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A comment on USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible. Parent comment

Re:USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed ... by dharmab on Monday October 09, 2023 @08:44AM (#37819861)
> From my understanding I think that is not technically possible because to pass video they need the data lines but maybe I'm mistaken?

Counterexample: The Meta Quest link cables use a USB-C style connector but internally are very different from a regular cable.

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Re:USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed ... by lloeki on Monday October 09, 2023 @09:23AM (#37820219)
So, not actually USB compliant? (save for the connector)

One can't blame non-compliant cables on USB-C as it could happen with any other connector.

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Re:USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed ... by slikrick on Monday October 09, 2023 @08:50AM (#37819919)
and that can happen with literally every cable, people have abused USB-A and RJ45 for many decades...
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Re:USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed ... by usrusr on Monday October 09, 2023 @09:11AM (#37820107)
Not every cable. Not if you make the connector a closed standard that can't be used without ruinous licencing fees and keep a squad of patent attorneys on retainer. Thankfully USB is not one of those.
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Re:USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed ... by lloeki on Monday October 09, 2023 @09:25AM (#37820241)
> make the connector a closed standard that can't be used without ruinous licencing fees and keep a squad of patent attorneys on retainer

Time has shown that doesn't seem to prevent cheap - and potentially dangerous - knockoffs from areas outside possible litigation.

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Re:USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed ... by extraduder_ire on Wednesday October 11, 2023 @09:58AM (#37844485)
My APC UPS is connected to my computer with a USB-A to rj45 cable. It is the most cursed cable I own, narrowly beating out the type-A to type-A usb2 cable I needed to buy to get a HTC vive to work. (I later "upgraded" to a type-c cable with A-to-C adapters on either end.)

IIRC, the Ethernet standard means ports should tolerate 5V, but I'm still spooked someone's going to use the cable thinking it's something else.

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Re:USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed ... by MikusR on Monday October 09, 2023 @04:30PM (#37825116)
They are regular (fiber optic) USB-C cables.
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