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  3. Aren't USB-C plugs meant to be symmetrical?

Aren't USB-C plugs meant to be symmetrical?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
lampquestionworkspace
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  • C Chris Maunder

    I've optimised my monitor / mouse / keyboard / zoom camera / phone charger / other phone charger / watch charger / headphone charger / zoom lamp setup so it's all neatly cabled to the back of my monitor. To do this I needed a USB-C extension cable. It mostly worked. Except for the mouse. OK: everything except the mouse. I tested the plugs, I swapped things in and out, I checked the mouse worked when plugged into the laptop directly. Nothing worked. Until I unplugged the USB-C extension cord, twisted it 180 degrees, and plugged it back in. Now it works. This makes no sense to me.

    cheers Chris Maunder

    M Offline
    M Offline
    mbancroft
    wrote on last edited by
    #13

    My USB-C extension cable has this helpful label stuck to it:- "If there is a problem when connected with your mouse, keyboard, etc (USB 2.0 devices can only support one side), please reverse the female connector of the USB-C extension cable" USB-C connectors are symmetrical, but this also relies on the USB 3 device detecting which way round the connector is. USB 2 has no such detection, as it's connectors were never rotationally symmetrical. So I guess it's your USB 2 mouse not being able to detect the connection has been inverted.

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    • R raddevus

      Chris Maunder wrote:

      Except for the mouse.

      Since the computer mouse requires movement across flat surfaces the USB-C has to be twisted properly into the plug. This is the expected behavior to support the hardware interface and is a part of USB-C requirement for all computer mouse(s). Since keyboards are not moved across the surface they do not have this requirement. A lot of people don't know about this, but the standard is clearly stated in the docs: http://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/10000/pg10000.html[^] :rolleyes: Am i funny yet? :laugh:

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      JohnnyCee
      wrote on last edited by
      #14

      If you have to ask.... JohnnyCee

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      • M mbancroft

        My USB-C extension cable has this helpful label stuck to it:- "If there is a problem when connected with your mouse, keyboard, etc (USB 2.0 devices can only support one side), please reverse the female connector of the USB-C extension cable" USB-C connectors are symmetrical, but this also relies on the USB 3 device detecting which way round the connector is. USB 2 has no such detection, as it's connectors were never rotationally symmetrical. So I guess it's your USB 2 mouse not being able to detect the connection has been inverted.

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        Chris Maunder
        wrote on last edited by
        #15

        Now that's interesting! I'm actually using the extension so I can gaffe tape my USSB-C hub to the back of my monitor. The hub has a short USB-C cable so the extension allows it to reach my mac. I was assuming the (cheap no-name brand) hub would have all the smarts to handle all the bits and pieces around USB-C to USB 2 negotiations. Live and learn.

        cheers Chris Maunder

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        • C Chris Maunder

          I've optimised my monitor / mouse / keyboard / zoom camera / phone charger / other phone charger / watch charger / headphone charger / zoom lamp setup so it's all neatly cabled to the back of my monitor. To do this I needed a USB-C extension cable. It mostly worked. Except for the mouse. OK: everything except the mouse. I tested the plugs, I swapped things in and out, I checked the mouse worked when plugged into the laptop directly. Nothing worked. Until I unplugged the USB-C extension cord, twisted it 180 degrees, and plugged it back in. Now it works. This makes no sense to me.

          cheers Chris Maunder

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          M Offline
          megaadam
          wrote on last edited by
          #16

          Ah you youngsters. I never had such problems with RS-232.

          "If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"

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          • C Chris Maunder

            I've optimised my monitor / mouse / keyboard / zoom camera / phone charger / other phone charger / watch charger / headphone charger / zoom lamp setup so it's all neatly cabled to the back of my monitor. To do this I needed a USB-C extension cable. It mostly worked. Except for the mouse. OK: everything except the mouse. I tested the plugs, I swapped things in and out, I checked the mouse worked when plugged into the laptop directly. Nothing worked. Until I unplugged the USB-C extension cord, twisted it 180 degrees, and plugged it back in. Now it works. This makes no sense to me.

            cheers Chris Maunder

            B Offline
            B Offline
            Bruce Patin
            wrote on last edited by
            #17

            Broken wire

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • W Wizard of Sleeves

              You have to align the quantum phase interface with the nearest zodiacal node.

              Nothing succeeds like a budgie without teeth.

