StarTech USB3CAUB1M USB 3.0 Type-A to Micro-B Cable, 3.3 ft

Overview

The StarTech USB3CAUB1M is a 1-meter (3.3 ft) USB 3.0 cable terminated with a standard Type-A connector on one end and a 10-pin SuperSpeed Micro-B connector on the other. It is built to the USB 3.0 specification and supports transfer rates up to 5 Gbps — the right pick when you need a reliable, short-run connection between a USB 3.0 host port and a Micro-B device such as an external hard drive, rugged mobile storage unit, industrial barcode scanner, or select network video recorder with direct-attach storage. If you work in security integration or warehouse automation, this is a commodity cable that benefits from being specified correctly upfront rather than substituted in the field.

The cable ships in a compact retail package measuring 5.9 in × 2.0 in, and at 1.7 oz it adds virtually nothing to a tool bag or accessory kit. For buyers sourcing cables in quantity for a project, the lightweight profile keeps shipping costs predictable.

Key Features

• 5 Gbps USB 3.0 SuperSpeed throughput: The USB3CAUB1M is rated to the full USB 3.0 SuperSpeed specification at 5 Gbps — roughly ten times the 480 Mbps ceiling of USB 2.0. For transferring large video archives off a portable drive or dumping footage from a rugged field recorder, this matters: a 64 GB drive transfers in minutes rather than approaching an hour.
• 480 Mbps backward compatibility: The cable is electrically compatible with USB 2.0 hosts and devices. If you plug it into a USB 2.0 port, the connection negotiates down to 480 Mbps automatically — no adapters required, no signal errors.
• Aluminum-Mylar foil with braid shielding: The dual-layer shield (foil plus braid) suppresses EMI from nearby equipment — relevant in server rooms, industrial control panels, or anywhere high-frequency switching power supplies are in proximity. A single-shield cable in that environment will show data errors; the braid layer here provides the additional rejection margin to keep transfers clean.
• PVC jacket: The outer jacket is PVC, which provides adequate abrasion resistance for fixed or semi-fixed installations. It is not rated for continuous flexing or high-heat conduit runs, so for applications requiring repeated coiling or temperatures above typical indoor ranges, factor that in.
• Nickel-plated straight connectors: Nickel plating on both the Type-A and Micro-B connectors resists corrosion in moderate-humidity environments and maintains consistent contact resistance over repeated insertion cycles — important for devices that get connected and disconnected regularly in field deployments.
• 24/28 AWG wire gauge: The 24 AWG conductors handle power delivery with low resistive drop over the 1-meter run, while the 28 AWG signal pairs keep impedance within USB 3.0 spec tolerances. This gauge combination is standard for compliant USB 3.0 cables at this length.
• Lifetime warranty: StarTech provides a lifetime warranty on the USB3CAUB1M. For managed deployments where cable replacement is a support cost, this removes the replacement-parts line item entirely.

Integration and Compatibility

The USB3CAUB1M connects any USB 3.0 Type-A host — desktop, server, industrial PC, NVR with USB expansion — to any device with a USB 3.0 Micro-B port. Common field applications include external rugged drives used for NVR backup or video export, select PTZ and box cameras with USB configuration ports, barcode scanners in warehouse automation environments, and USB 3.0 hubs that extend peripheral counts on a rack-mounted server. The straight connector style on both ends suits panel-mounted ports and flush-to-surface device enclosures without requiring an angled adapter.

At 1 meter, this cable is sized for rack-adjacent or desktop-adjacent connections — device to nearby host rather than cross-room runs. If your device sits further than arm's reach from the host, evaluate whether a longer variant or an active extension is needed; passive USB 3.0 cables beyond 3 meters can see signal degradation without active repeater circuitry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the maximum data transfer rate supported by the USB3CAUB1M?

A: The USB3CAUB1M is rated for USB 3.0 SuperSpeed at 5 Gbps. It is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports, where it will operate at up to 480 Mbps.

Q: What type of shielding does this cable use?

A: The cable uses a dual-layer shield consisting of aluminum-Mylar foil combined with a braid layer. This construction reduces EMI interference, which is beneficial in environments with nearby switching power supplies or dense electronic equipment.

Q: What is the warranty on the USB3CAUB1M?

A: StarTech covers the USB3CAUB1M with a lifetime warranty.

Q: Is the USB3CAUB1M compatible with USB 2.0 devices?

A: Yes. The cable is backward compatible. If connected to a USB 2.0 host or device, it will negotiate down to USB 2.0 speeds (up to 480 Mbps) automatically.

Q: How long is this cable, and is it suitable for cross-room runs?

A: The USB3CAUB1M is 1 meter (3.3 ft). It is designed for short-run, device-to-host connections — rack-adjacent or desktop-adjacent use. Passive USB 3.0 cables beyond approximately 3 meters can experience signal degradation; longer runs typically require an active extension cable or USB 3.0 repeater.

Q: What connector types are on each end of the USB3CAUB1M?

A: One end terminates in a standard 9-pin USB Type-A connector; the other end uses a 10-pin USB 3.0 Micro-B (SuperSpeed) connector. Both use straight connector styles with nickel plating.

Eden Phillips

The USB3CAUB1M is a spec-compliant USB 3.0 cable that does exactly what a 1-meter Type-A to Micro-B cable should — deliver 5 Gbps throughput with a dual-layer aluminum-foil-plus-braid shield that keeps signal integrity intact in electrically noisy environments. I reach for this cable when integrating rack-mounted NVRs with USB 3.0 Micro-B external drives for scheduled video export, where a substandard cable causes intermittent transfer errors that are frustrating to diagnose.

Technical Highlights:

• 5 Gbps SuperSpeed: Full USB 3.0 bandwidth means a 64 GB video export drive transfers in roughly 1–2 minutes at sustained rates rather than the 10–20 minutes you'd see on a USB 2.0 cable — material time savings during end-of-shift backup windows.
• Dual-layer EMI shielding: Aluminum-Mylar foil plus braid provides two independent rejection layers. In a rack with multiple switching power supplies and PoE injectors, this is the shielding level that keeps USB 3.0 error rates near zero.
• Lifetime warranty: For a managed deployment where you're standardizing cable specs across dozens of NVR installations, a lifetime warranty removes cables from the spares-and-replacements budget entirely.

Deployment Considerations:

• At 1 meter, this cable is purpose-sized for device-adjacent connections — external drive docked next to the NVR or industrial PC. If your USB 3.0 Micro-B device sits more than about 3 feet from the host port, measure first and confirm a 1-meter run is actually sufficient before ordering in bulk.
• The PVC jacket is appropriate for fixed indoor runs but is not rated for tight conduit, continuous flex, or high-temperature environments. If the cable needs to move regularly — like a field technician's drive that gets plugged and unplugged daily — a more flexible jacket compound would be worth specifying instead.

The USB3CAUB1M is the right standardized cable for NVR-to-external-storage connections in rack deployments and for integrators provisioning USB 3.0 Micro-B peripherals at fixed workstations — environments where signal quality, EMI resilience, and long-term warranty coverage take priority over price alone.