Section 2 Cable types
USB
USB type A
Whats it look like?
Flat rectangular connector that only is able to be plugged in 1 way
Wheres it used?
Most commonly on printers and laptops
Used with the old USB 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0 standards and still supported in 3.0 and above
USB type B
3 different type B connectors
Type B Standard , Type B Mini, Type B Micro
Type B Standard
Where is it used?
Typically used for printers and larger devices.
Whats it look like?
Square shaped with the top 2 corners rounded resembling a D
Type B Mini
Where it is used?
Commonly found in portable devices such as cameras and older mobile phones.
Whats it look like?
Like a trapezoid
Type B Micro
Where is it used?
A smaller connector used predominantly in smartphones and tablets
Whats it look like?
Like a very skinny trapezoid
USB 3.0 Type B Micro
Wheres it used?
Typically used for larger devices like printers and external hard drives
Whats it look like?
Like 2 connectors put together
USB Type C
Whats it look like
A reversible connector thats oval shapped
Wheres it used?
Used in smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other devices for charging and data transfer.
Supports various protocols including USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 3, and DisplayPort.
USB Versions
USB 1.0
Transfer Rate: 1.5 Mbps (Low Speed)
Market Name: Low Speed
Max length:9 feet
USB 1.1
Transfer Rate:12 Mbps
Market Name:Full Speed
Max Length:15 feet
USB 2.0
Transfer Rate:480 Mbps
Market Name: Hi-Speed
Max Length:15
USB 3.1 Gen 1
Transfer Rate: 5 Gbps Market Name: SuperSpeed
Max length:9 feet
USB 3.1 Gen 2
Transfer Rate: 10 Gbps
Market Name: SuperSpeed+
Max length:9 feet
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Transfer Rate: 20 Gbps
Market Name: SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps
Max length:9 feet
USB 4
Transfer Rate 40Gbps
Max length:9 feet
Video Cables
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
Lower-Resloultion HDMI
Displays 1080p or 1920 by 1080 pixels using a graphical display
High-resolution HDMI
Displays 4k and 8k resolutions with 60, 120, or 144 hertz
What is HDCP?
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection allows a device to validate and a handshake with the display its connected to, which makes sure that both the display and the device are authorized to receive that signal
HDMI Connectors
Type A
Regular full-size connector
Type C
Mini connector
Type D
Micro connector
Categories of HDMI Cables
Category 1 (Standard) - supports basic 1080p and 60 hertz
Category 2 (High Speed) - Can cover greater distances and has higher resolutions, like 4k and 8k or higher refresh rates of 60, 120, 144 hertz
DVI
DVI-A Only supports analog signals
DVI-D supports Digital signals
DVI-I (Integrated) - supports both analog and digital
DVI is an evolution of VGA (Video Graphics Array)
VGA uses a 15-pin standard analog video interface port