"SuperSpeed" redirects here. For other uses, see Super Speed
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SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbit/s packaging logoUniversal Serial Bus 3.0 (USB 3.0), marketed as SuperSpeed USB, is the third major version of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard for interfacing computers and electronic devices. It was released in November . The USB 3.0 specification defined a new architecture and protocol, named SuperSpeed, which included a new lane for providing full-duplex data transfers that physically required five additional wires and pins, while also adding a new signal coding scheme (8b/10b symbols, 5 Gbps; also known later as Gen 1), and preserving the USB 2.0 architecture and protocols and therefore keeping the original four pins and wires for the USB 2.0 backward-compatibility, resulting in nine wires in total and nine or ten pins at connector interfaces (ID-pin is not wired). The new transfer rate, marketed as SuperSpeed USB (SS), can transfer signals at up to 5 Gbit/s with raw data rate of 500 MB/s after encoding overhead, which is about 10 times faster than High-Speed (maximum for USB 2.0 standard). USB 3.0 Type-A and B connectors are usually blue, to distinguish them from USB 2.0 connectors, as recommended by the specification,[3] and by the initials SS.[4]
USB 3.1, released in July , is the successor specification that fully replaces the USB 3.0 specification. USB 3.1 preserves the existing SuperSpeed USB architecture and protocol with its operation mode (8b/10b symbols, 5 Gbps), giving it the label USB 3.1 Gen 1.[5][6] USB 3.1 introduced an Enhanced SuperSpeed System &#; while preserving and incorporating the SuperSpeed architecture and protocol (aka SuperSpeed USB) &#; with an additional SuperSpeedPlus architecture adding and providing a new coding schema (128b/132b symbols) and protocol named SuperSpeedPlus (aka SuperSpeedPlus USB, sometimes marketed as SuperSpeed+ or SS+) while defining a new transfer mode called USB 3.1 Gen 2[5] with a signal speed of 10 Gbit/s and a raw data rate of MB/s over existing Type-A, Type-B, and USB-C connections, more than twice the rate of USB 3.0 (aka Gen 1).[7][8] Backward-compatibility is still given by the parallel USB 2.0 implementation. USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A and Type-B connectors are usually teal-colored.
USB 3.2, released in September , fully replaces the USB 3.1 specification. The USB 3.2 specification added a second lane to the Enhanced SuperSpeed System besides other enhancements, so that SuperSpeedPlus USB implements the Gen 2x1 (formerly known as USB 3.1 Gen 2), and the two new Gen 1x2 and Gen 2x2 operation modes while operating on two lanes. The SuperSpeed architecture and protocol (aka SuperSpeed USB) still implements the one-lane Gen 1x1 (formerly known as USB 3.1 Gen 1) operation mode. Therefore, two-lane operations, namely USB 3.2 Gen 1x2 (10 Gbit/s with raw data rate of 1 GB/s after encoding overhead) and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbit/s, 2.422 GB/s), are only possible with Full-Featured USB Type-C Fabrics (24 pins). As of , USB 3.2 Gen 1x2 and Gen 2x2 are not implemented on many products yet; Intel, however, starts to include them in its LGA Rocket Lake chipsets (500 series) in January and AMD in its LGA AM5 chipsets in September , but Apple never provided them. On the other hand, USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 Gbit/s) and Gen 2x1 (10 Gbit/s) implementations have become quite common. Again, backward-compatibility is given by the parallel USB 2.0 implementation.
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The USB 3.0 specification is similar to USB 2.0, but with many improvements and an alternative implementation. Earlier USB concepts such as endpoints and the four transfer types (bulk, control, isochronous and interrupt) are preserved but the protocol and electrical interface are different. The specification defines a physically separate channel to carry USB 3.0 traffic. The changes in this specification make improvements in the following areas:
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USB 3.0 has transmission speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s or Mbit/s, about ten times faster than USB 2.0 (0.48 Gbit/s) even without considering that USB 3.0 is full duplex whereas USB 2.0 is half duplex. This gives USB 3.0 a potential total bidirectional bandwidth twenty times greater than USB 2.0.[10] Considering flow control, packet framing and protocol overhead, applications can expect 450 MB/s of bandwidth.[11]
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Front view of a Standard-A USB 3.0 connector, showing its front row of four pins for the USB 1.x/2.0 backward compatibility, and a second row of five pins for the later (but out-of-date) USB 3.0 connectivity. The plastic insert is in the USB 3.0 standard blue color, Pantone 300C.In USB 3.0, dual-bus architecture is used to allow both USB 2.0 (Full Speed, Low Speed, or High Speed) and USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) operations to take place simultaneously, thus providing backward compatibility. The structural topology is the same, consisting of a tiered star topology with a root hub at level 0 and hubs at lower levels to provide bus connectivity to devices.
