内容来源：https://lifehacker.com/tech/whatcable-mac-app?utm_medium=RSS

内容总结：

新工具助你秒懂线缆参数：WhatCable免费上线，告别充电慢与数据传输困惑

你是否曾因分不清HDMI 2.1与2.2的区别，或搞不懂为什么有的USB-C接口同时是雷雳接口而感到头疼？如今，一款名为WhatCable的免费应用为Mac用户提供了“救星”——它不仅能列出线缆规格，更能用通俗语言解释这些参数的实际意义。

充电慢？一键查出“元凶”

许多用户常抱怨笔记本电脑充电速度不如预期。WhatCable可帮您分析：问题究竟出在充电器还是连接线上。应用会以无行话的方式显示当前充电速率，并直接告知设备是否正在“良好充电”；若充电速度受限，它还会提示是线缆不匹配，还是MacBook因电池接近满电而主动降速。

所有连接都是“木桶理论”

要获得最佳充电速度或显示效果，设备端口、线缆、以及连接的目标设备端口三者必须支持同一标准。例如，如今常见的USB-C接口其实“暗藏玄机”：它可能同时支持雷雳、DisplayPort协议以及多种USB速度标准。即使同一台电脑上的两个USB-C口，配置也可能完全不同。购买超过1米的线缆时更需谨慎，长线通常需要额外技术来维持高速传输，价格也更高。

线缆“电子身份证”一验真假

WhatCable通过读取线缆内置的e-marker芯片（数字身份标识），来识别其真实性能。如果该芯片标注的参数与主流技术标准不符，应用会亮起橙色标记——这不一定是假货，但提醒您“这线似乎不太对劲”。连接外置硬盘时，它还能显示与系统协商后的实际传输速率。

使用方式：免费下载，菜单栏即开即用

用户可从WhatCable官网或GitHub页面免费下载该应用。启动后它常驻菜单栏，点击图标即可查看所有已连接USB线缆的详细信息；也可设置为开机自启并以常规窗口运行。无论您只花了十几元买了廉价线，还是高价购入高端线缆，其性能差异将在应用中一目了然。

中文翻译：

理解线缆技术有时颇具挑战——其实不该这么难——权衡新设备的优劣已足够复杂，更不必说还要弄清HDMI 2.1与HDMI 2.2的区别，或某些USB-C端口同时也是雷雳端口的原因。
不过，现在有帮手了：WhatCable能出色地分析连接至Mac的线缆——不仅提供规格列表，还解释这些规格的意义。
这款应用的一个实用之处在于，它能解释为何你的MacBook充电未达最快速度。这可能归咎于充电器或连接的线缆，而WhatCable会用通俗易懂的方式为你逐一分析，显示当前充电速率及原因。

为何线缆至关重要

若要全面解释现代线缆的格局，需花费数倍于本文的篇幅，但掌握基础概念其实相对简单。每个连接都包含三个需综合考量的要素：目标设备（如显示器或充电器）的端口、中间连接的线缆，以及你所用设备（如手机或笔记本）的端口。
要获得最佳效果（例如最快充电速度或最流畅的显示性能），所有要素必须支持相同的标准。若未达标，可能无法达到理想效果，甚至完全无法工作。
遗憾的是，对消费者而言，仅找到一根匹配端口的线缆并不足以保证一切正常运作，或达到预期效果。线缆和端口均需考虑其支持的标准，例如不同类型的USB（目前已有USB 4.0版本2）。
如今笔记本和手机上最常见的端口是USB-C，但这只是冰山一角。USB-C端口还可以支持雷雳和DisplayPort协议，以及多种USB速度——需查看设备规格以了解详情。即便在同一设备上，尺寸相似的端口也可能配置不同。
当你确定电脑或手机端口的性能后，需找到支持相同标准的线缆以获得最佳效果。购买前仔细查看线缆列表，注意规格和长度——超过一米（约三英尺）的线缆通常需要额外技术支持最高数据传输速度，因此价格更高。
更令人困惑的是，这些标准会频繁更新，制造商有时会立即采用新标准，有时则滞后一段时间。简而言之，不要急于购买线缆，或认为所有线缆和端口都相同。多花几分钟详细分析相关规格，这很值得。

