geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ddrfraser1 on Fri, 22 May 2020, 09:57:57
-
I've been at this hobby for a while and seen several posts and videos where people crap on everything that isn't USB C. I could really care less what the interface is. They all seem to make my keyboard click just fine. For that matter, why do people prefer PS/2?
What am I missing?
muchas gracias ;D
-
why would people prefer PS/2? you must restart your PC everytime you plug the board in. :rolleyes:
about Type C USB: yes, it does seem to be a bit over-engineered but I like it because it's reversible and more reliable than the Mini/Micro (they become loose pretty fast)
-
why would people prefer PS/2? you must restart your PC everytime you plug the board in. :rolleyes:
about Type C USB: yes, it does seem to be a bit over-engineered but I like it because it's reversible and more reliable than the Mini/Micro (they become loose pretty fast)
That's just it..it is the reliability...plus a bit more future proof....it is a better interface.
Does it really matter? Not really..but if you're building a keyboard NOW I'm not sure it makes sense to use anything but as the cost is insignificant..I think that's the complaint, why use old tech when there is no advantage to it?
-
A few reasons for USB-C.
Firstly it's a good middle-ground between full sized computers/laptops/consoles and smaller phones/chargers/tablets. Without it you'd see USB A on the former and USB micro/mini on the latter. Because USB-C exists we can just have C on everything, which saves using dongles, having two or three cables for the same devices etc.
Secondly because USB-C is reversible, which is a minor issue with type A.
Thirdly, USB-C has been extended on modern laptops at times to be used as direct charging ports and for thunderbolt-3 ports, both of which can be extremely useful (Granted thunderbolt 3 will be outdated eventually by usb-4.0).
Fourthly, and this is just personal, USB C looks much nicer than USB A because the size of the connector head and the cable are more comparable.
-
Reasons for USB C in keyboards:
1 - you can plug the board in even when you're too drunk to notice the connector is upside-down
2 - you can use enough LEDs fo backlighting to light an entire room
3 - you can add an integrated hub that can actually power things
As you can see only 3 is actually useful (you shouldn't be risking a nice board under the influence) and no-one does that, designers just put on a more expensive connector on the PCB and connect the same USB2 controller chip to it as would work just fine on a USB2 mini or micro.
PS/2? It works with NKRO in all situations with no drivers. 'cause you never know when you'll find yourself gaming in BIOS...
-
why would people prefer PS/2? you must restart your PC everytime you plug the board in. :rolleyes:
that was true of older controllers later models did not have that problem, the main reason i keep a ps/2 keyboard ready at all time is that it is pretty much universally compatible with everything, even usb hid is still not always recognized in bioses and some random integrated systems that still uses windows CE 6 (yeah those are still built and sold), if you are the computer guy you need at least one reliable ps/2 board, cause someone will bring to you an old-ish pc to fix and you will need it, otherwise now that we have fast usb polling rates ps/2 is not that useful anymore just edge cases. a few years back though ps/2 had a latency advantage over usb because of the slow polling of usb compared to the interrupt driven ps/2, technically ps/2 should still be faster but the margin is now too low to make a difference.
as for my take on usb-C, it seems sturdier than micro and is reversible, so count me in, cause you always plug usb-A backward at least twice before finding the correct orientation :) and having one common connector for most things will make it easier on everyone.
-
why would people prefer PS/2? you must restart your PC everytime you plug the board in. :rolleyes:
P/s2 for keyboard is superior than usb in every way :)
-
why do people prefer PS/2?
You can turn on your computer from the PS/2 keyboard. PS/2 is right thing for desktop computer.
-
why do people prefer PS/2?
You can turn on your computer from the PS/2 keyboard. PS/2 is right thing for desktop computer.
Did not know that. That's awesome.
-
ps/2 and mini USB all the way. Micro USB was an abomination and I have already seen one totally destroyed type c connector on a student laptop, with another having some failure I could not physically identify preventing it from being able to output video anymore. I don't care about reversibility if the design is good enough to get the right way around every time no matter what anyway (mini USB). I have never had a mini USB connector come loose on me, they've always stayed as stiff as a rock. I specifically ordered a DZ60 keyboard with no hot swap sockets, and separate hot swap sockets to solder to it, just because the hot swap version did not offer the mini USB interface.
I will disagree somewhat on ps/2 compatibility. This very computer seems to hate ps/2, and sometimes you need to jump through some hoops to even get ps/2 keyboards working in modern Windows these days ... but then there's Hasu's and Soarer's wonderful firmwares, so ...
-
easy to plug in hole, it all that matter
-
This very computer seems to hate ps/2, and sometimes you need to jump through some hoops to even get ps/2 keyboards working in modern Windows these days ...
I have never had a problem with PS/2 in modern Windows these days. Neither 7, or 8, or 8.1, or 10.
-
This very computer seems to hate ps/2, and sometimes you need to jump through some hoops to even get ps/2 keyboards working in modern Windows these days ...
I have never had a problem with PS/2 in modern Windows these days. Neither 7, or 8, or 8.1, or 10.
I have had problems in both 7 and 10, at home and at work. Both in terms of drivers, and registry settings. I also use a lot of weird old AT and ps/2 keyboards. I don't use 8 at all, so I can't comment on that, but 10 is practically just 8 with an overhaul. An F AT is currently working perfectly at one location at work, with Windows 7. I don't recall having to do anything to that system to make it so, but I seem to rarely be that lucky with newer hardware. That system is still rocking a Core 2 Duo. The i5 system at the other location I'm at the most took some tweaking, but it works on Windows 7. I believe I had ps/2 boards working on this computer at some point, before I wiped and reinstalled, but I haven't put in the effort to resolve it again on the fresh Windows 10 install. Then, some systems, just work perfectly by default with weird old boards that literally don't work at all with other systems, like my Beige label Z-150, which works perfectly with 2 computers that I own, and no others that I have tested with (I don't even know how many I own). One of the ones that it did work with originally shipped with Windows XP, and was still running it.
-
I think that most people who advocate USB-C do it because they want the world to use only one cable, so they wouldn't need so many different ones.
For that matter, why do people prefer PS/2?
Myths.
1. People used to believe that you couldn't do N-key rollover over USB... Well that was partially true, because first it took a while before the industry figured out how, and second there were some stupid bugs in some host USB stacks which made early attempts at NKRO over USB incompatible with them. And many keyboards listed as being NKRO are actually still only 6KRO over USB.
2. PC gamers look for the maximum speed, and the theoretical speed for a single key press over PS/2 is allowed to be slightly faster. Actually the allowed rate of PS/2 (key press per second) is a range within which the more fixed max rate of Full-Speed USB (frame per second) lies, so ... a PS/2 keyboard could actually have a lower transfer rate than a modern mechanical USB keyboard.
