Super USB C

#1

Good morning friends.

Lately I have been thinking about ways to reduce the wires and plugs. I noticed that my MacBook is USB C, iPad is USB C, work laptop USB C and my iPhone is also USB C. All of these come with separate chargers and plugs, all of which take a lot of space.

I have looked online and I know that Anker does make:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07VSMK849/ref=emc_b_5_t

What do you guys think, of a SUPER USB C charger. Something can support 3 or 4 (if not more) charges around 200W or even 150W. It would be bigger than the above from size perspective but it would be a one stop shop… rather than having multiple chargers, you’d have that and you’d be good.

I know there are a lot of really smart people here, I’d be happy to hear what you guys/galls have to say.

1 Like
#2

Anker also makes

Challenge is heat.

Each DC-DC conversion makes heat. If you could restrict the ports to all the same Voltage then less heat, but under USB PD rules you have to present all the voltages.

That means for any total max Wattage, the more diverse the devices you plug in the less total Wattage.

Or use IQ3 and not adhere to strict PD so it say one port was 9V the others must be 9V.

I think if Anker restricted certain combinations of voltages across ports they make what you ask. For example Anker could trivially make a USB-A 5V 2A port into a USB-C 5V 2A port to make the above product all USB-C with no additional heat and not really any additional cost.

The USB-PD protocols does on the macro scale solve the DC-DC ineffiency problem as roughly as the voltage drops so does the Wattage. So say two ports each 60W have to be 20V to be 120W, if you were to ask it to make one of the ports 15V that can only make to be 45W which is less than 60W so two ports becomes 105W < 120W.

image

The next challenge is intelligent power distribution. Suppose you had one port for your Macbook (60W) and another for iPad 18W , another for your laptop 60W and another for iPhone 18W, 60+18+60+18=156W. What would like if you only used one of the 4 ports, would you like the 60W to become capable of 100W? How do you handle having a total Wattage less than the sum of each port maximum? Think about it…

But yes multiple USBC port chargers has been a long asked product here.

5 Likes
#3

What are the techniques used to reduce heat? If cost was not an issue, is there a way of overcoming the heat and power distribution problems?

#4

I thought I’d explained it? I’ll repeat using different words.

You need to reduce the diversity of voltages across all ports. As it happens , in general, as you lower the voltage the watts lowers too so even if the overall efficiency drops so does the total heat.

Have to concentrate on the math.

Worked example:

  • total 4 ports 200W charger.
  • USB PD is 100W maximum
  • so you can use 2 ports each 100W (same 20 volts so they share the same DC-DC conversion and each get 5A)
  • 200W 95% efficiency, 10W heat, total drawn is (200/0.95) 210W.
  • add a use of a 3rd port, say you added a 45W port need. 45W has to be 15V which is different than 20V so you can’t deliver 200W total any more. Say it was 93% efficient (not 95% for single voltage) so 210x0.93=195W, so now 45W causes the other two ports to drop to 75W each.
  • the consumer complains then when using 3 port it is no longer 200W, its 195W.
  • you see the issue.

So I’m saying it is possible. But probably not in a USB PD compliant manner so I think what you ask for has to be a IQ3 product.

You see similar issue comparing these

This product only has to deliver 2 voltage types, and is 65W

image
image.png1209×538 266 KB

This product, the same size, has to deliver 3 voltages when the two C and A ports used concurrently so it’s less than 65W, its 63W, to allow for the extra heat of more port voltage diversity.

image
image.jpg1175×600 252 KB

The reduce the effect, although not eliminate it, we have GaN and physical shape.

GaN causes less heat for a given task.

Physical shape where is a slab like will shed heat better than a more cube like shape. The Slim form factor is a step in the direction of a slab like shape.

3 Likes
#5

I understand your need to have multiple power hungry devices drawing from one charger. More devices charging from fewer mains outlets has obvious benefits.

I would be happy with a 4 port USBC charger with 30w per port as don’t need to charge laptops etc @Behrad_Sorkhpar but my dream is yet to come true :sunglasses:

3 Likes
#6

Honestly yes! Sorry for the late reply.

4 port, 2 of them being 30W and 2 60W would honestly do the job. I can’t wait for the wireless future.

2 Likes