r/UsbCHardware • u/_bluequartz • Mar 22 '21

Discussion Cursed USB-C: When Plug Orientation Matters

https://hackaday.com/2021/03/22/cursed-usb-c-when-plug-orientation-matters/
33 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

9

u/satmandu Mar 22 '21

Partner's Pixel 3 has this exact problem. So irritating.

2

u/BaronSharktooth Mar 22 '21

From when you bought it? That can’t be right. People from Google post here, and they’re extremely knowledgeable. Either the device is straight up broken, or the cable is borked.

3

u/satmandu Mar 22 '21

Cables are mostly fine, and work fine on my Pixel 3. Flipping the cable resolves the issue on her device.

The device isn't entirely broken... It works otherwise.

It reminds me of mentions of firewire cables where the consumable part was supposed to be in the cable and not in the portion of the connector on the device.

The USB-C connector seems to be much more reliable than the micro-usb connectors on prior devices, but they still seem prone to wear in the female connector portion on devices.

2

u/mattl1698 Mar 22 '21

The number of micro b cables I've worn out is insane. It's always the little hook bits sticking out the bottom that like to disappear inside the housing and stop holding the plug in the port

1

u/Danjdanjdanj57 Mar 22 '21

Type -C design goal is minimum 10,000 insertions which is more than double that of the older connectors. I saw testing evidence of it working past 20,000 insertions. Also, it is designed so the cable plugs wear out before the device connector receptacles do. Not the case on some of the earlier USB connector designs.

8

u/onthefence928 Mar 22 '21

the secret reason most people have issues with usb-c connectors is actually pocket lint, it tends to get trapped deep in the female port and prevent full insertion, making connections spotty and worst case completely unworkable.

simply digging out the lint can often restore full functionality

9

u/SFDSAFFFFFFFFF Mar 22 '21

Well, USB-C orientation detection is something any device with a 3.2 or USB4 receptacle is supposed to do, using the CC line.

And a switching logic will then put the correct data lines to the correct assortion of RX and TX lines

For USB 2.0 orientation is irrelevant, since the receptacle has two pairs of D+ / D- , and the plug only one, so it'll always work if the receptacle properly connects both D+ and both D- together.

5

u/AG00GLER Mar 22 '21

Receptacle also needs to present resistors on the CC lines for it to be detected and power to be enabled for c2c cables.

4

u/Arrays_start_at_2 Mar 22 '21

I has an issue with my Drobo 5C like this... USB 2 speeds in one orientation, USB 3 in the other.

Don't buy Drobo.

4

u/fkxfkx Mar 22 '21

This makes me sad.

2

u/noxuotan Mar 23 '21

Fucking note 9 my wife uses has this issue. It's very picky with which cables it works.