I never knew that USB-C extensions are not allowed for a reason
I never knew that USB-C extensions are not allowed for a reason
There is a reason for USB-C extensions not to be part of the standard. They can be bothersome in the best case and dangerous in the worst.
I'll have you know that I've been using a 2m extension on my deck power supply for a while and haven't had any fires to speak of. Almost none actually.
15Almost none so not zero?
3thats_the_joke.gif
9
If you want a more detailed explanation, USB-C is a small connector that was designed primarily for data transfer, extended power range delivery (240w) was essentially hacked on to the standard. Electricity arcing between the contacts on the connector is the biggest challenge with this hack, since the contacts are small and very close together, which could burn out the circuit board and start fires. For EPR to work safely, there needs to be a lot of extra components on the circuit board/female connector side, which there simply isn't enough space for on an f2m extension cable.
As for why USB-C cables are so short, it's simply a matter of physics, carrying high speed data over larger distances would result in higher losses and requires thicker conductors and more shielding, which is why you don't see USB4 Gen3 cables over 1 meter unless they are optical, and longer "charging cables" are only rated at USB 2.0 speeds, because more often than not they don't even have the USB 3.x data pins on their connector.
202I have this cable: https://www.spigen.com/products/arcwire-usb-c-to-usb-c-cable-pb2202
It's 2 meters long, 240 watts and supports Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 (40 gbps).
I couldn't test the 240 watts charging as I don't have any device pulling more than 100 watts, but the Thunderbolt 4 part definitely works.
Apple sells a 3 meter Thunderbolt 4 cable (albeit limited to 100 watts of power) that isn't optical either (I think there's some special circuitry in the plugs though).
8You're right. Those are active cables which I forgot to mention earlier that have special circuits that amplify signals, but are also a lot more expensive as a result.
11
You are a brilliant woman of many talents, Margot Robbie!
55That's esteemed Academy Award nominated character actress Margot Robbie to you!
Also, thank you.
39
Anybody care to sum this up for people who can’t watch videos?
184So a standard cable needs to be chipped to show its rating to the device, its not that the device can pull what it wants or can get, but the cable itself tells it what it can supply. Extension cables can’t do that, because it doesn’t know what it’s plugged into, and that would be if they even bothered to put a chip in. They instead piggy back off the chip for the main cable. The problem comes when you you have a 240 watt cable hooked up to a cheap 120 watt cable, with the device being told it can push 240, and starts to super heat the extension cable
279Correct, except for your example. Firstly, 120 watt USB c cables don't exist, only 60w, 100w, 140w and 240w. And only plugging in a 100w or higher cable into a 60w extension would be dangerous, since it would allow drawing 5 amps on a cable over an extension only designed for 3 amps. However, as soon as your extension is rated for 100w it is completely safe to use with any USB c cable, even those rated for 240w, as those only operate at a higher voltage but still only allow 5 amps max.
I have also never seen an USB C extension cable rated for less than 100w, so this is kind of a moot point. If 60w usb c extensions exist somewhere, they would indeed be dangerous, but I have never come across one
6Soon on Amazon..
1m USB-C CABLE HEATER!! 0.99c
($5.99 shipping)
31This sounds solvable, doesn't it? Have the extension cable have a chip saying it can do X at maximum, then compare with whatever is to be extended and communicate the minimum of both upstream. Might not become a sleek cable-like design, but would extend the 240W cable with the extender safely staying at 120W
36Well I'm glad I know that now.
12Pretty much this, thanks for the summary
12
Going to take a wild guess and say the same reason you shouldn’t chain extension cords. USB can carry over 200w these days.
23Chaining regular extension cords isn't a problem by itself, connecting too many things in parallel and exceeding the rated max is a problem (and chaining extension cords "just" increase the risk that ordinary people will decide to connect more than they should, especially because the lowest rated cable in the chain sets the total limit)
14Yeah, I think in this case there's a lot more tiny conductors sharing what can add up to pretty high current loads on PD connections. Adding extra connectors adding resistance to low (5-20v) voltage high current connections is adding an extra failure point and increasing resistance on the whole cable run.
Not inherently unsafe, but just not a good idea to promote because you know someone will try to run a 200w charging cable for 30m with like 5 connected cables.
4
Extensions aren't part of the official spec, so they aren't actually certified as proper USB-C.
Same risks as any other janky no-name gear you see online, even if it SAYS it's rated for a specific throughput or power rating, that may not be the case.
7I didn't watch the whole thing and skimmed so some may be wrong so take the following with a grain of salt.
USB C cables report their capabilities such as maximum power draw to the connected device. The extension cable can be rated differently to the original cable and there is no mechanism for reporting the capabilities of the lowest spec cable.
2This is what AI says about this video:
The video is about the dangers of using USB-C extension cords. The narrator explains that USB-C extension cords are not officially certified by the USB Implementers Forum, which means that they are not guaranteed to be safe or reliable. He also explains that USB-C extension cords can be dangerous because they can overload the power supply of the device that they are connected to. This can cause the device to overheat and even catch fire. The narrator recommends that people avoid using USB-C extension cords altogether. Here are some of the specific dangers of using USB-C extension cords:
- They can overload the power supply of the device that they are connected to.
- They can cause the device to overheat and even catch fire.
- They can degrade the performance of the device.
- They can be unreliable.
The narrator also explains that some USB-C extension cords have a label that says "USB 2.0 low speed devices can only work with one side of the ultra high rate extension cables interface." This means that the USB 2.0 connection is only available on one side of the cable. This can be a problem if you need to connect a USB 2.0 device to the cable.
The narrator recommends that people avoid using USB-C extension cords altogether. If you must use one, he recommends that you use a high-quality cable from a reputable manufacturer. You should also make sure that the cable is rated for the power requirements of the device that you are connecting to it. Overall, this video is a helpful resource for anyone who is considering using a USB-C extension cord. It provides important information about the dangers of using these cables and how to avoid them.
-36The AI got most of it vaguely right, but unsurprisingly a lot seems to go above its head. Kinda like reading a shitty tech journalist writing about something they don't understand at all.
18The risk isn't usually the device you connect a bad cable to (they have internal limiters), it's the cable itself. You can easily overload a cable if the extension cord can't signal the lower limit if it's own rating and the other cable's rating.
The USB 2 part is also misleading.
7
Technically extension cables were not part of the original USB spec, either, but that did not prevent oodles of them from appearing pretty much instantly. They solved a problem, there was a need, and thus they happened.
I.e. there never was supposed to be any such thing as a passive male USB-A to female USB-A cable, and yet pretty much every little MP3 player from 2001 to about 2005 came with one regardless.
47I never wondered about this, but it makes sense now. Off topic but man, the dry mouth noises he makes inbetween sentences are driving me crazy…
24Yeah after looking into it it totally makes sense to me.
Off topic but you user name is the bestos.
8
I have a 240W extension from AliExpress, used with a 120W power for my laptop, it never gets hot even when using 100+W
6Because you made sure the cable is rated for more than what you're using it for. The problem is when somebody doesn't do that. A 60W cable hooked up to a 120W power supply, for example.
10My highest charger is 65W, that's enough.
3
Post the TLDR or FUCK OFF @quiescentcurrent@discuss.tchncs.de
-15did you mean :
Post the TLDR or FO
?
13TLDR || FO ?
15PtTLDRoFO,Y❤️🤟🙏🎉🍺💪🥂
-1
don't wanna watch anything rn but boosted for later
-2