Cable Matters USB 3.1 Type-C to USB 3.0 Micro-B provides essential compatibility with next generation computers equipped with a Type C port.

When the system has strong response above the Nyquist frequency, low frequency artifacts such as Moiré fringing or stair-stepping may appear. Stair-stepping is clearly visible when the above image is magnified 5X, as shown on the right. These artifacts have an adverse effect on measurement consistency because an important step in the slanted-edge measurement is the estimate of the edge angle, which is quite consistent for smoothed (anti-aliased) edges, but which depends on the ROI position when there is extreme aliasing. A highly exaggerated example is shown on the far right, where the edge angle estimate derived from the two small red rectangles will be completely different.

Since the release of USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 USB-C cables, a new generation of USB4 cables was launched, introducing even higher data rates, advanced features, and improved compatibility with Intel’s Thunderbolt standard. Based on the Thunderbolt 3 protocol, USB4 improves maximum cable bandwidth to 40 Gbps – double that of the best USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 cables. It also adds official support and compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 and is supported in turn by Thunderbolt 4, so the latest generations of USB-C cabling are almost completely interchangeable.

What is USB-C and what is it used for? This post takes a deep dive on the benefits of converging to a single computer connection standard, or USB-C.

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The 3.0 vs 3.1 USB debate was settled for good with the release of USB 3.2. It preserved the existing SuperSpeed and SuperSpeed+ transfer modes of its predecessors and doubled the data transfer channels from a single lane to two lanes, doubling the max transfer rate to 20 Gbps.

That was just the first generation of USB4, though. The USB Implementers Forum has announced a USB4 2.0 specification that will raise the bandwidth again to a maximum of 80 Gbps for bi-directional data transfers, or up to 120 Gbps when only sending data in one direction, such as streaming video. That has the potential to open up even higher resolutions and refresh rates, although no devices or cables yet exist which can take advantage of these ultra-high specifications.

USB Power Delivery was boosted with this new generation of USB, too, with the latest cables able to transmit up to 100W of power. That makes it possible to quickly charge even big and bulky devices like gaming laptops, as well as tablets and other devices larger than a smartphone.

Technically, USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2, are now all known as USB 3.2. To avoid confusion, manufacturers describe their USB products in terms of speed: SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps, SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps, or SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps, depending on the USB version they support. Bear that in mind when buying USB-compatible devices.

A second observation is that MTF Area (short for MTF Area Peak-Normalized), which is equal to the integral of the MTF curve from 0 the Nyquist frequency  fNyq, would be closely approximate MTF50 derived from a properly-smoothed monotonically-decreasing MTF curve.

Related page: Correcting Misleading Image Quality Measurements: links to an Electronic Imaging paper that compares MTF summary metrics

FOV and focal length

The plot below shows the edge and MTF from a raw image captured at ISO 12800. It is extremely noisy because of the very high ISO speed (dim illumination of the sensor, followed by very high gain) and because no noise reduction is applied to raw images.

Though it seems that we’re just getting familiar with Thunderbolt 3, it is already time to ask, what is Thunderbolt 4? Performance upgrades are minimal but widespread compatibility is the most promising feature.

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In the eSFR ISO Auto mode settings window, all Single-region plots and most Multi-ROI plots were unchecked. (When we needed to examine details we ran eSFR ISO Setup). Close figures after save and Allow CSV file output were checked.

This is illustrated in the plot on the right, which shows MTF50, MTF50P and MTF Area for an edge (from one of the ISO 200 raw images in the above analysis). The edge was analyzed without sharpening, and with one and two applications of sharpening (Unsharp Mask in Picture Window Pro with Sharpening Radii = 1 and 2). MTF50 continues to increase as sharpening increases, even though the visible effect of sharpening— “halos” near edges— can degrade image appearance. MTF50P increases much more slowly: it’s a generally more reliable metric than MTF50. But it still depends on a single frequency. MTF area does not increase once a sharpening peak > 1 appears.

