USB 2.0 USB 3.0 USB 3.1 USB 3.2 USB 4.0 Connectors and Pinouts

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USB Connectors and Pinouts

USB 3.1 GEN 1 & GEN 2

USB 3.0 is now called USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Speed up to 5Gbps)

USB 3.1 is now called USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Speed up to 10Gbps)

USB 3.0 vs USB 3.1 vs USB 3.2

The USB Generation Confusion

Remember when the USB 3.0 standard was eventually rebranded to USB 3.1 Gen 1? Well, history is about to repeat itself once again. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announced at MWC 2019 that the new USB 3.2 standard will absorb the prior USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 specifications.

Both USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 are to be considered generations of the USB 3.2 specification. USB 3.1 Gen 1 (formerly known as USB 3.0), which offers speeds up to 5 Gbps, will be rebranded into USB 3.2 Gen 1 while USB 3.1 Gen 2, which supports communication rates up to 10 Gbps, will be called USB 3.2 Gen 2 moving forward. Since USB 3.2 has double the throughput (20 Gbps) of USB 3.1 Gen 2, the updated standard has been designated as USB 3.2 Gen 2x2.

To avoid overwhelming the consumer with technicalities, USB-IF suggested a separate marketing nomenclature for each standard. USB 3.2 Gen 1 should be identified as SuperSpeed USB while USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 are labeled as SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps and SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps, respectively.

So in summary:

• USB 3.0 = USB 3.1 Gen 1 = USB 3.2 Gen 1 = SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps = 5 Gbps
• USB 3.1 = USB 3.1 Gen 2 = USB 3.2 Gen 2 = SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps = 10 Gbps
• USB 3.2 = USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 = SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps = 20 Gbps

USB 3.2 Specification Language Usage Guidelines from USB-IF

Updated on: 28/06/2025