Ruigu Electronic

Quick Tip #1: Re-driving (or Not Driving) Type-C

2025-11-18

Quick Tip #1: Re-driving (or Not Driving) Type-C
Dedicated to operating at speeds up to 10Gbps, the USB 3.1 Type-C connector moves diverse data via 24 signal lines (Figure 2). Each side of the reversible connector (Type-A and Type-B) has 12 lines, with only 4 mapped to USB 1.1 and 2.0 (Vcc, Ground, D+, D-); the rest handle differential signals or power.

As shown in Figure 1, the capabilities of USB Type-C are quite impressive—these 12 lines can handle multiple tasks simultaneously. For instance, a Type-C cable can simultaneously connect up to four DisplayPort channels, or USB 3.1 with two DisplayPort channels alongside USB 2.0 and USB-PD (Power Delivery). Additionally, it supports mixed use of HDMI, PCI Express, and other differential standards. The cable maintains 5Gbps performance at 1 meter and 10Gbps at 2 meters.