which usb type is compatible for both windows and mac

#WHICH USB TYPE IS COMPATIBLE FOR BOTH WINDOWS AND MAC SERIAL#

However, these pins are organized in a way that doesn't prevent them from physically working with the older version.Īlso note that there are smaller Type-A plugs and connectors, including Mini Type-A and Micro Type-A, but there are very few devices that use these designs. This is in order to deliver faster speeds and higher power output. USB 3.0's connectors and ports have have more pins than USB 2.0.

That's true also for gadgets without cables, such as a thumb drive.

Similarly, small devices such as a mouse, keyboard or network adapter that have hard-wired USB cables always use Type-A connectors. Type-A USB port for USB 3.0 (blue) and USB 2.0 on the back of a computer. For example, a USB 3.0 external hard drive also works with a USB 2.0 port, and vice versa. That means a Type-A connector is always compatible with a Type-A port event if the device and host use different USB versions. There are very few peripheral devices that use a Type-A port.ĭifferent USB versions including USB 1.1, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 (more on differing versions below) currently share the same USB Type-A design. Type-A ports are mostly in host devices, including desktop computers, laptops, game consoles, media players and so on. And on a host, the USB port (or receptacle) where the Type A-male is inserted, is called an A-female port. On a typical USB cable, the Type A connector, aka the A-male connector, is the end that goes into a host, such as a computer. Let's start with the USB type.įor the most part, Type-A ends (left of the coin) of the USB cables remains the same across existing USB versions.Īlso known as USB Standard-A, USB Type-A is the original design for the USB standard and uses a flat rectangular shape. Generally, the versions refer to the speed and functionality of the USB cable, while the USB type refers to the physical shape and the wiring of the ports and plugs. In the USB world, things are a bit more complicated because there have been more versions and types than Thunderbolt. Since Thunderbolt 3 devices use discrete Thunderbolt chips to function, they will not function if plugged into a USB-C port.Īll versions of Thunderbolt allow for daisy-chaining up to six devices together to a host and in addition to data, can also carry Hi-Def video and audio signals.Any USB-C device (like a Google Pixel) plugged into a Thunderbolt 3 port will function normally.Thunderbolt 3 is backward-compatible with earlier versions of Thunderbolt, but due to the new port type, adapters are required to use legacy Thunderbolt devices.For 1m (3.2 ft.) or longer cables, Thunderbolt 3 supports passive (cheaper) ones that have a top speed of 20Gbps, and active cables (more expensive) that retain the 40Gbps speed.Thunderbolt 3 has a top data transfer speed of 40Gbps as long as the cable is 0.5m (1.6 ft.) or shorter.All USB-C cables will work as Thunderbolt 3 cables as long as they are good quality cables.All Thunderbolt 3 cables will work as USB-C cables.The Mini DisplayPort connection type has been ditched in favor of a USB-C connection type.Here's how Thunderbolt 3 is different from its predecessors: Thunderbolt 2 (adapter required,) DisplayPort, PCIe 3rd Gen, USB 3.1Ĥ0Gbps (short or active cable) 20Gbps (long, passive cable,) With these older Thunderbolt standards, the cable was active, meaning the cable itself is a device that requires power to operate (which is why most Thunderbolt 1 or 2 devices would require an external power source in order to function.) This made Thunderbolt a much more expensive solution, as the cable itself is some 10 times more expensive than a USB cable of the same length. Prior to Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 2 and the original Thunderbolt shared the same cable type and port (which is the same port type as Apple's Mini DisplayPort) and had top data transfer speeds of 20Gbps and 10Gbps, respectively. This means every Thunderbolt 3 port will also work as a USB-C port and every Thunderbolt 3 cable will work as a USB-C cable.īefore you can fully appreciate what a leap forward both USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 are, let's familiarize you with Type-A, Type-B, and the various versions of the Thunderbolt standard. In fact, device manufacturers are so confident in the new USB-C standard that Intel announced last year that Thunderbolt 3, once thought to be a USB replacement, will use the same port type as USB-C. On average, some 3 billion USB ports are shipped each year, making it by far the most successful peripheral connection type in the world.

#WHICH USB TYPE IS COMPATIBLE FOR BOTH WINDOWS AND MAC SERIAL#

Look around your house and chances are you have at least a few devices that use Universal Serial Bus. 5 things to know about the MacBook Pro's USB-C ports.

Which usb type is compatible for both windows and mac