WIRING - ACCESSORIES
Redundant chargers end up as e-waste.
USB-A VS USB-C: GAVIN WILLIAMS FROM HAMILTON LITESTAT SETS OUT FUTURE-PROOFING USB CHARGING SOLUTIONS FOR THE NEXT STANDARD IN SMART DEVICES…..
W e all have those drawers full of odds and ends, and one item that’s sure to have a home there is the block plug-in USB charger. Until now, they’ve come as standard with battery devices that need charging. Eventually, when the drawer gets full, these chargers end up as e-waste. In a move to reduce the impact of e-waste on the environment the European Union is trying to stop manufacturers from providing one of these with every device and move towards a standard USB-type charging connector. One of the first brands to make this change is Apple, which won’t be providing a charging unit with the recently revealed iPhone 12. But what does this mean for customers Charging ahead
and contractors? An increased demand for
USB charging ports is anticipated, both for commercial and residential properties. But not all USB connectors were created equal – there are both USB Type A and USB Type C ports. But what’s the difference? Recap: USB-A vs USB-C We may think we know the USB connector as most electronic devices such as laptops and computers will have a USB port, but more specifically this is USB Type A, or USB-A as it’s increasingly being known. This has a reasonably large physical connector and can only be inserted into a port in one orientation. This requires a USB 2.0 connection for charging, which offers up to 2.5W and will charge your smart phone overnight at a reasonably slow and steady pace. However, a new standard that enables significantly faster charging is on the horizon – the USB Type C, or USB-C. Unlike USB-A, USB-C has the same connector pins on either side, so can be inserted into a charging point either way up and is physically much smaller than the USB-A variety. More importantly, it
supports new USB standards, such as USB 3.1 and USB PD (Power Delivery). USB 3.1 allows extremely fast data transfer of up to 10 Gbps, while USB PD enables power transfer of 100W for rapid charging. Not only can a device receive this increased power, but as it’s bidirectional it can also send power, too. Unlike the early days of mobile phones where each brand had its own unique charging cable, USB-C is set to become standard across new technologies. As mentioned, Apple has done away with the charging block and adopted the USB-C standard for its upcoming products, as have more than 700 technology companies including Dell, Google, HP, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung. Charging ahead To meet the demand of the new standard while also supporting the charging of legacy devices, companies
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