I don’t know how we got to where we did, but aren’t you glad USB C came along?
In: Technology
Okay, let’s start out from USB 1 and USB2. The design behind them is that, just like the pre-USB ports, ports can only go one way, as they want to keep the cable/connector count low (plus carry over from the old ports design). Because it’s designed from a PoV of PC, and things are determined by hardwares, it has USB-A on the host side, and USB-B on the device side. Also, the more wire you have, the more interference/noise can come about.
Then small consumer device comes. At first it was USB-mini (variant of B), then you have USB-micro (another variant of B)
Then USB3 comes. At first its B variants are extension of the large size USB-B and USB-micro… since IEEE loves backward compatibility.
But then, as USB start to expand, other developers also want to utilize a universal plug for other protocols, such as Thunderbolt and Displayport – maybe even use it to deliver high power too! Then they want to forget about the host-device relationship by plug type, instead is determined by software. And since cable/connectors are so cheap, and technology can eliminate all the issues, why not make it reversible? Thus comes USB-C
Above is just for keeping within USB. I am ignoring for example Apple’s Lighning, etc – but for this kind, it was so to force people to adapt to their standard (and thus pay more money). Why they can do that? Because people are willing to go in for prestige.
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