports are also widely used on gaming devices. In addition, you can also find them on speakers, Smart TVs and many other devices around us.

Normally, USB ports are used to plug in cables to connect devices together to transfer data between computers. But now, all of them are replaced by USB Type A.

The USB interface is divided into two different branches that many people call male and female, but the nature of the two branches of the USB Type A interface is the same. The male head is the head on the cable, USB Flash or wireless mouse transceiver, etc., which is plugged into the USB Type-A female head, which is usually located on the host device such as computer, TV, etc. This interface mainly exists on the computer and is used to control the data transmission of the USB specification.

The Difference Between USB-A and USB-C

There are many differences between USB-A and USB-C, namely:

Shape and design 

The awkward USB-A connection has been updated with the space-saving USB-C design, allowing electronics to be designed thinner than ever.

In addition to the obvious visual overhaul, USB-C ports now allow USB-C connectors to be plugged in regardless of orientation. This major convenience update is due to the symmetrical pin placement on both the bottom and top of the USB-C connector.

The USB-A pins are dedicated to the bottom of the USB-A port (making it impossible to reverse the connector when plugged in).

Supports USB standards

The latest USB 4.0 standard only requires a USB-C connector and eliminates USB-A. USB 4.0 has a potential data rate of 40Gbps, allowing for bidirectional power delivery of up to 100W (powering large electronics, from laptops to some printers).

This is significantly more powerful than the most recent standard, USB 3.1, which has a maximum data transfer rate of 10Gbps.

Support Alternate Modes

USB-C's Alternate Mode feature allows USB-C ports to support a wider range of data protocols, but this support is up to hardware manufacturers to decide whether to integrate it into their electronics.

Alternate Modes can be streamlined into a single USB-C port including Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, HDMI, Mobile High-Definition Link, and VirtualLink.

By packing all of these connections into a single USB-C port, Alternate Modes allow for thinner designs for electronics than ever before. All you need is the right adapter to access the Alternate Mode feature you want from your USB-C port.

USB-A does not support Alternate Mode.

Both USB-A and USB-C are designed to be backward compatible with the devices they connect to. For example, a USB-A 3.0 connector will run at the speed of a USB port, including USB 2.0 and USB 1.1. Likewise, a USB-C 3.2 connector is also backward compatible with previous USB-C port standards.

Conclude:

The above is detailed information about the USB type A connection ports commonly found on popular laptop product lines that will help customers more conveniently when looking to buy products. For any questions, you can contact the hotline: 19001903 for the best advice and support.