Customer Review
- Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2015UPDATED REVIEW (April 6, 2016, for refreshed model) :
Benson here again, continuing my reviews of USB Type C legacy cables. Today I am reviewing Anker's "PowerLine USB-C to USB 3.0 Cable (3ft)"
Let's talk about spec compliance. My test setup today include a Chromebook Pixel 2015, and a Chromium OS USB-PD Sniffer (codename Twinkie). Please check it out by searching google for "Chromium USB-PD Sniffer". This product is also available on Amazon here :Plugable USB 3.1 Type-C (USB-C) Power Delivery Sniffer
I got a comment in one of my previous reviews that I should be testing with a 2.4A capable power supply to demonstrate that the cable is of good enough quality to sustain 2.4A charging, so for this review, I am using one of Apple's 1st party power adapters with a 5.2V, 2.4A charging capability, specifically Apple's 12W iPad charger.
Running the ectool command on Pixel:
localhost ~ # ectool --dev 1 usbpdpower
Port 0: SNK Charger Proprietary 4750mV / 2400mA, max 5000mV / 2400mA / 12000mW
Port 1: SRC
In this case, the Pixel has negotiated up to 2.4A of charging through the Anker cable to the Apple charger.
Switching over to the USB PD sniffer, I'll run the "tw cc" command to get a voltage reading on both CC lines:
> tw cc
CC1 = 21 mV ; CC2 = 429 mV
The important number to look at here is CC2, which indicates a voltage of 429mV. If you refer to the USB Type-C Specification 1.1 Table 4-25.
Look at the row labeled vRd-USB, which indicates the legal voltage values to read from the CC pin in order to be categorized as "Default USB Power". The range is Min : 0.25V Max : 0.61V. For this cable, I measured a value of 0.429V right in the middle of this range, indicating that yes, this cable has a 56kΩ resistor and is within spec for CC termination.
One more twinky command :
> tw vbus
VBUS = 4771 mV ; -2449 mA
The vbus command here uses twinkie's built in current and voltage meter. It's confirmed that Pixel is charging at 2.4A.
For a USB 2.0 High Speed data test, I’ve hooked my Nexus 5X to a Windows 10 laptop via the Anker Type-A to Type-C cable to test large file transfer via MTP. It just works, no problem!
For a USB 3.1 SuperSpeed data test, I've hooked up my Pixel C to a Windows 10 laptop using the Anker cable, and verified that it indeed enumerates at SuperSpeed using the USBView.exe app, and that large file transfers are stable. This is a great cable to have for MacBook users especially who want to use Target Disk Mode, which requires a SuperSpeed capable USB cable.
For other more subjective judgements of this cable : This is an upgrade to Anker's previous A-to-C USB cable that I also reviewed favorably. The most visible changes from the older Anker cables is a more rounded off overmold with a different strain relief on both ends.
The Type-C plug on this cable is a very good quality plug made with a deep-draw extrusion process. The plug is a single continuous piece of metal all the way around, meaning it's stronger than other stamped type plugs. This type of plug is the same kind that is used on all of Google and Apple's Type-C plugs, and the quality shows here. This cable is also USB 3.1 compatible, and it impresses because the cable is still very thin and flexible despite having extra wires for SuperSpeed functionality. Like all Anker cables, it comes with a very handy velcro cable tie. In my opinion, the fit and finish of the Anker cable is at the same level as the ones from the first parties including Google, Apple, and others.
In conclusion, this is a fine cable for your Nexus 6P/5X to use with all of your older USB Type-A chargers, hubs, and PCs. It also works great with Chromebook Pixel 2015 and will work great on USB Type-C spec compliant devices to come, as well as future proof for USB 3.1 SuperSpeed devices!
ORIGINAL Review (November 11, 2015)
Benson here again, reviewing 3rd party legacy cables. This time I am reviewing Anker's USB-C to USB 3.0 Cable.
According to my test using a Chromebook Pixel, this cable correctly identifies itself using the 56k pullup resistor on CC. This identifies itself to the Type-C device as a "Default USB Power" source, which means that the device (my Chromebook in this case) will fall back to either BC1.2's charging levels, or to 500mA or 900mA SDP if BC1.2 is not supported. It will also support proprietary charging protocols, for example Apple's 12W iPad charging protocol, if your device supports it.
Depending on your USB Type-A charger and your device, you should be able to charge from a range of .5A to 2.4A using this cable.
This cable also supports USB 3.0, meaning it has all of the wires necessary to support SuperSpeed operation. This is especially important for 12" MacBook users who want to use this cable for Target Disk Mode. TDM requires a SuperSpeed cable to work.
In conclusion, a high quality offering by Anker. I recommend it!
5.0 out of 5 starsUPDATED REVIEW (April 6, 2016, for refreshed model) :Anker's new SuperSpeed A-to-C cable has the correct CC termination! A great legacy cable for your Type-C devices!
