4 ms·

LET'S GO EU! These headlines make me proud. Let's reach a global standard for charging stuff. I wish everything that had to be charged sometimes had a USB-C p

by mdrzn 4y ago

LET'S GO EU! These headlines make me proud. Let's reach a global standard for charging stuff. I wish everything that had to be charged sometimes had a USB-C plug. But also I hope that the USB standard gets less messy in the future.

acadapter 4y ago
What if a device doesn't need all the extra pins in the USB-C connector? What if it only uses VBUS/D+/D-/GND?
- counttheforks 4y ago
  Then you don't wire them up
- danhor 4y ago
  There are cheaper USB-C connectors available with fewer pins for that purpose
- ChrisRR 4y ago
  Presumably the same as when a device doesn't need all of the lightning pins
- moolcool 4y ago
  Nothing happens-- most connecters on most devices have unused pins.
coffeeblack 4y ago
There is no reason for USB to improve any further, because now it has to be used by law. Amazing that people still don’t get it.
- Kuinox 4y ago
  Wait you think they somehow tried to compete with apple ? That's not how USB works.
  - coffeeblack 4y ago
    If there is no better connector, why should the committee put any effort into developing anything better? Tech history, and human history in general, is littered with examples. Especially in the old Warsaw Pact states.
    - oplaadpunt 4y ago
      Regulation has always been a part of government, to increase the efficiency of the open market. But in regards to your first point: > why should the committee put any effort into developing anything better? The EU is absolutely not in the business of developing any connector whatsoever. They wanted _a_ standard (for eco/market reasons), and asked the industry to create one. This became USB and the USB Forum. Now they make it mandatory to follow that standard. In the act they passed, the power to set the specific standard is deferred to the European Commission, to make it easier to update it if necessary. These are called delegated acts [0]. If a new physical connector is ever necessary, the USB forum will write the standard, ask the EU if they can update the reference, which is easy since it's only a matter of pushing paperwork. _Not_ hardcoding a feature like this, and following what industry wants is an explicit goal of the legislative process. It has worked extremely well in these sorts of circumstances. The only risk I could see is a technical innovation for connectors, which the USB Forum refuses to implement for some reason. This could happen, but I don't see it as being any different then current industry practices. [0]: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:delegated_acts https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM...
    - orwin 4y ago
      "Tech history" is littered with example, like micro-usb? Or like MRIs?
    - Kuinox 4y ago
      Because they always did, and never needed Apple to compete. USB comitee is filled with companies competing with each other, and Apple is one of these companies.
Krkrmfnfmmd 4y ago
necovek 4y ago
I am hoping for my next car to be chargeable through a USB-C port too! /s I love the fact that there is a standardized port, and I can get devices of any type to charge with a single powerful charger. But connector and cables are wonky at best if you want to have a single cable for everything too (look up prices, thickness and lengths of USB-C PD 100W, alt-DP 1.4 capable, USB 3+ speeds cables, and then watch them break in a few months of "regular" use like in a car charger). But I want a better, more robust standard than USB-C! Can that happen with the law in place? I don't know, but that scares me.
- pwpw 4y ago
  > I am hoping for my next car to be chargeable through a USB-C port too! /s I’m aware of your sarcasm, but it did bother me that my Tesla used a proprietary port that made it more difficult to use other charging locations, such as the charger next to my apartment. Electric vehicle charging ports need standardization as well. Perhaps having these laws standardizing ports will set the groundwork for a more robust standard in the future. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a perfect solution since there are so many differing opinions, but I do believe this is a good start.
  - LeanderK 4y ago
    > I’m aware of your sarcasm, but it did bother me that my Tesla used a proprietary port that made it more difficult to use other charging locations, such as the charger next to my apartment. Electric vehicle charging ports need standardization as well. This is happening in europe, tesla is switching to type 2 connectors. I think these laws certainly play a role in motivating the company.
  - necovek 4y ago
    While I was obviously tongue in cheek, higher current requires thicker cables, and I think USB-C is already being pushed to over 200W. Can we make those tiny connectors robust enough for the weight of the cable? Similarly for cars: as you push for faster charging, you'll need bigger connector pins, though I am sure (I hope?) standard EV ports are sufficiently over-engineered for the time being.
tomonl 4y ago
Luckily this law is not just for phones! > Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.
- bombcar 4y ago
  Introducing the iPhone 15 EU edition, now with 101 watt charging via lightning.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

by mdrzn 4y ago

acadapter 4y ago

What if a device doesn't need all the extra pins in the USB-C connector? What if it only uses VBUS/D+/D-/GND?

