usb News - Page 14 of 25 - CNX Software

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Bluetooth USB PD Tester Connects to Windows and Android/iOS Apps for Data Logging

We’ve written about USB-C PD power meters in the past such as Satechi USB Type-C power meter. Those allow you to measure (charging) voltage and current displayed on the screen part of the meter. But thanks to Bluetooth and USB connectivity, Riden TC66C USB PD tester allows you to capture and log data over a period of time by connecting to a Windows program or Android/iOS mobile app. There’s also a version without Bluetooth – TC66 – that only works with the Windows program over USB. Riden TC66C/TC66 Bluetooth USB PD tester specifications: Display 0.96″ color IPS display with 160×80 resolution Auto screen off time – Adjustable up to 9 minutes Measurements Voltage Range – 0.005V-30V +/- 0.1mV; accuracy: ±(0.5%+10digits at 23℃) Current Range – 0 to 5A +/- 0.01mA; accuracy: ±(1%+20 digits, at 23℃) Power Range – 0-150W Temperature Range – 0 to 80°C Load impedance range – 1Ω to 9999.9Ω Charge […]

March 30, 2020April 15, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Linux 5.6 Release – Main Changes, Arm, MIPS & RISC-V Architectures

Linus Torvalds has just announced the release of Linux 5.6 on the Linux Kernel Mailing List: So I’ll admit to vacillating between doing this 5.6 release and doing another -rc. This has a bit more changes than I’d like, but they are mostly from davem’s networking fixes pulls, and David feels comfy with them. And I looked over the diff, and none of it looks scary. It’s just slightly more than I’d have preferred at this stage – not doesn’t really seem worth delaying a release over. So about half the diff from the final week is network driver fixlets, and some minor core networking fixes. Another 20% is tooling – mostly bpf and netfilter selftests (but also some perf work). The rest is “misc” – mostly random drivers (gpio, rdma, input) and DTS files. With a smattering of fixes elsewhere (a couple of afs fixes, some vm fixes, etc). […]

March 12, 2020July 31, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

$5 Sinilink WiFI USB Power Switch Works with Tasmota Firmware, Supports up to 20V/5A

Late last year, ITEAD launched Sonoff Micro WiFi USB switch that allows you to turn on and off USB powered devices over WiFi using eWelink app for Android or iOS. It integrates with Amazon Alexas and Google Home, and does the job, but people who like to use the open-source Tasmota firmware will be disappointed to learn it’s not based on ESP8266 processor hence not compatible. Luckily, there’s another option: Sinilink WiFi USB switch (aka XY-WFUSB) based on ESP8266 WiFi SoC, and supporting up to 20V/5A according to the manufacturer. It is currently sold for under $5 including shipping on Aliexpress. Sinilink XY-WFUSB specifications: WiSoC – Espressif ESP8266 processor with 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 USB Input – USB type-A female port supporting 3.5V to 20V up to 5A (100 Watts max) USB Output – USB type-A male port up to 100W Misc On/off button – Pressing 5 seconds also change the […]

March 4, 2020March 4, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Cypress EZ-PD CCG6DF & CCG6SF are USB4-Ready USB-C PD Controllers for PCs and Notebooks

The USB4 specification was published in September 2019 with promises of up to 40 Gbps data transfer rate over a Thunderbolt physical layer, and last December, we reported about an MCCI USB4 switch designed to test and design USB4 products. Cypress Semiconductor EZ-PD CCG6DF and CCG6SF dual-port and single-port USB-C and USB PD 3.0 controllers designed for PCs and notebooks that will be compatible with USB4 standard. EZ-PD CCG6DF and CCG6SF key features: MCU Subsystem – Arm Cortex-M0 core @ 48 MHz with 64KB flash, 96KB SROM, 16KB SRAM USB Type-C and Power Delivery 3.0 supporting USB3 and USB4, Thunderbolt, DisplayPort Alternate Mode platforms Digital I/Os Two timers, counters, PWMs, and up to 23 GPIOs Four SCBs (Serial Communication Blocks) for configurable master/slave I2C, SPI or UART Analog Blocks VBUS Provider Load switch (5V/3A) Slew rate controlled turn-on on VBUS path UAB PD 3.0 Fast Role Swap support Integrated high-voltage […]

