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USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
421–430 of 544 posts
Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#422It didn't really need to go in either way. It just needed to not be rotationally symmetrical while only going in one way. Firewire only went in one way but it was never an issue because it's shape conveyed a clear orientation.
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Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#423Earlier quoted context omitted.
The fact that the inventor doesn't see this obvious fact honestly boggles the mind.
Low-level (electrical/logical) protocol design and connector design seem like pretty different skills!
Making the initial mistake is one thing, but failing to see why it is bad after decades of complaints is on a whole different level.
Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#424Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#425Imagine if “Ethernet” cables weren’t reversible.
Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#426Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#427As an added bit of genius, it’s exactly the right width to fit snugly into an Ethernet port. (Which most laptops keep right next to the usb ports)
So on the rare occasion that you get it right by feel the first try, you’re not actually plugged in to anything and get to spend 10 minutes debugging your printer before noticing.
Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#428My take: round connectors are the best connectors — checking the plug orientation is a waste of bloody time. Every time you plug something in you waste a few seconds checking the orientation and flipping the plug over. Even reversible plugs are inferior to round ones.
USB-A has only 4 wires: they could have easily used a co-axial connector. Hell, they could have used a 3.5 mm TRRS phono cable and it would have been better.
Why do we put up with this shit?
Re: USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (2019)
#429> Making USB reversible to begin with would have necessitated twice as many wires and twice as many circuits, and would have doubled the cost. This is... not correct. You can make USB reversible with 1 extra pin and 1 extra wire. Grounds on pins 1 and 5, data on pins 2 and 4, and VCC on pin 3. Then have those pins on both sides of the plug and a socket with a single set of contacts on one side. That's BASICALLY what…
Couldn't original USB have used TRRS? That's better than reversible - an infinite number of orientations are allowed.
They'd have to make it not fit in a normal TRRS hole or use some fancy power negotiation stuff to avoid blowing up headphones. It would be cool though. But perhaps easier to mess up than USB. Cheap headphone cables aren't great.