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Comment by wongarsu | Hacker News Reader

The USB A connector stayed the same between USB 1, 2 and 3. Yet most manufacturers voluntary distinguished them by giving USB 1 and 1.1 a white insert in plug and port, USB 2 a black insert and USB 3 a blue one

This was neither standarized nor enforced, yet it worked remarkably well in the real world

Then we decided to just have no markings at all on USB C cables. On the ports at least we occasionally get little thunderbolt or power symbols

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The exterior of the USB A connector stayed the same. The number of pins increased when we went from USB 2 to 3. So, even in this case, it’s slightly more complicated. The colors helped because the capabilities were very different between the ports. But when the USB IF increased the number of options (and reduced the size of the connector), different colors became impossible to do.

The problem is that there are too many uses for one connector. But this is wha we wanted - a reduced number of standardized connector/power options.

> But when the USB IF increased the number of options (and reduced the size of the connector), different colors became impossible to do.

Some USB C cables identify their capabilities visually or electronically. All USB C cables could do this.

> But this is wha we wanted - a reduced number of standardized connector/power options.

We meant who?

> Then we decided to just have no markings at all on USB C cables.

I'm shocked the LTT TrueSpec cables are the first I'm aware of to so such a small and basic thing. I have so many USB C cables and no idea which are power only, USB 2 only, or what. Such a mess

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