But that is still only transfer rate, not latency. In practice, there are many other factors within the controller that can add latency. It is likely that the microcontroller in a vintage PS/2 keyboard is much slower than a 32-bit ARM microcontroller in a modern keyboard for everything but the protocol itself.
Not that there isn't room for speed improvements in modern microcontrollers: for one thing, much USB hardware require packets to be put in a queue whereas the USB protocol is based on polling¸ so a packet may have to wait in its queue for several microseconds before the host polls it — thus being several microseconds stale when it is polled instead of being the last recorded state.
I think that a lot of the USB hardware (and some of the HID protocol itself) had been inspired by the PS/2 in the first place — where you had to queue up input. I would speculate that the rationale for some could have been to make it easier to adapt devices to USB back in the day when USB was introduced.
And BTW, it is also possible to run a keyboard over High-Speed USB which is even faster, but I have only seen that done by an enthusiast (https://michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2018-04-17-kinx-keyboard-controller/).
You can turn on your computer from the PS/2 keyboard.
You can do that with USB too.
Both types of ports have to be powered to allow this, but a USB device connected to an "off" computer is required to go into "suspend" mode where it must draw only a very small current. PS/2 does not have a low-power mode.
-
You can turn on your computer from the PS/2 keyboard.
You can do that with USB too.
Both types of ports have to be powered to allow this, but a USB device connected to an "off" computer is required to go into "suspend" mode where it must draw only a very small current. PS/2 does not have a low-power mode.
Cold boot with PS/2 keyboard is simple, just settings in BIOS. I don’t think it is so with USB keyboard.
-
USB and PS2 can both cold boot a system, however the motherboard (and possibly the keyboard) need to support it.
Windows standby and hibernation all but killed it and Win10 dealt the killing blow, you really don't want to leave Win10 turned off.
A PS2 keyboard can hot swap, but usually only after it's been initialized by bios and the driver.
If the keyboard wasn't connected at boot it will (usually) not work when you plug it in. Once one has been connected you can usually hot swap just fine but it usually needs to be there at boot to get started.
The reason it remains popular with gamers is that it's interrupt based, it interrupts the cpu and says it's doing something, whereas USB asks the keyboard if it's doing something then waits for an answer. This whole argument is based on old ideas, yes the keyboard could interrupt the cpu, and in the early days of USB this may have made a difference, but today it's all controlled through the chipset which decides what gets priority so it isn't going handle it the same way as it used to be handled. It may still be more responsive but we've reached a point where it no longer matters. If you can't tell a wireless usb mouse has lag what makes you think a wired keyboard is going to be noticeable?
PS2 also has an issue where the protocol changed over the years, it used to supply a ton of amperage, that's been chopped way down. This is why much older PS2 boards such as the earlier Model Ms have problems on newer motherboards, they don't give it enough power. This is probably related to the above.
-
A PS2 keyboard can hot swap, but usually only after it's been initialized by bios and the driver.
If the keyboard wasn't connected at boot it will (usually) not work when you plug it in. Once one has been connected you can usually hot swap just fine but it usually needs to be there at boot to get started.
Hot-plugging a PS/2 keyboard can cause a power spike at the motherboard side. Motherboards use fuses to protect against power spikes on the PS/2 interface. Really old motherboards have fuses that could be difficult to repair, but newer motherboards have breakers that are just reset when you restart the machine ...
-
The reason it remains popular with gamers
I don't think I've ever seen a professional or even casual player use a PS/2 board in the past decade. The <1 ms response time and 6 to NKRO on any decent mechanical keyboard makes the theoretical advantage of PS/2 irrelevant.
-
To put my two cents:
usb-c is more reliable on the long term, they also keep retrocompatibility so adapters can be easier to deal with older versions of usb, on keyboards with a lot of lights (im talking really really bright matrix of leds, or beefy usb passthrough) they can pull more current than usual at its brightest so usb-c can communicate with the host to pull the energy necessary, the ones that include more ports they can also be brought by the same connection at full speed, adding some statements from the EU to make a single standard for cellphone charging and data plugs to reduce e-waste more manufacturers are making cables more available
As for ps/2 is because its dead simple to use as long as you have a port most modern devices should be able to hot plug and use the device no driver setup needed, some use them because how the ps/2 protocol works by pushing updates to the host instead of pulling the update wich technically does give you a lower latency but compared to modern communication standards the benefits are small
Sent from my CAM-L03 using Tapatalk
-
I don't think I've ever seen a professional or even casual player use a PS/2 board in the past decade. The <1 ms response time and 6 to NKRO on any decent mechanical keyboard makes the theoretical advantage of PS/2 irrelevant.
It's long been the argument for PS2, it's also why "gaming" motherboards still have them while lower end tend to not. The PS2 socket pretty much died at one point but gamers rose up and asked some mobo companies to bring it back. That said, I agree with you, I doubt many use it today and companies are just stuck, there's so little left to differentiate motherboards they can't afford to lose a feature no matter how useless it may be.
I don't recommend using pros as an example of what to buy and what not to buy.
They get paid to promote stuff and there's also many instances where pros (not just gaming, but all sports) where not using what they claimed to be using. Those not being paid also fall prey to trends, good or bad.
usb-c is more reliable on the long term, they also keep retrocompatibility so adapters can be easier to deal with older versions of usb
It's not nearly as backwards compatible as you think.
Right now it is because you are going from Type C to Type A, reverse that and it gets complicated. In this direction Type-C breaks a lot of compatibility.
-
It's long been the argument for PS2, it's also why "gaming" motherboards still have them while lower end tend to not. The PS2 socket pretty much died at one point but gamers rose up and asked some mobo companies to bring it back. That said, I agree with you, I doubt many use it today and companies are just stuck, there's so little left to differentiate motherboards they can't afford to lose a feature no matter how useless it may be.
[/quote]
And yet due to segmentation we still can't have a midrange motherboard with enough USB ports
Sent from my CAM-L03 using Tapatalk
-
And yet due to segmentation we still can't have a midrange motherboard with enough USB ports
Buy a hub and don't look back.
A hub is convenient, saves your ports from wear and tear and it can pass way more power.
Most people aren't aware but Intel limits the ports so as not to flood the CPU and chipset, AMD ignored this and it's an issue in some (rare) situations.
-
however the motherboard (and possibly the keyboard) need to support it.
Most of motherboards do not support it.
Who needs PS/2 hot swap? My keyboard hasn't been unplugged from my computer for years. If I need to connect another keyboard, I connect it to a turned off computer. If you want to plug in your computer keyboard one by one, then PS/2 is not the right one.
-
It's long been the argument for PS2, it's also why "gaming" motherboards still have them while lower end tend to not. The PS2 socket pretty much died at one point but gamers rose up and asked some mobo companies to bring it back. That said, I agree with you, I doubt many use it today and companies are just stuck, there's so little left to differentiate motherboards they can't afford to lose a feature no matter how useless it may be.
