An USB plug that goes both ways • Hacker News Board

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#21

Post by Samuel_Michon » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:26 PM UTC

51Cards wrote: post #11

colanderman wrote: post #9

I've always wondered, why aren't USB connectors designed to be able to be inserted either way? Does having 4 contacts vs 8 really save all that much money?

Agreed, they should just be like a firewire plug that is bidirectional (ie. not tapered at one end) with the 4 pins repeated on each side. Much better design.

FireWire plugs only fit one way, just like USB. Yet, one of FireWire's advantages is that the connector doesn't have a fully symmetrical shape, that makes it more obvious how to insert the plug. Users don't even have to look, they can feel which side is narrowest or has a dent on one side (depending on the type of FireWire plug).

http://pinouts.ru/connector/4_pin,_6_pin_or_9_pin_IEEE1394_F...

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#22

Post by Semiapies » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:28 PM UTC

jjcm wrote: post #18

Smart, but I wonder how robust it is. With a sliding mechanism that small that's going to be constantly barraged with fumbling fingers, will it be able to stand the test of time? Something tells me it'll go the way of floppy disks - accidentally mangled springs, which will make the user have to toss it and get a new one. The major difference being that USB cables don't come in packs of 10.

It has the lowest robustness possible: it's some student's design project and doesn't even physically exist.

All the illustrations are renders or bad composites.

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#23

Post by sliverstorm » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:34 PM UTC

dylan62 wrote: post #5

I've always wondered why the USB port is the way it is. It seems such an unbelievably stupid design, but I assume there must be a reason for it. Does anyone have a link, or brief explanation? Incidentally a search for "why is the usb port such a stupid design?" (without the quotes) brings up nothing remotely relevant on any of the major search engines. Strange.

Probably because it's just really, really simple. Short of audio jacks, it's one of the simplest computer plugs in existence. That's a good thing when you're trying to achieve universal adoption.

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#24

Post by 51Cards » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:34 PM UTC

Samuel_Michon wrote: post #21

51Cards wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, they should just be like a firewire plug that is bidirectional (ie. not tapered at one end) with the 4 pins repeated on each side. Much better design.

FireWire plugs only fit one way, just like USB. Yet, one of FireWire's advantages is that the connector doesn't have a fully symmetrical shape, that makes it more obvious how to insert the plug. Users don't even have to look, they can feel which side is narrowest or has a dent on one side (depending on the type of FireWire plug). http://pinouts.ru/connector/4_pin,_6_pin_or_9_pin_IEEE1394_F...

I should have made that wording clearer... by "like a firewire plug that is bidirectional (ie. not tapered)" I mean a symmetrically shaped firewire "style" plug, only with the same pins arrayed down each side... so no matter how you plug it in it's correct.

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#25

Post by marshray » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:34 PM UTC

ghshephard wrote: post #6

Well, after 10+ years of using USB widgets of every shape, size, and color - I just discovered from reading the article that the USB symbol is always on the top side. So, I certainly got my value out of HN today. :-)

What? You didn't notice the mark clearly embossed in black plastic on the black plastic background while holding it in the illuminated space between the back of your computer and the wall?

Or maybe yours doesn't have a mark at all like the mouse I'm using now. Or maybe it has one mark on one side and a slightly different mark on the other.

Who came up with this stupid idea anyway of making a plug that looks and feels to the fingers completely symmetrical externally yet is definitely oriented in its insertion? Why are we still using it?

I went to buy a USB cable for charging something the other day. It seems I bought a micro instead of a mini USB end, or vice versa.

Really guys. What we needed was a smaller RJ45 without the plastic tab thingy that breaks off. HDMI isn't doing nearly so bad.

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#26

Post by sliverstorm » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:36 PM UTC

colanderman wrote: post #9

I've always wondered, why aren't USB connectors designed to be able to be inserted either way? Does having 4 contacts vs 8 really save all that much money?

My other wish has always been 'uni-sex' USB plugs, but I don't know if you can easily have both 'uni-sex' and invertible together.

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#27

Post by Zak » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:37 PM UTC

jmaygarden wrote: post #4

jacquesm wrote: post #2

That's pretty clever actually! Is this a real product? If so how does it compare for number of insertions versus 'regular' USB plugs? Is this a large enough advantage to justify the additional costs?

UltraTek makes something similar: http://www.flipperusb.com/

End the frustration of broken USB connectors and end-user support issues

I'm afraid to ask... do any significant number of users actually break their USB ports by trying to insert the plug the wrong way?

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#28

Post by dotBen » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:57 PM UTC

Zak wrote: post #27

jmaygarden wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UltraTek makes something similar: http://www.flipperusb.com/

End the frustration of broken USB connectors and end-user support issues I'm afraid to ask... do any significant number of users actually break their USB ports by trying to insert the plug the wrong way?

I've never heard of this happening - sounds like marketing BS to help sell the need for this solution.

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#29

Post by jarek » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 9:58 PM UTC

Zak wrote: post #27

jmaygarden wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UltraTek makes something similar: http://www.flipperusb.com/

End the frustration of broken USB connectors and end-user support issues I'm afraid to ask... do any significant number of users actually break their USB ports by trying to insert the plug the wrong way?

No. This is a solution in search of a problem. USB is the most successful computer plug for a reason, and that reason is simplicity.

Re: An USB plug that goes both ways

#30

Post by jws » Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 10:01 PM UTC

marshray wrote: post #25

ghshephard wrote: post #6

Well, after 10+ years of using USB widgets of every shape, size, and color - I just discovered from reading the article that the USB symbol is always on the top side. So, I certainly got my value out of HN today. :-)

What? You didn't notice the mark clearly embossed in black plastic on the black plastic background while holding it in the illuminated space between the back of your computer and the wall? Or maybe yours doesn't have a mark at all like the mouse I'm using now. Or maybe it has one mark on one side and a slightly different mark on the other. Who came up with this stupid idea anyway of making a plug that looks and feels…

Come on, it's right there in section 6.5.1 of the specification which you'd know if you searched the web, downloaded 11MB of data, unzipped it and sorted through it for the "Universal Serial Bus Specification Revision 2.0", then read all 622 pages of that.

6.5.1 USB Icon Location

The USB Icon is embossed, in a recessed area, on the topside of the USB plug. This provides easy user recognition and facilitates alignment during the mating process.

And from this I learn that all my Apple keyboards and mice are non-compliant devices since their marks are painted on rather than embossed into the connector. I'll have to replace them.