USB

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, developer, or just trying to troubleshoot a pesky USB device, understanding how to check the Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) of your USB can be extremely helpful. These IDs are like fingerprints for devices—they uniquely identify the manufacturer and type of the USB hardware connected to your system. In this post, we'll walk you through how to find these identifiers on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Why Vendor ID and Product ID Matter

How USB HID Makes Plug-and-Play Devices Work

In today's connected world, we often take for granted how seamlessly our devices communicate with our computers. Plug in a new keyboard or mouse, and it just works—no drivers, no installations, no headaches. This effortless experience is largely thanks to the USB Human Interface Device (HID) class. But what is USB HID, and how does it make connecting devices so simple? Let’s explore!

Understanding Variations and Compatibility

With the rise of USB-C technology, the demand for compatible cables has also increased. However, not all USB-C cables are created equal. While they may all have the same connector, they have drastically different capabilities, including current/voltage ratings, eMarked or not, passive or active, and support for alternate modes like DisplayPort or Thunderbolt. In this blog post, we will explore the different types of USB-C cables and how devices identify the cable type.

Discover the Power of USB-C

USB Power Delivery (USB PD) is a crucial aspect of USB-C technology, allowing for faster charging and increased power delivery capabilities of up to 240 Watts! If you haven't checked out our blog on The USB-C Connection Statemachine, we recommend reading that first. When a USB-C connection is in an attached state, USB PD negotiation occurs between the source and sink devices, allowing for the negotiation of power delivery modes and values.

USB-C Specifications: Getting Started

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) has become an essential component of modern computing, providing a standard interface for a wide range of devices. The latest iteration of USB technology, USB-C, offers several improvements over the previous generation of USB-A ports, including faster data transfer speeds, increased power delivery capabilities, and a reversible connector. Now being, one connector to rule them all, what happens when you plug in a USB-C cable or device? A key change with USB-C is the advent of a connection state machine.

What is this "Alt Mode" you speak of? 

USB Alternate Modes are a powerful feature of USB-C technology that allows for the transmission of video, audio, and other data formats outside standard USB across a USB-C connector. These alternate modes, such as Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort, are negotiated over the USB Power Delivery standard on the connectors configuration channel (CC line).

ESD Mitigations with Acroname

The next-generation circuitry in today’s consumer and industrial electronics is smaller, faster, better. Consumers love the innovations. But test engineers are not as enthusiastic. Because that innovation comes with a striking downside: increased susceptibility to electrostatic discharge.

If the USB devices you’re using aren’t built for rugged environments, a catastrophic failure could — and probably will — happen. You’ll have to tell the C-Suite that all your electronic components fried because your ESD mitigations failed.

 Daisy Chain Acroname USB Hubs

Customers often ask how many Acroname USBHub3+ hubs can be daisy-chained.

The answer is pretty simple: four.

However, getting there requires some understanding of the USB specification and the internal topology of Acroname hubs. Also, by following our suggested configuration, customers can maximize access to one of the most useful features of Acroname products: fully programmable USB ports.

Expand Hub Functionality with BrainStem API

Acroname's hubs are a robust hardware solution to many common usb related tasks:  remotely simulating a manual plug-cycle, charging (or not charging) batteries on connected devices, and switching control between two host computers.

Connecting and Disconnecting USB Device Power

The problem USB devices often need to be disconnected and reconnected (plug-cycled) or reset. The reasons for plug-cycling a USB device are as varied as types of USB devices themselves. In service, the simplest solution to many USB-related problems is to reset the errant host machine or USB device.