Are you sure about this? Because in some cases your usb keyboard can't work directly on BIOS config while ps2 port guarantee that. Moreover, I know companies that do not allow staffs to use usb so all peripherals must use ps2 ports. Yes gamers are no doubt a big market, but i sincerely doubt that everything must revolve around them.
-
It's long been the argument for PS2, it's also why "gaming" motherboards still have them while lower end tend to not.
Rather High End gaming motherboards nowadays are without PS/2. Lower end motherboards are still with PS/2.
-
Buy a hub and don't look back.
PS/2 is good. If there is a PS/2, it is not wrong to use it.
-
PS2 also has an issue where the protocol changed over the years, it used to supply a ton of amperage, that's been chopped way down. This is why much older PS2 boards such as the earlier Model Ms have problems on newer motherboards, they don't give it enough power. This is probably related to the above.
i do 2nd that though, i burnt a fuse on a modern motherboard with an old IBM M122...
I don't think I've ever seen a professional or even casual player use a PS/2 board in the past decade. The <1 ms response time and 6 to NKRO on any decent mechanical keyboard makes the theoretical advantage of PS/2 irrelevant.
not so long ago (5 years or so i think) counter strike tournaments only used PS/2 keyboards and CRT displays
I know companies that do not allow staffs to use usb so all peripherals must use ps2 ports.
yeah for security reasons as USB is universal (the U) and PS/2 is specialized you can't do the same tricks with ps/2 that you can with usb to load malware or log keys, it is much harder over ps/2
Buy a hub and don't look back.
hubs can cause issues too with data rates and power draw of some devices or even out right incompatibilities.
-
Are you sure about this? Because in some cases your usb keyboard can't work directly on BIOS config while ps2 port guarantee that. Moreover, I know companies that do not allow staffs to use usb so all peripherals must use ps2 ports. Yes gamers are no doubt a big market, but i sincerely doubt that everything must revolve around them.
When USB first came into use, it had issues with bios but that hasn't been true for a long time.
The reason it gets ignored by UEFI today is because someone enabled Fast Boot in the UEFI setting, in doing so, the board ignores all USB devices in order to boot faster, as a result they don't function until Windows loads a driver. It's been this way since we switched to UEFI. Early implementations of EFI (note the lack of a U) had issues with it but that whole system was just a quick transition (2nd gen Core I series) and many boards offered EFI and traditional Bios. Most, if not all boards now offer a hybrid that loads some USB devices and some always load the keyboard regardless of setting.
Gamers were a big market for PS2, not really so much anymore. PS2 came out of the grave because of them and then fell by the wayside again shortly after, it's now marching down through the ranks to low end before it disappears again, this time probably for good.
Why is a corporation buying an enthusiast motherboard?
On corporate systems it never died, ps2 is still supported at the chipset, so is the serial port. Corporations have a use for them, the average home user (and gamer at this point) does not.
Buy a hub and don't look back.
PS/2 is good. If there is a PS/2, it is not wrong to use it.
You are mixing two topics that have nothing to do with one another.
hubs can cause issues too with data rates and power draw of some devices or even out right incompatibilities.
Absolutely, but with a hub you can leave more of your computer's ports open for those situations where you do have issues.
-
You are mixing two topics that have nothing to do with one another.
If the motherboard has few USB ports, then using the PS2 will save one USB port, perhaps eliminating the need for a USB hub.
-
You are mixing two topics that have nothing to do with one another.
If the motherboard has few USB ports, then using the PS2 will save one USB port, perhaps eliminating the need for a USB hub.
I'd like to think that most people who are deeply into mechanical keyboards would have first developed an interest in decent PC hardware, which probably means motherboards which have more USB ports that you could shake a stick at.
I've got a USB PS/2 port on the back of my desktop, it's never even occurred to me to use it, even though I have 2 PS/2 boards at home. I just don't want to take the PS/2 to USB converters off the keyboard cables because I know I'll just lose the damn things.
Fixed a typo months after the original post.
-
When USB first came into use, it had issues with bios but that hasn't been true for a long time.
The reason it gets ignored by UEFI today is because someone enabled Fast Boot in the UEFI setting, in doing so, the board ignores all USB devices in order to boot faster, as a result they don't function until Windows loads a driver. It's been this way since we switched to UEFI. Early implementations of EFI (note the lack of a U) had issues with it but that whole system was just a quick transition (2nd gen Core I series) and many boards offered EFI and traditional Bios. Most, if not all boards now offer a hybrid that loads some USB devices and some always load the keyboard regardless of setting.
I have had to swap keyboards entirely before, on multiple relatively modern systems, because a USB keyboard would not work preboot. It was usually the average, unassuming rubber dome too. My Corsairs still need to be set to BIOS mode on most systems I have used them with in this regard. Not that this is a major/rampant problem.
-
You are mixing two topics that have nothing to do with one another.
If the motherboard has few USB ports, then using the PS2 will save one USB port, perhaps eliminating the need for a USB hub.
So get a different keyboard to save one USB port?
That seems practical.
I have had to swap keyboards entirely before, on multiple relatively modern systems, because a USB keyboard would not work preboot. It was usually the average, unassuming rubber dome too. My Corsairs still need to be set to BIOS mode on most systems I have used them with in this regard. Not that this is a major/rampant problem.
It shouldn't work this way but there's always exceptions to the rules, I do keep a ps2 keyboard handy for those situations, it's just easier than fighting. Some as I said before lays at the feet of motherboard bios manufacturers, USB standards are probably at least as at fault.
Here's one from my collection.
One mech I own almost never allows me into bios because the motherboard thinks CTRL is being pressed, some motherboards will not even boot with it connected because the board senses keys being constantly pressed and will lag. Strangely, certain Dells have zero issues with it and in all cases if you boot without it then plug it in once Windows starts it works perfectly fine. Every keyboard test I've tried show it's working just fine. The most annoying part is that this is a nice compact ultra light keyboard that works with USB or PS2, it would be the perfect test bench keyboard were it not for that problem.
-
Reversible and therefore less likely to break upon insertion like micro. Plus higher current. That does not apply to keyboards but rather hard drives and such.
-
It is not because USB C is reversible that it is less likely to break than Micro B. It is less likely to break because the standard Micro B receptacle is merely surface-mounted onto the PCB with a little bit of solder whereas
all USB C receptacles are through-hole soldered — which is much more sturdy.
The industry understood this and introduced a through-hole soldered Micro B receptacle, but it was too late and many new designs use the crap SMT receptacle anyway. Because hey, a connector that breaks is a type of planned obsolescence that makes people buy more ...
-
I did not know this. Back to through hole? I thought that was obsolete? Or is it just a special instance of "termination" due to strength? Not going to be seeing through hole IC's now again? I do think USB-C does feel much more robust. I have broken hundreds of cheap micros but read "cheap". If they are Audioquest what have you they rarely fail. Although, why do i need to pay $75 for a a 3 foot mini USB cable? I like a free USB-C one!
