There are numerous USB PD 1.0 devices on the market, commonly used to charge smartphones and power USB-A devices that require more power. I have one to power my many USB soldering irons. This version of USB PD may be “dumb” when compared to the newer standards, but it gets the job done.
USB PD 2.0 is where we see USB-C enter the PD standard, and PDO (Power Data Objects) expands the standard to provide additional 9V and 12V options that deliver 1.67 to 3A (up to 27W) for 9V and 1.8 to 3A or 2.25 to 3A for 15V. At 20V, devices can negotiate up to 5A, giving a full 100W of power.
USB PD 2.0 was possibly the most impactful version on the market, largely thanks to the introduction of USB-C to the standard. Most USB-C laptops use this, but it does depend on the manufacturer. The same applies to power banks and hubs. This is the era in which many manufacturers moved away from proprietary power bricks because USB-C offered the power they needed in a very convenient form factor. Notable examples include Nintendo’s Switch, Ultrabooks, and Chromebooks.
USB PD 3.0 brought PPS (Programmable Power Supply) to the standard, with voltages between 3.3 and 21V at 3A. USB PD 3.0 provided a fine-grained approach to power negotiation. By negotiating a more efficient power profile, devices could charge faster and at lower temperatures. There is still the 100W hard limit, but PPS favors efficiency over raw power. USB PD 3.0 is common in flagship smartphones because it supports flexible charging rates, improves battery life, and, of course, reduces heat. These are all factors to consider when charging smaller devices.
USB PD 3.0 is now a decade old and has become the de facto standard for chargers, thanks to its expansive voltage range that supports a wide range of devices.
Released in 2021, USB PD 3.1 introduced Extended Power Range (EPR) that added three new fixed voltages. These were 28V, 36V and 48V. It also saw the max power output extended to 240W when using an EPR cable.
The Adjustable Voltage Supply (AVS) enables 240W by providing 48V at 5. This high power output is typically used with GaN (Gallium Nitride) power supplies that use GaN semiconductors instead of the traditional silicon. The benefit of GaN is that it can be made smaller, more efficient, and it has much better heat dissipation. Other devices that use this standard are high-power laptops, such as gaming and workstation replacements. The Framework Laptop 16 is a chief example of a high-power laptop that employs USB PD 3.1.
USB PD 3.2 had no impact on any of the electrical standards used. Rather, it was a release to align the USB PD terminology with USB-IF branding.
The USB PD standard is constantly evolving, and with USB PD 3.1, we have a connector that offers plenty of power for gaming laptops and even enough power for mini PCs and multi-monitor setups. A future USB PC specification could one day solve all of our power connector problems.
Les Pounder Social Links Navigation Les Pounder is an associate editor at Tom's Hardware. He is a creative technologist and for seven years has created projects to educate and inspire minds both young and old. He has worked with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to write and deliver their teacher training program "Picademy".
Key considerations
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/usb/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/usb/the-usb-power-delivery-pd-specification-everything-you-need-to-know-about-usb-pd#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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