Modulation transfer function

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A key observation (not obvious with normal images, which have much less noise) is that MTF50 is based on the first spatial frequency where MTF drops below 50% of the low frequency level— 997 LW/PH in this plot, where noise causes a sudden and misleading dip just under 1000 LW/PH in the (unsmoothed) MTF curve. Smoothing the MTF plot would improve MTF measurement consistency, but smoothing has never been addressed in the ISO 12233 standard. The optimum amount of smoothing, which depends on the width of the region (i.e., frequency increment or the number of points in the plot) would have to be determined.

There may be cases where moderate MTF overshoot (~25-50%) may be desirable. In such cases a modified version of MTF Area may be a better metric. For example (for sharpening between B. and C, above), an image with a spatial domain overshoot of 25% may appear sharper than it would without overshoot— and the halo won’t be very visible. This corresponds to a peak MTF of approximately 1.4.  For a desired peak MTF = MTFpk > 1, we define

This is actually one of the most useful features of newer USB-C cables. Whether they’re from the USB4 family, the older USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, or one of Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 or 4 cables. All of them, as long as they have the USB-C header, will work together. They’ll only operate at the speed of the slowest element in the chain, but if the plug fits, they will work.

A customer sent us an image whose MTF50 measurements varied unpredictably as ROI size changed. A crop is shown on the right. You can click on it to view a full-sized image that you can download and run.

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LensMTF

Principle and method. OCT is a technology that uses the coherence of light to measure distance in the direction that light travels. Near-infrared light is shone ...

Since the debut of USB 3.1, USB-IF decided to abandon the USB 3.0 name and use USB 3.1 Gen 1 to replace USB 3.0, both of which support 5Gbps transfer speed.

Another advantage of MTF Area is that it tracks MTF50, i.e., it increases as sharpening increases, up to the point where an overshoot appears in the sharpened MTF curve (peak MTF > 1), then it remains relatively constant. So it does not reward excessive sharpening with better numbers.

A 25×40 pixel region size is sufficient for good results with low noise images. This may be the best that can be done with low resolution cameras, though larger is recommended if the geometry allows or if the image is very noisy.

Note: This page is not quite complete, but we felt that the results are important enough to be presented in its present (nearly complete) state.

The strong response above the Nyquist frequency (0.5 cycles/Pixel)  indicates that the lens is extremely sharp. Images from such lenses tends to look best with sharpening radii well below 2.4, which provides very little response boost in the important 0.35-0.5 C/P range, where the input MTF has sufficient energy to benefit from the boost.

This number will be equal to MTF Area for measured MTF peak = 1 (which is the minimum possible value, since MTF is defined as 1 at the lowest spatial frequencies). It will continue to increase up to measured MTF peak = MTFpk, then it will flatten out. For example, for a desired peak MTF = MTFpk = 1.4 (corresponding to spatial overshoot ≅ 25%), MTF Area(1.4) = min(measured MTF peak, 1.4) * MTF Area will reach its maximum when measured MTF peak = 1.4.

In running eSFR Auto, select batches of files to be analyzed together, i.e., don’t mix different ISO speeds or JPEG and raw, unless there is a specific need to do so (for example, for directly comparing different ISO speeds). No additional settings need to be entered, since they were saved during eSFR Setup (Rescharts).

The USB cable must still match the port it’s going into, though. So only USB-A cables are compatible with USB-A ports, regardless of generation. All USB-C cables and ports are inter-compatible and can work with USB-A ports when using an adapter or conversion cable.

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Field of view

Now that these statistical results are available, Imatest will be doing more to promote the use of MTFAPN as a sharpness summary metric.

As explained in the Sharpening page, the sharpening transfer function is periodic with a period of 1/Radius in Cycles/Pixel. The system MTF (shown on the right for the above image) is the the raw MTF response times the sharpening transfer function.

An Edge ID file with one ROI in each of the center, part-way, and corner zones of the image was used in eSFR ISO so that Batchview, which analyzes the mean of results for each zone, analyzes just one image per zone. (Otherwise you would get the mean of several measurements, which would have a lower variability). The edge ID shown on the right (format: x_y_LRTB) was chosen because the sharpest edge in the manually-focused image was the left edge of the slanted-square two squares to the right of the center. This square (region 3 in the figure below) was used for the analyses on this page.

