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I have this problem constantly. I have to work with a number of hardware devices for my job (non-consumer hardware) that proudly claim USB-C. But they also are

by MBCook 3y ago

I have this problem constantly. I have to work with a number of hardware devices for my job (non-consumer hardware) that proudly claim USB-C. But they also are exactly like the old USB-micro devices with a different port and don’t charge on real USB-C. So to charge them I use a USB-C to USB-A port adapter so I can plug in a USB-A to USB-C cable. It’s horrible.

duxup 3y ago
> non-consumer hardware Presumably not cheap too and they do… that.
- MBCook 3y ago
  Hundreds of dollars, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were very healthy margins too. But two resistors? Nah. I have a feeling this will go over poorly with their customers as USB-A stops being so common and suddenly the devices “won’t charge” when plugged into computers or common power bricks.
jauntywundrkind 3y ago
I was kind of resigned for everything to be awful forever. It felt like 60% of the devices I bought had this problem. Makes things like charging these Tribit Surf speakers I otherwise love quite a pain. But I've purchased around a dozen pretty cheap devices with USB-C in the past year & much to my surprise each one has properly resistor terminated CC pins & just works. I was kind of begging for a specific C-C cable that built in the resistors, specifically for these bad devices. It'd be incredibly easy to make, but what a dumb purpose in life. A 3 inch male-to-female adapter would be ideal, for all these jerk-wad devices. I'm a bit perturbed but the very excellent power-monitoring AVHzY CT3 device I got recently automatically negotiates 5V, so at least when I go to plug in any of the various problematic devices, they work now. Alas it requires a second usb-c cable to work, plus the device, so it's cumbersome: that male-to-female usb-c 5v adapter would still be appreciated. In the end, it feels like the real pressure the world needs is better reviewing. It'd be lovely to have a meta-site, that tells reviewers things they need to check for on each product. Slip ups like this should be a notable ding on everyone's name, but there's so many reviewers and so few actually know all the various things to look for. Some progress in solving the review meta-problem - enumerating all the concerns any device-type might have- would be greatly appreciated.
- MBCook 3y ago
  It’s so weird. I have what I would categorize as “cheap crap” that works great. Like an IR thermometer for surfaces or an electric ‘compressed air’ duster (powerful fan with a small nozzle and a battery). Both work perfectly on proper USB-C and charge. They were both $15 or less. The kind of device where every cent on the BoM may matter. The devices in my original comment? Hundreds of dollars each. They have to go through certifications to prove they do what they say. The price of two resistors (they don’t need more power) is nothing compared to the MSRP which I already suspect has a lot of profit baked in. There is no way to guess if a device charges right or not without finding the logo (which I guess could be a lie from an unscrupulous vendor) or finding reviews.
  - johnwalkr 3y ago
    It’s not about the price of two resistors, it’s just incompetence when updating the design from micro-usb to usb-c.
    - MBCook 3y ago
      I agree. I think they took an old design for the USB part of things and just swapped the connector too.
      - johnwalkr 3y ago
        Yes, I think it's a case of the engineer finding a connector that doesn't expose the CC pins (where the resistors go), and not even realizing that something is missing when they update a design from microusb to usb-c.

by MBCook 3y ago

duxup 3y ago

> non-consumer hardware Presumably not cheap too and they do… that.

MBCook 3y ago
Hundreds of dollars, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were very healthy margins too. But two resistors? Nah. I have a feeling this will go over poorly with their customers as USB-A stops being so common and suddenly the devices “won’t charge” when plugged into computers or common power bricks.

jauntywundrkind 3y ago

I was kind of resigned for everything to be awful forever. It felt like 60% of the devices I bought had this problem. Makes things like charging these Tribit Surf speakers I otherwise love quite a pain. But I've purchased around a dozen pretty cheap devices with USB-C in the past year & much to my surprise each one has properly resistor terminated CC pins & just works. I was kind of begging for a specific C-C cable that built in the resistors, specifically for these bad devices. It'd be incredibly easy to make, but what a dumb purpose in life. A 3 inch male-to-female adapter would be ideal, for all these jerk-wad devices. I'm a bit perturbed but the very excellent power-monitoring AVHzY CT3 device I got recently automatically negotiates 5V, so at least when I go to plug in any of the various problematic devices, they work now. Alas it requires a second usb-c cable to work, plus the device, so it's cumbersome: that male-to-female usb-c 5v adapter would still be appreciated. In the end, it feels like the real pressure the world needs is better reviewing. It'd be lovely to have a meta-site, that tells reviewers things they need to check for on each product. Slip ups like this should be a notable ding on everyone's name, but there's so many reviewers and so few actually know all the various things to look for. Some progress in solving the review meta-problem - enumerating all the concerns any device-type might have- would be greatly appreciated.

MBCook 3y ago
It’s so weird. I have what I would categorize as “cheap crap” that works great. Like an IR thermometer for surfaces or an electric ‘compressed air’ duster (powerful fan with a small nozzle and a battery). Both work perfectly on proper USB-C and charge. They were both $15 or less. The kind of device where every cent on the BoM may matter. The devices in my original comment? Hundreds of dollars each. They have to go through certifications to prove they do what they say. The price of two resistors (they don’t need more power) is nothing compared to the MSRP which I already suspect has a lot of profit baked in. There is no way to guess if a device charges right or not without finding the logo (which I guess could be a lie from an unscrupulous vendor) or finding reviews.
- johnwalkr 3y ago
  It’s not about the price of two resistors, it’s just incompetence when updating the design from micro-usb to usb-c.
  - MBCook 3y ago
    I agree. I think they took an old design for the USB part of things and just swapped the connector too.
    - johnwalkr 3y ago
      Yes, I think it's a case of the engineer finding a connector that doesn't expose the CC pins (where the resistors go), and not even realizing that something is missing when they update a design from microusb to usb-c.