This standard provided a significant speed boost, with data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps. It is still commonly found in many older devices and accessories.

The more common antenna types are linearly polarized, like dipoles, whips and LPDAs. But you won’t hear the term linear polarization thrown around at an equipment store. Instead, we get some antenna terms from the linearly polarized types: when the linear plane is perpendicular to the ground, it is said to be vertically polarized. When that plane is parallel with the ground, it is horizontally polarized. But really, these terms are arbitrarily based on the human perception of up or down in relation to the earth and gravity, not some physical constant.

There are several types of USB (Universal Serial Bus) standards, each with different features and capabilities. Here are some of the most common USB types:

USB-C is a universal connector type that can be used with various USB standards. It is known for its reversible design, which means you can insert the cable in any orientation. USB-C can support data transfer, charging, and video output and is increasingly common in modern devices.

Alex Milne was Product Marketing Manager and Digital Marketing Manager for RF Venue, and a writer for the RF Venue Blog, from 2014-2017. He is founder and CEO of Terraband, Inc., a networking and ICT infrastructure company based in Brooklyn, NY., and blogs on spectrum management, and other topics where technology,...

These USB cable types can be found on devices serving as USB hosts. These can be found at one end of a variety of Universal Serial Bus cables, which are used to connect the host to the receiver device.

We talked about the most common USB types, USB ports, and connectors, but remember, their sizes and shapes can vary based on the USB type and the device you're using. USB-C is becoming a universal connector for modern devices because it's versatile and performs well. It'll likely be important for USB in the future.

USBconnector types chart

This standard offers improved data transfer speeds of 10 Gbps and is sometimes referred to as USB 3.1 Gen 2. It features a USB-C connector and is commonly found in newer laptops and mobile devices.

We hope this guide has made it easier for you to choose the right connector, which not only saves you money but also helps keep your devices safe from damage.

MiniUSB

Mini USB connectors are slightly larger than Micro USB connectors and were used in some older portable devices, such as cameras and MP3 players.

MicroUSBpinout

These were the earliest versions of USB. They offered data transfer speeds of 1.5 Mbps (USB 1.0) and 12 Mbps (USB 1.1). They are now largely obsolete and rarely used.

Wave polarization is not a particularly easy concept to visualize. It takes place in three dimensions and across time. Polarized waves have a fixed, constant orientation and create a path that is shaped like a flat plane as it travels through space, and have what we refer to today as linear polarization. The first 40 seconds of this video show linear polarization.

USB Type-A plug-ins are used for small cordless devices. These plug-ins are physically built into the USB device, similar to a flash drive. They can also be found on the ends of cables that are hardwired to USB-compatible devices, such as USB keyboards, mouse, joysticks, etc.

This is a square-shaped port, often used on printers, external hard drives, and other peripheral devices. It comes in different sizes, such as the standard Type-B and the smaller Mini and Micro USB-B.

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The significantly scaled-down versions of both Type A and B connectors are known as mini USB A and B. Only USB 1.1 and 2.0 speeds are supported, and they are available in four- and five-pin varieties.

USB porttypes

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This is a small, rectangular port used in many older smartphones, cameras, and other portable devices. Like USB-B, it comes in various sizes, including standard Micro-B and Micro-USB 3.0.

USB-C is a versatile, oval-shaped port that is becoming increasingly popular. It's reversible, meaning you can plug it in either way. USB-C supports data transfer, charging, and video output and is found on many modern laptops, smartphones, and accessories.

usbtype abc

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*RF Venue has incorporated this little known technique in the Diversity Fin antenna. Read more at Mike Benonis’ paper. Video courtesy of "Ruff."

Also known as USB 3.1 Gen 1, this standard increased data transfer speeds to 5 Gbps. It introduced a new, larger rectangular connector and is widely used for external hard drives and other high-speed peripherals.