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The SuperSpeed transaction is initiated by a host request, followed by a response from the device. The device either accepts the request or rejects it; if accepted, the device sends data or accepts data from the host. If the endpoint is halted, the device responds with a STALL handshake. If there is lack of buffer space or data, it responds with a Not Ready (NRDY) signal to tell the host that it is not able to process the request. When the device is ready, it sends an Endpoint Ready (ERDY) to the host which then reschedules the transaction.
The use of unicast and the limited number of multicast packets, combined with asynchronous notifications, enables links that are not actively passing packets to be put into reduced power states, which allows better power management.
USB 3.0 uses a spread-spectrum clock varying by up to ppm at 33 KHz to reduce EMI. As a result, the receiver needs to continually "chase" the clock to recover the data. Clock recovery is helped by the 8b/10b encoding and other designs.[12]
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The "SuperSpeed" bus provides for a transfer mode at a nominal rate of 5.0 Gbit/s, in addition to the three existing transfer modes. Accounting for the encoding overhead, the raw data throughput is 4 Gbit/s, and the specification considers it reasonable to achieve 3.2 Gbit/s (400 MB/s) or more in practice.[13]
All data is sent as a stream of eight-bit (one-byte) segments that are scrambled and converted into 10-bit symbols via 8b/10b encoding; this helps prevent transmissions from generating electromagnetic interference (EMI).[7] Scrambling is implemented using a free-running linear feedback shift register (LFSR). The LFSR is reset whenever a COM symbol is sent or received.[13]
Unlike previous standards, the USB 3.0 standard does not specify a maximum cable length, requiring only that all cables meet an electrical specification: for copper cabling with AWG 26 wires, the maximum practical length is 3 meters (10 ft).[14]
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As with earlier versions of USB, USB 3.0 provides power at 5 volts nominal. The available current for low-power (one unit load) SuperSpeed devices is 150 mA, an increase from the 100 mA defined in USB 2.0. For high-power SuperSpeed devices, the limit is six unit loads or 900 mA (4.5 W)&#;almost twice USB 2.0's 500 mA.[13]:&#;section 9.2.5.1 Power Budgeting&#;
USB 3.0 ports may implement other USB specifications for increased power, including the USB Battery Charging Specification for up to 1.5 A or 7.5 W, or, in the case of USB 3.1, the USB Power Delivery Specification for charging the host device up to 100 W.[15]
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Starting with the USB 3.2 specification, USB-IF introduced a new naming scheme.[16] To help companies with branding of the different operation modes, USB-IF recommended branding the 5, 10, and 20 Gbit/s capabilities as SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps, SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps, and SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps, respectively.[17]
In , they were replaced again,[18] removing "SuperSpeed", with USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and USB 20Gbps. With new Packaging and Port logos.[19]
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Internal circuitboard and connectors of a USB 3.0 four-port hub, using a VIA Technologies chipsetThe USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced on 17 November that the specification of version 3.0 had been completed and had made the transition to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the managing body of USB specifications.[20] This move effectively opened the specification to hardware developers for implementation in future products.
