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USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

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Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

#401

Post by dboreham »

lmm wrote: post #321
bigstrat2003 wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never heard of anyone replacing their hard wired monitor cable. And in any case I certainly wouldn't have had the skills, so I think "malicious" is an uncalled-for term here. Maybe my boss (the owner) knew better and chose to charge people for new monitors, but I definitely didn't.

Have you never wired a plug? I'm baffled that it would never occur to you that the connector is replaceable.

Heh, as a former EE masquerading as a software developer, I would elicit gasps by...taking the case off a computer (do it while it's turned on and jaws hit the floor).

Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

#402

Post by ShadowBanThis01 »

oblio wrote: post #391
cyberax wrote: post #314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's incorrect. USB-C design maximizes the device longevity by removing springs from the device that typically get worn down quickly. The cable is responsible for the grip. You do get a protruding tongue on the device side, but it's well protected.

I broke mine on a S21. It's also getting wobbly on 2 Essential Phones. As OP said, now those 3 expensive devices are mostly broken or at risk instead of the cheap cable. It's bad design compared to the Lightning connector, and I don't like Apple...

Be that as it may, the Lightning port's communications are shit and inferior to those of the ancient 30-pin iPod port.

Lightning can't even deliver full HD video; the iPod port could. And what Lightning does deliver is compressed trash.

Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

#404

Post by moring »

userbinator wrote: post #349
randyrand wrote: post #311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To help visualize: 1: GND 2: DATA +/- 3: VCC 4: DATA +/- 5: GND

With that pinout you'd end up with one orientation being full/high-speed and the other being low speed. Edit: see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_communications#Signaling_s...

Only if you don't also redefine the convention to select speeds.

Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

#406

Post by kergonath »

somat wrote: post #345
whoooooo123 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with USB-a isn't that it's non reversible, it's that it's non-reversible _and_ rectangular, so it's not clear at a glance which way round it should go. All they had to do was make the connector have a non-symmetrical shape so that it's immediately obvious which way round it goes when you pick it up - you could do it without even looking. Think of how much time we'd have collectively saved with this minor…

Right, the only thing worse than USB was the PS2 port. What sort of madness drive someone to invent a round connector that is keyed. Hyperbole aside, there are some very good reasons to go with round connectors, it can be very strong and you can put a big nut on them to have an extremely secure lock. however the PS2 connector is nether of these things, It would require a much more robust key to work well. The worst c…

> Right, the only thing worse than USB was the PS2 port. What sort of madness drive someone to invent a round connector that is keyed.

The Apple desktop bus (ADB) that was used for keyboards and mice in Mac-land was also round. They improved it by using asymmetrical plugs, which marginally helped.

Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

#407

Post by kergonath »

jonny_eh wrote: post #236
whoooooo123 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with USB-a isn't that it's non reversible, it's that it's non-reversible _and_ rectangular, so it's not clear at a glance which way round it should go. All they had to do was make the connector have a non-symmetrical shape so that it's immediately obvious which way round it goes when you pick it up - you could do it without even looking. Think of how much time we'd have collectively saved with this minor…

For an example of an asymmetrical "rectangle", look at HDMI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#/media/File:HDMI_connecto...

FireWire was great for that. I loved that connector.

Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

#408

Post by DANmode »

JoblessWonder wrote: post #280
Scoundreller wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oh god, I was made to be an idiot when I once told someone they would need a crossover cable to do what they wanted to do a few years ago...

If it makes you feel any better... for some reason there are some currently in production business jets that still require crossover cables for maintenance... so they ARE still required sometimes.

Security through obscurity?

Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)

#410

Post by polynomial »

aranchelk wrote: post #164

My take on USB-A: aside from audio connectors that have axial symmetry (and have no meaningful orientation), I never used any reversible computer cables prior to USB-C, and that’s not the main issue. Nor is it the axis of symmetry of the casing allowing failed upside down plugin attempts. The shitty part of USB-A is that the tactile feedback of being slightly misaligned is identical to it being upside down. My experi…

> the tactile feedback of being slightly misaligned is identical to it being upside down.

Did that come out right?

(Asking as I have a similar hypothesis- depending on your answer.)

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