-
There's several Type-C connectors
Surface mount, through hole, half and half (surface and through hole) and one that surface mounts to both sides of the PCB (sandwich), as well as an optional straps/braces for most versions.
Micro cables were designed to be sacrificial (same for Lightning cables), they knew the port wasn't great. The smarter companies also put the port on a separate daughter board so it could be replaced cheaply and easily, however most customers never knew this and shops/stores charged stupid prices to replace the part. This was so they could use it as an excuse to renew your contract, most Galaxies were this way, with the S5's also being especially beefy. It only took a screwdriver and about 5 minutes to replace the port (available for about $10-$20) on most Galaxies prior to the S6.
-
I did not know this. Back to through hole? I thought that was obsolete?
I'm sorry I glossed over it too quickly. A receptacle consists of a shield and of pins. The shield should be through-hole soldered. USB C pins on the other hand are often so close together that they have to be surface-soldered.
There's several Type-C connectors
Surface mount, [...]
Dang, you are right. I searched and found a receptacle that is SMT only.
However, I distinctly remember reading in the tech news when USB C was introduced, that SMT-only receptacles were not supposed to exist.
The USB C spec does have a few reference-footprints and does not include these types. It also has standards for the forces that a USB C socket should sustain, that I doubt that the SMT-only type would actually be compliant to.
-
Man, I wish I had known that about my S6 at the time. I loved it and did not really want something else. Since they were sold out of all colors of the S6 back then. I think I was still "able" at that point too.
Just SMD, no reinforcement would pull right off for sure. Usually what they do is put through "tabs" on the sides.
The best USB cables made, any kind are by Xcentz on Amazon. They are cheap and lifetime no question warranty. Just ask for another and you get it. I would not abuse that offer though.
Those are not audio cables though. Unfortunately great audio cables are big money. If one is not into that, they might not even know about $5,000 3 foot USB cables. Please do not say it is stupid if it is not your bag.
I was just mentioning it for the heck of it. It is off topic.
-
I personally don't really find any real advantage of using PS/2 over USB since I cannot get the benefits out of NKRO since I have a Model M, which only has 2KRO. But I use it because my motherboard has a PS/2 port on it, so that just means I don't have to take up a precious USB port (I have too many USB devices plugged in).
-
I really love USB-C. The reversibility is great, and the added power capacity is a good bit of future-proofing. They do seem to accumulate crud a bit easier than other types, but that's largely a concern for with phones and such. Anything that stays plugged in is fine.
-
I personally don't really find any real advantage of using PS/2 over USB since I cannot get the benefits out of NKRO since I have a Model M, which only has 2KRO. But I use it because my motherboard has a PS/2 port on it, so that just means I don't have to take up a precious USB port (I have too many USB devices plugged in).
That's why I use PS/2 for it. I have a hole so I'm sticking something in it. In the future, a lot of motherboards will have the USB-C hole, and a lot of people are going to have nothing to stick in that, too, so that's something.
-
I've been at this hobby for a while and seen several posts and videos where people crap on everything that isn't USB C. I could really care less what the interface is. They all seem to make my keyboard click just fine. For that matter, why do people prefer PS/2?
What am I missing?
muchas gracias ;D
Going from a thread I started a couple weeks ago asking about the popularity of tiny form factor keyboards, I'm concluding that very few people are using them for portability reasons.
Most people are going to keep the same keyboard connected to the same computer for weeks or months at a time, versus say, a phone which would be plugged in on a daily basis. So issues of socket symmetry or longevity are largely overblow.
I suspect that the main driver behind people slamming on the idea of keyboards with older USB connectors is... just because they can. It gives them something to complain about. If someone is writing a real review, it's a factual, technical specification (fair enough, I guess). But what I notice, and possibly this is similar to the OP, is that there are posters making a big deal of it over on the GB and IC subforums, in which case it's more a case of someone wanting to find something clever to say, but being unable to find anything more substantial to talk about.
I've probably detached a USB cable off any of my keyboards less than five times. They have good cable routing and strain relief, so for occasional transport I'll just wrap the cable around the case. Perhaps this is more of an issue with boards where the USB port comes right out the back of the case with zero routing/relief, but I think this in itself represents a flawed case design on a modern board. And even then, the port won't be as heavily used as that on a phone.
My three daily boards are mini, micro and hardwired. I don't give a toss how they are connected, and had to flip up each board to check. Maybe this would also be a bigger deal if I was into aftermarket cables, but the standard cables work fine.
USB C is a big deal on phones though, it's such a huge point of convenience that I no longer care about wireless charging.
PS: Really liked reading the PS/2 points on this thread, I haven't used that connector for ages and it brought up some fond memories.
-
PS/2
Question about PS/2. Not quite on the topic, sorry.
I have PS/2 keyboard. When connect it via a USB adapter (active), Windows 10 shows it as a barcode reader. The keyboard works without problems, just confusing, it is as barcode reader in Control Panel (Devices and Printers). What is your experience?
I tried two PS/2 to USB adapters, the result is the same.
-
You can tell USB to identify as almost anything, including device and vendor ID, there's an official registry but that costs money.
It's likely they just used a random ID or copied code from something else, you can see this when you setup QMK, so long as it sends keyboard commands Windows will treat it as a keyboard since almost anything can send commands. This is probably why some keyboards work in bios/EFI and others do not, if it doesn't properly identify at boot it may be getting ignored, this is almost certainly true in EFI fast boot.
-
Short: USB C provides some advantages over the old USB A, but they are rather minor for keyboard. Of course, USB C is small, reversible, compatible with many phones and maybe in five or ten years, it will be everywhere and USB A/B will be dead.
Long: Old USB A/B port have strict distinction between master and slave (ehh, main and dependent). USB A provides power and controls the communication, USB B can take some power and communicate whenever USB A allows that. That was good enough for various peripherals connected to stationary laptops.
But this was not good for phones. Phones usually need USB B mode, but also USB A, because you might want to connect a keyboard or USB flash drive or so. For this reasons, we have USB OTG, which allows USB B to switch to USB A.
But this is still not suitable for laptop docking stations. A docking station wants to connect you some peripherals, but it also wants to charge your laptop. USB B mode (on the docking station) allows you to connect peripherals, USB A mode could allow you to power the laptop, but none of them allows you both at the same time. With USB C, you can do that.
For this reason (plus for space reasons), I don't expect USB A to be there forever. It will not die tomorrow, but USB C will likely take its place.
For a new keyboard, USB C might be a good option for compatibility with future decides and phones. But you still can use adapter for that, so it could be a pretty minor thing when choosing a keyboard. It can be major when choosing a new computer, though.
-
While USB C cables and protocols on paper are bidirectional and support host and power to be in any direction and even different directions, actual devices are not as flexible. Almost all hubs still use a dedicated cable to the host.