counttheforks 4y ago
Then you don't wire them up
danhor 4y ago
There are cheaper USB-C connectors available with fewer pins for that purpose
ChrisRR 4y ago
Presumably the same as when a device doesn't need all of the lightning pins
moolcool 4y ago
Nothing happens-- most connecters on most devices have unused pins.

coffeeblack 4y ago

There is no reason for USB to improve any further, because now it has to be used by law. Amazing that people still don’t get it.

Kuinox 4y ago
Wait you think they somehow tried to compete with apple ? That's not how USB works.
- coffeeblack 4y ago
  If there is no better connector, why should the committee put any effort into developing anything better? Tech history, and human history in general, is littered with examples. Especially in the old Warsaw Pact states.
  - oplaadpunt 4y ago
    Regulation has always been a part of government, to increase the efficiency of the open market. But in regards to your first point: > why should the committee put any effort into developing anything better? The EU is absolutely not in the business of developing any connector whatsoever. They wanted _a_ standard (for eco/market reasons), and asked the industry to create one. This became USB and the USB Forum. Now they make it mandatory to follow that standard. In the act they passed, the power to set the specific standard is deferred to the European Commission, to make it easier to update it if necessary. These are called delegated acts [0]. If a new physical connector is ever necessary, the USB forum will write the standard, ask the EU if they can update the reference, which is easy since it's only a matter of pushing paperwork. _Not_ hardcoding a feature like this, and following what industry wants is an explicit goal of the legislative process. It has worked extremely well in these sorts of circumstances. The only risk I could see is a technical innovation for connectors, which the USB Forum refuses to implement for some reason. This could happen, but I don't see it as being any different then current industry practices. [0]: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:delegated_acts https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM...
  - orwin 4y ago
    "Tech history" is littered with example, like micro-usb? Or like MRIs?
  - Kuinox 4y ago
    Because they always did, and never needed Apple to compete. USB comitee is filled with companies competing with each other, and Apple is one of these companies.

Krkrmfnfmmd 4y ago

necovek 4y ago

I am hoping for my next car to be chargeable through a USB-C port too! /s I love the fact that there is a standardized port, and I can get devices of any type to charge with a single powerful charger. But connector and cables are wonky at best if you want to have a single cable for everything too (look up prices, thickness and lengths of USB-C PD 100W, alt-DP 1.4 capable, USB 3+ speeds cables, and then watch them break in a few months of "regular" use like in a car charger). But I want a better, more robust standard than USB-C! Can that happen with the law in place? I don't know, but that scares me.

pwpw 4y ago
> I am hoping for my next car to be chargeable through a USB-C port too! /s I’m aware of your sarcasm, but it did bother me that my Tesla used a proprietary port that made it more difficult to use other charging locations, such as the charger next to my apartment. Electric vehicle charging ports need standardization as well. Perhaps having these laws standardizing ports will set the groundwork for a more robust standard in the future. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a perfect solution since there are so many differing opinions, but I do believe this is a good start.
- LeanderK 4y ago
  > I’m aware of your sarcasm, but it did bother me that my Tesla used a proprietary port that made it more difficult to use other charging locations, such as the charger next to my apartment. Electric vehicle charging ports need standardization as well. This is happening in europe, tesla is switching to type 2 connectors. I think these laws certainly play a role in motivating the company.
- necovek 4y ago
  While I was obviously tongue in cheek, higher current requires thicker cables, and I think USB-C is already being pushed to over 200W. Can we make those tiny connectors robust enough for the weight of the cable? Similarly for cars: as you push for faster charging, you'll need bigger connector pins, though I am sure (I hope?) standard EV ports are sufficiently over-engineered for the time being.

tomonl 4y ago

Luckily this law is not just for phones! > Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.

bombcar 4y ago
Introducing the iPhone 15 EU edition, now with 101 watt charging via lightning.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]