SparkFun USB-C Breakout

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

breakout

A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.

GND

GND is the ground or reference connection (0 V) for a circuit. When connecting two devices together, their grounds must be joined so both agree on what counts as a low or high signal.

PCB

A printed circuit board (PCB) is a board, usually rigid, with etched copper tracks that connect electronic components together without loose wiring. Components are mounted on the board and signals route between them through the copper layout.

SMD

SMD means surface-mount device, a component style designed to be soldered directly onto the surface of a circuit board rather than through holes. SMD parts are compact and mounted flat on the board, which suits smaller and mass-produced designs.

USB Power Delivery (PD)

USB Power Delivery is a USB-C charging standard that lets a power supply and device negotiate higher voltages and power levels. If a board requires PD input, you need a compatible USB-C PD power adapter and cable, not just any USB-C charger.

USB-C

USB-C is a small, reversible USB connector that can carry power, data and, on some devices, video over a single cable. The same connector can range from charging only to high-speed data, so the functions a given port actually supports vary.

VBUS

VBUS is a label for a bus or supply voltage. Most commonly it is the +5V power line carried over USB, though on power-monitoring hardware it instead marks the bus-voltage input being measured, so check which sense applies before connecting power or a measurement point.