About the durability of USB ports

[lisq199]

I just found out that the life expectancy of full size USB, Mini USB and Micro USB are 1500, 5000 and 10000 insertion cycles respectively (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Overview).
This boggles my mind, because at least based on my experience, it should be the exact opposite. I've seen plenty of broken Micro USB ports and less broken Mini USB ports, and I've never seen a broken full size USB port in my life. And this is the reason I never buy keyboards with a detachable Micro USB cable.
So what's your take on the durability of different USB ports? Can the official numbers be trusted?

[DreaMagine]

It does seem odd, but remember they're talking about number of insertion cycles, not "how long until it physically breaks on average". I would hazard a guess that because the physically larger USB ports have a larger contact surface, the metal contacts would wear out sooner.

Aside from that, I think it's safe to say that physically smaller connectors are more fragile than larger ones.

[alexjd99]

I've never experienced any problems on any USB ports, mini, micro, full sized, type A, B etc.

I really think that it's not a big concern. Worst case scenario, you just have to resolder a new connector, and you'll be set back a couple bucks. But thinking that's going to happen anytime soon is pretty ridiculous. They say 5,000, but I think that you would be able to get far more, since most manufacturer estimates are pretty conservative, so mini usb may have just had a few rough trials compared to micro.

I think not buying a board because it has a removable cable is kinda ridiculous. Assuming you have two boards, and use the 5,000 cycles expectancy, it would take *27 years to cycle through both of them and break the USB ports (assuming you change the boards daily)
*I didn't account for leap years, 27 years is plenty to get the point across

[falkentyne]

Micro USB ports don't usually break at the female port end, even though it can happen.  The main port side failure, which has nothing to do with the # of insertions, is the port connector getting sheared off, which can be avoided by having it in an enclosure to help secure movement, instead of just soldered on the PCB with nothing to support it.   And on better keyboards, they should come on breakout boards, so if the connector failed, you can just buy a new breakout board.  They usually break at the male cable connector end, in which case you just replace the cable.  The cable connector end has the moving contact parts.  Avoid unnecessary sideways or lateral movement when inserting and the device end port should remain fine.  Cable end durability of the contacts is a very serious issue, however; always have spare USB micro cables handy!

The mini USB connector has the moving parts in the female end instead of the cable end, so if that wore out, you would need a new breakout board if the device came with one, otherwise you would have to solder on a new connector.  The cables don't usually break as there are no moving parts.

[xtrafrood]

Probably tested in a sanitary environment with a machine that plugs and unplugs the Male and Female connection. I imagine the motion would be exact. The number seems reasonable, it would take a lot of friction to wear away the contact points. Or perhaps the outer metal shell wears down to such a degree that the two can no longer make a solid connection. Or both afaik  )

[chyros]

I've broken three USB ports already,I hate USB >.> . Long live PS/2! (or better yet, DIN)

[apolotary]

I've broken three USB ports already,I hate USB >.> . Long live PS/2! (or better yet, DIN)

Oh man you're that smooth voice youtube guy!! (sorry for the offtopic )

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The only keyboard brand that caused me trouble with USB was Matias keyboards, the micro-USB port on MQP fell off and it seems like it's a very common problem for the keyboard of this series

[chyros]

I've broken three USB ports already,I hate USB >.> . Long live PS/2! (or better yet, DIN)

Oh man you're that smooth voice youtube guy!! (sorry for the offtopic )

Haha cheers mate, yeah I guess that's me xD . How did you know it was me? xD

[apolotary]

I've broken three USB ports already,I hate USB >.> . Long live PS/2! (or better yet, DIN)

Oh man you're that smooth voice youtube guy!! (sorry for the offtopic )

Haha cheers mate, yeah I guess that's me xD . How did you know it was me? xD

well that huge banner with a link to your channel under your posts has something to do with it

[chyros]

I've broken three USB ports already,I hate USB >.> . Long live PS/2! (or better yet, DIN)

Oh man you're that smooth voice youtube guy!! (sorry for the offtopic )

Haha cheers mate, yeah I guess that's me xD . How did you know it was me? xD

well that huge banner with a link to your channel under your posts has something to do with it

Oh yeah, oops xD .

[fanpeople]

I just found out that the life expectancy of full size USB, Mini USB and Micro USB are 1500, 5000 and 10000 insertion cycles respectively (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Overview).
This boggles my mind, because at least based on my experience, it should be the exact opposite. I've seen plenty of broken Micro USB ports and less broken Mini USB ports, and I've never seen a broken full size USB port in my life. And this is the reason I never buy keyboards with a detachable Micro USB cable.
So what's your take on the durability of different USB ports? Can the official numbers be trusted?

It is actually 1498, 5003 and 10 001 insertion cycles.

[fohat.digs]

As far as the actual plugs and sockets themselves, I suppose that I have had more problems with minis, but my real annoyance has been with USB "hubs" which never seem to hold up over time. I have used good ones and cheap, powered and unpowered, and they always get flaky after a while. Most irritating is that I have a hub at the back of my desk (a good high-end powered Toshiba with 4 ports) for keyboards and mice, and at least once a month I have to physically unplug it from the back of the computer (cycling power on and off doesn't do it).

Sometimes I have had success pinching the "mouth" of the plug at the end of the cable to ever so slightly collapse one side of the skinny rectangle and make for a tighter fit, but that is certainly an unpredictable kludge.

My Model F 122-key terminals with 240 degree DIN plugs got it right: if you have original an IBM connector on the other side they will screw together.