USB-C

USB-C, or USB Type-C, is a 24-pin reversible connector (not a protocol) that supersedes previous USB connectors (also supersedes Mini DisplayPort and Lightning connectors) that can transfer data, e.g. audio/video data, to connect to monitors, external drives, mobile phones, keyboards/mouses, and many more peripheral devices; sometimes indirectly via hubs/docking stations. It also exchanges electricity, in general to power peripheral devices. It is used not only by USB technology, but also by other data transfer protocols, including Thunderbolt, PCIe, HDMI, DisplayPort, and others. It is extensible to support future protocols.

The design for the USB-C connector was initially developed in 2012 by Intel, HP Inc., Microsoft, and the USB Implementers Forum. The Type-C Specification 1.0 was published by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) on August 11, 2014. In July 2016, it was adopted by the IEC as "IEC 62680-1-3".

The USB Type-C connector has 24 pins and is reversible. The designation C distinguishes it from the various USB connectors it replaced, all termed either Type‑A or Type‑B. Whereas earlier USB cables had a host end A and a peripheral device end B, a USB-C cable connects either way; and for interoperation with older equipment, there are cables with a Type-C plug at one end and either a Type-A (host) or a Type-B (peripheral device) plug at the other.

The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration, or form factor, not to be confused with the connector's specific capabilities and performance, such as Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. While USB‑C is the single modern connector for all USB protocols, there are valid uses of the connector that do not involve any USB protocol. Based on the protocols supported by all, host, intermediate devices (hubs), and peripheral devices, a USB-C connection normally provides much higher signalling and data rates than anything using the superseded connectors.

A device with a Type-C connector does not necessarily implement any USB transfer protocol, USB Power Delivery, or any of the Alternate Modes: the Type-C connector is common to several technologies while mandating only a few of them.

USB 3.2, released in September 2017, fully replaced the USB 3.1 (and therefore also USB 3.0) specifications. It preserves the former USB 3.1 SuperSpeed and SuperSpeed+ data transfer modes and introduces two additional data transfer modes by newly applying two-lane operations, with signalling rates of 10 Gbit/s (SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps; raw data rate: 1.212 GB/s) and 20 Gbit/s (SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps; raw data rate: 2.422 GB/s). They are only applicable with Full-Featured USB-C Fabrics (connectors, cables, hubs, host, and peripheral device) at all connections.

USB4, released in 2019, is the first USB transfer protocol standard that is applicable exclusively via USB-C.