I tried to find a hub controller solution that would allow the host to be connected to any port and the other to be hub ports, and I could only find one such chip. It required multiple additional chips for power management, and an external microcontroller, and the result would just have got too expensive and complex to put into a keyboard.
-
There are commercially available docking stations that can power your laptop. I remember one from Dell. Unfortunately, it was limited to 65 or 60 W and I don't remember the identification.
-
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have heard that one of the main advantages to USB C is that the cable itself is the area where you see wear and tear (loosening over time) rather than the port itself. its much easier to replace a cable than a port.
-
I've heard of this design consideration at a different port. It might have been also considered for USB C. But I don't think it is an advantage compared to USB A. I haven't heard of a broken USB A female port.
-
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have heard that one of the main advantages to USB C is that the cable itself is the area where you see wear and tear (loosening over time) rather than the port itself. its much easier to replace a cable than a port.
This might be true (no idea if it is) but it's not relevant on keyboards which are almost permanently connected to a computer. Might be more relevant to phones, where the plug is changed multiple times a day, in which case how often have you experienced loose or worn ports on phones?
-
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have heard that one of the main advantages to USB C is that the cable itself is the area where you see wear and tear (loosening over time) rather than the port itself. its much easier to replace a cable than a port.
That was micro B.
-
I've heard of this design consideration at a different port. It might have been also considered for USB C. But I don't think it is an advantage compared to USB A. I haven't heard of a broken USB A female port.
I have seen plenty of broken female USB type A ports. They always make me wonder what in the hell somebody was doing to break them though. I haven't had a single one fail on me, personally.
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have heard that one of the main advantages to USB C is that the cable itself is the area where you see wear and tear (loosening over time) rather than the port itself. its much easier to replace a cable than a port.
This might be true (no idea if it is) but it's not relevant on keyboards which are almost permanently connected to a computer. Might be more relevant to phones, where the plug is changed multiple times a day, in which case how often have you experienced loose or worn ports on phones?
I have seen lots, mostly micro USB. Type c has plenty of time to grow though, since I have seen a few problems with it already in laptop computers after less than a year of fielding it in our school district.
-
I've heard of this design consideration at a different port. It might have been also considered for USB C. But I don't think it is an advantage compared to USB A. I haven't heard of a broken USB A female port.
I have seen plenty of broken female USB type A ports. They always make me wonder what in the hell somebody was doing to break them though. I haven't had a single one fail on me, personally.
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have heard that one of the main advantages to USB C is that the cable itself is the area where you see wear and tear (loosening over time) rather than the port itself. its much easier to replace a cable than a port.
This might be true (no idea if it is) but it's not relevant on keyboards which are almost permanently connected to a computer. Might be more relevant to phones, where the plug is changed multiple times a day, in which case how often have you experienced loose or worn ports on phones?
I have seen lots, mostly micro USB. Type c has plenty of time to grow though, since I have seen a few problems with it already in laptop computers after less than a year of fielding it in our school district.
I've only recently become aware that some current keyboards don't offer any strain relief by routing the cable under the case. Most of the GH group buy cases, or any of the (Mass)Drop boards. I wonder if it's metal cases in general.
In this situation, I can imagine that the durability of the connector can be important, as boards get shoved around on desks.
But really, not having strain relief for a USB connector coming out a right angles from a bulky desk mounted case is a... stupidly compromised design decision from the start.
-
I've heard of this design consideration at a different port. It might have been also considered for USB C. But I don't think it is an advantage compared to USB A. I haven't heard of a broken USB A female port.
I have seen plenty of broken female USB type A ports. They always make me wonder what in the hell somebody was doing to break them though. I haven't had a single one fail on me, personally.
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have heard that one of the main advantages to USB C is that the cable itself is the area where you see wear and tear (loosening over time) rather than the port itself. its much easier to replace a cable than a port.
This might be true (no idea if it is) but it's not relevant on keyboards which are almost permanently connected to a computer. Might be more relevant to phones, where the plug is changed multiple times a day, in which case how often have you experienced loose or worn ports on phones?
I have seen lots, mostly micro USB. Type c has plenty of time to grow though, since I have seen a few problems with it already in laptop computers after less than a year of fielding it in our school district.
I've only recently become aware that some current keyboards don't offer any strain relief by routing the cable under the case. Most of the GH group buy cases, or any of the (Mass)Drop boards. I wonder if it's metal cases in general.
In this situation, I can imagine that the durability of the connector can be important, as boards get shoved around on desks.
But really, not having strain relief for a USB connector coming out a right angles from a bulky desk mounted case is a... stupidly compromised design decision from the start.
Agreed.
-
I have seen plenty of broken female USB type A ports. They always make me wonder what in the hell somebody was doing to break them though. I haven't had a single one fail on me, personally.
I have a few, keep in mind I use them for work, so I use them way more than the average person.
On my Macbook the previous owner had stuck a stick or something and it grabbed the contacts and pulled them up, repeated attempts to use it by them simply squished them up into the back of the socket further and further. Amazingly, it still worked in 2.0 mode for a bit. I did manage to fix it but that was a challenge, and not as cheap as I would have liked, especially considering this wasn't mentioned before I got it.
I've had several panel mount sockets and extensions go bad. I use these on my desk dash panel to make usb ports integrated into my desk and monitor shelf. What usually happens is the metal housing gets loose and the male connector goes in crooked or off center. This will cause the port to shut down until you reboot. I've also seen MANY case front panel connectors go bad for the same reason as above. Basically many female sockets are extremely cheap and loosen over time, combine this with cheap USB sticks and you end up with problems.
I also had a thumbstick (male) go bad, the contacts got peeled up and squashed back, like the Macbook, it still worked in 2.0 mode for a bit allowing me to recover the data. It's the only male I've had go bad and it was absolutely a front panel that had caused, like my Macbook it too had been peeled back inside. It felt funny so I pulled it out and used the port next to it, then later when I got home I went to use it and it just completely destructed taking my panel mount socket with it.
All in all I've probably seen over half a dozen female type-A go bad. I've seen only one type B socket go bad (I'm careful with them), but probably a dozen type-B cables get damaged. Also after having many sticks get bent from leaning systems and falling laptops most of my sticks now are of the all metal type, these tend to have a better housing and be less likely to damage the contacts but I have one that has been known to stretch out some of the cheaper female socket housings. This one also tends to be a real pain getting a constant 3.0 connection in some cheaper sockets.
But really, not having strain relief for a USB connector coming out a right angles from a bulky desk mounted case is a... stupidly compromised design decision from the start.
This was one of the first things I pointed out in my review of the GMMK keyboard, and worse, they didn't use mini or type-C, they used a micro-B in this fashion.
The only good part of this is that you can get a magnetic USB connector, which I installed right away, they don't make those for mini-B. Still, type-C would have been far better.
