Type-A to Micro-B 3.0 adapter
A USB Type-A plug on one end and a Micro-USB Type-B (SuperSpeed) socket on the other. This converts a port rather than carrying a signal any distance, so it is usually a stubby dongle rather than a cable.
USB Type-A — plug
The flat rectangle everyone pictures when they hear “USB”.
How to recognise it
- Flat rectangle, roughly 12 mm wide and 4.5 mm tall.
- Only goes in one way up, though it famously takes three tries.
- A white or black plastic tongue inside the metal shell.
- Maximum speed:
- 480 Mbps (Hi-Speed)
- Maximum power:
- 2.5 W standard, more with proprietary charging
Micro-USB Type-B (SuperSpeed) — socket
A Micro-B with a second block bolted alongside it. Portable drives, mostly.
How to recognise it
- Looks like a Micro-B welded to a smaller extra connector, side by side.
- Roughly twice as wide as a plain Micro-B.
- A plain Micro-B plug fits the left half of this socket and works at USB 2.0 speed.
- Maximum speed:
- 5 Gbps
- Maximum power:
- 4.5 W standard