The first USB 3.0 consumer products were announced and shipped by Buffalo Technology in November , while the first certified USB 3.0 consumer products were announced on 5 January , at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES), including two motherboards by Asus and Gigabyte Technology.[21][22]
Manufacturers of USB 3.0 host controllers include, but are not limited to, Renesas Electronics, Fresco Logic, ASMedia, Etron, VIA Technologies, Texas Instruments, NEC and Nvidia. As of November , Renesas and Fresco Logic[23] have passed USB-IF certification. Motherboards for Intel's Sandy Bridge processors have been seen with Asmedia and Etron host controllers as well. On 28 October , Hewlett-Packard released the HP Envy 17 3D featuring a Renesas USB 3.0 host controller several months before some of their competitors. AMD worked with Renesas to add its USB 3.0 implementation into its chipsets for its platforms.[needs update] At CES, Toshiba unveiled a laptop called "Qosmio X500" that included USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0, and Sony released a new series of Sony VAIO laptops that would include USB 3.0. As of April , the Inspiron and Dell XPS series were available with USB 3.0 ports, and, as of May , the Dell Latitude laptop series were as well; yet the USB root hosts failed to work at SuperSpeed under Windows 8.
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A USB 3.0 controller in form of a PCI Express expansion card Side connectors on a laptop computer. Left to right: USB 3.0 host, VGA connector, DisplayPort connector, USB 2.0 host. Note the five additional pins on the underside of the tongue of the USB 3.0 port.Additional power for multiple ports on a laptop PC may be obtained in the following ways:
On the motherboards of desktop PCs which have PCI Express (PCIe) slots (or the older PCI standard), USB 3.0 support can be added as a PCI Express expansion card. In addition to an empty PCIe slot on the motherboard, many "PCI Express to USB 3.0" expansion cards must be connected to a power supply such as a Molex adapter or external power supply, in order to power many USB 3.0 devices such as mobile phones, or external hard drives that have no power source other than USB; as of , this is often used to supply two to four USB 3.0 ports with the full 0.9 A (4.5 W) of power that each USB 3.0 port is capable of (while also transmitting data), whereas the PCI Express slot itself cannot supply the required amount of power.
If faster connections to storage devices are the reason to consider USB 3.0, an alternative is to use eSATAp, possibly by adding an inexpensive expansion slot bracket that provides an eSATAp port; some external hard disk drives provide both USB (2.0 or 3.0) and eSATAp interfaces.[22] To ensure compatibility between motherboards and peripherals, all USB-certified devices must be approved by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). At least one complete end-to-end test system for USB 3.0 designers is available on the market.[24]
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The USB Promoter Group announced the release of USB 3.0 in November . On 5 January , the USB-IF announced the first two certified USB 3.0 motherboards, one by ASUS and one by Giga-Byte Technology.[22][25] Previous announcements included Gigabyte's October list of seven P55 chipset USB 3.0 motherboards,[26] and an Asus motherboard that was cancelled before production.[27]
Commercial controllers were expected to enter into volume production in the first quarter of .[28] On 14 September , Freecom announced a USB 3.0 external hard drive.[29] On 4 January , Seagate announced a small portable HDD bundled with an additional USB 3.0 ExpressCard, targeted for laptops (or desktops with ExpressCard slot addition) at the CES in Las Vegas Nevada.[30][31]
The Linux kernel mainline contains support for USB 3.0 since version 2.6.31, which was released in September .[32][33][34]
FreeBSD supports USB 3.0 since version 8.2, which was released in February .[35]
Windows 8 was the first Microsoft operating system to offer built in support for USB 3.0.[36] In Windows 7 support was not included with the initial release of the operating system.[37] However, drivers that enable support for Windows 7 are available through websites of hardware manufacturers.
Intel released its first chipset with integrated USB 3.0 ports in with the release of the Panther Point chipset. Some industry analysts have claimed that Intel was slow to integrate USB 3.0 into the chipset, thus slowing mainstream adoption.[38] These delays may be due to problems in the CMOS manufacturing process,[39] a focus to advance the Nehalem platform,[40] a wait to mature all the 3.0 connections standards (USB 3.0, PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0) before developing a new chipset,[41][42] or a tactic by Intel to favor its new Thunderbolt interface.[43] Apple, Inc. announced laptops with USB 3.0 ports on 11 June , nearly four years after USB 3.0 was finalized.
AMD began supporting USB 3.0 with its Fusion Controller Hubs in . Samsung Electronics announced support of USB 3.0 with its ARM-based Exynos 5 Dual platform intended for handheld devices.
