USB type A reversible plug

Posted on Fri 15th, August 2014

• #1

Gordon
I've been fiddling around with a new board design which has a printed USB connector similar to the DigiSpark...

It got me thinking: I've got all the components (including LEDs and a button) on one side, and the other side is blank except for the silk-screened labels. Whichever side the USB connector is on, someone's going to think it's the wrong one... So why not put it on both?

The USB sockets all appear to be the same (see the picture). The 4 contacts as you'd expect, but then two grounded springs on the other side. Those would normally short the 5V line out to ground (but not the data pins) - however that's not a problem because the 5V line powers Espruino via a diode (so you can run Espruino off a battery). If each side of the board had its own diode, everything would be great.

Any thoughts? Is this a stupid idea? Does anyone have a USB socket that's not like the picture, with the grounded springs in different location?

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• #2

DrAzzy

Make sure it will work with USB 3.0 connectors. They have an additional 5 pins hidden in there.
• #3

Gordon
Ahh. Thanks... Actually I just looked and this won't be a problem (they're on the correct side).

Having said that I'd need to make sure that my bare copper connections don't come too far back from the edge of the board or it's possible that they could short on the 5 pins...

1 Attachment
• #4

d0773d

@Gordon What DrAzzy said.

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