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Comment by hknmtt | Hacker News Reader

They didn't have to double the wiring, just add wiring to the other side of the connector. That is barely 2 cm of wiring, at most. Also, manufacturers could have made the connectors in a way that would clearly show which side is the top and which is the bottom. So none of the issues had to happen but lazy manufacturers and gullible inventors caused all of this on their own.

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> Also, manufacturers could have made the connectors in a way that would clearly show which side is the top and which is the bottom

The spec almost requires manufacturers to do that. https://fabiensanglard.net/usbcheat/usb1.1.pdf, page 81:

“The usb icon is embossed, in a recessed area, on the topside of the USB plug”

“Receptacles should be oriented to allow the Icon on the plug to be visible during the mating process”

So, there must be a tactile and visual indicator (the recessed usb icon) and it should be visible.

They didn’t say “clearly visible”, though.

If they made the connector reversible, you'd have to try to plug it in five times to get the right orientation instead of just three...

I, genuinely, have a USB-C cable which will only charge my phone in one orientation.

That's worse than Type-A, since I can't even look at the end to see which side has the plastic bar, I just have to try it and obviously it fits, but see if it charges. Which means it takes about 94 attempts because I only realise the other end's not plugged in, or it's turned off at the wall, on the 92nd.

I have an A-C cable which has a reversible type-A plug (basically, it looks like a huge ugly lighting plug) and charges both ways but data only works one way. The first time I wanted to use it for carplay I lost some hair.

I guess you need to mark the correct sides of the cable (and maybe the port) with a dot from a marker, so you know which way is "up"...

Honestly I think I just need to get rid of it!

I’ve noticed that in devices that aren’t truly USB-C but seem to be USB-B with a C connector.

They work fine with an A-C cable, even when using that with a C-A dongle. But often only one way up.

They’re clearly noncompliant. Not that that stops anyone.

I bought a JBL headset which USB power cable is reversible, instead of a big plastic piece for half the plug, it has a thin strip of plastic, so the block of plastic of the port side can go in either side of the plug: https://images.nexusapp.co/assets/4a/75/a0/5733575.jpg

But I guess it might just have two wires (+5V and ground) and no data wires (I can't check it now because I'm at work).

I had a USB cable with a reversible A plug, but after a few months/years it would stop charging (because the pins either wouldn't make contact with the A socket, or the wires snapped off the pins).

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