How to identify a USB cable MICRODIA USB4.0 PD240W USB-C to USB-C cable

According to 2023.09.23hanpen blog,
Since there seem to be quite a few people who have trouble identifying USB cables, especially USB Type-C cables, by their appearance, I would like to introduce my method of identifying USB cables.

First of all
Hello, I am a USB geek.

Are you all worn out from USB? The Internet is filled with daily complaints about USB, and one of the most common topics is “USB cables are incomprehensible.

It is true that USB is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish between USB 2.0, USB 3.x, USB4, and so on, as new specifications are added with each new version of the cable. I personally think that HDMI and DisplayPort are the same, but for better or worse, USB is the most commonly used technology, and once you connect HDMI, you don’t change it so often. It’s not so easy to change the cable once it’s connected, like HDMI.

I have seen comments from people who say they don’t understand the “USB cable incomprehension problem,” and I feel that many of them are thinking too hard about it, inputting more information than necessary or incorrect information. Therefore, I would like to introduce my cable identification method, which is as simple and mindless as possible.

Look at the logo on the USB cable!

So, the USB cable identification method I will introduce this time is to “pay attention to the logo on the USB cable itself.

There is also the method of using amateur equipment such as a simple cable tester, but I personally do not recommend this method because the information obtained from such simple equipment is fragmentary and the specifications of the cable cannot be identified only with that information. It also costs a lot of money to buy them.

As you can see in the picture, your cables may or may not have a logo stamped or printed on them, so all you have to do is apply the logo to the table below and find which one it corresponds to.

Ignore all the complicated words like “eMarker” or “Alternate Mode” in this world.

About cables with no logo
In many cases, you may have looked for the logo on the cable itself, but found no logo printed on it at all.

In that case, …… unfortunately, it is not possible to identify the cable from its appearance. Although it is possible to identify the specifications of a cable using special equipment, it is impossible for even the most knowledgeable person to identify 100% of the specifications of a cable without any logo or other information from its appearance alone.

Therefore, if a cable does not have a logo, please assume that it is a USB cable with the lowest specifications. It may be a cable with higher specifications, but it is impossible to identify it, at least from its appearance. Therefore, please assume that it is a USB cable with the lowest specifications.

No applicable logo in the table
There may be a case that “some logo was printed on the cable itself, but that logo is not on the front. For example, the following logo.

If there is a logo printed on the cable that is not in the table, the logo is probably an unofficial proprietary USB logo.

In such cases, we can narrow down the specifications to some extent by the numbers/units printed, but we can only guess. Therefore, if you have the opportunity, we recommend that you replace the cable with one that has the official USB logo (the logo shown in the identification table) printed on it.

Read the full article here.

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High power USB-C cable for sync & sync (100W & 240W)

What is the E-Marker chip?
The USB-C charging cable connector has a chip called an E-Marker (Electronic Marked Cable), similar to the charging cable’s security ID card. This is actually a protocol controller feature that monitors the charging status and helps to properly allocate the current.

Most USB-C charging cables on the market today have specifications of 3A and 5A. According to USB-IF Association regulations, if the current output of the power adapter exceeds 3A (100W) or 5A (240W), an E-Marker chip must be incorporated to ensure that charging occurs under a safety protection mechanism. The following table distinguishes these E-Marker cables according to various parameters

USB4.0 PD100W USB-C to USB-C cable
(with certified E-Marker chip)

USB4.0 PD240W USB-C to USB-C cable
(with certified E-Marker chip)

For more information, please contact us at
microdia@kofukutrading.com

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