UNDERLYING SUPPORT: THE MANY ROLES
OF USB-C
You might think of your old USB Type-A port as simply
a data port for connecting drives or peripherals like
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most useful skills, when designed to, is delivering
enough power to charge the host device, such as laptop
or smartphone. In fact, many lightweight laptops that
have USB-C ports use them in place of a traditional
barrel-style connector as the only option for attaching
an AC adapter.
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and power means that you might be able to connect to
and power a native DisplayPort, MHL, or HDMI
device—or connect to almost anything else, assuming
you have the proper adapter and cables. The USB-C
spec even factors in audio transmissions over the
interface, but so far, it has not replaced the 3.5mm
headphone jack on computers to the same degree as it
has on phones and tablets.
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of buying, because not all USB-C ports are alike. So far,
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connected-device power delivery over USB-C (though
not necessarily charging of the host device). But while
the USB-C standard supports connecting DisplayPort
and/or HDMI displays with an adapter (via the
DisplayPort-over-USB protocol), not every PC maker
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hardware. Some USB-C ports on a system may support
video-out connectivity, but others may not; or none
may. Looking at the details is important.
One of USB-
C’s most
useful skills,
when
designed to, is
delivering
enough power
to charge the
host device.