USB-C extensions are not allowed for a reason
www.youtube.com
There is a reason for USB-C extensions not to be part of the standard. They can be bothersome in the best case and dangerous in the worst. The cable tester f...

There is a reason for USB-C extensions not to be part of the standard. They can be bothersome in the best case and dangerous in the worst.

  • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldEnglish
    258·
    2 years ago

    If you want a more detailed explanation, USB-C is a small connector that was designed primarily for data transfer, extended power range delivery (240w) was essentially hacked on to the standard. Electricity arcing between the contacts on the connector is the biggest challenge with this hack, since the contacts are small and very close together, which could burn out the circuit board and start fires. For EPR to work safely, there needs to be a lot of extra components on the circuit board/female connector side, which there simply isn’t enough space for on an f2m extension cable.

    As for why USB-C cables are so short, it’s simply a matter of physics, carrying high speed data over larger distances would result in higher losses and requires thicker conductors and more shielding, which is why you don’t see USB4 Gen3 cables over 1 meter unless they are optical, and longer “charging cables” are only rated at USB 2.0 speeds, because more often than not they don’t even have the USB 3.x data pins on their connector.

    • narc0tic_bird@lemm.eeEnglish
      141·
      2 years ago

      I have this cable: https://www.spigen.com/products/arcwire-usb-c-to-usb-c-cable-pb2202

      It’s 2 meters long, 240 watts and supports Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 (40 gbps).

      I couldn’t test the 240 watts charging as I don’t have any device pulling more than 100 watts, but the Thunderbolt 4 part definitely works.

      Apple sells a 3 meter Thunderbolt 4 cable (albeit limited to 100 watts of power) that isn’t optical either (I think there’s some special circuitry in the plugs though).

      • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldEnglish
        24·
        2 years ago

        You’re right. Those are active cables which I forgot to mention earlier that have special circuits that amplify signals, but are also a lot more expensive as a result.

        • narc0tic_bird@lemm.eeEnglish
          2·
          2 years ago

          Braiding doesn’t really increase the cable quality per se though…?

          It’s $90 because it has fairly thick wiring and as Margot said is likely an active cable (with a chip in the plug). It’s actually fairly cheap considering the feature set.

          • flames5123@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            2 years ago

            Braided cables are just higher quality imo because they can’t tangle easily and take a lot of effort to bend.

          • Croquette@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            1·
            2 years ago

            A shielded braid reduce the noise on the data lines and gives a better signal integrity. So it doesn’t increase the quality of the material, but increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR), which is very important for data transmission.

    • fosho@lemmy.caEnglish
      410·
      2 years ago

      It’s a great explanation. However you have some pretty egregious use of commas that made it a lot more confusing. I had to read it over multiple times to fully understand.

      It may seem like nitpicking but these subtle issues end up making it harder to comprehend and overall results in more time and effort for everyone you’re trying to inform.