Lightning connector - what does it mean for each of us? Apple's new Lightning interface

A new connector standard called Lightning (from English - lightning) appeared with the release of new devices Apple iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5G, iPod nano7G, iPad 4 and iPad mini. This cable came out of the bowels of the company Double Helix Cables and it has a built-in authentication chip. There are no specifications for this cable, and one can only guess about the principle of operation. It is known that from the 30-pin old Lightning connector it has lost weight to 8, but some sources claim that 9, taking into account the metal base of the contacts. It is completely digital and the chip in the cable itself determines what is connected at the moment, be it a media dock, Charger or some other device. The connector has eight pins on each side and does not have a mechanical key, which means that it can be inserted in any position and it is not impossible to break it by trying to insert it with the wrong side forcibly. Apple called this advantage of the cable - reversibility.

For this, it would seem that the task is solved simply: electrically connect the contacts on the two sides of the plug crosswise, but not everything is so simple. The specialists, having “ringed” the connector, found out that the contacts on the upper and lower parts of the plug do not have paired contacts, which means the plug cannot be turned over without changing the wiring diagram. This paradox can only be explained in one way: the interface dynamically assigns pins depending on which orientation the connector is shorted in. It becomes clear that this is not the usual "camouflaged USB". It is the dynamic pin assignment and cable communication with the device that gives us what Apple calls adaptive interface. In principle, as soon as the gadget and the switching chip have agreed on the appointment of contacts, anything can be transmitted over them. At the moment Lightning cable uses USB 2.0, but in the future nothing will stop him from using USB 3.0, FireWire or even Thunderbolt, putting more complex logic in the cable.

The first fruits of adaptability may appear soon. Some sites have published information that adapters for Lightning to VGA and DisplayPort will be released in the coming months. VGA requires 15 pins, and DisplayPort requires 20, so for this reason alone, a transmitter of the appropriate interface must already be in the cable.

Why did Apple need a new interface when there is a public USB. Lightning and Micro USB 2.0 connectors are about the same size, but Lightning looks stronger and more reliable. Often the MicroUSB socket is broken due to the wrong location of the connector.

And one more important point. It is logical to assume that when connected to a simple charger, several Lightning contacts can be used for power at once, let's say data contacts, which potentially allows you to use more powerful blocks for fast battery charging, tk. the higher the charging current, the faster the process. For the USB 2.0 interface, the maximum current per port is 500 mA, for USB 3.0 - 900 mA. And, for example, the proprietary charger of the third iPad has a power of 10 W, which already gives a theoretical current of 2 A at a standard USB voltage of 5 V, and a 12-watt “charger” is supplied with the fourth iPad. So USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 cannot provide the power required to quickly charge tablets with such a large battery. As for MicroUSB 3.0, it is "fast", but bulky and no longer reliable connector than MicroUSB2.0. Lightning is ready to provide support for USB 3.0 and any other data transfer interface as soon as such a need arises.

Lightning also outperforms a number of solutions that provide video stream output using specialized HDMI and DisplayPort transmitters. Apple's approach allows you to offload the gadget from transmitter chips by embedding them in cables. As a result, we again get save space on the board and power consumption. As well as reducing the price of the device for those who do not need a video output. In addition, Lightning eliminates the additional headache of which connector to output the video stream through. The Mini HDMI option is not only at odds with the minimalistic design of Apple gadgets, but also - again and again - requires additional space, despite the fact that it is useful to an absolute minority.

This is actually a very sensible and far-sighted decision that may eventually become a trend: to separate the mechanical form factor of the connector and the switching of pins from a particular bus. An adaptive interface and smart cables are the best way to reduce the volume of components and power consumption of a mobile device, providing rich functionality and potential for development for years to come.

Apple has released a special adapter from the Lighting connector in the iPhone 5 to the familiar micro-USB format. The fact is that last year the European Union passed a law according to which every phone must support this standard.

As well as an adapter for your old 30-pin connector.

Apple decided to replace the nine-year-old 30-pin connector in favor of a new, smaller alternative. Why such changes?

The iPhone 5 offers many improvements over its predecessor, including a larger screen, faster performance, LTE support, and an improved camera.