WhatCable如何帮你识别线缆

你可以从其官网或GitHub页面免费下载WhatCable，两者均会提供压缩包。启动应用后，WhatCable会出现在菜单栏；点击其图标即可查看已连接USB线缆的详细信息。通过齿轮图标（右上角），可设置WhatCable随macOS启动，并作为常规应用运行而非仅存于菜单栏。一旦连接线缆，你将看到充电速度、数据传输速率（如适用）以及线缆功能的详细解析。
若连接了充电器，应用会告知它是否与MacBook良好匹配。查看“充电正常”提示及充电速率即可确认。如果线缆未以最大速度为MacBook充电，或MacBook自身限制充电（因电池接近满电），你也会收到相应提示。
若连接了手机或其他外设，其身份会在WhatCable中显示，此时数据传输速率可能更相关。当连接外部存储设备时，你会看到它与苹果操作系统协商后的传输速度。
WhatCable还会检测线缆内部的e-marker芯片——这本质上是其数字身份标识，向所连接的计算机宣告自身能力。若该e-marker与通用技术标准存在差异，你会看到橙色标记。这并非一定说明线缆是假冒产品，只是提示某些信息可能不太对劲。
简而言之，线缆向macOS报告的任何细节都会由WhatCable展示，你将会明显看到廉价受限线缆与昂贵高性能线缆之间的差异——若你额外付费购买，这也算是一种安心保障。

英文来源：

Understanding cable tech can be hard at times—harder than it should be, really—and weighing the pros and cons of a new gadget is complicated enough without having to know the differences between HDMI 2.1 and HDMI 2.2, or the reason some USB-C ports are also Thunderbolt ports.
Help is at hand, though: WhatCable does a fine job of analyzing the cables attached to your Mac—not just giving you a list of specs but also explaining what those specs mean.
One way the app can be useful is in explaining why your MacBook isn't charging as quickly as it could be. This can be down to the charger and the cable you've got connected, and WhatCable will break all of this down for you without any jargon. You'll see the rate your laptop is charging at, and the reasons why.
Why your cables matter
To fully explain the modern cable landscape would take an article many times the length of this one, but it is possible to get to grips with the basics relatively quickly. Every connection has three elements that you need to consider together: The port on the device you're connecting to (like a monitor or charger), the cable in between, and the port on the device you're using (like a phone or laptop).
For the best results (the fastest charging or the smoothest display performance, for example), all those elements must be supporting the same standards. If they aren't, you might not get optimum results, or the setup might not work at all.
Unfortunately for us as consumers, simply finding a cable that fits a port isn't enough to guarantee everything will work, or work as well as you might like. Both cables and ports come with supported standards that you need to weigh, like the various flavors of USB (we're up to USB 4.0 version 2 now, for reference).
The most common port you'll see on laptops and phones today is USB-C, but this is only the start of the story. USB-C ports can also support Thunderbolt and DisplayPort protocols, as well as a variety of USB speeds—you need to check the device spec for details. Even similar-sized ports on the same device may be configured differently.
When you've determined what the ports on your computer or phone are capable of, you need to find a cable that supports the same standard, to get the best possible results. Be careful when reviewing cable listings before buying, both in terms of specs and length—cables beyond one meter (a little over three feet) typically require extra tech to support the highest data speeds, and will therefore usually be more expensive.
To add to the confusion, these standards are changing pretty regularly, with manufacturers sometimes adopting the changes promptly and sometimes waiting a while to implement them. The short version is, don't rush cable buying, or think that all cables and ports are the same. Spend a few extra minutes analyzing the relevant specs in detail, and it'll pay off.
How WhatCable can help figure out your cables
You can download WhatCable for free from its website or GitHub page, which will both direct you to a zip archive. Launch the app, and WhatCable shows up on the menu bar; click its icon to see details of connected USB cables. Via the cog icon (top right) you can have WhatCable launch with macOS, and run as a regular app rather than from the menu bar. As soon as you get connect a cable, you'll see information on the charging speed and data transfer rate (where applicable), and a breakdown of what the cable can do.
If you've connected a charger, then you'll be told whether or not it's a good match for your MacBook. Look for the "charging well" message for confirmation, alongside the charging rate. If a cable isn't charging your MacBook at the maximum speed, or the MacBook is itself limiting the charging (because the battery is almost full), you'll be told about this too.
If you've hooked up a phone or another peripheral, then its identity will be reported inside WhatCable, and it's here that the data transfer speeds might be more relevant. If an external storage device has been connected, then you'll see the transfer speed it's negotiated with the Apple operating system.
WhatCable also looks at the e-marker inside a cable, which is essentially its digital ID, advertising its capabilities to the computer it's plugged into. If there are discrepancies between this e-marker and commonly followed technology standards, then you'll see an orange flag. It's not necessarily saying the cable is a fake, but just alerting you to something that doesn't quite seem right.
In short, any details that the cable is reporting to macOS will get shown by WhatCable, and you should see a significant difference between cheap and limited cables and the more expensive and powerful ones—which will be a reassurance if you've paid extra.