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Author: Ward Dutton

types of USB cables
Custom USB Cables, Technical Cable Blog

Types of USB Cables

Jan 22, 2025 by Ward Dutton 0 Comments
USB cable assemblies are a cost-effective way to connect electronic devices. When first introduced, USB connectors and cable assemblies connected peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, cameras, and storage devices to computers. Now USB cable assemblies are everywhere and used for everything from programming systems in automobiles, connecting medical equipment, and charging cell phones for everyday use.

USB Assembly Types Including Mini USB, Micro USB and USB Standard

Technical Cable Applications is your one-stop shop for Off-The-Shelf USB cable assemblies. TCA offers a variety of USB 2.0 through USB 4 2.0 standard cables with various connector types in different lengths. This post is intended to be a comprehensive summary of the types of USB cables that are commercially available, what types we most commonly manufacture, and what the most cutting edge technology in the USB connector world is now.

USB Standards

The Universal Serial Bus standard released in 1996. The first standard, USB 1.0, was much faster than the typical serial or parallel connections available at the time. The USB standard evolved quickly. The following is a summary of major speed increases in the USB Standard, and how commonly these standards are used today.

Standard Speed Current Usage Year Introduced
USB 1.0 12 Mbit/s: Full Speed (FS) Rarely used today 1996
USB 2.0 480 Mbit/s: High Speed (HS) Still used frequently as the minimum speed of cheaper USB-A cables 2000
USB 3.0 5 Gbit/s: SuperSpeed (SS) Most popular USB edition for consumer grade electronics to this day 2008
USB 3.1 10 Gbit/s: SuperSpeed+ (SS+) Mostly surpassed by 3.2 2013
USB 3.2 20 Gbit/s: SuperSpeed+ two-lane Top tier USB cables prior to 2019 and still used far more frequently than 4 or 4 2.0 2017
USB 4 40 Gbit/s: two-lane Becoming more common but still less used than 3.0 to 3.2 2019
USB 4 2.0 120 ⇄ 40 Gbit/s: asymmetric Niche applications for pushing two data streams at once, not commonly used yet 2022

USB-A and USB-C Port Assembly

Connector Types

USB or Universal Serial Bus cables come with a variety of different connector types and the cable varies by the device requirements. The connector types include Type-A, Type-B, USB-C, Mini-A, Mini-B, Mini-AB, Micro-A, and Micro AB. There are also Super Speed versions of these connectors available. Here’s some info about the timeline of introductions, and how commonly these are seen today.

Connector Variations Current Applications Year Introduced
Standard-A 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, SuperSpeed The most common and cheapest USB connector 1996
Standard-B SuperSpeed Niche but used for hardware like printers or musical equipment 1996
Mini-A n/a Previously used for mobile phones but eclipsed by Micro B, then Type-C 2000
Mini-AB n/a Rarely used at any point, briefly used for HTC phones 2000
Mini-B n/a Previously used for digital cameras but eclipsed by Micro 2000
Micro-A SuperSpeed Used for host devices in some cases like desktop computers 2007
Micro-B SuperSpeed Used for Android phones. and mobile devices extensively prior to the introduction of Type-C 2007
Lightning n/a Apple mobile charger, now replaced by Type-C for new devices 2012
Type-C n/a The new standard for premium speed, charging, and both desktop and mobile applications 2014

Countless Configurations

Technical Cable Applications’ offerings include cables configured with all the connectors listed above and far more beyond. The company also has a large inventory of adapters for USB to Ethernet, USB to HDMI, USB to Serial, and more, plus full flexibility with crimping, tinning, and configuration for any complex assemblies.

Custom Requirements

In addition to our OEM offerings, Technical Cable Applications’ skilled specialists are ready to help with any custom cable assembly requirements you might have. TCA stocks cables, connectors, and materials by the thousands and can custom build dies and molds not on hand.

Please contact the TCA Technical Sales Team for assistance with all your cable assembly needs by reaching out to [email protected] or giving us a call!

*Please provide cable drawings and all documentation available when contacting us so we can quickly give you an accurate quote. We will do our best to research specifications and materials if a drawing is not available, but if no documentation exists that may need to be created first before we can proceed.

Custom Cable Assembly
Technical Cable Blog

The First Article Process

Sep 28, 2022 by Ward Dutton 0 Comments

The First Article Process is a crucial part of production requirements at Technical Cable Applications.  The process confirms that an assembly has been designed as intended and that documentation is complete and interpreted correctly.  It verifies that proper assembly techniques and tooling are used and assures that later builds of product are produced without variation.

Quotation

At TCA the first article process starts before an order is ever placed.  During the quote process the customer drawings or specifications are carefully reviewed.   This assures that all the elements for successful production are included.

