USB and serial
USB-A to Micro-B, USB-C adapters, serial bridges and full development boards all appear under the USB label. Connector shape is the starting point, not the specification.
Passive USB cables plus passive USB cables, Micro-B and USB-C breakouts, CP2102 and FT232 USB-UART bridges, DIY cable assembly parts, and USB-C development boards. Data support, host/device role and logic voltage vary significantly across the group.
- Passive cables cover the common connections: USB-A to Micro-B leads, Micro USB to USB-C adapter, Type-C and Micro 2-in-1 cable, and woven USB-C to USB-A cables. These carry power and data but provide no signal conversion.
- USB-UART bridges handle serial console and programming tasks: CP2102 USB UART Board (mini) and FT232 USB UART Board (mini) both present a TTL UART to the target board and a virtual COM port to the host. Driver chip, reset line support and logic voltage differ between them.
- DIY cable assembly parts — straight and right-angle Micro-B plugs and jacks, straight Type-A jack, straight Type-C plug — let you build or repair cables to a specific length and orientation. Check data support and current rating against the intended application.
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Swap guidanceCan I swap these?
Pick the board you have - we'll show what we know about swapping it.
Known swap options (1)
General board checks (5)
- Decide the job first: power lead, data lead, connector adapter, connector breakout, USB-UART serial bridge or development board.
- Check connector type, plug gender and cable direction. USB-C, Micro-B and USB-A labels do not guarantee the same physical role.
- For cables, confirm whether data lines are present if you need programming, file transfer or serial communication.
- For USB-UART boards, check logic voltage, TX/RX pinout, driver chip, OS driver support and whether DTR/RTS/reset lines are needed.
- For dev boards, compare the whole board: MCU, bootloader, Qwiic/STEMMA/Grove connector, pinout and power path, not just the USB connector.