-
I have seen plenty of broken female USB type A ports. They always make me wonder what in the hell somebody was doing to break them though. I haven't had a single one fail on me, personally.
I have a few, keep in mind I use them for work, so I use them way more than the average person.
I also use them for work. I'm just always very careful with ones that feel cheap, especially front panel ones, as you've mentioned. I have some really cheap USB 3.0 ones in what was once the 5.25" DVD drive bay in my work destop, since it doesn't even natively have USB 3.0.
On my Macbook the previous owner had stuck a stick or something and it grabbed the contacts and pulled them up, repeated attempts to use it by them simply squished them up into the back of the socket further and further. Amazingly, it still worked in 2.0 mode for a bit. I did manage to fix it but that was a challenge, and not as cheap as I would have liked, especially considering this wasn't mentioned before I got it.
Ironically, I seem to see a lot of the most bizarre/abusive damage on devices that were very expensive when new myself. That sucks to hear. How did you manage to fix it? I have fixed some similarly-abused female type a sockets as well by fiddling around with some bent paperclips and skinny flathead screwdrivers to bend the pins back into shape. I imagine some dental picks would have really helped. In some extreme cases I have bent the whole housing open to get things in place again.
I've had several panel mount sockets and extensions go bad. I use these on my desk dash panel to make usb ports integrated into my desk and monitor shelf. What usually happens is the metal housing gets loose and the male connector goes in crooked or off center. This will cause the port to shut down until you reboot. I've also seen MANY case front panel connectors go bad for the same reason as above. Basically many female sockets are extremely cheap and loosen over time, combine this with cheap USB sticks and you end up with problems.
I do a bit of that myself. I have one of these (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P6H8H4H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) in my desk at home:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51w1-egLjKL._SL1000_.jpg)
I like how it does triple duty as a desk cable grommet, powered USB 3.0 hub, and 3.5mm audio passthrough. The cover is a nice touch too.
I also had a thumbstick (male) go bad, the contacts got peeled up and squashed back, like the Macbook, it still worked in 2.0 mode for a bit allowing me to recover the data. It's the only male I've had go bad and it was absolutely a front panel that had caused, like my Macbook it too had been peeled back inside. It felt funny so I pulled it out and used the port next to it, then later when I got home I went to use it and it just completely destructed taking my panel mount socket with it.
I have never had that happen, though I have some really cheap flash drives.
All in all I've probably seen over half a dozen female type-A go bad. I've seen only one type B socket go bad (I'm careful with them), but probably a dozen type-B cables get damaged. Also after having many sticks get bent from leaning systems and falling laptops most of my sticks now are of the all metal type, these tend to have a better housing and be less likely to damage the contacts but I have one that has been known to stretch out some of the cheaper female socket housings. This one also tends to be a real pain getting a constant 3.0 connection in some cheaper sockets.
All metal unibody flash drives are really nice.
But really, not having strain relief for a USB connector coming out a right angles from a bulky desk mounted case is a... stupidly compromised design decision from the start.
This was one of the first things I pointed out in my review of the GMMK keyboard, and worse, they didn't use mini or type-C, they used a micro-B in this fashion.
The only good part of this is that you can get a magnetic USB connector, which I installed right away, they don't make those for mini-B. Still, type-C would have been far better.
I have thought about getting some of those, especially for my Oculus Quest.
-
But really, not having strain relief for a USB connector coming out a right angles from a bulky desk mounted case is a... stupidly compromised design decision from the start.
This was one of the first things I pointed out in my review of the GMMK keyboard, and worse, they didn't use mini or type-C, they used a micro-B in this fashion.
The only good part of this is that you can get a magnetic USB connector, which I installed right away, they don't make those for mini-B. Still, type-C would have been far better.
Ah, yes, I recall reading your review and the rather pointed comments regarding the port. That review convinced me not to get a GMMK because of the need to clip the switches. Still more acceptable on a $70 case than a $190 (Drop) or $300+ product.
Magnetic USB connectors- I've only become aware of these recently via comments on Geekhack. Sounds intriguing, but whenever I search for them, they are called "magnetic charging" adaptors, and the photos that pop up only show 6 connections (whereas USB C has 24 pins).
Are these cables fully capable of carry data or do they operate at some reduced level of functionality/performance?
Secondly, and more importantly, are these things considered safe for higher power USB applications? Laptops will charge at 60+W using USB PD, which would make me slightly wary of randomly bought adaptors for the cable.
-
But really, not having strain relief for a USB connector coming out a right angles from a bulky desk mounted case is a... stupidly compromised design decision from the start.
This was one of the first things I pointed out in my review of the GMMK keyboard, and worse, they didn't use mini or type-C, they used a micro-B in this fashion.
The only good part of this is that you can get a magnetic USB connector, which I installed right away, they don't make those for mini-B. Still, type-C would have been far better.
Ah, yes, I recall reading your review and the rather pointed comments regarding the port. That review convinced me not to get a GMMK because of the need to clip the switches. Still more acceptable on a $70 case than a $190 (Drop) or $300+ product.
Magnetic USB connectors- I've only become aware of these recently via comments on Geekhack. Sounds intriguing, but whenever I search for them, they are called "magnetic charging" adaptors, and the photos that pop up only show 6 connections (whereas USB C has 24 pins).
Are these cables fully capable of carry data or do they operate at some reduced level of functionality/performance?
Secondly, and more importantly, are these things considered safe for higher power USB applications? Laptops will charge at 60+W using USB PD, which would make me slightly wary of randomly bought adaptors for the cable.
I think some are only meant for charging and some also work for data. Determining which one it is seems to be the trick sometimes. I'm no expert on specific type C specifications, but it looks like the 60 watt chargers are only pulling 3 amps? I would hope they would all be capable of that, but who knows with Chinese mystery products.
-
Ironically, I seem to see a lot of the most bizarre/abusive damage on devices that were very expensive when new myself. That sucks to hear. How did you manage to fix it? I have fixed some similarly-abused female type a sockets as well by fiddling around with some bent paperclips and skinny flathead screwdrivers to bend the pins back into shape. I imagine some dental picks would have really helped. In some extreme cases I have bent the whole housing open to get things in place again.
I do a bit of that myself. I have in my desk at home:
I like how it does triple duty as a desk cable grommet, powered USB 3.0 hub, and 3.5mm audio passthrough. The cover is a nice touch too.
I have thought about getting some of those, especially for my Oculus Quest.
I tried multiple picks and things, but regardless, even if this stopped it from shorting or something it couldn't fix the port. The only good thing was that on this model Mac there is only a single daughter board, and this port happened to be on it. Apple wanted $200 plus parts to replace it, I found it on Ebay for $20 and got a pentalobe screwdriver and did it myself. However, it was one of the most stressful repairs I've ever done. Older Airs are built like cell phones, super thin/small cable and connectors so it was difficult to even figure out how to release some of the connections. That board also contained the power connector so I couldn't just go without and if I damaged a connector on the board it would require a specialist like Louis Rossman or buying a refurbished board, this being the rare I7/8gb 11in model, that meant it was hard to find and very expensive, at the time it was about $500.
