Two issues regarding charging with "USB Basic Type-C"
Two issues regarding charging with "USB Basic Type-C"
I own an HP EliteBook 840 G3 Notebook. The specifications mention a "USB Basic Type-C" port. I need to connect my Android phone using this port. The issue is figuring out which cable to use so the laptop can both charge and transfer data.
Specifically:
1) The port is labeled "basic." Is it possible this means it can charge your phone as well? I want to understand its capabilities.
2) The port has a male and female side, but the manual doesn’t specify which one. I don’t know if it’s male or female without more details. Should I use the opposite type of cable? Do you know what the standard is for USB Type-C on this laptop?
The description seems to refer to a typical standard USB Type-C connection. The specifications and service manual don’t suggest any special features, as they would highlight newer or upgraded USB-C ports if present.
For any USB connection, the port is usually "female," meaning you insert the male end of the cable into it. With USB-C, there’s no physical difference between male and female ports beyond this basic design.
Ports built into computers and laptops are usually classified as "female".
Connectors on the ends of computer cables are usually classified as "male".
I avoid charging any devices directly from the USB-C port on my laptop, preferring to use a standard AC mains adapter. My laptop has a single USB-C port, so charging a phone depletes the laptop battery unnecessarily. There's also a chance that charging a phone with a faulty lead could damage the expensive laptop.
N.B. I do not classify powering a portable USB SSD as "charging".
I'm guessing HP's description of the port as "USB Basic Type-C" implies it does not include PD (Power Delivery) support to speed up charging external devices. Then again, I could be wrong.
https://www.howtogeek.com/769888/what-is...ry-usb-pd/
If the laptop's USB-C port is the only means of charging the computer, I would expect it to support PD with an external USB-C charger, but I would not expect the same port to support PD charging of other devices, when the laptop is acting as the power source. I hope that's not too confusing!
The speed at which a phone (or other device) charges depends on the USB-C cable and the "negotiation" when connecting. My smart phone will charge at 1820mA with one USB-A to USB-C lead from an AC power brick, but only 300mA with a different lead that looks exactly the same.
Some USB cables can only be used for charging, i.e. they are useless for data transfer. This has caught me out on several occasions so now I label all my cables to avoid confusion.