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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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  • 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

      M Offline
      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

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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"

                    A Offline
                    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

                      M Offline
                      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

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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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