I think some are only meant for charging and some also work for data. Determining which one it is seems to be the trick sometimes. I'm no expert on specific type C specifications, but it looks like the 60 watt chargers are only pulling 3 amps? I would hope they would all be capable of that, but who knows with Chinese mystery products.
Yep, they vary a lot and rarely say in what ways.
Most are usb 2.0, some carry more amps, but rarely are they usb 3 and high power. Many are also one sided for data.
Still nice to have, just have to read the reviews first. If you have a wireless mouse, they're FANTASTIC for charging especially since the rest doesn't really matter. I'd say they are better than charging docs since you can replace the contacts which always wear out and it saves the sub port. If you do a mouse, make sure you get an oval shaped one, the circular/barrel style can lift the mouse.
-
Ironically, I seem to see a lot of the most bizarre/abusive damage on devices that were very expensive when new myself. That sucks to hear. How did you manage to fix it? I have fixed some similarly-abused female type a sockets as well by fiddling around with some bent paperclips and skinny flathead screwdrivers to bend the pins back into shape. I imagine some dental picks would have really helped. In some extreme cases I have bent the whole housing open to get things in place again.
I do a bit of that myself. I have in my desk at home:
I like how it does triple duty as a desk cable grommet, powered USB 3.0 hub, and 3.5mm audio passthrough. The cover is a nice touch too.
I have thought about getting some of those, especially for my Oculus Quest.
I tried multiple picks and things, but regardless, even if this stopped it from shorting or something it couldn't fix the port. The only good thing was that on this model Mac there is only a single daughter board, and this port happened to be on it. Apple wanted $200 plus parts to replace it, I found it on Ebay for $20 and got a pentalobe screwdriver and did it myself. However, it was one of the most stressful repairs I've ever done. Older Airs are built like cell phones, super thin/small cable and connectors so it was difficult to even figure out how to release some of the connections. That board also contained the power connector so I couldn't just go without and if I damaged a connector on the board it would require a specialist like Louis Rossman or buying a refurbished board, this being the rare I7/8gb 11in model, that meant it was hard to find and very expensive, at the time it was about $500.
$200 just in labor to replace a daughterboard? How much was the part? lol
I have worked on an Air that's probably of that vintage, and a Pro. I can't say I have worked on anything made by Apple other than the old G5 and Mac Pro towers that was actually convenient. Everything they make seems to be designed to be as torturous to work on as possible. The iPhone 4s I replaced a screen on ... twice, since my friend stepped on the new screen within a day, never again. Even the old core 2 Macbooks are irritating.
I think some are only meant for charging and some also work for data. Determining which one it is seems to be the trick sometimes. I'm no expert on specific type C specifications, but it looks like the 60 watt chargers are only pulling 3 amps? I would hope they would all be capable of that, but who knows with Chinese mystery products.
Yep, they vary a lot and rarely say in what ways.
Most are usb 2.0, some carry more amps, but rarely are they usb 3 and high power. Many are also one sided for data.
Still nice to have, just have to read the reviews first. If you have a wireless mouse, they're FANTASTIC for charging especially since the rest doesn't really matter. I'd say they are better than charging docs since you can replace the contacts which always wear out and it saves the sub port. If you do a mouse, make sure you get an oval shaped one, the circular/barrel style can lift the mouse.
I don't usually use wireless peripherals unless it is with a HTPC, which probably makes owning an Oculus Quest somewhat ironic. That's all good to know though, thank you.
-
$200 just in labor to replace a daughterboard? How much was the part? lol
I have worked on an Air that's probably of that vintage, and a Pro. I can't say I have worked on anything made by Apple other than the old G5 and Mac Pro towers that was actually convenient. Everything they make seems to be designed to be as torturous to work on as possible. The iPhone 4s I replaced a screen on ... twice, since my friend stepped on the new screen within a day, never again. Even the old core 2 Macbooks are irritating.
That was the starting price, I didn't need to investigate any further. For that much, I'd go without it.
The 11.6in airs really only had two models, pre 2013 and post 2012, the only changes were processor and chipset for each generation. The 2013 and newer 11in Air however is one of the best laptops Apple ever made and still work great other than a few things due to the age (low res screen, thick trim). There is a new 11.6in 1080p screen out on the market, I may see about installing it if possible. There was a guy offering this a couple years ago but it was really an in depth and expensive job due to how older screens were made and how Apple built the Air screen.
Apple does make it hard, that's why they sue for showing circuit designs, it's why they confiscate legally refurbished batteries and it's why they invented their own screw head which destroys itself and the tool after just one or two uses. I can usually get two uses from half the screws and even a Wiha branded screwdriver only lasts a few uses before it gets damaged.
-
I haven't heard of a broken USB A female port.
I have one on a motherboard, not sure how but I snapped the plastic that holds the pins then the pins got mangled :-[
-
$200 just in labor to replace a daughterboard? How much was the part? lol
I have worked on an Air that's probably of that vintage, and a Pro. I can't say I have worked on anything made by Apple other than the old G5 and Mac Pro towers that was actually convenient. Everything they make seems to be designed to be as torturous to work on as possible. The iPhone 4s I replaced a screen on ... twice, since my friend stepped on the new screen within a day, never again. Even the old core 2 Macbooks are irritating.
That was the starting price, I didn't need to investigate any further. For that much, I'd go without it.
The 11.6in airs really only had two models, pre 2013 and post 2012, the only changes were processor and chipset for each generation. The 2013 and newer 11in Air however is one of the best laptops Apple ever made and still work great other than a few things due to the age (low res screen, thick trim). There is a new 11.6in 1080p screen out on the market, I may see about installing it if possible. There was a guy offering this a couple years ago but it was really an in depth and expensive job due to how older screens were made and how Apple built the Air screen.
Apple does make it hard, that's why they sue for showing circuit designs, it's why they confiscate legally refurbished batteries and it's why they invented their own screw head which destroys itself and the tool after just one or two uses. I can usually get two uses from half the screws and even a Wiha branded screwdriver only lasts a few uses before it gets damaged.
I like to use these (https://www.amazon.com/Syntus-Precision-Screwdriver-Electronics-Cellphone/dp/B01N0BEVZ1/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=screwdriver+precision+hardened&qid=1592836719&sr=8-12), at work and home, although I don't know that I have used this particular set for pentalobe screws. I know I have used the random cheap drivers that came with screens and I hadn't run into problems, but that was just on that 4s. They come in various colors and configurations, but I think the important thing is to find one with that particular casing design with the maroon-colored bits. They're hardened. I think I broke a single, very thin, flathead just because I used it to try to crack open a GM key fob that got wet that the previous owner must have superglued shut. Otherwise I have used some of those smaller Philips bits for literally thousands of laptop repairs each and haven't worn a single one out. They're cheap, they're small, they have just about every tiny bit you'll ever need for a small electronic or laptop computer, there's space for a small flash drive and/or guitar picks (spudgers suck, including the included garbage), and I toss some bent paperclips in mine too, they come with a flexible adapter for tight spots, an extension, nut drivers, a rotatable knob on the end of the driver (I imagine you're familiar with how useful that can be), and there's even a hole in the end of the driver to stick the extension in for extra leverage when necessary. I appreciate the tough metal clasps, and the folding bit holders. Best of all, they're cheap.
