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this post was submitted on 08 Aug 2023
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The latest USB power delivery standard allows for new voltages of 28, 36, and 48 volts at up to 240 watts at 48V. My current Dell workstation laptop uses two 20V USB C connectors to achieve similar.
I'm imaginining some kind of monstrosity of a gaming laptop with a power cable that looks like a hydra splitting into three or four USB-C connectors, and it's gloriously silly.
Maybe it's time for a new thing similar to USB 3.0 micro B, with two USB-C connectors next to each other on the same plug.
Pretty much, they magnet together though so you can split them apart and use them as normal with other devices.
It would make since to say something like usb-c is required for up to x volts. Then x-y volts require this other kind of charger.
I mean it’s totally valid if the required technology literally can’t handle certain applications that there needs to a level 2, level 3, and onward option.
There are already laptops with docking stations that take 2 USB-C connectors. Annoyingly, the docking stations come with a Franken-connector of 2 USB-C plugs in one solid plastic housing so you can only use the dock with a specific laptop.
I’m chuckling at the idea of someone plugging in an early USB-C device and watching it go up in flames as it gets hit with 48v instead of the 5v that it’s rated for. I know USB-C has a chip that is supposed to negotiate power transfer, but it’s still a funny “what if” thought.
Lol where is this "chip" because between the all the cables, chargers, and devices bought off Alibaba or ~~Aliexpress~~ Amazon that's bound to happen at some point.
It’s built into the connector. The connector isn’t just wires soldered to contacts; It’s a PCB with actual circuitry. When you plug a device in, it uses that chip to tell the charger how much power to send. Then the charger receives that signal, and sends the appropriate amount of power.
If the signal isn’t received, then the charger should only send the bare minimum amount that any device should be able to handle, for things like flash drives or peripherals. This is why some of the cheaper cables won’t charge your newer devices, because those newer devices need more power and the old cable isn’t negotiating a high enough power transfer.
It’s ironically one of the biggest complaints that people have about USB-C, because it causes a nightmare in regards to compatibility. Old cables and chargers are constantly being phased out as the standard gets developed for more and more power transfer. And that outdated equipment is still sitting on shelves, waiting to be bought. A cable or charger that you bought a month ago may not be compatible to charge a device that you buy today, because that unit is actually a year old and was phased out six months after it was manufactured and shipped, but has been on a store shelf ever since because a retailer bought a bunch and doesn’t want to write them off as a loss.
It means people are constantly re-buying the same gear at higher specs, simply to keep up-to-date with existing standards. And if you don’t re-buy everything then you have a hodgepodge mix of cables and chargers that all look the same and only some of them will charge all of your newer devices. The older stuff looks the same on the outside, but your new phone will refuse to charge when you try to use them.
That's not really true. The E-Marker in the cable does not do the negotiations. Its involved in it but its not as complicated as you make it sound. There are a total of 3 different completely backwards compatible cable types in regards to power delivery. 60W , 100W (which is legacy) and 240W.
Ah... so that explains why I have two dozen USB-C cables and only like 5 of them will fast charge my phone.
What kind of phone do you have? All USB-C cables should be able to do at least 60W charging.
S22. Not sure what wattage level I get, but the phone will throw up a message saying something like "low power detected, please check cable" and then it will estimate like 5.5 hours to charge from 22% to full.
The S22 charges at a maximum of 45W. That's technically within the 60W limit that all USB-C cable can handle. I could not find how exactly how the charging works but it's possible that they are doing something like 9V @ 5A and thus are requiring a 240W or 100W cable. However it looks like in this particular case it might not matter.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/02/the-galaxy-s22s-45-w-charging-doesnt-actually-improve-charge-times/