USB Type-C
USB Type-C is a new, tiny physical connector. The connector itself can support various exciting new USB standards like USB 3.1 and USB
power delivery (USB PD).
Alternate Mode
USB Type-C is a new connector standard that is very small. It is about a third the size of an old USB Type-A plug. This is a single
connector standard that every device should be able to use. USB Type-C ports can support a variety of different protocols using
“alternate modes,” which allows you to have adapters that can output HDMI, VGA, DisplayPort, or other types of connections from that
single USB port
USB Power Delivery
The USB PD specification is also closely intertwined with USB Type-C. Currently, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices often
use a USB connection to charge. A USB 2.0 connection provides up to 2.5 watts of power — that'll charge your phone, but that's about
it. A laptop might require up to 60 watts, for example. The USB Power Delivery specification ups this power delivery to 100 watts. It's bi-
directional, so a device can either send or receive power. And this power can be transferred at the same time the device is transmitting
data across the connection.
This could spell the end of all those proprietary laptop charging cables, with everything charging via a standard USB connection. You could
charge your laptop from one of those portable battery packs you charge your smartphones and other portable devices from today. You
could plug your laptop into an external display connected to a power cable, and that external display would charge your laptop as you used
it as an external display — all via the one little USB Type-C connection. To use this, the device and the cable have to support USB Power
Delivery. Just having a USB Type-C connection doesn't necessarily mean they do.
USB Type-C and USB 3.1
USB 3.1 is a new USB standard. USB 3's theoretical bandwidth is 5 Gbps same as of USB 3.1 Gen 1, while USB 3.1 Gen 2's bandwidth is 10
Gbps. That's double the bandwidth, as fast as a first-generation Thunderbolt connector. USB Type-C isn't the same thing as USB 3.1. USB
Type-C is just a connector shape, and the underlying technology could just be USB 2 or USB 3.0. In fact, Nokia's N1 Android tablet uses a
USB Type-C connector, but underneath it's all USB 2.0 — not even USB 3.0. However, these technologies are closely related.
Advantages of DisplayPort over USB Type-C
• Full DisplayPort audio/video (A/V) performance (up to 4K at 60Hz)
• Reversible plug orientation and cable direction
• Backwards compatibility to VGA, DVI with adaptors
• SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.1) data
• Supports HDMI 2.0a and is backwards compatible with previous versions
HDMI 2.0
This topic explains the HDMI 2.0 and its features along with the advantages.
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is an industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. HDMI provides an
interface between any compatible digital audio/video source, such as a DVD player, or A/V receiver and a compatible digital audio and/or
video monitor, such as a digital TV (DTV). The intended applications for HDMI TVs, and DVD players. The primary advantage is cable
reduction and content protection provisions. HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multichannel digital audio
on a single cable.
HDMI 2.0 Features
• HDMI Ethernet Channel - Adds high-speed networking to an HDMI link, allowing users to take full advantage of their IP-enabled
devices without a separate Ethernet cable
• Audio Return Channel - Allows an HDMI-connected TV with a built-in tuner to send audio data "upstream" to a surround audio
system, eliminating the need for a separate audio cable
• 3D - Defines input/output protocols for major 3D video formats, paving the way for true 3D gaming and 3D home theater applications
• Content Type - Real-time signaling of content types between display and source devices, enabling a TV to optimize picture settings
based on content type
• Additional Color Spaces - Adds support for additional color models used in digital photography and computer graphics
Technology and components
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