Glossary / USB-C
Active vs. passive cable
Why some USB-C cables carry high speeds over longer lengths.
A passive USB-C cable is plain wiring plus an e-marker; a longer active cable adds signal-conditioning chips (retimers) so it can carry high data rates over greater distances. Thunderbolt and USB4 beyond short passive lengths require active cables. Cablyst reads the e-marker to show what a given cable actually supports rather than what its length implies.
See it on your own cable — install Cablyst, check a cable, or browse the full glossary.
Related: E-marker USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) Extended Power Range (EPR, 240 W) Thunderbolt 4 Thunderbolt 5 USB4 DisplayPort Alt Mode VDO (Vendor Defined Object) USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum) PDO (Power Delivery Object) SOP' (cable plug identity) UHBR (Ultra High Bit Rate)