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Various early USB 3.0 implementations widely used the NEC/Renesas μDx family of host controllers,[44] which are known to require a firmware update to function properly with some devices.[45][46][47]
A factor affecting the speed of USB storage devices (more evident with USB 3.0 devices, but also noticeable with USB 2.0 ones) is that the USB Mass Storage Bulk-Only Transfer (BOT) protocol drivers are generally slower than the USB Attached SCSI protocol (UAS[P]) drivers.[48][49][50][51]
On some old (&#;) Ibex Peak-based motherboards, the built-in USB 3.0 chipsets are connected by default via a 2.5 GT/s PCI Express lane of the PCH, which then did not provide full PCI Express 2.0 speed (5 GT/s), so it did not provide enough bandwidth even for a single USB 3.0 port. Early versions of such boards (e.g. the Gigabyte Technology P55A-UD4 or P55A-UD6) have a manual switch (in BIOS) that can connect the USB 3.0 chip to the processor (instead of the PCH), which did provide full-speed PCI Express 2.0 connectivity even then, but this meant using fewer PCI Express 2.0 lanes for the graphics card. However, newer boards (e.g. Gigabyte P55A-UD7 or the Asus P7P55D-E Premium) used a channel bonding technique (in the case of those boards provided by a PLX PEX or PEX PCI Express switch) that combines two PCI Express 2.5 GT/s lanes into a single PCI Express 5 GT/s lane (among other features), thus obtaining the necessary bandwidth from the PCH.[52][53][54]
Radio frequency interference[
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USB 3.0 devices and cables may interfere with wireless devices operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. This may result in a drop in throughput or complete loss of response with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices.[55] When manufacturers were unable to resolve the interference issues in time, some mobile devices, such as the Vivo Xplay 3S, had to drop support for USB 3.0 just before they shipped.[56] Various strategies can be applied to resolve the problem, ranging from simple solutions such as increasing the distance of USB 3.0 devices from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, to applying additional shielding around internal computer components.[57]
Connectors[
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USB 3.0 Standard-A receptacle (top, in the blue color " Pantone 300C"), Standard-B plug (middle), and Micro-B plug (bottom)
A USB 3.0 Standard-A receptacle accepts either a USB 3.0 Standard-A plug or a USB 2.0 Standard-A plug. Conversely, it is possible to plug a USB 3.0 Standard-A plug into a USB 2.0 Standard-A receptacle. This is a principle of backward compatibility. The Standard-A plug is used for connecting to a computer port, at the host side.
A USB 3.0 Standard-B receptacle accepts either a USB 3.0 Standard-B plug or a USB 2.0 Standard-B plug. Backward compatibility applies to connecting a USB 2.0 Standard-B plug into a USB 3.0 Standard-B receptacle. However, it is not possible to plug a USB 3.0 Standard-B plug into a USB 2.0 Standard-B receptacle, due to the physically larger connector. The Standard-B plug is used at the device side.
Since USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports may coexist on the same machine and they look similar, the USB 3.0 specification recommends that the Standard-A USB 3.0 receptacle have a blue insert (Pantone 300C color). The same color-coding applies to the USB 3.0 Standard-A plug.[13]:&#;sections 3.1.1.1 and 5.3.1.3&#;
USB 3.0 also introduced a new Micro-B cable plug, which consists of a standard USB 1.x/2.0 Micro-B cable plug, with an additional 5-pin plug "stacked" beside it. That way, the USB 3.0 Micro-B host receptacle preserves its backward compatibility with the USB 1.x/2.0 Micro-B cable plug, allowing devices with USB 3.0 Micro-B ports to run at USB 2.0 speeds on USB 2.0 Micro-B cables. However, it is not possible to plug a USB 3.0 Micro-B plug into a USB 2.0 Micro-B receptacle, due to the physically larger connector.
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USB 3.0 Standard-A plug (top) and receptacle (bottom), with annotated pins
The connector has the same physical configuration as its predecessor but with five more pins.