February 24, 2020February 24, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 27 Comments

Raspberry Pi 4 Rev 1.2 Fixes USB-C Power Issues, Improves SD Card Resilience

The first Raspberry Pi 4 boards suffered from a poor USB-C power supply compatibility due to issues for the power circuitry. That means if you bought the official USB-C power supply you had no issues, but if you wanted to re-use a spare USB-C power supply or incompatible cable, you may be out of luck. The Register is now reporting that the Raspberry Pi Foundation has discreetly released a new revision (v1.2) of the board that fixes several issues including USB-C PD compatibility, and as Eben Upton explains the new revision also: moved the WLCSP SD card voltage switch to the top side … silk screen tweaks to reduce solder bridging in manufacture”. The new boards have been around for a couple of months as some users report the USB-C power issues have been fixed on new boards. Spotting Differences in the new Raspberry Pi 4 Rev 1.2 Board? The […]

January 20, 2020January 21, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments

TIL: Some 9V Batteries can be Recharged with a Simple USB Cable

9V batteries are/used to be popular for Arduino projects, as they can easily be connected via the power jack of the board. But now that most recent Arduino boards are powered by 5V via a USB Type-C port or Vin in, those are not an option. I thought I found a solution when I saw the following tweet earlier today which looks to provide a convenient way to connect a 9V battery to devices powered by USB. accidentally ran into another cursed adapter: 9v battery to USB pic.twitter.com/laKjIi6wUy — foone🏳️‍⚧️ (@Foone) January 20, 2020 I was unable to find details about the board, but I suppose the chip close to the USB connector is a 9V to 5V regulator (e.g. LM7805), so this would indeed output 5V. Just don’t expect to fully charge your phone with it, as a typical 9V battery has a 500mAh capacity. [Update: It’s on Retrokits, […]

December 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

MCCI Sells a $795 USB4 Switch for USB4 Product Development

The USB4 specification was officially released last September with the new standard promising speeds of up to 40 Gbps and up to 100 Watts power delivery over USB-C connectors. MMCI is now offering a 2:1 USB4 switch, the first computer-controlled USB4 mux according to the company, that can control 1 or 2 products up to 20 Gbps. Model 3141 USB4 Switch is not designed for consumers, as there aren’t any USB4 devices around at this time, but for electronics designers, firmware and software developers to enable them to test & debug their USB4 implementations. MCCI Model 3141 USB4 Switch key features and specifications: USB Specifications/Features USB4 Thunderbolt 3 USB 3.2 gen2 (x2 and x1), gen 1 (x2 and x1) USB 2.0 high speed, full speed, and low speed USB Power Delivery VCONN-powered devices (up to 0.5A) Alternate modes like DisplayPort. 2:1 switch, connecting two USB Type-C receptacles to a single […]

December 18, 2019December 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

Serpente R2 Microchip SAMD21 Board Features a Male USB Type-C Port

Development boards with a USB Type-C port for power and programming are becoming more common, most in most cases with a female USB-C port. Designed by arturo182, Serpente R2 CircuitPython prototyping board based on Microchip SAMD21 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller offers three USB power & programming option with USB type-A male, USB type-C female, or USB type-C male, with the latter option allowing you to plug into directly into your host computer. Serpente R2 board specifications: MCU – Microchip ATSAMD21E18A 32-bit Cortex-M0+ running at 48MHz, with 256KB flash, and 32KB RAM Storage – 4MB SPI Flash for storing files and CircuitPython code Expansion – 10x I/Os with castellated holes including 6x customizable GPIOs, and 4x power signals (3V, GND, VUSB, and VIN) USB R2 – Female USB Type-C port R2 Plug – Male USB Type-A port R2 Plug C – Male USB Type-C port Misc – User RGB LED, reset button […]