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              J Offline
              JP Reyes
              wrote on last edited by
              #18

              Oh that sounded like it came right out of the ol' SpaceQuest game series :laugh: (so many headaches too to get perfect MIDI music out of them)

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              • C Chris Maunder

                I've optimised my monitor / mouse / keyboard / zoom camera / phone charger / other phone charger / watch charger / headphone charger / zoom lamp setup so it's all neatly cabled to the back of my monitor. To do this I needed a USB-C extension cable. It mostly worked. Except for the mouse. OK: everything except the mouse. I tested the plugs, I swapped things in and out, I checked the mouse worked when plugged into the laptop directly. Nothing worked. Until I unplugged the USB-C extension cord, twisted it 180 degrees, and plugged it back in. Now it works. This makes no sense to me.

                cheers Chris Maunder

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                U Offline
                User 2893688
                wrote on last edited by
                #19

                It makes sense if it was dirty... which meant you overloaded the bandwidth but it worked with everything, EXCEPT THE MOUSE.

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                • W Wizard of Sleeves

                  You have to align the quantum phase interface with the nearest zodiacal node.

                  Nothing succeeds like a budgie without teeth.

                  U Offline
                  U Offline
                  User 2893688
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #20

                  You forgot to tangled the Quantum Capacitors and cool the Delithium Crystals. "I canna' change the laws of physics." -- Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

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                  • M megaadam

                    Ah you youngsters. I never had such problems with RS-232.

                    "If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"

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                    J Offline
                    jmussetter
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #21

                    As someone who deals with RS232, still, on a very normal basis, don't you remember the null-modem pin swaps? I still carry several DB9 null-modem adapters around with me in my backpack for testing. There is even a meme about it... something along the lines of "don't panic! swap pins 2 and 3 and carry on!" or something. So yes, even rs232 can be "backwards" (unfortunately).

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                    • J jmussetter

                      As someone who deals with RS232, still, on a very normal basis, don't you remember the null-modem pin swaps? I still carry several DB9 null-modem adapters around with me in my backpack for testing. There is even a meme about it... something along the lines of "don't panic! swap pins 2 and 3 and carry on!" or something. So yes, even rs232 can be "backwards" (unfortunately).

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                      trønderen
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #22

                      Yeah, I think we had seven different ways of making null modem cables... That was including those on a full 25-pin RS232-plug with all the signals. On the 9-pin connectors, there were not that many alternatives. My experience with them is primarily as a college lecturer: If you ask our students who were CS students in the first half of the 1990, they still remember one single group project: That of implementing a (simplified) Kermit protocol between two PCs, after soldering up a null modem cable. This was their first encounter with multi-process (and even multi-machine) software debugging: It gave them the greatest frustrations of their study years, but also their greatest learning experience.

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                      • M megaadam

                        Ah you youngsters. I never had such problems with RS-232.

                        "If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"

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                        A Offline
                        abusaad
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #23

                        Remember the null-modem?

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                        • C Chris Maunder

                          I've optimised my monitor / mouse / keyboard / zoom camera / phone charger / other phone charger / watch charger / headphone charger / zoom lamp setup so it's all neatly cabled to the back of my monitor. To do this I needed a USB-C extension cable. It mostly worked. Except for the mouse. OK: everything except the mouse. I tested the plugs, I swapped things in and out, I checked the mouse worked when plugged into the laptop directly. Nothing worked. Until I unplugged the USB-C extension cord, twisted it 180 degrees, and plugged it back in. Now it works. This makes no sense to me.

                          cheers Chris Maunder

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                          M Offline
                          maze3
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #24

                          did you try a different cable? If different cable works: then cable might not be properly wired up. If different cable has same issue when flipping: the mouse might not be wired to handle the data and power on the flipped pins. USB-a only has 4 pins. USB-c has 24, 12 doubled. The mouse likely switched from handle micro usb to C, so to save time and a penny cut the need to fully wire up all the pins

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                          • C Chris Maunder

                            I've optimised my monitor / mouse / keyboard / zoom camera / phone charger / other phone charger / watch charger / headphone charger / zoom lamp setup so it's all neatly cabled to the back of my monitor. To do this I needed a USB-C extension cable. It mostly worked. Except for the mouse. OK: everything except the mouse. I tested the plugs, I swapped things in and out, I checked the mouse worked when plugged into the laptop directly. Nothing worked. Until I unplugged the USB-C extension cord, twisted it 180 degrees, and plugged it back in. Now it works. This makes no sense to me.

                            cheers Chris Maunder

                            M Offline
                            M Offline
                            Martin ISDN
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #25

                            it's a safe passage so they can once again reintroduce a new plug

                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • M maze3

                              did you try a different cable? If different cable works: then cable might not be properly wired up. If different cable has same issue when flipping: the mouse might not be wired to handle the data and power on the flipped pins. USB-a only has 4 pins. USB-c has 24, 12 doubled. The mouse likely switched from handle micro usb to C, so to save time and a penny cut the need to fully wire up all the pins

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                              C Offline
                              Chris Maunder
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #26

                              I flipped it. It worked. I moved on :)

                              cheers Chris Maunder

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