Connect Your Devices with a Male-to-Female USB Cable
Several electronics brands manufacture USB extension cables that combine type A male and female connectors. This means that you have the option to merge a standard host device with a peripheral one. If you are shopping for a USB cable that has both of these connections, understanding how they work and what features they have can help you find the product that suits your needs and is compatible with your devices.
What brands produce these cables?If you would like to purchase a USB cable from a particular brand or wish to peruse a variety of brands, you may be able to find male-to-female cable products from the following companies:
- Anker - This brand under the Oceanwing umbrella produces several types of cables for electronics.
- Belkin - This American-based company specializes in connector products for various electronics.
- Sabrent - Sabrent manufactures consumer-based computer accessories and cables.
It may be possible for you to duplicate the connection from one device and send it to several others. Some products have a female extension cable head that you can connect to a host device such as your laptop. These items may feature an adapter that has more than one male peripheral ports at one end. You may be able to attach several electronics to this end of the cable to send data from your computer to all the connected devices at once. A cable with a 1:1 value has only one connector each for the host and the peripheral device. However, some common connection duplication measurements you might find are:
- 1:3 - These cables can connect with up to three peripheral devices.
- 1:4 - You can connect up to four peripherals with these cables.
- 1:7 - These cables support connections for up to seven devices.
Most of these cables fall into either host or peripheral standards. However, although the features on the cable of your choice might depend on the specific model you choose, many of these products share some of the following specifications:
- Polarization - The polarizing effect means that you can only insert the cables in one way. This feature may help to prevent damage to both the host device and the cables.
- Shielding - A metal shell protects the cables electrical circuit from interference that it may encounter in electronic environments.
- Molding - These cables have a plastic mold over each end. This molding is intended to minimize the risk of strain on the cables.
The specifications on any USB device relate to its generation. Each generation of USB products has its own specification that relates to its transfer speed. Some common specifications you might find include:
- USB 2.0
- USB 3.0
- USB 3.1