USB-C vs. Thunderbolt 3. You know they’re related but which one is better? Read on to learn whether you should reach for Thunderbolt 3 or can accomplish everything with just USB-C.

We propose a new summary metric: the area under the MTF curve (up to the Nyquist frequency), normalized to the peak MTF value. This metric is relatively unfamiliar, but seems to be generally more stable than MTF50 and MTF50P.

ImageJMTF

In Batchview, enter the […]_sfrbatch.csv output files (from the eSFR ISO batch runs) into boxes A–D at the bottom. Up to four output files can be entered for comparison (though statistical results can only be viewed when a single batch is displayed: Display (lower-right) should be set to A, B, C, or D. The measurement (MTF50, MTF50P, etc.) should be selected from the dropdown menu at the top-left. For this particular analysis, Part way mean was selected in the Region dropdown menu, top-center. (Center mean will be selected in cases where the image is sharpest in the center.) Statistics (mean, sigma) should be selected in the dropdown menu on the top-right (only visible with a single batch is displayed).

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The USB 3.1 vs USB 3.0 difference remains almost exclusively bandwidth dependent. Both connectors operate the same whether using a more traditional USB-A or USB-B, or any of the various micro and mini USB connectors. Their generation is what's important, not the connector header.

In the meantime, though, you can grab high-quality USB-A cables right here at Cable Matters, and we stock a wide range of USB-C and other cable types too. Whatever you need, we’re sure to have it.

The USB 3.0 vs 3.1 debate might be all but settled, and these technologies might have been superseded by younger, more capable solutions, but there’s still plenty of space for USB 3.0 and 3.1 to remain relevant. Many legacy devices that use USB-A 3.1 and 3.0 connectors for power and data transfer are still out in the wild, and most PC peripherals like mice, keyboards, and webcams, still use USB-A as their primary connector type. Considering desktop PCs continue to offer many USB-A ports to provide legacy support for these devices, too, it’s likely that we’ll see USB 3.0 and 3.1 around for many years to come.

Full 20Gbps speeds are only possible with a USB-C cable, owing to the cable’s additional wires and pins, but USB technology didn't stop there.

Cable Matters USB 3.0 Type A to B Cable is an indispensable accessory for connecting a desktop external hard drive, scanner &USB docking station with a Type B USB 3.0 port.

May 3, 2024 — Objective Lenses -- The second set of lenses on the microscope. The microscope will have several objectives, each with their own magnification.

To differentiate this higher-speed connector from older USB ports and devices, cables were equipped with a specific SuperSpeed logo, and the ports themselves were often colored blue.

In this page we analyze the consistency of slanted-edge MTF measurements, focusing on the effects of noise and region size on measurement consistency. We describe the test procedure in sufficient detail to enable Imatest users to perform similar studies for themselves.

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MTF

Two of the most standout generations of USB in recent years have been USB 3.0 and USB 3.1. Although they were eventually supplanted by USB 3.2 in all its forms, and USB4 beyond that, USB 3.0 and 3.1 devices are still incredibly common, and most desktop computers are still released with a number of USB-A 3.0 connectors.

In the eSFR ISO More settings window, MTF plot units were set to LW/PH, Speedup was checked, and MTF noise reduction (mod apod) was checked (except where indicated).

USB4 also supports DisplayPort 2.1 tunneling, so can transmit video and audio from a source device to a USB4-compatible display. That gives USB4 the ability to support very high-resolution monitors, like 8K, and also UHD displays with high refresh rates, like 4K 144Hz.

This problem will not occur if MTF Area (a relatively unfamiliar summary metric, described below) is used instead of MTF50.

That goes for USB-C connectors too, although you'll typically find USB-C devices support the faster USB 3.1, or even 3.2 standards- not always though. Many USB-C cables marketed as charging cables only support USB 3.0 or even 2.0 speeds.

