USB Type-C, or simply USB-C, is an interesting beast. On the one hand, the fact that it’s reversible is amazing when compared to its predecessors, and USB-C’s potential data transfer speeds, special modes, and power capabilities make it appear to be the cable to take us into the future. On the other hand, when you pick up this type of cable, you don’t always know its specifications, or if it’s still working as intended. To test all 24 possible USB-C connections, the C2C caberQU by The current stuff shows the status with a series of indicator LEDs.
The device is powered by an included CR3032 battery, and the indicator LEDs simply light up when a USB-C to USB-C cable is plugged in. 25 lights in total are used, including a shield connection LED. This allows it to test pin combinations for USB 2.x and 3.x, along with other modes as needed. While it will test what’s connected, given the broad scope of USB-C, it can’t tell you exactly how a cable is used. The listing suggests checking Wikipedia for more info, or you can delve into the actual USB-C spec here.
You can see the device in action in the video below, lighting up the board’s indicator LEDs. It’s especially interesting to see how the shield connects before everything else, and amazing to see a visual representation of what’s going on inside these cables.
