Brian Masinick
Regarding “generation” or “speed”, it’s the difference in the USB specification, NOT the speed directly that results in the issue.
All of the USB specs are serial interface devices. Some old timers might understand a very OLD standard called RS232. That was a VERY old serial connector – a 25 pin, 1-2 inch wide connector; I have not seen those in action for a very long time, but once upon a time that was the type of connector to use to get external serial devices connected to a PC.
When USB came out, the name says it all – USB means Universal Serial Bus. Well, it was ALMOST universal, but Apple went their own way for a long time and I think they may have been the ones who originally came out with the Thunderbolt or some similar technology. It was faster than the original USB 1 or 2. That’s why USB 3+ came out, so in that sense, okay, speed is the RESULT of the technology change, but it’s not the direct CAUSE of the problem. The cause is that old devices do not recognize the newer interface, even though the standard USB A plug is identical in the pin layout. That’s why I claim it is the INTERFACE, not the speed that is why USB 3 doesn’t work with old devices. It would be like trying to plug in one of those REALLY ancient RS232 connectors, except in that case it’s impossible; the only devices that might still have such a connector are ancient printers. But with USB, the PLUG is the SAME; the INTERFACE has changed, so it’s LESS OBVIOUS why; I stumbled on it when I tried different sticks that I had available; an old stick WORKED, so I said, “Ah ha! Now I understand why”. I hope these posts help, at least to some degree to understand this. People who have a moderate degree of understanding with hardware and software might understand; if not, all they really have to do is stick with this: around or before 2010, use USB 2.0; after 2015 or so, you can use later standards; both 2.0 and 3.0+ work for systems built over the past ten or so years.
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Brian Masinick
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