However, for those migrating from an older iPhone, there is one more change that may seem like the most significant, at least when it comes to compatibility - a new connector. Apple decided to replace the nine-year-old 30-pin connector in favor of a new, smaller alternative. Why such changes? And what do they mean for each of us and current accessories? Let's get acquainted closer with the new connector, called Lightning.

30 contacts, 9 years

Apple's 30-pin connector has been a staple on iPods, iPhones, and iPads since the introduction of the third generation of iPods back in 2003. While most media players offer a simple USB connection to transfer data and charge the device, Apple's single port covers many more functions - charging, audio output, playback control and fast data sync were among the first.

Over the years, the 30-pin port has gained some new features (HD video output, photo import, USB input), while ditching others (such as FireWire charging and data transfer), but it has continued to serve us. , and Apple: along with the design of the universal dock, the 30-pin port gave us hope - by purchasing an accessory with a dock connector (be it speakers or car chargers), we could be sure that the product would work with any i-device .

True, it was not without flaws. First, the connector was somewhat fragile, and as a result, your accessory or, even worse, your iPhone or iPod could fail. The thin profile of the connector and the one-sided design made the connector more difficult to use than, say, a standard USB port - depending on the device and accessories, aligning the connector and port could be quite problematic. Finally, the 30-pin connector took up too much space, especially as Apple's phones, tablets, and media players continued to shrink in size.

First Thunderbolt, then Lightning

Once upon a time Apple stories the day came when the company introduced the iPhone 5 and new iPods to the public. It also became swivel for the connector - new models have a new connector called Lightning.

The new connector uses an 8-pin design that works in both orientations, so there's no reason to worry about connecting correctly. According to Apple, the Lightning connector is not only easy to use, but also more durable than its predecessor. Moreover, the company is positioning the new connector as fully digital.

Undoubtedly, another big advantage of the new connector is its size. It's 80% smaller than a 30-pin connector, which means it takes up less space on your device, not to mention less internal circuitry needed to keep the connector functioning. The new smaller connector is one reason the new iPhone is 20% thinner than the iPhone 4S (the other reason is that the iPhone's screen sensors are now integrated into the display, making the display thinner).

Adapt or buy?

Easier to use, stronger, smaller - do you really like it? And it would seem that everything is fine, only the Lightning connector breaks all hopes about the compatibility of new Apple devices with millions of accessories with a 30-pin connector. The new iPhones and iPods come with a USB-to-Lightning cable, not an adapter for using new devices with old accessories.

If you have already invested a lot of money in the purchase of accessories, you will agree, but you are unlikely to want to change anything. This is where the $29 Lightning to 30-pin adapter comes in handy, or the $39 (20 cm cable) adapter, each of which allows you to connect 30-pin accessories to a new iPhone or iPod.

The adapters support analog and USB audio, as well as allow for data synchronization and charging. However, according to Apple, the adapters do not support video output. Moreover, some 30-pin accessories are not supported.

One way or another, but even with the addition of an adapter, the emergence of new technology means nothing more than the obsolescence of some accessories.

In general, the variety of manufacturers (Digitus, Just Mobile, JVC, Belkin...) that can offer alternative adapters for the iPhone 5 may well satisfy consumer demand. And it is likely that in the near future they will be on sale.

More wireless, but still wired

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the transition to the new Lightning connector is that it increasingly reflects the way we use iPhones and iPods. Many things that we used to do with wires can now be done wirelessly. Bluetooth for speakers and headphones; Wi-Fi for audio and synchronization; iCloud for wireless content download and backup. In other words, Apple believes that we no longer need physical connections.

However, the latter remain essential, for example for charging, faster sync, and better sound quality (don't be fooled, "wireless" charging also needs a cable and a physical connection). Until wireless charging, like the one found in the new Lumia 920, becomes ubiquitous, and can be built into the iPhone without making it thicker, we're stuck in a world of cables. According to Apple, the new connector promises to serve its users for many more years.

And once again, in the end, we remind our readers that, unfortunately, there are still no official deliveries of the iPhone in Ukraine. Perhaps they will appear with us after the advent of 3G and 4G. But this is just our guess.

