Question from the Customer:
We need to check if the Power Delivery Object (PDO) is correct on the factory side. To do so, we are planning to run tests by switching PDOs and then check if our Type-C docking station can switch to different voltage levels: 5V, 9V, 15V, and 20V. Can the USB Power Delivery Analyzer support this? Here are the details of what we’re looking for:
Per USB-IF:
- Power Data Objects (PDO)
- Source/Sink Capabilities are sent as a string of 1-7 PDOs
Multiple types defined:
- Fixed, Variable, Battery Supplies
Each object contains:
- Voltage, Operating/Max Current
- Misc. Characteristics (suspend behavior, swappable etc.)
Can you please advise if this is supported with the USB Power Delivery Analyzer?
Response from Technical Support:Thanks for your question! Here is the information your requested.
How the USB Power Delivery Analyzer and Data Center Work Together
Using the USB Power Delivery Analyzer with the Data Center Software supports monitoring and decoding Power Delivery (PD) protocol traffic on the CC1/CC2 (configuration channel) pins while concurrently passing through USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 data. The USB Power Delivery Analyzer non-intrusively monitors PD data through the USB Type-C connection.
 |
 |
Power Profiles are no longer used. Instead, the latest version of the Power Delivery specification uses a varying current across 5, 9, 12 and 20v, which can be monitored by the USB Power Delivery analyzer.
A Built-in Example of a Power Delivery Trace
To become familiar with real-time monitored data, we recommend downloading the Data Center Software and viewing the example Power Delivery trace. The Data Center Software captures all PD traffic and displays the decoded information. Here are the steps to take:
- Open Data Center Software and press 'F4' on your keyboard. This opens the Example Captures window.
- Scroll down until you see the PD trace file usbpd-laptop-2-auxmodedevice.tdc.
- Select that file and click OK.
The displayed example trace is from a real-time capture between a Type-C SINK and SOURCE. Looking at it, you can see how the PD messages are decoded and displayed. You should see similar information when you do a capture on your system.
Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:
We hope this answers your question. Need more information? You can contact us at sales@totalphase.com. You can also request a demo that applies to your application.