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Even though polarization is initiated predominately by the transmitting antenna, radio wave polarization can change dramatically when reflecting off objects in the environment, such as walls and floors. The result is uncertainty about which orientation a particular radio wave will be when it reaches the receiver antenna, and there is always a chance that a condition called “crossed polarization” will occur: When that happens, a noise burst is briefly (but noticeably) heard. No one wants that. To avoid crossed polarization fades, you can use a technique known as polarization diversity by orienting two antennas closely together, but oriented 90 degrees from each other.* This makes it very likely that a given radio wave will be picked up by at least one of the antennas at all times.

Another method for saving device space is to use micro USBs A and B. They have two different setups, one for USB 2.0 and the other for USB 3.0. Micro-USB connectors and ports are designed for smaller gadgets like power banks, affordable smartphones, Bluetooth speakers, cables, and charging stands.

USB 3.2 combines and optimizes the capabilities of USB 3.0 and USB 3.1, offering up to 20 Gbps data transfer speeds. It can be found in select high-performance devices.

The USB Type C connector has an oval appearance, is small and thin, and has an asymmetrical shape. It differs from Type A and B in more ways than just appearance. Its reversibility is one of the main distinctions. This indicates that there is no "right-side up" for this connector.

USB B

USB 4.0 is the latest standard as of my last knowledge update in September 2021. It offers impressive data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps. It also uses the versatile USB-C connector and is designed for a wide range of devices, including laptops, monitors, and storage devices.

USBD

This is a rectangular, flat port that is often used on computers, chargers, and older peripherals. It's the most common type of USB port and is typically used for data transfer, charging, and connecting various USB devices.

In general, it’s better to keep the orientations of the two antennas matched. Reception is best when the receiving antenna is not in a position that prevents the polarization from being too far off from the transmitting antenna, though it rarely needs to be exact.

Standard B connectors are square-shaped and typically have a top that is either slightly rounded or has a large square protrusion. These are compatible with every version of Universal Serial Bus, just like USB-A. A different USB-B variant called Powered-B, on the other hand, is only compatible with USB 3.0. It is commonly found in large computer peripherals such as printers and scanners.

Due to its faster data transfer speed than earlier USB types, this port type is now common in new devices, particularly mobile ones. The demand for Type A and B is gradually being replaced by Type C USB cables. With USB C, you can plug it in either way, unlike with other USB types.

There can also be circular polarization, which, unlike in linearly polarized radio waves, the electric field also spins along an axis, sort of like a twisted ribbon. The final half of the video demonstrate this.

Helical antennas are the most frequently seen circularly polarized antennas in the pro sound world. “Helicals” can produce a circularly polarized beam with high gain by using a carefully modeled spiral construction that produces either right handed (clockwise spin), or left handed (counter clockwise) polarization to the signal. Helicals are useful as a receiving antenna, since they pick up incoming waves of any polarization to the same degree. Shifts in orientation from a handheld or beltpack transmitter are less likely to cause the drop-outs which very often happen when a performer moves to a less favorable polarization.

A radio wave is composed of one electric and one magnetic field that oscillates in a repeating pattern. Polarization describes the way the electric field of the radio wave is oriented. In some cases, especially waves that are generated by a natural source, the fields vibrate in multiple random orientations, and are said to be unpolarized. But when waves are generated from, or passed through an intentionally polarizing device, such as  an antenna, the fields are restricted in movement and are said to be “polarized.”

USB OTG is a feature that allows certain devices to act as both a host and a peripheral, enabling functions like smartphone-to-smartphone data transfer.

Although the typical Type C cable has USB C ports on both ends, Type C to Type A converters can be used to charge Type C devices and transfer data over Type-A ports.

The original USB connectors were rectangular in shape, flat, and referred to as standard-A connectors. USB-A is by far the most popular type of connector. They support almost every version of the Universal Serial Bus, ranging from USB 1.1 all the way up to USB 3.0.

• They are used in any device that functions similarly to a computer, such as audio systems, video game consoles, digital video recorders (DVRs), DVD players, Blu-ray players, and so on.

There are different USB types, USB ports, and USB connectors. Even though they are related, they each have their own role and purposes.

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Micro USB connectors are smaller and were commonly used in many smartphones, cameras, and other portable devices. They come in various configurations, such as Micro-A and Micro-B.