USB Power Delivery 2

USB Power Delivery, or PD, is considered the future of fast charging. This article should help you get a grasp on this technology as well as answer some common FAQs.

Capabilities Real World Uses USB Power Delivery is a new universal multi-voltage charging standard that dynamically negotiates power output over a USB Type-C connection to safely and efﬁciently recharge a wide range of compatible devices.

30min Charges your phone much faster than traditional 5W ports do to get you out the door faster. iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8+ Boosts the power output to charge those big ticket items, so your laptop can be truly mobile.

Background

In order to understand how Power Delivery works, it’s good to know a bit about how we measure power. MacBook Pro at full speed The equation for electric power is how we base the relationship between power (how fast electricity is transferred), current (how much electricity is ﬂowing), and voltage (electric pressure). Different technology companies manipulate these factors in speciﬁc ways to try to create the most powerful charging systems we’ve seen to date.

Power Current Voltage (Watts) (Amperes) (Volts)

Charging What do I get with USB Power Delivery? PD has been called the future of charging because leaders in the tech industry like Apple and Google have moved towards this universal style of charging for their latest devices because it has proven to be a safe and efﬁcient way to push the limits of voltage and current to boost energy ﬂow to our peripherals and computers.

In order for the PD system to work from power source to power receiver, both ends must be compatible as well as using the right cable. Currently only USB-C to Lightning and USB-C to C are capable of PD technology.

Dynamic Charging Scales the charging needs up to its max output.

Power Delivery Rules with Corresponding Compatible Devices

Power Source Devices Power Voltage Current Smart Protection ≤15W 5V 3A Controls the energy provided to your device, never exceeding the max. ≤18-27W 9V 3A Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Google Pixel 2, Google Pixel 2 XL

iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, ≤29-30W 14.5-15V 2A 12” MacBook

≤36W 12V 3A

13” MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, ≤60W 20V 3A Google Pixelbook

≤100W 20V 5A 15” MacBook Pro Multiple Devices Allows for the optimal energy distribution between Notes: multiple peripherals. 1. You can use higher power chargers to charge smaller devices. The devices will only take the required amount of energy to charge. 2. You can use a lower powered charger to charge bigger devices. It’s not going to charge at the normal rate and could even affect your use of the device, but it could be good in a pinch. 3. This is not an exhaustive list of devices

Get More Out of Your Laptop with a Hub

If you’ve been trying to ﬁnd a way to optimize your laptop’s USB-C port and want a better way to connect all your devices, USB-C hubs with Power Delivery is the way to go. USB-C hubs have the ability to plug devices in a series from the power source. If you have a single USB-C port on your computer, you can connect a power source to the computer through the hub to charge, while still having open ports to charge your peripheries. There’s no need to compromise.

AC/Battery

Power Root Hub Communication

Hub

Device Device Device AC/Battery

Charge ﬂows from the power source through the HUB to all the devices. Each device is able to communicate how much energy it needs.

Other Fast Charging Technologies

Quick Charge, created by Qualcomm, is another charging standard, but it is limited to the devices using Qualcomm processors and has different proﬁles of power that make it incompatible with PD charging. This is changing with the introduction of Quick Charge 4 which will be compatible with Power Delivery. Another technology is Oppo’s VOOC used by OnePlus as their Dash Charge. To reach their advertised 20W peak charge, you must use the company’s proprietary cords and mounts. OnePlus phones are not compatible with PD or Quick Charge, but can use AUKEY Ai ports which can still safely charge your phone at the correct power levels.

If your phone is not compatible with these speciﬁc quick charging technologies, you can still use these PD ports to charge your phone, but will only reach the phone’s maximum charging capabilities.

Blown away by the beneﬁts of Power Delivery? Have a gander at our PD compatible products. Hit us up on social media with your comments or questions.

Sources

http://www.electronicdesign.com/interconnects/introduction-usb-power-delivery http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/ https://www.apple.com/ https://www.store.google.com https://www.qualcomm.com/products/features/quick-charge/faq