USB c Paranoia

[ptkelly]

It will not come as a surprise to read that I am not an electrical engineer. I bought a Nexus 5x and had read a lot of reviews but at the time I hadn't read articles about the horrors of USB c cables. Since I've read that Mr. Leung had a laptop fried by a bad USB c cable and someone else reported a Nexus 5x killed by a bad cable.

When my Nexus 5x came it was shipped from the U.S. but had originated in the United Arab Emirates. The charging plug had prongs for European sockets so I bought an adapter. It had the USB c to USB c cable. It works but I'm not a fan of fast charging and it did generate heat.

I bought a cable that is USB to USB c. That seems to be the type cable that gives the most problems. It has a label saying it meets the EU certification for whatever that's worth. I have been using the USB to USB c cable with an old USB charging plug without any problem. I know nothing about the charging plug but the Nexus 5x is charging faster than my Nexus 5 did but not as fast as the included plug charges. Anyway, I am having no problem with my cable and have no reason to get another.

But--there's always a but--I have a plethora of USB micro charging cables and plugs. I have one on my desk for charging my Kindles and my Nexus while I'm at my desk. I have another to charge from my car charger when I'm on road trips. I have another cable to charge from my power pack battery.

I have charged my Nexus 5x using an old USB micro cable with a power plug attached and it works fine but isn't as fast as the cable and plug by my bed.

Now, my questions.
A. Would I be correct to think the USB micro to USB c adapters are less risky than USB to USB c cables?
B. An app is available to evaluate the safety of your cable but it requires that the cable be plugged into a USB outlet on a computer. The app won't work with a USB micro cable that plugs into a power outlet. Does this mean the risk is greater charging from a USB outlet on a computer?

Thanks. I realize I might be a tad paranoid.

 

[Golfdriver97]

You can buy USB A to USB C cables that Benson has approved. This is the main source of the problem, yes. If you have access to the Google Store I think that would be the best bet. I have Google's USB A to C and a second C to C cable and they work fine.

I am not sure about an app that can do this. Benson used a different method to determine the charging capabilities of cables.

If you can get the cables he has approved on his lists, that would be another way to go as well.

 

[ptkelly]

I wish. I live in Oaxaca, Mexico, the center of the Zapotec Technological World and the only place I've found anything with USB c is at an Apple outlet. They didn't have the adapters I wanted and their prices were what you'd expect from Apple. I did buy one USB female to USB c male adapter cable but then I read about Apples recall so I haven't used it. I ordered my one USB to USB c cable from Amazon but a short time after that none of the Leung approved items would get shipped to Mexico and Amazon.com.mx has precious little for USB c. On the bright side, I'm assuming by the time cables are available here the horrible ones will have been weeded out.

Any feelings on the USB micro to USB c adapter plugs, no cable? Like old gender benders they just change the nature of the plug. I bought some, not Leung-approved or disapproved, from China. Leung has been focusing on cables.

 

[pkcable]

While I'm not sure about Amazon Mx, Amazon in the US will NOT sell non approved USB c cables.....

Amazon bans low-quality USB Type-C cables | Android Central

 

[ptkelly]

Most of the items I get from Amazon.mx are passed through from Amazon.com but not all. And, Amazon's policy is fairly new as is the use of USB c in cell phones. I think it's coming, though. The reason for the items passing through Amazon.mx is so they can collect the Mexican I.V.A. tax, which I think is fair, but that also restricts what we can get directly from Amazon.com. My sister visits once a year so she usually brings me stuff.

 

[Old Stoneface]

On Amazon: Check for reviews by Benson Leung, a Google engineer. He's been doing highly technical reviews of USB C cables and adapters.

 

[ptkelly]

Thanks.

 

[ptkelly]

All done. I've gotten a batch of adapters from six different companies. They look at bit different but are all the tiny USB micro to USB c adapters. When I get a new one, I try it out staying close and feeling for heat.

So far, all six have charged my phone without a problem and with no noticeable heat. I'm done for now and will relax. The adapters are tiny so I'm sure I'll start losing them but for now I'm set.

I'm enjoying my Nexus 5x and Android N beta 4.

 

[sfhub]

Now, my questions.
A. Would I be correct to think the USB micro to USB c adapters are less risky than USB to USB c cables?

Same risk. Basically with USB C to USB C cables, all the power negotiation is passthrough, so the device communicates directly with the power source. Once you introduce a legacy connector in the chain like USB A or micro-usb then the cable needs the proper 56k pullup resistor to "tell" the device a legacy connection is in play and to limit current to what legacy power sources can do. If the wrong resistor is in place, the device *might* think that the power source could do higher amperage and thus pull more amps than the power source can handle. This in turn could cause failure of the power source if it has no failsafe means to limit current.

B. An app is available to evaluate the safety of your cable but it requires that the cable be plugged into a USB outlet on a computer. The app won't work with a USB micro cable that plugs into a power outlet. Does this mean the risk is greater charging from a USB outlet on a computer?

https://plus.google.com/+GeoffHoff/posts/eMsr1cyw75s

 

[ptkelly]

Thanks, Hub. I've got tiny adapters from a variety of companies. I've tried each with legacy USB micro chargers and cables and they charge fine and nothing heats up.

My paranoia is easing. And, I rather like USB c now that I've got the adapters.