• Mic_Check_One_Two@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    1 year ago

    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.

    • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      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.

      • Mic_Check_One_Two@reddthat.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        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 And that outdated equipment is still sitting on shelves, waiting to be bought.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.

        • snowfalldreamland@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          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.

        • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          1 year ago

          Ah… so that explains why I have two dozen USB-C cables and only like 5 of them will fast charge my phone.

            • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              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.