The VBUS, D&#;, D+, and GND pins are required for USB 2.0 communication. The five additional USB 3.0 pins are two differential pairs and one ground (GND_DRAIN). The two additional differential pairs are for SuperSpeed data transfer; they are used for full duplex SuperSpeed signaling. The GND_DRAIN pin is for drain wire termination and to control EMI and maintain signal integrity.
USB 3.0 connector pinouts[
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Pin Color Signal name Description A connector B connector Shell &#; Shield Metal housing 1 Red VBUS Power 2 White D&#; USB 2.0 differential pair 3 Green D+ 4 Black GND Ground for power return 5 Blue StdA_SSRX&#; StdB_SSTX&#; SuperSpeed receiver differential pair 6 Yellow StdA_SSRX+ StdB_SSTX+ 7 &#; GND_DRAIN Ground for signal return 8 Purple StdA_SSTX&#; StdB_SSRX&#; SuperSpeed transmitter differential pair 9 Orange StdA_SSTX+ StdB_SSRX+ The USB 3.0 Powered-B connector has two additional pins for power and ground supplied to the device.[
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10 &#; DPWR Power provided to device (Powered-B only) 11 DGND Ground for DPWR return (Powered-B only) Backward compatibility[
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USB Micro-B USB 2.0 vs USB Micro-B SuperSpeed (USB 3.0) (Note that &#;Macro-B&#; in the image is an error. No such term has ever existed for USB.)USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 (or earlier) Type-A plugs and receptacles are designed to interoperate.
USB 3.0 Type-B receptacles, such as those found on peripheral devices, are larger than in USB 2.0 (or earlier versions), and accept both the larger USB 3.0 Type-B plug and the smaller USB 2.0 (or earlier) Type-B plug. USB 3.0 Type-B plugs are larger than USB 2.0 (or earlier) Type-B plugs; therefore, USB 3.0 Type-B plugs cannot be inserted into USB 2.0 (or earlier) Type-B receptacles.
Micro USB 3.0 (Micro-B) plug and receptacle are intended primarily for small portable devices such as smartphones, digital cameras and GPS devices. The Micro USB 3.0 receptacle is backward compatible with the Micro USB 2.0 plug.
A receptacle for eSATAp, which is an eSATA/USB combo, is designed to accept USB Type-A plugs from USB 2.0 (or earlier), so it also accepts USB 3.0 Type-A plugs.
USB 3.1[
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SuperSpeed+ USB 10 Gbit/s packaging logoIn January the USB group announced plans to update USB 3.0 to 10 Gbit/s ( MB/s).[60] The group ended up creating a new USB specification, USB 3.1, which was released on 31 July ,[61] replacing the USB 3.0 standard. The USB 3.1 specification takes over the existing USB 3.0's SuperSpeed USB transfer rate, now referred to as USB 3.1 Gen 1, and introduces a faster transfer rate called SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps, corresponding to operation mode USB 3.1 Gen 2,[62] putting it on par with a single first-generation Thunderbolt channel. The new mode's logo features a caption stylized as SUPERSPEED+;[63] this refers to the updated SuperSpeedPlus protocol. The USB 3.1 Gen 2 mode also reduces line encoding overhead to just 3% by changing the encoding scheme to 128b/132b, with raw data rate of 1,212 MB/s.[64] The first USB 3.1 Gen 2 implementation demonstrated real-world transfer speeds of 7.2 Gbit/s.[65]
The USB 3.1 specification includes the USB 2.0 specification while fully preserving its dedicated physical layer, architecture, and protocol in parallel. USB 3.1 specification defines the following operation modes:
The nominal data rate in bytes accounts for bit-encoding overhead. The physical SuperSpeed signaling bit rate is 5 Gbit/s. Since transmission of every byte takes 10 bit times, the raw data overhead is 20%, so the raw byte rate is 500 MB/s, not 625. Similarly, for Gen 2 link the encoding is 128b/132b, so transmission of 16 bytes physically takes 16.5 bytes, or 3% overhead. Therefore, the new raw byte-rate is 128/132 * 10 Gbit/s = 9.697 Gbit/s = MB/s. In reality any operation mode has additional link management and protocol overhead, so the best-case achievable data rates for the Gen 2 operation mode are of roughly below 800 MB/s for reading bulk transfers only.[66][11]
The re-specification of USB 3.0 as "USB 3.1 Gen 1" was misused by some manufacturers to advertise products with signaling rates of only 5 Gbit/s as "USB 3.1" by omitting the defining generation.[67]
USB 3.2[
