Editing USB (section)

=== USB bridge cables ===
USB bridge cables, or data transfer cables can be found within the market, offering direct PC to PC connections. A bridge cable is a special cable with a chip and active electronics in the middle of the cable. The chip in the middle of the cable acts as a peripheral to both computers and allows for peer-to-peer communication between the computers. The USB bridge cables are used to transfer files between two computers via their USB ports.

Popularized by Microsoft as [[Windows Easy Transfer]], the Microsoft utility used a special USB bridge cable to transfer personal files and settings from a computer running an earlier version of Windows to a computer running a newer version. In the context of the use of ''Windows Easy Transfer'' software, the bridge cable can sometimes be referenced as ''Easy Transfer cable''.

Many USB bridge / data transfer cables are still USB 2.0, but there are also a number of USB 3.0 transfer cables. Despite USB 3.0 being 10 times faster than USB 2.0, USB 3.0 transfer cables are only 2 to 3 times faster given their design.{{clarify|reason="given their design" suggests there are reasons for this, what are they?|date=October 2022}}

The USB 3.0 specification introduced an A-to-A cross-over cable without power for connecting two PCs. These are not meant for data transfer but are aimed at diagnostic uses.

==== Dual-role USB connections ====
USB bridge cables have become less important with USB dual-role-device capabilities introduced with the USB 3.1 specification. Under the most recent specifications, USB supports most scenarios connecting systems directly with a Type-C cable. For the capability to work, however, connected systems must support role-switching. Dual-role capabilities requires there be ''two'' controllers within the system, as well as a ''role controller''. While this can be expected in a mobile platform such as a tablet or a phone, desktop PCs and laptops often will not support dual roles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://superuser.com/questions/1080002/usb-3-1-type-c-host-to-host |title=USB 3.1 - Type-C Host to Host |website=superuser.com |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=14 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014022330/https://superuser.com/questions/1080002/usb-3-1-type-c-host-to-host |url-status=live }}</ref>