Custom USB Cables: Understanding the Different Aspects

Custom USB Cables: Understanding the Different Aspects

Today, USB cables are literally everywhere and available to anyone. They have become the driving force for charging smartphones, cameras, and even modern laptops, to name a few. However, these pieces of equipment come in a wide range of shapes and sizes despite having similar physical features. In this article, we will look closer at custom USB cables.

What is a USB Cable?

USB, full terminology of the acronym Universal Serial Bus, refers to an industry-standard component used for communicating, connecting, and charging different devices and access. 

See, not all USB cables are similar in design, no matter how alike they seem. For instance, a pair of USB-C cables may generally look the same, but both have different capabilities and features, such as transfer and charging speeds.

The USB 2.0 comes with two wires meant for power, which are the +5 volt and ground, as well as a twisted pair of wires for data transmission. However, it can only send data in a singular direction at a given time, either upstream or downstream. Due to the addition of four additional data transfer wires, USB 3.0 may send data simultaneously in both directions. 

Individual USB cables can cover as much as 5 meters, And when it comes to hubs and devices, this length can extend all the way up to 39 meters or six cables worth from the host.

Note: USB 3.0 cables can be used on USB 2.0 ports. However,  you won't get the same transfer speeds and power output as using a USB 3.0 port.

The manufacturing process of USB cables

A USB cable comprises two main parts: the connectors and the cable that goes through a handful of processes to be designed. Below are the several steps involved in creating the various parts.  

Cutting the appropriate cables

The first step is to cut them up into the required lengths from unprocessed materials. Note that they tend to be fairly long and must be cut into lengths of 1, 2, or 5 meters.

Exposing the inner conductor

Cables contain several wires. In addition, to avoid electromagnetic interference, they have to be foiled or braided. As a result, during the manufacturing process, there will come the point where you expose the inner wires so they can be connected as needed.

* Begin by stripping the external jacket of the cables.

* Clear the spiral and braids arrangement by folding them in opposite directions.

* Once done, you can strip off the foil to expose the wires. 

* The final thing will be to strip the internal jacket to expose the conductors.

Connecting the wire and terminal

This phase involves soldering electronic materials using tin.

* The technicians dip the conductor’s endpoint into the solder, then repeat the process with melted tin.

* They will solder the conductor, and the connectors pinpoint. 

* The final step will be to examine the soldering to determine whether it meets the requirements.

Many prefer to use the tin for soldering, primarily due to its low melting point, ideal fluidity, and sturdy copper and iron surface affinity. 

Molding

This step is when the technicians cover the conductors and connect joining the pit using an injection molding machine.

* The first thing is to protect the initial layer using internal injection molding. 

* The second thing is to place iron shells for additional protection, which is optional. 

* From here, the technicians will look at the electrical performance of the partly finished products.

* If all is well with the above step, the technicians will add a final layer of protection using external injection molding. They will also place the logo and tag of the brand. 

* The last thing will be to conduct another electrical test to determine the cable's effectiveness. 

Final checking and packaging

This step is when the technicians conduct another test to ensure effective electrical performance. In addition, they will also look over the cables to determine if there are any flaws. They will ship out the products for final packaging if there are none. 

Custom-tailored USB-Cable at Cloom

Custom-designed cables come with several features, including grommets, pigtails, strain reliefs, unique colors, logo inserts, and so much more.

Different shapes and sizes

Waterproof panel-mount USB

Latching USB

LSZH USB

Right-angle/ Left Angle USB

Up Angle USB/Down Angle USB

USB cables with two plugs

USB A - Mini-B cable

USB A - Micro-B cable

USB A - USB B cable

USB A - USB A cable

USB Bridged cables

USB adapters

Aside from being configured with all the connectors mentioned above, some of the other kinds of connectors with adapters that this can also happen with include:

The BNC Male to USB

The 2.5mm to USB

The 4-pin MOLEX to USB

The 2.1mm DC Plug to the USB

The USB to Ethernet/rj45

The USB to HDMI 

The USB to Serial

The USB to Blunt

Host controllers

Many host controllers come with USB-A receptacles, therefore when dealing with this kind of cable, it is usually USB A to another device.

Cables tend to have names on the alternate ends, which is also true with the USB A plug. However, certain small host devices have micro or mini-USB receptacles, with the USB-A getting a pigtail adapter. 

USB cable with hubs

USB cables that come with hubs allow the connection of several USB hosts in one host port. That way,  you can use as many as 127 devices if they can manage the power limitations.

USB extension cord

Devices like WiFi adapters and webcams need to be free. One way to achieve this is by extending the length of your original USB cable with extension cords with a plug on one end, with the receptacle on the alternate side. Usually, the maximum cable length is around 5 meters.

Active USB cables

These are basically 1-port USB hubs with circuitry typically found at the receiving end capable of regenerating signals and transmitting data over long distances. They also tend to be bus-powered, but longer cables can still have a USB-A connector or an external AC adapter to ensure the signal booster has enough power.

There are situations where you can daisy-chain the active cable, given that power is available for every transceiver in the chain.

It's possible to use standard USB cables together with an active cable. Just remember that the regular cable should not exceed 5 meters in length for the 2.0 components, and 3 meters for 3.0 devices.

In most cases, active cables tend to be bus-powered. However, you may have to purchase an active cable with a separate power adapter to enjoy the maximum 500mA power of their USB port.

Conclusion

USBs have become the new standard for most mobile and laptop devices. Therefore, understanding how they are made and function is critical if you wish to use them effectively. For all your custom USB cable needs, feel free to contact Cloom Tech.