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SuperSpeed+ USB 20 Gbit/s packaging logo USB 20Gbps port logoOn 25 July , a press release from the USB 3.0 Promoter Group detailed a pending update to the USB Type-C specification, defining the doubling of bandwidth for existing USB-C cables. Under the USB 3.2 specification, released 22 September ,[11] existing SuperSpeed certified USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 cables will be able to operate at 10 Gbit/s (up from 5 Gbit/s), and SuperSpeed+ certified USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 cables will be able to operate at 20 Gbit/s (up from 10 Gbit/s). The increase in bandwidth is a result of multi-lane operation over existing wires that were intended for flip-flop capabilities of the USB-C connector.[68][69]
The USB 3.2 standard includes the USB 2.0 specification with four dedicated wires on the physical layer. The Enhanced SuperSpeed System encompasses both, but separated &#; and in parallel to the USB 2.0 implementation:[70]
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10 Gbit/s signaling rate over 1 lane using 128b/132b encoding (raw data rate: MB/s); replaces USB 3.1 Gen 2.As with the previous version, the same considerations around encoding and raw data rates apply. Although both Gen 1x2 and Gen 2(x1) signal at 10 Gbit/s, Gen 1x2 uses the older, less efficient 8b/10b line coding which results in a lower raw data rate compared with Gen 2(x1), though both using the newer SuperSpeedPlus protocol.[70]
In May , Synopsys demonstrated the first USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 operation mode, where a Windows PC was connected to a storage device, reaching an average data rate of MB/s for reading bulk transmissions,[71][72] which is 66% of its raw throughput.
USB 3.2 is supported with the default Windows 10 USB drivers and in Linux kernels 4.18 and onwards.[71][72][73]
In February , USB-IF simplified the marketing guidelines by excluding Gen 1x2 mode and required the SuperSpeed trident logos to include maximum transfer speed.[74][75]
Two-lane operation (USB 3.2 Gen 1x2, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) is only possible with Full-Featured USB-C Fabrics.[76]
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With each new version, USB ports and connectors have become progressively more functional, paving the way for smaller, lighter and more portable devices. However, as new standards bring more speed, power and versatility to market, they also bring a complex assortment of features and capabilities to consider when deciding which cable or peripheral is right for your application.
In the s, office desktops were a tangled mess of serial, parallel and proprietary cables. Universal Serial Bus (USB) changed all of that, simplifying computer connectivity through a small, inexpensive interface: the USB Type-A (USB-A) port/connector. With billions of USB devices now in daily use, USB is the dominant wired interface for laptops, tablets and phones.
USB has evolved through a series of standards (see Table 1) that specify how cables connect, communicate and supply power to computers, mobile devices and peripherals. The latest iteration is USB4 and, like previous versions, it represents another leap forward in data transfer speed, video resolution and power.
To understand USB data transfer rates, you need to know a little about the design of the USB-C connector. A USB Type-C connector has four pairs of pins known as "lanes" that transmit (TX) and receive (RX) data (see highlighted pins in Figure 1 below). USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) and USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) use one TX lane and one RX lane, depending on the orientation of the connector. USB 3.2 takes advantage of all four lanes to achieve a 20 Gbps data rate.
Figure 1: USB-C Connector Pin-outs
The naming convention recently adopted for USB 3.2 incorporates speed x lanes. For example, USB 3.2 Gen 1x2 means 5 Gbps x 2 lanes, for a connection speed of 10 Gbps.
Specification Signaling Rate/Lane Number of Lanes Aggregate Bandwidth USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 5 Gbps (SuperSpeed) 1 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 10 Gbps (SuperSpeed+) 1 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1×2 5 Gbps (SuperSpeed) 2 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 10 Gbps (SuperSpeed+) 2 20 GbpsThe USB4 Gen 2×2 specification (known by its marketing name, USB4 20Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 both offer 20 Gbps connection. USB4 Gen 3×2 (USB4 40Gbps) uses a different data encoding scheme to achieve 20 Gbps per lane and 40 Gbps when in dual lane mode.