Which are openly called competitors to the iPhone 8 and, the device manufacturer, Google, began selling an adapter with USB Type-C to 3.5 mm, since the new products lack the usual audio jack. Now this is a common practice, only the search giant asked for as much as $ 20 for its adapter.

Almost 50,000 rubles will have to be paid for a set of 18 adapters for Apple devices, presented in the assortment of the Russian online store, the site calculated. When making calculations, only the retail price of branded accessories produced by Apple itself and available for purchase at the moment was taken into account.

Having worked in the consumer electronics industry for a long time, Apple was able to discover another source of user annoyance. Connecting charging cables in the dark is not an easy process, especially if the mobile device is completely discharged and its screen is not capable of performing the function of a flashlight. Looks like they've decided to end this problem once and for all.

I wish the new iPhones were already out. It will be possible to stop wondering what they will look like and what Apple will or will not equip its devices with. There are a lot of rumors. They also talked about the transition to a USB Type-C connector, and about the disappearance, which the company gives to customers bundled with the iPhone 7 and. Analysts from Barclays believe that in this regard, everything will remain in place.

Many tend to want to order from the US rather than overpay local stores for their crazy markups. However, sometimes it turns out that delivery from another country is too expensive, and it turns out that buying this or that product in Russia is cheaper than ordering it anywhere. But this rule does not always work, and if the package is completely lighter than a kilogram (the same iPhone or), its delivery will be quite inexpensive.

Not so long ago, the Wall Street Journal published. According to them, the new iPhone, which will be presented by the company this year, will surprise us with the appearance of a USB-C connector, which will replace the Lightning connector. It's hard to believe, but you can't ignore the credibility of the Wall Street Journal and their sources. However, there were those who are ready to doubt all this.

Yesterday, many analysts, citing their own sources, began to assert that Apple will abandon Lightning in the new iPhone. The news immediately caused a wide resonance, since Lightning accessories have just begun to appear on the market, and the new ones are no exception. There is probably a plan for that as well.

We know quite a lot about Apple's future smartphone, but we haven't heard anything like it yet. The authoritative Wall Street Journal believes that instead of the Lightning connector, a USB-C connector will appear. It's hard to believe, but the Wall Street Journal rarely writes about something they're not sure about. USB-C is actively used by Apple in MacBooks, but has not previously appeared in the company's portable devices.

One of the most discussed questions about the new iPhone right now is how the smartphone will charge. And it's not about (we seem to have already come to terms with this), but about the type of connector, which will be responsible for this functionality. Yes, we are talking about -C now.

I think you should not talk about the company's strange attitude towards connectors. On the one hand, Apple likes USB Type-C connectors, and the company has put a lot of effort into improving this standard. On the other hand, the company uses its own Lightning connector in its portable devices. One can only guess why Apple came to a single standard, but it is worth noting that the company's decisions are difficult.

Apple's official technical support website has been supplemented with a warning about the dangers of using counterfeit components and accessories. According to company representatives, more than 90% of retail products marked "Made for iPhone" are produced by artisanal methods and are unsafe for both the connected device and its owner. Be vigilant, call us to .

Apple has never been shy about introducing proprietary standards for anything, both in software and hard. Conventional solutions do not work? Okay, let's come up with our own. This has always manifested itself most clearly in the choice of an interface for docking a computer with peripheral devices.

Some interfaces generated by Apple never went beyond the cozy "apple" ecosystem and died there, eventually giving way to open standards. For example, once there was a need to pass the video signal, power supply and USB bus to the monitor through one cable, and the ADC (Apple Display Connector) standard was born, combining all of the above. But over time, it still had to be replaced by DVI. In other cases, Apple teamed up with third-party manufacturers and pushed the new standard to the masses in every possible way. A long-standing example of such expansion in the field of iron is the FireWire bus. Fire Wire, being a more technologically sophisticated and faster interface compared to USB, did not catch up with the latter in terms of distribution (due to the high cost of components), but found both its user and a specific market niche.

Of the more recent ones, the Mini DisplayPort connector created by Apple (although Apple is not the author of the interface as such), which has already been picked up by laptop and video card manufacturers. Then Mini-DP was additionally used for the Thunderbolt bus from Intel, in the development of which Apple was directly involved. Its charm became clear as soon as the developers decided on the positioning and Thunderbolt in the masses ceased to oppose USB 3.0. That's how many exotic solutions have been and disappeared in order to connect high-grade peripherals to a PC, and Intel, together with Apple, took and made a single convenient standard.

For Apple haters, all this looks like some kind of whim, the desire to isolate themselves from competitors and simply be different from others at any cost. And the arrogant, imagining nothing about themselves, as we know from school, is strongly disliked. Particularly annoying to the public is Apple's stubborn reluctance to join the common interface for syncing and charging mobile gadgets, USB. While all smartphones and even some of the “dumb phones” adopted the Micro USB standard, Apple until the last held on to its 30-pin connector, which debuted back in 2003 with the third generation of the iPod, and now looks like a perfect, monstrously clumsy anachronism . The fifth iPhone retired the 30-pin connector, but, contrary to expectations, it was replaced not by the generally accepted Micro USB, but by another proprietary standard - Lightning. Naturally, it rained down from all sides: “And here again, Apple did everything not like people do!” Even worse, the Lightning cable is said to have sinister authentication chips built into it so that Apple can allegedly charge "those stupid fanboys" $19 for branded accessories and extort license money from peripheral manufacturers. Well, how can you not be angry?

Long-time users of i-devices are also outraged, having collected a collection of i-peripherals: all kinds of cables, docking stations, speakers, and sometimes much more exotic equipment with a 30-pin connector. Even Russian officials, who this summer posted on the public procurement website an auction for a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 in a luxury configuration, in terms of reference"USB/AUX jack (with iPod connectivity)" was specifically noted. True, the auction was canceled before Apple changed the interface. Whom to thank for this - you know without us.

Seriously, at first glance, it's really not clear why Apple needed a new proprietary interface, while there is a public USB. Lightning specifications have not yet been published, and one can only guess how it works, how it differs from USB, and whether it differs in anything other than the connector. But some things are already known. It seems that Lightning is a complex and interesting contraption, the purpose of which is not limited to giving Apple the opportunity to profit from the license trade. Let's try to bring together fragments of information on this topic found on the Web into a single picture.

⇡ Digital, adaptive, durable, reversible

Apple doesn’t talk much about how Lightning works, limiting itself to pointing out the main advantages of the interface: it is completely digital, adaptive, durable and reversible.

Durability is the easiest point, which does not require much explanation. Even simply reducing the number of pins from 30 to 8 increases the strength of both the male and female connectors. In addition, the connector design has become simpler, the connection is tighter, the plug does not dangle back and forth, as was the case with the 30-pin connector.

The Lightning connector on the iPhone 5 is firmly fixed to the case (photo by iFixIt)

The Lightning connector is about the same size as Micro USB 2.0, but again, it's simpler. The Micro USB 3.0 connector is already twice the size, and the need for backwards compatibility with version 2.0 cables has made it even more complex, and therefore less reliable. In addition, in the iPhone 5, the Lightning socket is not soldered to the motherboard, but is screwed directly to the metal case. Most smartphone manufacturers with Micro USB do not do this and solder the connector to the board. For a careful user, all this is not relevant, but it must be admitted that the Lightning connector is much better prepared for a less careful attitude compared to both the 30-pin connector and Micro USB.

Lightning and Micro USB connectors are about the same size, but Lightning looks stronger (photo by The Gadgeteer)

The reversibility of the interface is partly related to the theme of durability. In practice, this term means that the plug can be inserted in any orientation. There is no mechanical key in the connector, which means that it cannot be broken by trying to force it in the wrong way. But with reversibility, the most interesting thing about Lightning just begins. It would seem that the problem is solved simply: electrically connect the contacts on the two sides of the plug crosswise, but ...

A specialist from Double Helix Cables (actually, a cable manufacturer) rang the Lightning connector and sketched by hand the already repeatedly republished scheme. What interests us is drawn in the lower left corner of the piece of paper. The pins on the top and bottom of the plug are numbered 1 to 8. Pins 1 and 5 on the top are actually connected diagonally to the bottom pins 8 and 4, respectively. From the same note, it is known that V- (“minus” power) of the USB bus is connected to pin 1/8. It is also connected to the metal shell of the plug. But the rest of the upper contacts do not have a pair on the bottom so that the plug can be turned over without changing the wiring diagram. This paradox can only be explained in one way: the interface dynamically assigns pins depending on which orientation the connector is shorted in.

Lightning plug pinout (photo by Appleinsider)

By the way, note that the diagram does not indicate the pin corresponding to V + in the USB bus. It is not clear how the author of the note rang the Lightning cable. It is most likely that he was not connected to the phone at the same time. In this case, the absence of V + is explained by the following hypothesis: the assignment of contacts occurs inside the cable and, while the phone is not connected, the cable simply does not turn on the power. That's the main function of the mysterious "authentication" chip.

The chip itself in the Lightning plug was indeed discovered and examined in detail by Chipworks, a reverse engineering laboratory. Several microcircuits are soldered on a miniature board, but only a chip labeled BQ2025, apparently manufactured by Texas Instruments, contains more or less complex logic. There is no information about it on the TI website, but we managed to find out from the pictures of the crystal that the chip is compatible with TI's proprietary interface - SDQ. In turn, SDQ support means the presence of a CRC generator. Chipworks themselves conclude that the CRC in Lightning is just the same used to authenticate the device. But in principle, any serial interface cannot do without CRC to control the integrity of packets, so we can say that opening the cable did not allow us to refute the authentication hypothesis, but it has not yet received convincing confirmation. By the way, SDQ uses only one wire for the signal. Perhaps this is the “non-transferring” pin 5 in the Lightning connector, through which the chip tells the iPhone that it was just connected to it. A blog on Asia.CNET writes that the phone turns on when it detects a Lightning cable, even if the reverse end is not connected to USB. This fits in with the hypothesis that the device somehow interacts with the chip inside.

The mysterious chip in the Lightning plug (photo by Chipworks)

It is the dynamic pin assignment and cable communication with the device that gives us what Apple calls an adaptive interface. In principle, as soon as the gadget and the switching chip have agreed on the appointment of contacts, anything can be transmitted over them. The existing Lightning to USB 2.0 cable simply forwards the USB signal lines to the device. This cannot be done with USB 3.0, since it uses nine pins, while the Lightning connector already has only eight, of which at least one is used to communicate with the chip. But this does not mean at all that the concept of Lightning is exhaustively described by the words "cunning USB 2.0, (possibly) with authentication." Nothing prevents in the future from embedding more complex logic in cables, for example, a USB 3.0 host controller or other interface that will connect to the gadget's SoC via some internal serial bus. It is clear that such a cable will cost even more, but by doing so, Apple provided the interface with longevity. The good old 30-pin connector lasted nine years due to the fact that everything was initially integrated into it, including simultaneous support for USB and FireWire, and even analog outputs. Lightning, thanks to its adaptability, can live no less.

The first fruits of adaptability may appear soon. The site published information that in the coming months they will release adapters for Lightning to VGA and DisplayPort. VGA requires 15 pins, and DisplayPort requires 20, so for this reason alone, a transmitter of the appropriate interface must already be in the cable.

And one more important point. It is logical to assume that when connected to a simple charger, several Lightning contacts can be used at once for power, which potentially allows the use of more powerful blocks for fast battery charging, because the higher the charging current, the faster the process. For USB 2.0, the maximum current per port is 500 mA, for USB 3.0 it is 900 mA. And, for example, the proprietary charger of the third iPad has a power of 10 W, which already gives a theoretical current of 2 A at a standard USB voltage of 5 V, and a 12-watt power supply is supplied with the fourth iPad. Note that the USB Battery Charging 1.2 Compliance document is currently in development, which allows the use of dedicated USB ports for charging with a maximum current of up to 5 A due to the D + and D- pins, which are usually used for data transfer. But that is in development, but for now all "high-precision" implementations of USB are made by manufacturers as a private initiative.

⇡ Where is my $1 cable?

According to rumors, Apple has changed the terms of the MFi program, which regulates relations with manufacturers of accessories for i-devices. From now on, peripherals will only be allowed to be made in factories approved by Apple. They also say that Apple will control the supply of Lightning connectors so that they are used only in devices that meet certain criteria. Anandtech has figured out that the connectors will come in four flavors: USB Host, USB Device, charging only, and a serial connector (apparently referring to the iPod Acessory Protocol). Each option exists in a physical version for the cable and for the docking station.

Meanwhile, companies that are not allowed to the feeder will still fight for their bread. A certain Chinese company iPhone5Mod announced that it was able to create a connection to the iPhone 5 using a "hacked" chip, although the prototype in the video, the manufacturer admitted, works with the original chip received from the Apple supplier.

Thus, the only way that accessory manufacturers will be able to reduce their cost is by using third-party switching chips (if such really exist and really will cost less). Therefore, you can forget about non-original cables for $ 1. That is the price of progress.

I feel, I feel how a wave of popular indignation is rising. Apple's justification is that short-term profit is not the only, and perhaps not the main motive for a strict licensing policy. It’s just that Apple probably wants to exclude such cases when an unlicensed miracle device mixes up the contacts in the connector and shorts something out. And in general, the market will become less junk with a dock for the iPhone.

⇡ Alternative solutions

Now let's sum up and see which of the features that Lightning has could be implemented and which could not, if Apple had not "invented" and chose Micro USB.

First, food. It is unlikely that the fourth iPad has a Lightning connector and a 12-watt power supply - this is a coincidence. Both USB 2.0 and 3.0 in the current implementation cannot provide the power required to quickly charge tablets with such a capacious battery.

But let's say that this may not be so important, and until the final version of USB Battery Charging 1.2 Compliance is adopted, slow charging can be tolerated. Let's say it would be more important to implement USB 3.0 compatibility, and mobile devices already need a high-speed interface to synchronize with a PC. Alas, such a solution would entail the need to use a larger connector, and also either find a place on the board for a separate host controller chip, or integrate it into the SoC, where it will still take up some area in addition to the USB 2.0 logic and increase overall power consumption. In addition, there is a suspicion that the Apple A6 SoC will still not pull USB 3.0 with such performance that it would even make sense to mess with these difficulties. The issue of SoC power is especially relevant in the context of video output using USB Video Device Class (in theory, the bandwidth of USB 3.0 allows you to broadcast a video stream in 1080p resolution with a frame rate of 120 FPS). Lightning is ready to provide support for USB 3.0 and any other data transfer interface as soon as such a need arises, and the corresponding computing capabilities.

Lightning also outperforms a number of solutions that provide video stream output using specialized HDMI and DisplayPort transmitters. Apple's approach allows you to offload the gadget from transmitter chips by embedding them in cables. As a result, we again get savings in board space and power consumption. As well as reducing the price of the device for those who do not need a video output. In addition, Lightning eliminates the additional headache of which connector to output the video stream through. The Mini HDMI option not only diverges from the minimalistic design of Apple gadgets, but also - again and again - requires additional space, despite the fact that it is useful to an absolute minority.

MyDP implementation from Analogix Semiconductor (Brockerhoff.net schematic)

A sleeker option is the now-in-development MyDP standard, which reduces the number of DisplayPort lanes from 20 to 5, allowing the signal to pass through a standard Micro USB 2.0 connector. But this is again a separate transmitter chip plus a circuit that switches the port mode between USB and video output. A close replacement for Lightning in terms of video output could only be the MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) architecture, which is built on the same principle: data is transmitted via a USB connector using a special protocol, and is encoded in a cable to HDMI using (ta-dam! ) of a separate chip, which also costs money. And to switch the operating modes of the port, a separate circuit is again needed. The alternative is to make another non-standard connector.

⇡ Conclusion

Here's what we can say about the Lightning interface right now. Some of what is written here is hard facts, some is just speculation. And yet there is already enough information so that the choice in favor of the next proprietary interface does not seem like a pure attempt to take money from the workers. This is actually a very sensible and far-sighted decision that may eventually become a trend: to separate the mechanical form factor of the connector and the switching of pins from a particular bus. An adaptive interface and smart cables are the best way to reduce the volume of components and power consumption of a mobile device, providing rich functionality and potential for development for years to come.