The one gripe I have is those stupid o-rings as a gripping surface. I think some of the kits come with more substantial drivers, but I don't know that I have seen many that also have the hardened bits. I have just thrown some heat-shrink on a few of mine and that's worked pretty well.
-
Someone sees the value
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/he3ljt/modded_my_hhkb_pro_2_with_a_usbc_port/
-
I like to use these (https://www.amazon.com/Syntus-Precision-Screwdriver-Electronics-Cellphone/dp/B01N0BEVZ1/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=screwdriver+precision+hardened&qid=1592836719&sr=8-12), at work and home, although I don't know that I have used this particular set for pentalobe screws.
The Wiha is also hardenned, it's just a bad screw design (on purpose).
As soon as the driver starts showing damage you have to toss it or it will just start destroying more and more screws.
Getting a stuck screw out of the end of an Iphone is pretty easy, I have no desire to get a recessed one out of the bottom of a laptop.
-
I like to use these (https://www.amazon.com/Syntus-Precision-Screwdriver-Electronics-Cellphone/dp/B01N0BEVZ1/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=screwdriver+precision+hardened&qid=1592836719&sr=8-12), at work and home, although I don't know that I have used this particular set for pentalobe screws.
The Wiha is also hardenned, it's just a bad screw design (on purpose).
As soon as the driver starts showing damage you have to toss it or it will just start destroying more and more screws.
Getting a stuck screw out of the end of an Iphone is pretty easy, I have no desire to get a recessed one out of the bottom of a laptop.
I haven't seen damage to anything other than the finish on my hardened bits, besides the one I snapped opening that fob. I suppose I should experience the wonders of pentalobe more often though.
Joking of course, I'll definitely pass on that.
-
So is it possible to just chuck any USB-C to USB-C (or A) 'phone charging cable' / 'quick charging cable' into a mechanical keyboard?
I've got to deal with these new USB-C boards coming out, so being able to use an Amazon Basics 'charging' cable or something would be fine with me.
-
So is it possible to just chuck any USB-C to USB-C (or A) 'phone charging cable' / 'quick charging cable' into a mechanical keyboard?
I've got to deal with these new USB-C boards coming out, so being able to use an Amazon Basics 'charging' cable or something would be fine with me.
i would not say any, any compliant cable should work but sometimes very cheap ones do not have the data wires in the cable, only power and seller often fail to mention that they cheaped out on half the wires.
-
Thanks. I'll have to put some thought into what I select.
-
So is it possible to just chuck any USB-C to USB-C (or A) 'phone charging cable' / 'quick charging cable' into a mechanical keyboard?
No.
Think of it this way...
Type-C is just a connector, it works with old USB and new USB, you can use it for anything really, just depends how many wires they put in.
If they use 5 wires it can work as a 2.0 device, data and power, however it may not work on all type-C laptops.
If they put a different 5 it can work as a fast charger but no data.
If they do 7 wires it will do 2.0 data and fast charge, however it may not work on all type-C laptops.
If they do all but 2 wires it will work as 3.0 data but no fast charge.
Also, they can wire it so it has power on both sides, but data only works on one side.
Awesome, right? (https://cdn.geekhack.org/Smileys/solosmileys/thumbsup.gif)
-
Sounds versatile ... although it means for the consumer that they have to know what kind of 'USB-C' cable they are getting. As some will only power a device, others are good for data transfer but not charging.
I see people using Amazon Basics USB-C cables with KBD67, so I guess they will work with keyboards.
-
Sounds versatile ... although it means for the consumer that they have to know what kind of 'USB-C' cable they are getting. As some will only power a device, others are good for data transfer but not charging.
It's not versatile, it's a mess, and sellers are not saying what a cable supports, check reviews.
Cables are only part of the problem, the devices and support is just as much of a mess. Does that output support display? Double speed? High speed charging? Charging only? 2.0 data speeds only? You have no idea and it may be different from not just ports on one side vs the other but even the port right next to it may be different.
USB 4.0 is supposed to unify everything and from a manufacturers perspective I get that they wanted to move into type-C slow otherwise it would have failed) this mess was to benefit them not you) but from a consumer's perspective they royally f*cked this up bad, most people just aren't aware of it until they try to use the more advanced features. Most people don't look and see if data is flowing faster or hook up a Thunderbolt display, they might notice slower data or think a cable isn't working but that's as far as most dive into this stuff, for now. Hopefully by the time that stuff does become mainstream it will be fixed but for now it's an absolute mess.
-
I wanted to be diplomatic about USB-C, but yes, that is very messy for the purchaser.
It kind of reminds me of Blu-Ray. I mean, you can buy a Blu-Ray player, and find out it is not updated enough to play your Blu-Rays, or it needs a new version x.x cable that your firmware does not support, or it doesn't have the processing power to play certain advanced features. Then you throw 4K and HDR into the mix. You can buy a player than won't play your Blu-Rays. A mess that doesn't help the consumer.
As far as USB, I was happy with USB-A 2.0 and 3.0. Sure, the plug needs to be aligned properly. But 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0 was a painless upgrade for me, and cables generally did what they were supposed to. I would have been happy with a simple more to a more capable 4.0. The ecosystem was generally backwards and forwards compatible, for me.
-
I wanted to be diplomatic about USB-C, but yes, that is very messy for the purchaser.
It kind of reminds me of Blu-Ray. I mean, you can buy a Blu-Ray player, and find out it is not updated enough to play your Blu-Rays, or it needs a new version x.x cable that your firmware does not support, or it doesn't have the processing power to play certain advanced features. Then you throw 4K and HDR into the mix. You can buy a player than won't play your Blu-Rays. A mess that doesn't help the consumer.
As far as USB, I was happy with USB-A 2.0 and 3.0. Sure, the plug needs to be aligned properly. But 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0 was a painless upgrade for me, and cables generally did what they were supposed to. I would have been happy with a simple more to a more capable 4.0. The ecosystem was generally backwards and forwards compatible, for me.
i do agree that keeping the physical retrocompatibility would have been nice but you could not have increased speeds much more with such a simple connector while usb-C having much many more optimized contacts allows it to have more and faster datalines, it was pretty much a necessary evil. and usb 1.0 datelines are still present in the connector just need a fairly simple adapter to use them.