For longer distances, active cables exist that contain an internal repeater or USB hub to regenerate the signal. All it should take to make this work for connecting two computers to create a serial-like or Ethernet-like connection is the right software. When you do this you can use the SBC to develop a new USB "gadget" (Linux parlance for a USB device) but then to use it as a device you need a USB 3 male-to-male A-A cross cable as defined in the standard or similar. In practical terms, a device with a type A connector is expected to provide power, so if you connect two of them together, they will attempt to power each other, leading most likely to Bad Things Happening.

If you’re tired of just admiring your favourite photos on your phone screen, a portable photo printer can help you create a physical keepsake of those special moments. There are all sorts of features and tech details that are important to understand to make sure you get the ideal cable for your needs. However, while Type-A connectors have been around for a while, they still work with the latest modern versions of USB. There's documentation from Microsoft and Linux developers on how to setup an A-to-A cable for debugging. Perhaps because the USB-A connector is shorter than the USB-B connector, so chinese external hard drive enclosure vendors decided to use it because it was a half a cent cheaper than the proper connector.

Since USB supports only a maximum cable length because of signal integrity, and such USB-extension cords make it possible to exceed that length, they might not work.

And if they did, I would argue that they would be just as dangerous, because there is no way of knowing whether they are connected on a given cable without digging out a multimeter. It will work at slower speeds, but that same USB Type-A connector lets you plug your device into almost anything. It is true that the type A connector is for hosts but what has not been true for years is that host to host connections are not allowed by the USB spec. If the devices are different generations---if you plug a 20-year-old USB drive into a modern PC, for example---they may perform slower, but they will work. USB-A/male to USB-A/male cables are in the table of valid cable assemblies, but the wiring is very specific and perhaps counter intuitive to be a valid assembly.USB on-the-go is a slightly different story as a USB OTG device will switch roles between host and device. and above is peer-peer" - no, the structural topology of USB3 is the same as of USB2: a star with one host and multiple devices, possibly connected through hubs. What makes them dangerous is that the USB cable provides power, and USB hosts are in general not designed to accept power coming in the wrong way. except for some extremely rare cables that you will most likely never come across that don't connect the 5V power, which are effectively indistinguishable from non-compliant cables unless you pull out a multimeter.

The lack of visual cue as to wiring and the lack of specification before version 3 could result in unsafe or damaging connections in a consumer context. As it is now these cables are supported only for limited cases, cases where it is assumed the person knows which is the right cable. However, USB 3 male-to-male A-A cables are an essential part of the hardware toolkit for embedded software developers, but not for "host-to-host connection, such as for operating system debugging" as suggested by the standard, but for device development. He gave advice on dark web scans on Miami's NBC 6, discussed Windows XP's demise on WGN-TV's Midday News in Chicago, and shared his CES experiences on WJR-AM's Guy Gordon Show in Detroit. It will do SOMETHING but maybe not what you expect or want and it has the potential (pun noticed) to be dangerous in some cases.

But, while the connector shape changes, the underlying USB standard is still backward compatible with devices from previous USB standards.

You cannot simply connect two computers to each other via USB and have them talk to each other without inserting some component in the middle, such as two back-to-back USB to Ethernet converters or similar. You’ve probably heard of power banks – handy portable power units, ideal for keeping your phone, headphones and other electronic devices charged up while you’re on the go. Unfortunately Microsoft doesn't say what "host controller that supports debugging" means in USB terms, but it probably means OTG circuitry. You'll just need a dongle that will convert the physical USB Type-A connection into a USB Type-C one.

When it comes to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, there are two things to think about: Physical connector shape and the underlying protocol (speed. You'll find USB Type-A ports in most modern computers, laptops, game consoles (like the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch), smart TVs, streaming media players, and other devices. Using A-to-A cables outside of debugging would only require software to make this more accessible to users.