cross-posted from: https://lemmy.cringecollective.io/post/75583

why isn’t it ok? why???

Meme “the number of people who think this is an abomination” over a photo of a USB-A to USB-A cable, “but think this is perfectly acceptable” over a photo of a USB-C to USB-C cable, “makes me sick.”

  • MinekPo1 [it/she]@lemmygrad.ml
    14·
    4 months ago

    actually they would be correct :

    USB began as a protocol where one side (USB-A) takes the leading role and the other (USB-B) the following role . this was mandated by hardware with differently shaped plugs and ports . this made sense for the time as USB was ment to connect computers to peripherals .

    however some devices don’t fit this binary that well : one might want to connect their phone to their computer to pull data off it , but they also might want to connect a keyboard to it , with the small form factor not allowing for both a USB-A and USB-B port. the solution was USB On-The-Go : USB Mini-A/B/AB and USB Micro-A/B/AB connectors have an additional pin which allows both modes of operations

    with USB-C , aside from adding more pins and making the connector rotationally symmetric , a very similar yet differently named feature was included , since USB-C - USB-C connections were planed for

    so yeah USB-A to USB-A connections are explicitly not allowed , for a similar reason as you only see CEE 7 (fine , or the objectively worse NEMA) plugs on both ends of a cable only in joke made cables . USB-C has additional hardware to support both sides using USB-C which USB-A , neither in the original or 3.0 revision , has .

    • tetris11@lemmy.ml
      8·
      4 months ago

      With USB-C isn’t there still a slave-master dynamic that is now negotiated via software rather than hardware?

      • sparkle@lemm.ee
        145·
        4 months ago

        a slave-master dynamic

        please don’t use that term, every time i see it i immediately verge on orgasming. you’ve already made me ruin 2 undergarments today. i have a serious bdsm kink and this is not funny.

      • MinekPo1 [it/she]@lemmygrad.ml
        4·
        4 months ago

        it seems like it , but I have no idea !

        edit : to clarify , I believe it does , using the CC1 & CC2 pins which are also used for other things , but I don’t know anything about USB protocol side , I should learn about it haha

        • tetris11@lemmy.ml
          3·
          4 months ago

          I think since it’s now a software implementation, USB-C supports many such modes, some of which are slave-master as is needed, but others such as various display modes, and power modes.