What is the relationship between Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C on Apple's new MacBook?
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After releasing the iPhone 7, Apple's latest move will be another press conference in the early hours of this Friday morning Beijing time. If nothing unexpected happens, the new generation of MacBook Pro and other models will be unveiled. Just like the iPhone 7, Apple's new MacBook is still exposed before its release. This time, in addition to the much-watched OLED touch bar, the author is most concerned about its interface. The picture comes from 9to5mac. Speaking of changes in interfaces, there must be something about the recently popular USB Type C. Some friends may have questions, why is my computer interface both USB Type C and Thunderbolt 3? I believe many friends have such questions, so in this article we will use Apple's new MacBook to talk about the relationship between USB Type C and Thunderbolt 3. Related reading: [Why does MacBook use it? A brief talk about the USB-C interface] Re-understanding USB Type C Before talking about USB Type C, let's take a look at the development of the USB interface. The full name of USB in Chinese is: Universal Serial Bus Interface. In order to meet the needs of different devices, it is divided into Type A (mainly used in computers) and Type B (mainly used in printers). In addition to the standard form, the interface also launched Micro and Mini forms (mainly used in small-sized devices such as mobile phones and tablets). The USB standard has evolved from 1.0 to 2.0, 3.0, and then to the latest 3.1. There are too many types of interfaces and standards, and daily use may even be a bit confusing. For example, the Type A interface between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 can be used universally, but the Micro and mini interfaces are completely different. It is inevitable that people will be confused when using them, and the development momentum is getting more and more chaotic. After the USB 3.1 standard, as the frequency of people using mobile devices increases, an interface that can unify mobile devices and PCs and other devices has become a hot topic. Therefore, the USB official website organization USB-IF immediately launched the interface form of USB Type C. The first device to use the USB Type C interface was the Nokia N1 tablet, but it was still USB 2.0 standard. USB Type C has many advantages. First of all, it supports plugging and unplugging on both sides, and it is small in size. It can carry a data transmission speed of up to 10Gbps, and can also carry 100W of power transmission (and supports bidirectional power transmission). It can even be used for video transmission. It has richer functionality than previous USB standards. In the long run, USB Type C has a total of 24 contacts, far exceeding the 4/9 of the existing USB 2.0/USB 3.0 standards. Therefore, even if USB Type-C can be compatible with the old standard through the form of conversion, it does not have a high adaptability at present. However, as the number of devices using the USB Type C interface gradually increases, its advantages will naturally be reflected, and the transition process will be shortened as various manufacturers accelerate and follow up. The relationship between Type C and USB 3.1 Simply put, USB 3.1 talks about the specification standard, and Type C talks about the interface type. However, although Type C is a new interface type introduced along with USB 3.1, it does not mean that all USBs that adopt the USB 3.1 standard are Type C interfaces, and interfaces that adopt the Type C form factor are not necessarily USB 3.1 standards. There is no fixed restriction on the standard and type of interfaces. In addition to USB 3.1 Type C, we can also see USB 3.1 Type A and USB 3.0/2.0 Type C interfaces. The relationship between Type C and Thunderbolt 3 The formulation of USB was proposed and formulated by the USB-IF organization mentioned above (also jointly initiated by Intel, Microsoft, HP and other manufacturers), while Thunderbolt 3 was developed and formulated by Intel (Apple participated in the cooperation, and the first two generations of Thunderbolt interfaces were used in Apple Mac series computers). You may have discovered that Intel is a common participant in the cooperation, and it has the highest voice in interface customization and specification. Coincidentally after the launch of USB Type C, Intel successfully changed the Thunderbolt 3 physical interface from the previous mini DP to USB Type C, which further consolidated the long-cherished wish of USB Type C to unify interfaces such as PCs and mobile devices. Therefore, USB Type C is only the interface type attached to Thunderbolt 3. Although they both look the same, Thunderbolt 3 can fully realize most of the functions of USB Type C (if it also supports Type C Power Deliver 2.0 specification, it can realize all the functions of Type C), and the transmission rate is higher, and the content that can be realized is richer. Moreover, all interfaces that support Thunderbolt 3 still have the "lightning" logo of Thunderbolt next to them, which is convenient for everyone to distinguish. The relationship between USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3 First of all, the launch of Thunderbolt 3 is based on the existing USB 3.1 Type C specification standard. In addition to the Type C form interface, the USB 3.1 specification standard also supports other form interfaces such as Type A, while Thunderbolt 3 is a USB Type C interface. Therefore , Thunderbolt 3 must support USB 3.1 at the same time, but USB 3.1 does not necessarily support Thunderbolt 3. Next, let's take a look at the maximum transmission rate of USB interface and Thunderbolt. You may have discovered that the maximum speed of the latest USB 3.1 interface is only 10Gbps, while the maximum speed of Thunderbolt 3 is 40Gbps, a gap of up to 4 times. However, the USB Type C interface is small, supports bidirectional power supply, and supports video transmission, which are the charms of USB Type C. Therefore, even if the speed of USB 3.1 cannot catch up with Thunderbolt 2, considering that USB Type C can be used for data transmission, power supply, and video transmission, it is also a very good choice for laptops. Which interface will Apple's new MacBook use? Since the launch of MacBook as the first computer equipped with a USB Type C interface, PC manufacturers have gradually followed up, but most of them use the USB Type A + USB Type C/Thunderbolt 3 solution. Except for some thin and light models, there are few models equipped with all USB Type C interfaces. Therefore, this problem also applies to unreleased PC products. However, Apple's practice of only equipping the MacBook with a USB Type C data interface for the first time is also in line with Apple's usual style. However, even so, Apple only equipped the MacBook with the USB 3.1 Gen 1 standard (up to 5Gbps, actually USB 3.0), and we can guess that the reason is that Thunderbolt 3 was not launched at that time. However, the latest Thunderbolt 3 interface was also not added to the MacBook Pro updated last year, and the 2016 MacBook also uses the USB 3.1 Gen 1 standard and does not use the Thunderbolt 3 interface. This makes me wonder again, if the MacBook Pro series is released this time, what kind of data interface will it be equipped with? In recent years, all Apple MacBook Pro series models have been equipped with Thunderbolt series interfaces. As we have seen before, even the latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 standard has a transmission speed of only 10Gbps, which is the same as the Thunderbolt 2 interface equipped in the previous MacBook Pro. Therefore, according to the author's guess, Apple's new MacBook will naturally have at least one Thunderbolt 3 interface, or even all of them will be Thunderbolt 3 or USB Type C interfaces. As for the charging port, since the current power adapter of the Retina MacBook Pro 15 is only 85W, USB Type C Power Deliver 2.0 supports a maximum load of 100W, which is enough for it. Therefore, it is very likely that the charging port of the new product will replace MagSafe with USB Type C. Summary: In fact, there is still a lot to discuss about USB Type C and Thunderbolt 3. This article only elaborates on the points that the public is most concerned about. At the same time, I believe that everyone is looking forward to Apple's latest MacBook product as much as I am. If you are interested, you may wish to pay attention to the relevant reports we will bring this Friday. As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity. |
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