Specification Signaling Rate/Lane Number of Lanes Aggregate Bandwidth USB4 Gen 2×2 10 Gbps 2 20 Gbps USB4 Gen 3×2 20 Gbps 2 40 GbpsUSB 4 (officially "USB4" without the space) is an important update, not only for the new capabilities it offers but because it helps to resolve the confusion over USB 3.x naming and, for the most part, it gives users a predictable and consistent experience. The USB4 protocol requires a USB-C to USB-C cable.
Up to 40Gbps Data Transfer Rate: USB4 devices are required to support 20 Gbps (2.4 GB/sec). They can optionally support 40 Gbps (4.8 GB/sec) if they use the shorter 0.8 meter Gen 3 cable.
Multiple Data and Display Protocols: USB4 supports USB 3.2, PCIe and DisplayPort 1.4a through a technique called protocol tunneling. DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 3 are also supported via Alt Mode.
Backward compatibility with USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3: USB4 maintains compatibility with previous versions of the USB specification and, thanks to its Thunderbolt 3 foundation, supports TB3 Alt Mode too.
Video and Data Bandwidth Optimization: USB 3.2 allocated fixed bandwidth to data or video or, in DP Alt Mode, gave 100% to video. USB4 dynamically allocates bandwidth to video and data based on actual needs.
100 Watt Charging: All USB4 devices support USB Power Delivery. When a device is connected to a USB4 port, USB PD negotiates a "contract" to deliver power, safely supplying up to 100 W (5A/20V).
What is Protocol Tunneling?
When devices talk to one another, they do so using a protocol. If both devices can speak and understand the same protocol, a connection can be established. Conceptually, Protocol Tunneling creates a "pipe" with one protocol and uses it to send data in another protocol. USB4 Protocol Tunneling creates a USB-C tunnel through which DisplayPort or PCIe data can be sent. USB4 Protocol Tunneling is similar to Alt Mode but doesn't require a DP or PCIe controller.
What is USB4 Fabric?
The word fabric is a metaphor used to describe a network of interconnecting nodes, such as switches. When illustrated, the crisscross pattern resembles woven cloth. The term has been adopted by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) to describe how USB4's tunneling architecture dynamically manages the connection between USB4 routers so multiple protocols can simultaneously share the fabric's resources.
Will Apple Support USB4?
Apple's new MacBooks and Mac Mini will be the first to use Apple Silicon's own Arm-based processors, so there was some doubt surrounding support for USB4. However, Apple was able to implement support for both USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 in time for the product rollouts.
Your USB connections are about to become faster! Products compatible with the Thunderbolt&#; 3 standard have entered the market. This latest generation offers both power delivery and bidirectional data transfer at speeds up to 4x faster than USB 3.2 Gen 2, and can create never-before-possible computing options for personal devices.
Chart 1: USB Cable Types, Standards and Speeds
* USB-C is more accurately known as Type C or USB Type C
** Cable length is the length covered by the specification. Longer lengths can be achieved using active cables and in some cases, longer passive cables
Does USB-C support USB 2.0?
It can but first let's clarify the difference between USB-C and USB. USB-C is a physical connector and, despite the name, it does not imply support for any particular version of the USB standard. In fact, a USB-C connector can be used to connect peripherals using other interface standards such as Thunderbolt 3.
When buying USB-C cables, make sure to check the charging wattage and USB data rate supported. A charging cable supporting USB 2.0 can be longer than USB 3.x and USB4 cables but is limited to a 480 Mbps data transfer rate and will not support alt-modes.
Most commonly used to connect printers and external hard drives to desktop computers, the Type-B port actually has two different configurations. One is specific to USB 1.1 and 2.0 speed protocols, while the other is for use with the USB 3.0 and later spec.
The Mini-B connection is most often used by portable electronics such as digital cameras, MP3 players and some cell phones, and only with USB 1.1 and 2.0 speeds. There are both four-pin and five-pin versions of the Mini-B connector.
The Micro-B connector has one configuration for USB 2.0 and a different configuration for USB 3.0 and later. The Micro-B connector is found on many popular models of Android&#; smartphones and external hard drives.
Developed to support devices with a smaller, thinner and lighter form factor. Type-C is slim enough for a smartphone or tablet, yet robust enough for a laptop computer. In fact, many new laptops have eliminated USB-A and RJ45 Ethernet ports and offer USB-C as the only port for video, network, data transfer and charging. This has prompted other protocols, including Thunderbolt&#; 3, DisplayPort, MHL, and HDMI, to adopt USB-C as their standard source connector.
Alternate Modes allow the data pins on a USB Type-C connector to carry other types of signals. For example, DisplayPort Alt Mode (also referred to as DP Alt Mode) allows a USB-C cable to connect a DP-enabled laptop or tablet directly to a TV or computer monitor with a USB-C port.
The USB-C Type 2.1 specification (announced May, ) increases the power capacity of cables and connectors from 100W to 240W, making it possible to power and charge larger, power-hungry devices such as 4K monitors, e-bikes and gaming laptops.
USB ports and connectors are sometimes color-coded to indicate the USB specification and features they support. These colors are not required by the USB specification and are not consistent between equipment manufacturers. For example, Intel uses orange to indicate a charging port, whereas a manufacturer of components for industrial equipment chose orange to indicate a USB port with a strong retention mechanism.
Chart 2: Types of USB Port
On the most basic level, USB standards simply let a host, such as your computer or tablet, communicate with peripherals and other devices. But as specifications evolve, USB has become more than a mere data interface. Below are the latest USB functions available on many of today's devices. A device may support one or more of these functions:
Up to 240W of power can be delivered across a single USB-C cable, eliminating the need for a separate power brick. This is especially useful for peripherals that draw higher power levels, such as an external hard drive. Not all devices or ports will support USB Power Delivery, however; consult your device's specifications chart or owner's manual if you are uncertain. For more on USB charging, see our primer on USB Charging.
Battery powered devices can be charged through a laptop's USB port.
A docking station is able to power or charge a laptop, eliminating the need to plug the laptop into an AC power outlet.
A power-hungry device, such as a hard disk drive, can be powered directly from a laptop.
A monitor powered by a wall outlet can power or charge a laptop while displaying.
If you've ever recharged your from your PC's USB port, you know how useful this USB function can be. The BC 1.2 spec defines a new type of port, the charging port, that meets standards to ensure your battery will recharge safely and consistently. It also allows a device to pull more power than a standard USB port for faster charging. A normal USB 2.0 port provides up to 500mA (0.5A) and a USB 3.0 port provides up to 900mA (0.9A). A BC 1.2-compliant port provides up to 1.5A, even while transferring data. It also allows the device being charged to communicate its charging requirements to the USB charger, ensuring an optimal charge.
USB OTG allows mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet to act as a host to other USB devices such as flash drives, keyboards and mice. With USB OTG, a mobile device can utilize the functionality of the peripherals while still being able to connect to a computer and present itself as a mass storage device to be used on the computer. USB OTG-compliant devices will require an OTG adapter to allow for the connection of peripherals.
With DisplayPort Alt Mode, USB-C connectors and cables have the ability to transmit both USB data and VGA, DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort video and/or audio. Adapters are available to connect DisplayPort over USB-C to VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort monitors. DisplayPort Alt Mode does not require the use of drivers, making it plug-and-play.
Thunderbolt&#; 3 technology supports vibrant 4K video resolution on dual DisplayPort displays simultaneously, an ideal feature for digital signage and high-performance gaming.
Boost the functionality of the USB or Thunderbolt&#; port on your MacBook or laptop with a portable, smartphone-sized USB docking station. The latest Thunderbolt&#; 3 docks offer up to a blazing 40 Gbps bidirectional data transfer speed, ideal for quickly transferring large media files between devices. When Wi-Fi is weak or unavailable, they can provide access to a wired Ethernet network. They offer a simple way to add robust Thunderbolt&#; to HDMI or Thunderbolt&#; to DisplayPort functionality to a device, and support playing true 4K high-resolution video and digital audio on two large displays simultaneously.
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