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> Nobody else is complaining that the devices don't do everything. Tons of regular consumers think that USB-C is a protocol and frequently complain that things
by msbarnett 7y ago
> Nobody else is complaining that the devices don't do everything.
Tons of regular consumers think that USB-C is a protocol and frequently complain that things they think should work together don’t, because they’re actually radically different ports electrically that happen to be shaped the same.
Gaming forums are rife with elaborate conspiracy theories behind why Nintendo won’t “just” release an eGPU Dock for the Switch, which it “obviously” “must” support because it’s USB-C and eGPUs have “supported” USB-C for years.
And now, Nintendo has announced a Switch Lite with no TV out (presumably they removed the DisplayPort crossbar IC that does alternate mode muxing with the USB 3.0 signal, to reduce manufacturing costs). But Joe Average Consumer is up in arms, this “must be them sabotaging it in software”, because “video out is a required part of the USB-C standard, this wouldn’t even save them any money, USB-C always physically supports video out”.
The average consumer in no way understands that USB-C is just a connector shape that a bunch of different incompatible things use. They think that, like almost all previous ports, the shape indicates a common protocol that is shared by things that have that shape. And they are absolutely complaining about a lack of what they perceive should be compatibility.
- Dylan16807 7y ago> presumably the removed the DisplayPort crossbar IC that does alternate mode muxing with the USB 3.0 signal, to reduce manufacturing costs It probably saves some amount of money, but I'd bet that deliberately leaving it out to encourage sales of the full switch is a bigger factor. Otherwise I agree with you about protocol confusion. (Would you even need a mux? I don't think the switch uses USB 3 for anything.)
- msbarnett 7y agoYeah, you need the mux because you can run a wired Ethernet adapter in over USB at the same time it’s outputing a DisplayPort signal on the port.
- Dylan16807 7y agoThat uses the USB 2.0 wires, as far as I can research. And if it was using a mux to pick signals they wouldn't run at the same time anyway.
- msbarnett 7y agoWell, I can tell you that it has a mux, anyways — it’s a Pericom PI3USB30532 per iFixit’s teardown. Exactly what for I don’t know.
- Dylan16807 7y agoThat's fair. Though presumably the switch lite doesn't need to support USB at all.