We all use chargers of different shapes, sizes, colors and
designs. We only worry about getting a full charge and don’t have a full scoop
of what the USB cord actually entails. Some of us even deal with problems of
slow charging on your devices and some even have USB cords that once were used
to transfer files and now can only charge your device.
Let’s classify USB cords into 2 places in terms of functions.
One is the charging cord and the other is the charging plus data cord.
The first can only supply power to your devices while the
latter can act as a charger and can also work to put your phone in the mass
storage or data transfer mode. In the first type of USB cables, there are
usually 2 wires, the black and red wire. Meaning the positive and negative
power lines. The latter usually has 4 wires inside. The red, black, white and
green wires. The red and black are power lines while the white and green are data
lines. So, if any of these data lines were to get damaged, the cord wouldn’t work
as a data cable again but function alone as a power cord. This is why intensive
care should be given to our cords. Preventive and protective measures would be
later discussed.
Another classification is the
classification by Version. There are 2 prominent versions of USB. They are USB
2.0 and USB 3.0.
USB 3.0 provides better speed and more
efficient power management than USB 2.0. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 devices; however, data transfer speeds are
limited to USB 2.0 levels when these devices inter-operate (A USB 2.0 device
would operate at USB 2.0 speeds even when connected to a USB 3.0 port). In
2014, a new standard, USB
3.1 was released and is expected to be in
widespread use by 2015. Rather than 4 wires in the USB 2.0 cords, there
are 9 wires in USB 3.0 cords. USB 3.0 is special in a unique way. It dedicates
one line to sending data and another separate line to receiving data. USB 2.0
uses the same line to send and receive data. So, if you are planning on getting
a device, a laptop, phone or external hard disk, ensure you get one that has
USB 3.0 support.
Selecting a charger/
replacing your charger
We all have this syndrome
where we don’t consider any replacement part of our device to be as good as the
one that came in the same box with our devices. The follow come syndrome. Funny
thing. Getting the best out of a replacement charger is as easy as saying the
word EASY. There are few steps I’d like to share with us.
a. a. When you get a charger from the box, identify
the power ratings of the charger. The output voltage, the current etc.
b. b. When you want to get a replacement for your charger,
get a charger with power details similar to that of the charger that came in
the box. A lot of people get chargers that are meant for tablets and use it for
their small sized smartphones for the fact that it charges faster. Well, that
is just equal to feeding a small baby with a big spoon. The OEMs have the best
reason for packing the charger with a small power rating with the phone right
out the factory. Respect that.
c. c. Some chargers come in parts. The power head as a
bit and the USB cord as another bit. There are times when the charger starts
misbehaving. Try to check the USB cord first and then the power head.
Care
of USB cords
USB
cords are one of the most common accessories around. Getting one can be cheap
but getting another after another can be annoying. To help prevent this. Some
precautions must be taken.
a. Try not to
pull the cord from ports by the wire, you should rather pull by the connectors.
b. Don’t lift
devices using the cords as handles.
c. Don’t roll
up USB cords in tight rings or turns. These turns flex the wires again and
again and can cause a break after some time.
d. Pull the
cords directly out of ports and try not to shake them repeatedly so as to get
it loose. This will only loosen the port and the connector on the USB cord.
Concerning the slow charge of devices,
some reason are outlined below for slow charge.
a.
Connecting your USB cord to a pc and trying to
charge a device would definitely be slow as the port on that computer doesn’t supply
the same power as indicated on the charger for that device.
b. b. Plugging of multiple USB charger cords to a USB
hub would result in a slow charge as the voltage would split into connected
devices and result in slow charging.
c. c. A damaged power line in a USB cord can also result
in slow charging as a proper conduction of power is absent.
d. d. A burnt charger may sometimes charge a device
but at a slow pace. Check your chargers regularly for defects, burns, odd
smells etc.
A lot can be
said concerning the use of USB cords, this little should do for now. For more
info, feel free to ask.
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