The Universal Serial Bus (USB) has become the standard of physical connection for computer peripherals, mass storage devices, handhelds, wearables, and many other devices. Since its introduction, over a dozen interfaces with several different USB specifications have been released.
With such a wide variety of ports and connectors, it can sometimes be confusing which one is which. To help you identify what type of USB port or connector you have, let us discuss all the USB interfaces and specifications released in the past two decades.
USB Interface Standards
You will need to identify three things to tell what type of USB port you have. These would include the type of USB connection or interface it has, what version of USB specification it uses, and other extra functionalities it may have. Let’s start by understanding the various USB connection standards:
USB Type A and B
USB-A and USB-B were the original USB interface released with the USB 1.0 specification. These were meant for general connectivity between computers and peripheral devices.
Both USB interfaces use four pins, using two of them for data and the other two for ground and power.
Despite being the oldest interface, Type A is still the most common host USB interface. In contrast, Type B is still widely used on audio interfaces, mixers, phantom power, and other audio-related devices.
Later on, USB-A and USB-B were later updated to have five extra pins. This allowed SuperSpeed (USB 3.0) transfer rates, which expanded the use of USB Type-A withUSB Flash drives and all of its practical uses.
Smaller versions of USB Type A and B were released in the early 2000s as handheld devices became more popular. These newer interfaces were known as USB Mini-A and Mini-B.
This USB specification allowed Mini-B a limited power delivery (500 mA at 5V), allowing battery-powered devices such as digital cameras, handheld music players, and some cell phones to charge and interface with other devices.
Further down the line, USB Mini-AB was released. This USB interface was designed to provide a simpler and more versatile solution for connecting various devices previously using the Mini-A and Mini-B interface.
Handheld devices were getting even smaller around the late 2000s. This prompted the creation of USB Micro-A and Micro-B, which replaced both Mini-A and Mini-B USB connectors.
USB Micro-A and Micro-B were designed to be smaller than the older Mini interfaces and had support for newer technologies such as USB SuperSpeed (USB 3.0).
Although no longer common, both Micro-A and Micro-B can still be seen on older entry-level phones and other handhelds.
A Micro-AB connector/port was also released to further simplify and add better versatility to Micro-A and Micro-B, just like what was previously done on the Mini-AB.
As mass storage devices became even more popular, SuperSpeed versions of Micro-A and Micro-B were released. Like the Type A and B SuperSpeed interfaces, Micro-A SuperSpeed and Micro-B SuperSpeed added five more pins to support faster data transfers.
USB Type C
USB Type-C, or simply USB-C, was announced in 2013. WhileUSB-C isn’t a perfect connector, it always comes with essential minimum specifications, including OTG, SuperSpeed+ (USB 3.1), and USB Power Delivery (USB PD).
Furthermore, Type-C has a reversible design and could act as a host, allowing this interface to be completely reversible. With all the improvements that it brings,USB Type-C might even replace all other USB connectorsin the future.
Now that you’re familiar with each type of USB interface let’s move on to USB specifications and how to identify them.
The Different Versions of USB
There are currently eight versions of USB that determine how fast a USB device can transfer data.
Remember that the type of USB connection/interface doesn’t necessarily mean it uses a certain USB version or has certain extra USB functionalities. This is whyUSB-C is different from USB-3. This is also why USB Type-C doesn’t necessarily mean it is faster than a Type-A, nor does a USB Type-A necessarily mean it is faster than a USB Type-B.
To clear things up for you, here are eight versions of USB that we currently have:
Specification
Year Released
Max Transfer Speed
Full Speed
USB 3.2 Gen 1x1/USB 3.1 Gen 1/USB 3.0
SuperSpeed
2008 (USB 3.0) 2013(USB 3.1) 2017(USB 3.1 Gen 1x1)
USB 3.2 Gen 2x1(USB 3.1 Gen 2)
SuperSpeed+ SuperSpeed 10Gbps
2013(USB 3.1 Gen 2) 2017(USB 3.2 Gen 2x1)
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
SuperSpeed 20Gbps
USB 4 V1.0
USB Gen 2x2/USB 20Gbps
USB 4 V2.0
USB4 Gen 3x2/USB4 40Gbps
You’ll notice that USB 3.2 Gen 1 was originally called USB 3.0. In July 2013, the USB Implementers Forum decided to rename USB 3.0 to USB 3.1 Gen 1 in 2013, then finally to USB 3.2 Gen 1 in 2017. Of course, this also affected the original USB 3.1 Gen 2 to be renamed USB 3.2 Gen 2x1.
This decision was made to clarify and standardize the USB naming conventions to be more accurate to the specific capabilities of each USB specifications. Although the new naming convention did help clarify the real capabilities of each USB version, it certainly made things more complex, thus all the confusion.
How to Identify USB Version
One of the easiest ways to tell what version a USB port uses is through the USB color coding scheme. Here is a table to tell which color corresponds to what USB version a port is using:
Port Color
USB Version/Specification
Discontinued
USB 2.0/Hi-Speed
Only use for mouse and keyboard
-USB 3.0/SuperSpeed (2013 and bellow devices) -USB 3.1 gen 1 (devices manufactured between 2013 and 2017) -USB 3.2 gen 1x1(devices manufactured after 2017)
Can be used for mass-storage devices
-USB 3.1 gen 2 (devices manufactured between 2013 and 2017) -USB 3.2 gen 2x1(devices manufactured after 2017)
Better reserved for external hard drives
-USB 3.2 gen 2x2
Can be used to charge devices while the host is off
USB 2.0 or USB 3.0
Can only be used for quick charging
Some manufacturers do not color-code their USB ports. In such a case, you will need to identify the USB version through the logos or makings on your device.
Here is an illustration of the marking that tells which version of USB your device is using:
When using logos to know which version of USB you are using, take note of the numbers beside the USB marking. These numbers will denote the transfer speed of each port in gigabytes, which you may use to identify which USB version it uses.
How To Identify Extra USB Specifications
Aside from the version of USB your device uses, it may also have a few extra functionalities that you may find helpful.
To know if your USB port has some extra functionalities, look for marks like these:
Having multiple icons near the USB port means that the port has all the extra functionalities indicated by the icons.
The Future of USB
Currently, identifying a USB port and capabilities can be pretty confusing. But as newer devices adapt to the USB-C interface, we can expect a multipurpose port and connector compatible with all kinds of devices.
Pair that with USB 4 with Thunderbolt capabilities, and we’ll truly have a universal serial bus for all kinds of devices, whether it be for connecting peripherals, mass storage, charging devices, or something crazy like connecting an external graphics card.
