USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and ever since its formation, the USB Implementers Forum have been working hard on the “Universal” part of the equation. USB Type-C, which is commonl… //

These confusing cables and ports present a poor user experience. Just because USB-C could do it all doesn’t mean a particular USB-C port would. Does it supply power? Does it accept power? Does it carry video? There’s no way to tell just by looking. It gets worse as we move away from mainstream devices. For example, Google’s Coral development board has two USB Type-C ports. One is used to supply power, the other communicates USB data, and the only way to tell which is which is to look at PCB silkscreen. Compare this to a barrell jack or other legacy power cord. They certainly weren’t universal, but users didn’t confuse them with data connectors like USB, Firewire, or Ethernet.