Creating a USB-PD output panel for my desktop

[mehmedbasic]

Oh sorry I watched the video some time back.
Still it gives an indication that this PD stuff is non-trivial.

@SgtAwesomesauce crack your unit open and let’s have a look at the PCB

[SgtAwesomesauce]

@mehmedbasic

Still it gives an indication that this PD stuff is non-trivial

Agreed, for sure. It’s definitely easier than I thought it’d be.

@mehmedbasic

crack your unit open and let’s have a look at the PCB

Sure, why TF not? I’m about to head off for lunch, but I’ll crack it open in a couple hours and do some documentation.

[Tedster]

@Ray519

A more expensive way, (but also one more intended for use with a PC) would be PCIe extension cards.

The Asus and Gigabyte Titan Ridge Thunderbolt Cards support 100W PD (and they have dual-ports, although they probably cannot handle 2x100W at the same time).

Oooooooooh I hadn’t thought of this – for some reason I thought they were only compatible with particular motherboards. They’re…slightly expensive indeed, but h m m m m mm

@Ray519

You would only have to make due with extension cables or route those extension cables back into the case through a free PCI-Slot and make your own front-panel for them.

That, I could do.

@Ray519

With these extension-cables you will loose thunderbolt support, but other than that it should be a relatively reliable solution. If your PC does not support Thunderbolt-Extensions

Do you know how I might be able to determine this?

@SgtAwesomesauce

So I’ve got this 12v device (well 12 to 24v) that supplies 65w on a single port. It has a usb c and a usb a port, and I have it mounted in my portable 18650 case so I can charge my laptop when the power company decides they don’t want to give us electricity.

This sounds super interesting!

@SgtAwesomesauce

You could theoretically 3d print a 5.25 bay bracket for one of two of em, wire it up to a pcie 6 pin and it should work.

You mean, cut some wood down to fit?

@SgtAwesomesauce

I’ve removed it from the casing so I can take pictures of it properly.

Let me see if I can find the link.

Aha: 75W Dual Port USB Charger 1 Type-C PD, 1 Type-A, Variable Voltage 9~24v input, featuring CCG3 with PPS | Coolgea

Thanks! Shame that I’m not in the States though (:

@TheAlmightyBaconLord

This is the module I bought and use. It does 100W (instead of the 60W that you requested), but it’s very small. Sadly it requires 21v or higher input, to output 20v 5A.

More power is probably more better! This is something I can probably actually buy…

@SgtAwesomesauce

It outputs 20V PD at 12v input. Any input voltage within range will allow it to provide the proper range. Of course, assuming the power supply can provide enough power.

Thanks for the clarification on this!

@SgtAwesomesauce

I’d really like to design my own PCB for this sort of thing, ~200W in with 3x USB C ports, capable of splitting the 200w however necessary.

I might be interested in buying something like that from you if you make it!

@SgtAwesomesauce

Sure, why TF not? I’m about to head off for lunch, but I’ll crack it open in a couple hours and do some documentation.

Spicing up the thread! (:

[SgtAwesomesauce]

@Tedster

Thanks! Shame that I’m not in the States though (:

I’m pretty sure you can find these on Aliexpress or ebay as well. And worst case, if you’re really eager to get your hands on one, I’d be happy to act as an intermediary for you.

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@Tedster

I might be interested in buying something like that from you if you make it!

I’ll have to see about it. I’m not really sure how one would implement power budget management to spread 200W across 3 PD ports capable of 100W each.

[aBav.Normie-Pleb]

To ask a related question:

Does anybody know why there don’t seem to be any USB-C-to-Barrel plug cables with a little button to switch between 5, 9, 12 and 20 V?

Latest USB-C PD GaN power sluppies are quite good and this way you could get a simple lab power supply with up to 100 W.

[SgtAwesomesauce]

@aBav.Normie-Pleb

Does anybody know why there don’t seem to be any USB-C-to-Barrel plug cables with a little button to switch between 5, 9, 12 and 20 V?

Because the usb to barrel adapters are for consumers, not tinkerers.

[Ray519]

@Tedster

Do you know how I might be able to determine this

As it is not the intended use case for these cards, at some point there ist just testing it. But that is difficult at the best if times. Ideally with a PD Sniffer (that I do not own myself), because if it fails, you still do not know which end of the cable the problem is at, or if it is the cable itself.

But my educated guess is based on the fact that to my knowledge the Thunderbolt Controllers themselves do not have PD-Support. That should be done with extra ICs. So they should be less likely to be dependent on the configuration and recognition of the thunderbolt controller.

But I also found a Delock PCIe card (89606) with ~90W of PD, that is sadly just as expensive as the thunderbolt cards…

[TheAlmightyBaconLord]

@SgtAwesomesauce

Sure, why TF not? I’m about to head off for lunch, but I’ll crack it open in a couple hours and do some documentation.

Ever get around to this?

[SgtAwesomesauce]

Awww, crap. Never did, and I’m about to get super busy.

[Tedster]

Can’t blame you.

And I guess I owe you guys an update: I ended up buying a PineTime and with it a PinePower, and I’m using that. My accommodation is thankfully much less…claustrophobic than I had anticipated.

Still, thank you very much for the effort.