Introduction to USB Power Delivery (USB PD) Testing with USBHub3c

USB Power Delivery (USB PD) sources need to support a broad range of power modes and sink devices.   Be sure that your source can reliably handle any sink it might encounter.

I. Introduction to USB Power Delivery (PD) Sink Testing

USB Power Delivery (USB PD) is a convenient way to power a variety of devices.  Since a USB PD sink device could be connected to any PD source, sinks need to work safely and correctly with any source they might encounter.

The USBHub3c by Acroname is an industrial USB-C hub that can emulate any PD source up to 100 W per port to test PD sink capabilities.

What are USB-C Universal Orientation Cables?

Acroname Universal Orientation Cables (UOCs) are specialized USB-C cables designed to automate testing of both sides of a USB-C receptacle when used with the USBHub3c or USB-C-Switch.  Unlike standard USB cables that require manual flipping, Acroname UOCs enable programmatic switching between orientations.  These cables pass VConn and CC signals through without the standard R_a termination. 

Unlock the Power of Secure Connections: Acroname’s Premium Locking USB-C Solutions

Sometimes you really want your USB-C cables to stay put. Our screw-lock USB-C cables connect to devices that support single-screw locking like our USBHub3c USB-C hub.  Three versions are available:

Sometimes we hear from customers who have used our programmable USB hubs for unusual applications. Maybe one of these examples will help solve your problem!

How to monitor voltage and power with the GUI or Python

Among other properties, we can view:

• Per-port Voltage
• Per-port Current
• Input Voltage
• Input Current

Measuring voltage and current with HubTool

If you haven't already, install HubTool, which is part of the Brainstem Dev Kit.
Power on the hub and connect one of the host ports to your computer

Did you unplug it and plug it back in?

Turning ports on and off with Python

It shouldn't have to happen, but sometimes you need to plug and unplug a USB device. Maybe the device needs to power cycle, maybe you need to enable devices one-by-one so they enumerate correctly.  Rather than having to physically unplug cables, you could use the Brainstem API to have the USBHub3+ disconnect and reconnect a port.

CDP, SDP, and DCP

The USBHub3+ can set each of its downstream ports to several power modes to support a range of devices.

The supported modes are part of BC1.2 USB charging specification:

USB-C functional tests involve a lot of cable plugging and unplugging, connector flipping, and device swapping.  Acroname's USB-C-Switch handles those connections for you, providing control through our HubTool GUI application or BrainStem API, even remotely!

The problem with USB TESTING

Suppose you’re a test engineer working on USB compliance testing.  You have a well-equipped lab with some high-end test equipment.  But you’d rather be in your office doing other work than in the lab plugging, unplugging, and flipping cables while stepping through test scripts.

The solution

Acroname USB-C switch lets you virtually swap equipment, cables, connect, disconnect, and even perform cable flip tests.  Even remotely!