Development of the original USB standard began in 1994, led by Ajay Bhatt of Intel working with a variety of industry leaders. Key considerations Gold Plating: When the male connector contains gold plating, it will provide longer lasting performance and more reliable signal quality over a distance.

One significant consideration with USB 3.0 extension cables is the length of the cable you’re using. If you use a USB cable that’s longer than the recommended length, it may suffer from signal drops or slower-than-expected speeds. A USB 3.0 extension cable always consists of a male connector on one end and a female connector on the other end. This results in a cable that’s different from a typical USB cable design, which will have male connectors on both ends. USB Extension cables, also known as USB extension leads, provide connection from computers to peripherals, and are similar to standard USB cables. However the primary functionality for USB extension cables is to extend the functionality of a USB port which cannot be easily reached. The majority of USB extension cables go from a male USB connector to a female USB connector. RS have a varied range of USB extension cables that can support either male or female USB A, USB B, Micro USB B and Mini USB B connectors, and features products from trusted brands such as Harting, Startech, and our own RS PRO, among others. Where are USB extension cables used?With a regular USB 3.0 extension cable, the recommended maximum length of the cable is roughly 10 feet. A. If you’re plugging the USB 3.0 cable into a USB 2.0 port, your speeds will be slower. When connecting USB devices, all of the devices run at the maximum speed that the slowest device can achieve. If you have a USB 2.0 device connected to a USB 3.0 extension cable, the cable can operate only at USB 2.0 speeds. Alternatively if you have a peripheral such as a printer, of which the cable is too short to reach the USB port, the extension cable can be used to breach the distance between them. With the extension cable, you do not have to rely on a wireless network to locate the printer, which also requires the printer (or other peripheral) to be within close proximity to the computer and this may not be possible. How long are USB extension leads? Power: With certain USB 3.0 extension cables, you’ll have additional electrical power supplied in the cable. Even regular USB cables carry some power, but certain cables offer extra power. This ensures the electrical power carries through the extra length of the cable. Pay attention to the size of the female connector in the USB extender. If the size is too large for a tight space, you may not be able to use the cable as you want.

Some manufacturers create connectors that are oriented at an angle, which are useful when working in really tight spaces. The male end on the connector will bend to the right or left at a 90-degree angle to the cable. This configuration makes it easy to squeeze the USB 3.0 extension cable into an area where a normal connector will not fit. Female connector size A. They’re actually referring to the same USB standard. At the time USB 3.0 was introduced, SuperSpeed was used as a marketing name for the technology. However, it didn’t really gain much traction with consumers. You sometimes will see USB 3.0 cables and ports marked with an “SS” to indicate SuperSpeed. Combined with Ethernet: Using a cable that carries USB signal over Ethernet will greatly extend the length the signal is able to travel without degradation. Passive USB extenders have regular copper wires and no electronic circuits to boost the signal. Therefore, there aren't very useful in extending the cable length over the recommended maximum limit. You can only use them to extend a short USB cable; take care that the total length of the cable and extension doesn't cross the maximum limit for its USB generation. Repeater: Use a USB 3.0 cable with a repeater to provide greater signal strength. This maintains the quality of the signal when it travels over longer distances.USB extension leads are available in various lengths to suit a range of applications and can vary from around 0.5m to 35m. Types of USB connectors: