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

Apple decided to ditch the 9-year-old 30-pin connector in favor of a new, smaller alternative. Why such changes?

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 the most significant, at least when it comes to compatibility: a new connector. Apple decided to ditch the 9-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 our current accessories? Let's take a closer look at the new connector, called Lightning.

30 contacts, 9 years

Apple's 30-pin connector has been a staple of 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 syncing are among the first to appear.

Over the years, the 30-pin port has gained some new features (HD video output, photo import, USB input) while dropping others (like FireWire charging and data transfer), but it has continued to serve us well. , and Apple: along with the universal dock design, 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 its flaws. Firstly, the connector was somewhat fragile, and as a result, your accessory or, even worse, your iPhone or iPod could fail. The connector's thin profile and single-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 a challenge. Finally, the 30-pin connector took up too much space, especially as Apple's phones, tablets, and media players continued to trend smaller.

First Thunderbolt, then Lightning

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

The new connector uses an 8-signal design that works in both orientations, meaning there is no longer any reason to worry about making the connection correctly. According to Apple, the Lightning connector is not only easier to use, but also more durable than its predecessor. Moreover, the company is positioning the new connector as completely digital.

Of course, another big advantage of the new connector is its size. It's 80% smaller than a 30-pin connector, meaning it requires less space on your device, not to mention reducing the amount of internal circuitry required to support the connector's functionality. The new smaller connector is one of the reasons why 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, which is why the display itself is thinner).

Adapt or buy?

Easier to use, stronger, smaller - really like it? And it would seem that everything is fine, but the Lightning connector ends all hopes of compatibility of new Apple devices with millions of accessories with a 30-pin connector. New iPhones and iPods are equipped with a USB-Lightning cable, but not an adapter for using new devices with old accessories.

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

The adapters support analog and USB audio, and also allow 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 appearance 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 iPhone 5 may well satisfy consumer demand. And it is likely that they will go on sale in the near future.

More wireless, but still wired

What's perhaps most exciting about the move to the new Lightning connector is that it increasingly reflects the way we use iPhones and iPods. Many things that we previously did using wires can now be done using wireless technology. Bluetooth for speakers and headphones; Wi-Fi for audio and synchronization; iCloud for wireless content downloading and backup. In other words, Apple believes that we no longer need physical connections.

However, the latter remain necessary, 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, finally, we remind our readers that, unfortunately, there are still no official deliveries of iPhones in Ukraine. Perhaps they will appear with us after the advent of 3G and 4G. But this is just our guess.

Like most iPhone 5 features, the new smaller Lightning connector was announced before the device's launch. However, from the blurry pictures it was difficult to understand that the new connector is not just a compact version of the old 30-pin Apple connector. The cable is now reversible, and it looks like Apple has added functionality to the new cable and users will pay for it.

The Lightning connector is an 8-pin standard, but each cable has 16 pins. So, no matter how you try to connect it to iPhone 5, you will succeed the first time. Why this happens is explained in more detail by Peter Bradstock from Double Helix Cables, and it turns out that it is much more complicated than it seems at first glance.

On each side of the Lightning connector are pins numbered 1 through 8. Through testing, Bradstock determined that the first connector on the top is for USB power, and that the connectors are symmetrical, meaning the 8th one performs the same function. This way, if you flip this connector over, the power pin will still be there.

Data pins, however, are completely different. These contacts are asymmetrical, meaning that if you rotate the connector, the contacts will end up in the wrong places. For example, if you look at the second data connector from the bottom, it is electrically connected to the second connector from the top. So when you turn the cable, the pins on the cable will connect to the wrong pins on the phone.

Bradstock could only explain this strange circumstance in this way: iPhone 5 dynamically assigns functions to contacts using a special chip inside the phone. Apple noted that the Lightning connector uses only the contacts needed for specific applications and accessories. The iPhone 5 apparently checks the type of data being transferred through the contact and changes settings on the fly based on the orientation of the connector.

As a result of all this, you can connect Lightning however you want, and the connector has room for growth in the future. But the complexity of the Lightning device can be attributed to the recently discovered authentication chip inside the cable. The chip is located in the path of the V+ wire, so apparently the cable will not work without it. In other words, the third-party Lightning cable market died before it was born.

If you think you can easily get the Apple cable you need, you're wrong. The company is running out of Lightning cables, most likely due to the fact that there aren't many of them produced yet. Not only because of the difficulties in manufacturing, but also because of the cost, which is significantly higher than the old 30-pin connector. Analysts estimate Lightning's cost price at $3.50, which is 775 percent more than the old 30-pin. But don't think you can buy it for $3.50.

The situation, in general, is not surprising. Apple does not develop connector standards that are convenient not for users, but for itself. In this case, Thunderbolt cables are still expensive due to the use of new expensive transceivers. Thunderbolt offers few benefits to users, but allows Apple to make some strong demos. New lightning cable- this is a miracle of technology, but it is more expensive, and not everyone likes to overpay for cable. Just ask Best Buy.

The original apple lightning usb cable has a Lightning connector - this is Apple Ink's own development. The connector was released in September 2012 and was done to replace its previous connector with 30 contacts. The initial goal of releasing a new connector is to reduce the space taken up on new devices. The Apple Lightning connector is much more compact than the previous connector and can be inserted on either side. Its dimensions are 6.7 mm by 1.5 mm. The new connector had only 8 contacts and was intended for connecting mobile devices such as the iPhone 5, iPod touch 5g or iPad mini to a computer. Unfortunately, the new connector is not backward compatible.

Apple lightning cable pinout

• 1 pin GND Ground
• 2 pin L0p Line 0+
• 3 L0n Line 0-
• 4 ID0 identifier /control 0
• 5 PWR charging
• 6 L1n Line 1-
• 7 L1p Line 1+
• 8 ID1 identifier /control 1

Apple lightning cable pinout is adaptive. The built-in microcircuit determines which side the cable is connected to and switches accordingly to the desired contact.

What is unique about the lightning 8 pin connector?

apple cable Lightning USB is the pioneer of cables that can be plugged in on both sides. After this, many cables began to have reversible connectors, for example, USB Type-C.
Apple also included an authentication chip in all of its cables with a lightning 8 pin connector, which the Chinese eventually successfully learned to make. All cables produced by Apple and manufacturers that have received a certificate from the Apple company are registered and entered into the database. Every iPhone has access to this database. In the beginning, this was a big problem for Chinese manufacturers of Apple accessories. Almost everything Chinese cables were of dubious quality and after a couple of connections they gave an error about incompatibility or lack of support for the accessory. But Chinese manufacturers did not stand still and improved production. This is why modern cables no longer produce such errors, although they do not have an MFI certificate.

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 dropped to 8, but some sources claim that it is 9, taking into account the metal base of the contacts. It is completely digital and the chip in the cable itself determines what is currently connected, 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 it can be inserted in any position and it is not impossible to break it by trying to forcefully insert it the wrong way. Apple called this advantage of the cable - reversibility.

To do this, it would seem that the problem can be solved simply: electrically connect the contacts on the two sides of the plug crosswise, but it’s not so simple. Experts, 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 connection diagram. This paradox can only be explained in one way: the interface dynamically assigns pins depending on the orientation in which the connector is closed. It becomes clear that this is not an ordinary “camouflaged USB”. It is the dynamic assignment of pins and cable communication with the device that gives us what Apple calls adaptive interface. In principle, once the gadget and the switching chip have agreed on the purpose of the contacts, anything can be transmitted over them. At the moment, the Lightning cable uses USB 2.0, but in the future nothing will prevent it from using USB 3.0, FireWire or even Thunderbolt, putting more complex logic into 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 at least for this reason, the cable must already have a transmitter for the corresponding interface.

Why did Apple need a new interface, while there is a publicly available USB. The Lightning and Micro USB 2.0 connectors are approximately the same in size, but Lightning looks stronger and more reliable. Often the MicroUSB socket is broken out due to the incorrect placement 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, for example data contacts, which will potentially allow the use of more powerful blocks for fast battery charging, because The higher the charging current, the faster the process. For the USB 2.0 interface, the maximum current on one 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 current needed to quickly charge tablets with such a large battery. As for MicroUSB 3.0, it is “fast”, but bulky and a less reliable connector than MicroUSB2.0. Lightning is ready to provide support for USB 3.0 and any other data transfer interface as soon as the 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 relieve the gadget from transmitter chips by integrating them into cables. As a result, we again get saving 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 deciding which connector to output the video stream through. The Mini HDMI option not only diverges from the minimalist design of Apple gadgets, but also - again and again - requires additional space, despite the fact that it will be useful to an absolute minority.

This is actually a very smart and forward-thinking solution that may become a trend over time: decoupling the mechanical connector form factor and pin switching from the specific bus. Adaptive interfaces and smart cables are the best way to reduce component volume and power consumption of a mobile device, providing rich functionality and growth potential for years to come.

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

And also an adapter for your old 30-pin connector.

What is the new connector Lightning?

Unveiled at a press conference dedicated to the iPhone 5 and representative of the 2012 model range, the proprietary connector Lightning replaces the 30-pin connector found on iPhone, iPad and iPod since 2003. Like the 30-pin connector, the connector Lightning used to charge the device, as well as synchronize content and data, audio and video products. New devices come with a USB 2.0 to Lightning.

How is it different from the 30-pin connector?

It's 80 percent smaller, stronger, and reversible, so you don't have to worry about which side is up or down when you plug it in. Apple also claims that it is an all-digital, eight-signal design that adapts to whatever device is connected through it.

What products will it be used with?

Lightning connector used for iPhone 5, iPod Touch fifth generation iPod Nano seventh generation. Since it is part of the connectivity strategy along with Thunderbolt, this will be the connector for products i OS for the foreseeable future, so it's quite expected to see it on iPad fourth generation and other future devices.

Does this mean I can't use any of my old accessories to connect to my new iPhone and players?

You won't be able to connect directly to anything that has a 30-pin connector. However, there are adapters that convert a 30-pin connector to a Lightning . Through this adapter you will get support for analog audio output, USB audio, as well as syncing and charging. (According to Macworld, there is also a digital-to-analog converter for the adapter).

The adapter does not support video outputs, and not all 30-pin devices, so you will still have to buy new accessories for use with the iPhone 5 and 2012 players. Another feature iPod Out, which is provided by certain devices, such as car stereos with the principle of navigating through your music collection, which are also not supported. The adapter is quite large, so accessories that plug into the device probably won't work.

Apple will also sell HDMI and VGA adapters for Lightning . Micro-USB adapter for Lightning will be available in Europe. And you can of course count on a full range of third-party adapters.

Are there accessories that I can buy so that I can always count on them?

There will always be accessories that require the use of a connector, and nothing is ever 100 percent guaranteed in the future. However, as noted by Senior Vice President Apple Phil Schiller, presenting Lightning , much of what we use now is wireless. Whenever we connect something, we can also use Bluetooth or Apple's AirPlay. Keep in mind that the 30-pin connector has been around for almost a decade, so chances are good that you'll have peace of mind for the next few years using Lightning.