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USB type-C
expectation: you have one connector instead of many connectors
reality: you have exactly as many connectors but now they're visually indistinguishable
(snippet from https://www.amazon.com/Headphone-Adapter-CableCreation-Charging-Splitter/dp/B07YD3TW2Y)
expectation: you have one connector instead of many connectors
reality: you have exactly as many connectors but now they're visually indistinguishable
(snippet from https://www.amazon.com/Headphone-Adapter-CableCreation-Charging-Splitter/dp/B07YD3TW2Y)
if you read the type-C specification it will become really clear why no one managed to make a type-C hub (not even a pure USB hub, no altmodes, with e.g. power delivery support over 4 type-C ports!), or for that matter, why type-C ports are so scarce on laptops
a viable type-C hub that routes power alone needs:
- a switchmode power supply for every single port that can do 5-20 V conversion in either direction
- a policy engine that resolves conflicts between the existing type-C power delivery policies (remember how Nintendo Switch…
- a switchmode power supply for every single port that can do 5-20 V conversion in either direction
- a policy engine that resolves conflicts between the existing type-C power delivery policies (remember how Nintendo Switch…
would charge your laptop instead of the other way around? multiply this by the number of ports squared)
- a rudimentary user interface that lets you at least figure out where the policy engine screws up when it inevitably does
- a rudimentary user interface that lets you at least figure out where the policy engine screws up when it inevitably does
this is already incredibly complicated and expensive. now add routing of high-speed data to it. that problem is (fortunately?) about as expensive but it's at least simpler conceptually, and it's supposed to be solved by USB4. USB4 looks borderline okay, we'll see how it works out
type-C PD would work better if the spec required the OS (or whatever's the device running) to have some sort of UI element that lets you override the charging direction
right now it boils down to "which of these devices wants to charge the other one harder than the other"
right now it boils down to "which of these devices wants to charge the other one harder than the other"
