I just went to charge my kitchen scale and it wouldn’t work until I dug out a USB-A -> C cable and plugged it into my desktop…

It just reminded me of how many devices like that I have. This scale, my wife’s sound torc, some car jumperstarters, and I think a one or two more…

I assume it’s because they just slap a usbc port on a dumb 5v circuit that doesn’t have a power negotiation controller. So the cable and the charger cant figure out the power needs of the device are and just never send any.

  • brokenlcd@feddit.it
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    9 days ago

    All of that because they couldn’t be bothered to put two resistors for the detect pin.

    Remember, line must go up at any cost.

    • nick@midwest.social
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      9 days ago

      Bro have you SEEN the price of resistors lately?

      ……cuz I haven’t and I assume it’s fractions of a penny per.

      • Magister@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        I worked on an embedded product, on prototype there were pullup resistors on the RX/TX lines we used to plug a USB FTDI to do some debug. At manufacture they removed them, it created a floating RX that sometimes injected character that broke uboot…

        • Benjaben@lemmy.world
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          9 days ago

          I love stories from hardware / embedded design. Reminds me that black magic is real, and it’s a miracle any of this works.

          • Magister@lemmy.world
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            9 days ago

            What is completely incredible, is that there is some simple embedded devices, be it a thermostat, dishwasher, etc, that sold thousands/millions of units, and the firmware is done by one guy, a simple developer, and when it works, it is not touched again.

      • pdxfed@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        A fraction of a penny per? Have you seen superman? Office space? How do you think millionaires are made?