USB-C Introduction: What You Really Need to Know About the Connector Taking Over the World

Whereas USB-A connectors have to be plugged into their ports in a specific orientation, the symmetry of the oval shaped USB-C connector head, along with the pin configuration within it, allows the USB-C connector to be completely reversible…

With two-way charging, a USB-C port has the potential to either output power in order to charge a connected device, or input power from a connected device in order to charge itself.

Alt Mode allows USB-C ports to transfer data/video via multiple interfaces, including the increasingly popular DisplayPort video interface. USB-C ports which are able to transfer DisplayPort signals are either called USB-C DisplayPort or DP Alt Mode. They allow you to connect video sources (e.g. PCs, Blu-Ray players, etc.) and display devices (e.g. TVs, projectors, etc.) that support DisplayPort to each other via their USB-C ports to broadcast high-definition video.