The bill of materials is evaluated to make certain all the components shown on the drawing are called out and in the correct quantities.   They are looking for any obvious material conflicts such as wire size /terminal compatibility.  A mismatch like this could be because the insulation diameter or wire AWG is too large or too small for a terminal. Discrepancies like this could affect the integrity of the product or damage tooling.

The drawing is checked for clear dimensional criteria and for tolerances that are achievable for cable assemblies.   It is also reviewed for references to any documents or quality standards other than IPC.  If other quality documents are referenced Technical Cable Applications quotations specialists assure those documents are on file.

Tooling and Test Fixtures

During the quote process tooling requirements are checked for all the components.  At Technical Cable Applications the component manufacturers recommendations are checked to assure that the right tools are on hand.   It is verified that mating test fixtures are available for all connectors.  If either of the tooling or test fixtures are not on hand, they will need to be ordered for the build.

Work instructions

Work instructions are created by Technical Cable Applications production engineers.  These seasoned professionals have broad knowledge and training in cable assembly production and quality standards. For cable assemblies this would be to the IPC/WHMA -620B standard.  If there are other production or quality standards called out in the customer documentation the production engineers will obtain a copy and make sure they are part of the process.

The work instruction lists all the machines, tools, fixtures, and materials used.  It contains set up and programming instructions for any equipment used.

A Detailed Accounting

As the production engineers build the first article, they keep a detailed step by step accounting for every process used to build the assembly and in the order it is to be completed.    Special instructions and cautionary notes are often part of the instructions with detailed pictures for each step included.  The completed work instructions are controlled on a central server and every workstation has a computer terminal with to access the information.

In the event the production engineer finds any issue, conflict or has any concerns during the first article build the Sales Specialist is notified, the customer is contacted, and the concern and any resolution are documented.

Test and Inspection

Test and inspection steps are included in the work instruction including inspections where a process might be hidden by a subsequent step.

The finished first articles are sent to the Technical Cable Applications quality department where the assembly undergoes a series of dimensional and quality checks to assure that the assembly meets or exceeds the customer specifications.  The first article assemblies are tested and sent to packaging to be shipped with first article documentation to the customer.

Validation

Once the first article is inspected, tested, and approved by the customer the work instructions are validated by Technical Cable Applications quality personnel.  Production can then be scheduled for the assemblies.

Contact

Technical Cable Applications is an ISO9001:20015 registered company.  Please contact the Technical Cable Applications sales team for help with all of you cable assembly needs.

Technical Cable Blog, Uncategorized

Off-The-Shelf Cable Assemblies

Jul 15, 2022 by Ward Dutton 0 Comments

Off-The-Shelf (OTS) cable assemblies are already made cable assemblies and wiring harnesses for a variety of standard applications.  There are tremendous advantages to purchasing off the shelf product.  Most notably are lower cost and immediate delivery.  Technical Cable Applications is best known for the custom cable assemblies and wiring harnesses produced in our Auburn, Washington facility.   TCA also offers a huge variety of Off-The Shelf cable assemblies that are in stock in warehouses throughout the country.

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UL Certified Cable Manufacturer

Dec 1, 2021 by Ward Dutton 0 Comments

Technical Cable Applications is a UL certified cable assembler.

The UL mark signifies that a product meets a stringent set of standards for both safety and quality. UL has developed guidelines and procedures to evaluate and certify millions of electronic and electrical components. UL certified components must be tested to meet certain requirements to mitigate risk factors such as fire and electrical shock.

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Technical Cable Blog

Battery Cable Assemblies

Nov 5, 2021 by Ward Dutton 0 Comments , , , , , , ,

The battery is a key component in powering our new generation of automobiles. It is an essential to start fuel powered vehicles, heavy equipment, fleet trucks, boats, and generators.  Batteries are used as a power source in RVs, campers, motor homes, golf carts and other off grid applications and used to store energy from solar and wind turbines.  One thing common to all this equipment is the need for battery cables. They make the connection from the battery to other components, and they must be reliable. Technical Cable Applications manufactures high quality battery cable assemblies for all these applications. 

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Technical Cable Blog

Cable Assemblies for Cryptocurrency Mining

Aug 25, 2021 by Ward Dutton 0 Comments

Cryptocurrency mining operations use various types of equipment to produce depending on the type of currency desired.  The many types of currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cash, Litecoin and HNT (Helium) require GPU, ASIC’s or HNT hardware devices. The most profitable undertakings are often located in high-speed data centers. Operations large and small all have one thing in common.  The need for cable assemblies to function.

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Technical Cable Blog

Onshore Versus Offshore Manufacturing

Jul 16, 2021 by Ward Dutton 0 Comments

There are a number of reasons you may have your assemblies built onshore.  You may also be thinking about bringing product back onshore in today’s market, but there can still be good reason to consider offshoring your assemblies. Here we will explore onshore versus offshore manufacturing of cable assembles. Technical Cable Applications can support both your onshore and offshore production requirements.

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