USB C
The number of USB Type C ports for connecting peripherals provided in the design of the hub (or card reader with the hub function — see "Type").
The port itself is small — only slightly larger than microUSB — and has a reversible design, thanks to which the plug can be inserted in either direction. That is why he has exacted respect and is actively replacing the classic USB port.
Despite its small size, USB Type C is used both in portable technology and in desktop PCs and peripherals for them. However, there are still few such devices available; because of this, hubs usually provide
1 USB-C port or
2 type C inputs.
USB-C version
The USB connector interface (version) primarily characterizes the speed.
- 2.0. The outdated version 2.0 provides data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps. Found only in USB A ports.
— 3.2 gen1. Previous standard names are 3.1 gen1 and 3.0. This version provides up to 10 times the maximum speed (4.8Gbps) as well as higher power capacity, which allows you to connect power-hungry devices and large splitters.
- 3.2 gen2. Further improvement of the 3.2 gen1 standard (and, as is customary, the previous name more than once renamed 3.1 gen1 and simply 3.1), which made it possible to achieve a maximum speed of 10 Gbps and even higher power for external devices.
However, the final speed depends not so much on the input connector, but on the USB version of the hub (card reader) connection to the PC.
microUSB
The presence
of a micro USB port for connecting peripheral devices in the design of the hub (or a card reader with a hub function — see "Type").
The main scope of microUSB is portable equipment — smartphones, tablets, etc. Accordingly, it makes sense to purchase a hub with such a connector if you want to connect peripherals that were originally designed for mobile gadgets to a PC — for example, flash drives for smartphones with USB OTG function. Usually there is only one microUSB connector — more is simply not required.
HDMI
HDMI is the most popular of today's multimedia digital interfaces. It is specifically designed for HD content and delivers high-definition video and multi-channel audio over a single cable.
HDMI outputs are found mainly in hubs connected via USB Type C and compatible with the Thunderbolt interface (see "Connection"). Actually, to use HDMI, you will need to connect the device to the Thunderbolt v3 connector — "pure" USB Type C does not provide video transmission. This feature can be useful if the external screen is designed for HDMI connection, but there are no such connectors in the PC or laptop itself, they are busy or unavailable for another reason. At the same time, HDMI can be a different version, which affects the throughput. So to transfer video in 4K at 60 fps, you must have
HDMI v 2.0 or 2.1.
Power Delivery
The technology allows you to work at higher voltage, thereby increasing the transmitted power.
USB hubs with Power Dlivery can not only charge smartphones faster, but also power more power-hungry devices, such as laptops.
Activity indicator
Light indicator, indicating that data is currently being exchanged between the memory card and the computer to which the card reader is connected. This allows you to avoid disconnecting the card reader during operation, which is fraught not only with data loss, but even damage to the device.