This image may look good on the small display of a camera phone, but it is far from optimum when exported and viewed on a large display or printed. When sharpened in this way, image quality won’t approach the potential of the lens and sensor. A better strategy would have been to sharpen with a radius between 1 and 1.5 (perhaps with a moderate oversharpening peak— see sharpening examples, below), then to add additional sharpening for images sent to the display.

Before addressing the main USB 3.0 vs 3.1 debate, it's important to clear up what's being discussed. The organization that promotes and supports USB development, the USB Implementers Forum, retroactively renamed all third-generation USB connections at the release of USB 3.2.

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The tests were performed on the Panasonic Lumix LX100 camera: a high quality compact camera that has a relatively large sensor, excellent controls, and can produce both JPEG and raw files. We took 10 images of a large eSFR ISO test chart at each of three ISO speeds, saving them in both JPEG and raw formats, for a total of 60 images. (SFRplus could have been used with equally good results.) The lens was set to 50mm-equivalent focal length. Manual focus was used to eliminate variations due to autofocus.  Standard signal processing was selected. A 2-second time delay minimized camera shake.

The core difference between USB 3.0 and 3.1 is the transfer speed. When it was introduced in 2008, USB 3.0 revolutionized USB bandwidth. USB 3.0 increased the maximum transfer speed to 5Gbps – working out to around 500MB/s in the real world – using its new SuperSpeed transfer mode, a nearly 10-fold increase over its predecessor, USB 2.0.

Some of the highest quality USB4 cables can even offer up to 240W of charging power, making them the fastest, most powerful USB chargers ever created.

Running the image (using SFRplus with the original uncropped image; SFR with the crop) quickly showed the reason for the problem. A curious combination of excellent lens performance and large sharpening radius (appropriate for a mediocre lens) resulted in a long ramp in the MTF response around the 50% level. Slight changes in response could have major changes in MTF50.

The pattern of peaks and dips (near 0.42 and 0.84 C/P) suggests a sharpening radius of around 2.4, which would have its first peak around 0.24 C/P. The first system MTF peak is typically lower because of the MTF rolloff of the unsharpened image.

The universal serial bus, or USB, has been a stalwart connector for all sorts of devices and systems for almost thirty years. It's consistently kept pace with new demands for speed and features, and today is one of the most comprehensive connectors out there. That does depend on which version of USB you make use of, though, with older generations not offering the same capabilities as the latest. While USB4, Thunderbolt 4, and other USB-C type connectors might be the most capable and popular today, there is still some life in older generations of USB.

Cable Matters takes this naming convention in mind, and where necessary, uses both the traditional USB namings and labels cables with the maximum speeds they can handle. That said, it's important to note that when it comes to third-generation USB cables, they are fully compatible with themselves and USB 2.0 ports - but can only operate at the fastest speed of the oldest generation USB part in the chain. So a USB 3.2 Gen 1 cable plugged into a USB 2.0 port will only be able to operate at USB 2.0 speeds.

USB 3.1 arrived five years later and upped the ante again, raising the maximum transfer speed to 10Gbps using the SuperSpeed+ transfer mode. USB 3.1 Gen 2 is fast enough to drive even 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections.

However, where Thunderbolt 4 mandates a 40 Gbps transfer speed, that’s not always the case with USB4. Although it can support it, not all cables do, so the USB Forum has introduced a new USB 40Gbps logo and certification, so that compatible cables are clearly marked and marketed.

The difference between USB 3.0 and 3.1 isn't drastic, but it can make a big difference depending on the devices you own and what you want to do with them. Here's how USB 3.1 vs USB 3.0 fare against one another.

That said, they have been thoroughly supplanted in every way, with the latest generations of USB4 and Thunderbolt cables and ports offering much higher performance numbers, and much better feature lists. Look for these older USB-A connectors and cables to be gradually replaced in the years to come.

But how do these types of USB connectors compare? When it’s USB 3.0 vs 3.1, where do these generational standards differ?