16-pin USB Type-C connectors by GCT

USB Type-C connectors are gradually becoming an official, world-wide standard for mobile devices. In some countries, especially in Europe, the use of such connectors is a legal requirement; a wide group of products must have a USB Type-C socket in order to be approved for distribution. This results in the growing comfort of consumers, and the reduced amount of electronic waste. More and more manufacturers of electronic devices are interested in USB Type-C connectors. Today, we recommend products by GCT, i.e. Global Connector Technology.

The products presented here are 16-pin sockets, which are able to perform all the functions expected from USB Type-C connectors (in the USB 2.0 communication standard). The 16 lines offered by them include:

• two pairs of contacts to support USB 2.0 bus: Dp1/Dn1 and symmetrically located Dp2/Dn2 (often designated as D+ and D-);
• four power supply contacts (V_BUS) and four ground contacts (GND), two on each side;
• two SBU contacts used in alternative communication modes (e.g. when a contact is to transmit audio or video signal);
• two CC contacts(an acronym for Channel Configuration), which can serve multiple purposes, such as detect connection or disconnection, define the connector’s orientation, negotiate voltage, etc.

Note, however, that the GCT connectors presented here don’t have leads for two serial buses required in the USB 3.0 (and higher) standards of communication. This is due to the fact that such products are mainly used to connect basic peripherals and to charge and supply power to mobile devices (they support currents up to 5 A).

Owing to the small size of the GCT connectors, they can be mounted in products intended for everyday use. The components are also durable, meaning that they can be successfully applied in industrial devices. It’s worth emphasising here that the sockets are available in two different versions: top board mount (classic SMD mounting on a PCB) and middle board mount. In the latter version, the connector is placed in a PCB slot, thanks to which you can develop very low profile circuits.

USB Type-C connectors by GCT  

* depending on the model