Saturday, October 1st 2022
The USB-IF Announces New Logos, Kills Off SuperSpeed Branding
The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced a few changes to the various logos that are tied to the USB standard. This is said to be done to simplify the plethora of logos that are currently being used and to make it easier for consumers to know what they're buying. At the same time, the old SuperSpeed USB logo is being retired and the branding will not appear on new products at all. Instead, the logos that were developed for the USB4 standard and USB PD 3.1, will be adapted across the board. The new changes will come into effect this quarter and could appear on new products before the end of the year.
The new logos that will replace the SuperSpeed logo are pretty straightforward, with a 5 and 10 Gbps logo being added to the 20 and 40 Gbps logos that we've already seen. These logos will be used for packaging, on cable connectors and even on some devices. The new 5 and 10 Gbps logos can also be combined with the 60 W and 240 W charging logos when used with USB-C cables. All of this should make it easier as a consumer to know what kind of cable you're buying, but keep in mind that these logos only apply to certified products and not all USB cables are certified. Still, it's an improvement overall and should make life easier when shopping for cables, assuming the new logos are being used properly.
Sources:
The USB-IF, via The Verge
The new logos that will replace the SuperSpeed logo are pretty straightforward, with a 5 and 10 Gbps logo being added to the 20 and 40 Gbps logos that we've already seen. These logos will be used for packaging, on cable connectors and even on some devices. The new 5 and 10 Gbps logos can also be combined with the 60 W and 240 W charging logos when used with USB-C cables. All of this should make it easier as a consumer to know what kind of cable you're buying, but keep in mind that these logos only apply to certified products and not all USB cables are certified. Still, it's an improvement overall and should make life easier when shopping for cables, assuming the new logos are being used properly.
66 Comments on The USB-IF Announces New Logos, Kills Off SuperSpeed Branding
USB is USB. Plug your thing into the port with the biggest number and stop caring about it?
cutsspecs. The one thing Thunderbolt didn't get wrong.I give kudos for moving away from #s and Gens; instead, promoting companies advertise using 'specified bandwidth' and/or 'specified safe wattage'.
...still feel like this was an unneeded 'bandaid', on a 'boo boo' that was their own fault.
edit: Also, can't wait for Cheap under-spec cables being sold as 40Gbps 240W cables, then melting/catching fire/killing devices due to being USB 3 Gen 1 cables with 28-32awg throughout.
It's not USB-IF's fault, but it already came up when USB-C was becoming common.
Even more complicating is that many high-quality 'old 'USB 3' cables may well be capable of the newest spec. Kinda like DP and HDMi cables, or 10GbE over short distances of CAT5E. There are differences, but we cannot be sure of them until destructive dissection of the cable.
so when we see USB20Gbps in new equipment, which version is it, usb3.2x2 with no pcie tunneling, or is it usb4? Will we know?
Since the one major differentiating feature is effectvely depreciated before even hitting the market, the difference between 20gbps usb3 and 20gbps usb4 is a non-issue for the consumer-facing marketing/brandng.
USB is a mess, but (IMHO) it's more to do with it being simultaneously THE consumer standard for external I/O as well as being used by gamers, enthusiasts, and professionls alike. (Looking for USB 3.2 nvme enclosures, i stumbled upon many a content-creator using USB 3.2 external drives for storing raw footage. Years gone by, this would've been Firewire and Thunderbolt) Details matter, but for consumer electronics, manufactureres typically prefer to disclose as few of technical details as possible.
but the problem is one version of usb20gbps (usb3.2 genx2) is usb mode only with no pcie tunneling and the other (usb4) may support pcie tunneling. The label “usb 20 gbps” is ambiguous and you don’t know if the “usb 20 gbps port”supports pcie tunelling or not.
So if you connect an alpine ridge device to a “usb 20gbps” port, it may connect or it may not, depending on if the “usb 20 gbps” port supports pcie tunneling and tb3 signaling. Alpine ridge does not have a usb fallback mode. So if the “usb 20 gbps” port is really a usb3.2 gen2x2 port, the alpine ridge device will fail to connect. But if the “usb 20 gbps” port can tunnel pcie and support to signaling, then alpine ridge devices will be able to connect. Titan ridge has a usb-fallback mode and doesn’t have this problem.
so in conclusion, the “usb 20 gbps” label may be ambiguous, and users that have alpine ridge devices with no usb-fallback mode still need to know if a “usb 20 gbps” port supports pcie tunneling/tb3 signaling (and by extension also supports alpine ridge). The simplified label is not enough.
It just works.
Matt blue = 5 Gbps, light blue = 10 Gbps, dark blue = 20 Gbps, navy blue = 40 Gbps
:pimp:
Whats in a name? color coding is better. :p