USB hardware
the connectors (plugs and receptacles) for USB communications protocols and power
The initial versions of the USB standard specified connectors that were easy to use and that would have high life spans; revisions of the standard added smaller connectors useful for compact portable devices. Higher-speed development of the USB standard gave rise to another family of connectors to permit additional data links. All versions of USB specify cable properties. Version 3.x cables, marketed as SuperSpeed, added a data link; namely, in 2008, USB 3.0 added a full-duplex lane (two twisted pairs of wires for one differential signal of serial data per direction), and in 2014, the USB-C specification added a second full-duplex lane.
USB has always included some capability of providing power to peripheral devices, but the amount of power that can be given has increased over time. The modern specifications are called USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) and allow up to 240 watts. Initially USB 1.0/2.0 provided up to 2.5 W, USB 3.0 provided up to 4.5 W, and subsequent Battery Charging (BC) specifications provided power up to 7.5 W. The modern Power Delivery specifications began with USB PD 1.0 in 2012, providing for power delivery up to 60 watts; PD 2.0 version 1.2 in 2013, along with USB 3.1, up to 100 W; and USB PD 3.1 in 2021 raised the maximum to 240 W. USB has been selected as the charging format for many mobile phones and other peripheral devices and hubs, reducing the proliferation of proprietary chargers. Since USB 3.1 USB-PD is part of the USB standard. The latest PD versions can also provide power to lower power laptops.
A standard USB-C cable is specified for 60 watts and at least of USB 2.0 data capability.
The public source identifies “USB hardware” as the connectors (plugs and receptacles) for USB communications protocols and power. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around hardware, connectors and plugs.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “USB hardware”, the useful work is to connect “the connectors (plugs and receptacles) for USB communications protocols and power” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q41796309. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2008, 2014, 2012 and 2013.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “USB hardware”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow USB hardware primary sources, USB hardware archive and hardware research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “USB hardware”?
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “USB hardware” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.