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2015
Benson here again, continuing my reviews of USB Type C legacy cables. Today I am reviewing Anker's "PowerLine USB-C to USB 3.0 Cable (3ft)"
Let's talk about spec compliance. My test setup today include a Chromebook Pixel 2015, and a Chromium OS USB-PD Sniffer (codename Twinkie). Please check it out by searching google for "Chromium USB-PD Sniffer". This product is also available on Amazon here : [[ASIN:B015X29HLM Plugable USB 3.1 Type-C (USB-C) Power Delivery Sniffer]]
I got a comment in one of my previous reviews that I should be testing with a 2.4A capable power supply to demonstrate that the cable is of good enough quality to sustain 2.4A charging, so for this review, I am using one of Apple's 1st party power adapters with a 5.2V, 2.4A charging capability, specifically Apple's 12W iPad charger.
Running the ectool command on Pixel:
localhost ~ # ectool --dev 1 usbpdpower
Port 0: SNK Charger Proprietary 4750mV / 2400mA, max 5000mV / 2400mA / 12000mW
Port 1: SRC
In this case, the Pixel has negotiated up to 2.4A of charging through the Anker cable to the Apple charger.
Switching over to the USB PD sniffer, I'll run the "tw cc" command to get a voltage reading on both CC lines:
> tw cc
CC1 = 21 mV ; CC2 = 429 mV
The important number to look at here is CC2, which indicates a voltage of 429mV. If you refer to the USB Type-C Specification 1.1 Table 4-25.
Look at the row labeled vRd-USB, which indicates the legal voltage values to read from the CC pin in order to be categorized as "Default USB Power". The range is Min : 0.25V Max : 0.61V. For this cable, I measured a value of 0.429V right in the middle of this range, indicating that yes, this cable has a 56kΩ resistor and is within spec for CC termination.
One more twinky command :
> tw vbus
VBUS = 4771 mV ; -2449 mA
The vbus command here uses twinkie's built in current and voltage meter. It's confirmed that Pixel is charging at 2.4A.
For a USB 2.0 High Speed data test, I’ve hooked my Nexus 5X to a Windows 10 laptop via the Anker Type-A to Type-C cable to test large file transfer via MTP. It just works, no problem!
For a USB 3.1 SuperSpeed data test, I've hooked up my Pixel C to a Windows 10 laptop using the Anker cable, and verified that it indeed enumerates at SuperSpeed using the USBView.exe app, and that large file transfers are stable. This is a great cable to have for MacBook users especially who want to use Target Disk Mode, which requires a SuperSpeed capable USB cable.
For other more subjective judgements of this cable : This is an upgrade to Anker's previous A-to-C USB cable that I also reviewed favorably. The most visible changes from the older Anker cables is a more rounded off overmold with a different strain relief on both ends.
The Type-C plug on this cable is a very good quality plug made with a deep-draw extrusion process. The plug is a single continuous piece of metal all the way around, meaning it's stronger than other stamped type plugs. This type of plug is the same kind that is used on all of Google and Apple's Type-C plugs, and the quality shows here. This cable is also USB 3.1 compatible, and it impresses because the cable is still very thin and flexible despite having extra wires for SuperSpeed functionality. Like all Anker cables, it comes with a very handy velcro cable tie. In my opinion, the fit and finish of the Anker cable is at the same level as the ones from the first parties including Google, Apple, and others.
In conclusion, this is a fine cable for your Nexus 6P/5X to use with all of your older USB Type-A chargers, hubs, and PCs. It also works great with Chromebook Pixel 2015 and will work great on USB Type-C spec compliant devices to come, as well as future proof for USB 3.1 SuperSpeed devices!
ORIGINAL Review (November 11, 2015)
Benson here again, reviewing 3rd party legacy cables. This time I am reviewing Anker's USB-C to USB 3.0 Cable.
According to my test using a Chromebook Pixel, this cable correctly identifies itself using the 56k pullup resistor on CC. This identifies itself to the Type-C device as a "Default USB Power" source, which means that the device (my Chromebook in this case) will fall back to either BC1.2's charging levels, or to 500mA or 900mA SDP if BC1.2 is not supported. It will also support proprietary charging protocols, for example Apple's 12W iPad charging protocol, if your device supports it.
Depending on your USB Type-A charger and your device, you should be able to charge from a range of .5A to 2.4A using this cable.
This cable also supports USB 3.0, meaning it has all of the wires necessary to support SuperSpeed operation. This is especially important for 12" MacBook users who want to use this cable for Target Disk Mode. TDM requires a SuperSpeed cable to work.
In conclusion, a high quality offering by Anker. I recommend it!Images in this review
Product Details
4.5 out of 5 stars
856 global ratings
