After a lot of confusion about USB type names, USB Developer Forum – USB-IF – proposed to change the logo and nomenclature of the standard in order to make it more understandable for users. Now instead of processing equipment USB common name, for example USB 3.2for example, companies associated with the agency must display a logo on the products they sell that displays necessary information about the baud rate. Thus, customers no longer need to know what USB 3.2 stands for. It will suffice to know if the displayed bit rate is ideal for the user’s purposes.

Understanding the old USB naming confusion

before the premiere USB 3.0, in 2008, emerging to meet the new needs of electronic devices, there was no confusion in the nomenclature of the connection. However, new updates to the standard have been released since then, with previous versions not necessarily falling into disuse. Thus, it became necessary to create new names so that buyers could differentiate each of the types. USB.

The first successors to USB 3.0 were USB 3.1 Gen 1 as well as USB 3.1 Gen 2 the main difference of which was the speed of file transfer, which were, respectively, 5 Gbps as well as 10 Gbps. With the advent of USB 3.2 in 2017 USB-IF decided to rename the USB 3.1 models also to USB 3.2.

The idea, at first, was to make life easier for customers by making everything “one thing”. Since not everyone accepted the logo rules proposed by the agency, the USB 3.X Gen X standard has become a mixture of names that the less attentive user could get lost in. The summary was basically in the table below.

If you don’t know what the abbreviation USB stands for, it stands for “universal serial bus” or universal connection.

USB connection interface standards

Among the standard USB interface options, three are the most popular today. The first and most popular is USB-A. Format USB type A more than the other two, and is conspicuous in different types of devices and devices, laptops and mice, for example, use this format to establish a connection, in general.

already microUSB was quite common on older mobile devices, especially Android smartphones and tablets. This format is falling into disuse precisely because of the interface. USB-C, which is also characterized by being small enough to be used in smaller devices and being able to transfer more data as well as power. Newer smartphones come with a charger and data cables by default, as do models with type C.

What will change with the new USB-IF recommendations?

In the last week USB-IF announced some branding and logo changes to the USB standard to end the naming confusion that was mentioned at the beginning of this article. Essentially, naming SuperSpeed ​​USB and their versions (USB 3.1, USB 3.2, etc.) should be discontinued. And instead, manufacturers must display the USB certification logo on their products and packaging, which shows the transfer speed for that particular product. Thus, customers will not need to know that each of USB 3 keep in mind. It will be enough to know if this rate suits your needs.

In an interview with the international portal The Verge Jeff RavencraftUSB-IF’s president and chief operating officer, said the decision came after the agency conducted several consumer focus group studies and found that customers were unable to understand the message in the previous format.

“What consumers want to know — and what we’ve learned — is that they want to know two things: What is the highest level of data performance that a product can achieve? And what is the highest power level I can get with this product?”– described the performer to the portal.

The brand change should affect all interface options, i.e. USB-A, microUSB as well as USB-C. The only pattern that should not be affected is USB 2.0. This is because USB-IF is afraid of confusion when describing 480 Mbps default bandwidth. A less attentive customer might think that because the number is higher, the performance will be better than a high-end product. USB 10 Gbpsfor example, when due to scale differences giga as well as megais not.

USB-C gets a special change

The USB-C connection interface is becoming more and more popular as it is capable of higher transfer speeds than, for example, USB-A, in addition to being able to charge devices and mainly due to the concept of connecting from any side. , which is different from USB Type A. Therefore, USB-IF also recommends that manufacturers indicate, in addition to the transfer speed of USB Type C products, the charging power in the brand logo. See below.

Is this the end of the USB version name confusion?

It’s hard to predict if this will end the USB naming confusion. Since the standard is open, i.e. does not require licensing from the USB-IF, the body does not have the legal force to oblige developers to follow the new rules.

It is expected that at least 900 USB-IF affiliated companies will eventually comply with the new definitions aimed at making life easier for customers. In any case, it is likely that starting this quarter, users will begin to notice new logos on their products and packaging showing the transferability of objects.

Source: The Verge, Kingston.