alt Hacker NewsUSB-C only has an "intrinsic" orientation because we call one set of pins "1" and the other "2". Electrically there should be no difference.
USB-C only has an "intrinsic" orientation because we call one set of pins "1" and the other "2". Electrically there should be no difference.
No, there really is an intrinsic orientation, at least once a cable is plugged in.
The receptacles are symmetric, but a full connection is not. The cable only connects CC through end-to-end on one of A5 or B5, but not both, which lets the DFP detect which of A5 or B5 should be CC. The one not used for CC is then used to power the e-marker in the cable, if any.
This is also true for legacy adapters; for example, for C-to-A USB 3 adapters, the host needs to know which of the two high-speed pairs to use (as USB 3 over A/B connectors only supports one lane, while C supports two).