Introduction
There are a myriad of USB connections, plugs and sockets out there. Getting the correct cable for your equipment is crucial. Here are the most common cable connectors you will come across along with their official names and pictures.
Standard Size A Type connectors
These are the standard connectors that are common place these days.
USB Type A Standard Plug (Male)
 "USB_A_Plug") |
Sometimes referred to as the host or downstream connector. Approx 4 X 12mm in size, this is the standard USB plug that fit’s into the port on your PC or USB hub. It is rectangular in shape and the chances are, whatever cable you need, it will have to start with one of these!
USB Type A Standard Socket (Female)
 "afemale") |
This is like the socket you have in your PC/USB Hub. When used in a cable with the Type A plug (above) it makes a standard USB extension cable which is very handy for extending the range of your devices. It is still rectangular in shape but slightly larger and has slightly ‘curled’ edges to allow easy insertion of the plug.
Mini Size A Type connectors
Mini connectors are Increasingly common on smaller devices. Here are the most common ones:
USB Type A Mini Plug Mitsumi
Click to Enlarge
 "mini A mitsumi")
Developed by mitsumi for connection to small devices. They are tiny in size (approx 3 X 7mm) and very common on digital cameras and some MP3 Players including : Sony Mavica MVC-CD1000, Sony DSC-F505V, Sony DSC-S70, Sony DSC-S30 and Sony DSC-S50, Olympus E-10, Olympus E-20, Olympus C-2100UZ, Olympus C-3040Z, Olympus C-3030Z, Olympus C-700 UZ , Kodak DC4800, Epson PicturePC 3000Z, Minolta Dimage 5, Minolta DiMAGE 7 and HP video recorders.
The socket on your device should look like this:
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USB Type A Mini Plug Hirose
 "mini A mitsumi") |
This is another mini connector, this time developed by Hirose. Not as common as the Mitsumi type but approximately the same size and sometimes found on portable devices such as cameras, wireless adaptors and storage devices.
The socket looks like this:
Type B connectors
USB Type B Standard Plug (Male)
Click to Enlarge
 "usb_b")
The B-style connector is designed for use on USB peripheral devices. The B-style interface is squarish in shape, and has slightly beveled corners on the top ends of the connector. Like the A connector, it uses the friction of the connector body to stay in place. The B-socket is an “upstream” connector that is only used on peripheral devices. Because of this, the majority of USB applications require an A-B cable. The single most common use is as a USB printer cable. This is often referred to as an A to B cable.
The socket on the device you are connecting to should look like this:
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USB Mini B Plug (5 Pin)
Click to Enlarge
 "minib")
One drawback to the B-style connector is its size, which measures almost 1/2-inch on each side. This makes a B-style interface unsuitable for many compact personal electronic devices, such as PDAs, digital cameras, and cellphones. As a result, many device manufacturers began using “miniaturized” B-style connectors. The most popular style of mini-B connector, and the only one recognized by the USB-IF, is the 5-pin mini-B. It is quite small, about two-thirds the width of an A-style connector. The 5-pin mini-B is also specified for use in a new standard called USB On-The-Go which allows peripheral devices to communicate with the presence of a host controller.
This connector is very common and often found on phones, mp3 players, cameras, PDA’s and 2.5” External hard drives. The socket on your device should look like this:
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‘Unofficial’ connectors
There are a couple more connectors that are custom made for certain products by the manufacturers. The are not official USB style plugs but here they are anyway.
USB Mini B Plug (4 Pin)
Click to Enlarge
 "4Pinb")
Not to be confused with the common 5 Pin (above). The Mini B 4 Pin is an unofficial connector found on some digital cameras, especially certain Kodak® models. It resembles the shape of a standard B-style connector, with beveled corners; however it is much smaller in size. It looks similar to the Hirose but is squarer in size and has a distint ‘T’ shape hole.
USB Mini B Fuji Plug
Click to Enlarge
 "fuji b")
Another unofficial connector also widely used on digital cameras, especially certain models manufactured by Fuji®. It more closely resembles an A-style connector with its flat, rectangular shape.
USB Mini B Fuji Plug - Type 2.0
Click to Enlarge
 "fuji bt2")
Just a slightly different style of connector used by Fuji. Sometimes found instead of the one above.
What do I need?
Indentifying USB Connectors
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