Power Delivery (PD) is a term that is thrown around when discussing USB-C hubs and chargers, but do you really know what it means and what it does? Continue reading to learn more about PD as well as the benefits.
What is Power Delivery (PD) in USB-C hubs?
USB-C Power Delivery (PD) hubs can pass through power to charge the host device they are connected to — such as laptops, tablets and cell phones — while connected to multiple peripherals such as an external display, drives, SD, microSD, printer, mouse or keyboard. The last version of PD 3.0 was capable of 100W, but the latest version of 3.1 can handle up to 240W.
How important is it to have PD ports on your USB-C hubs?
The PD port will free up one of your host device ports that was going to be used to power your device, so you can pass the power through the USB-C hub. If you are looking for an affordable, high-quality hub with this spec, the EZQuest USB-C Multimedia 10-in-1 Gen 2 Hub is equipped with a 100W high speed PD port version 3.0 input with pass-through charging up to 88W output and FRS technology.
How much power does a USB-C hub need to operate?
The amount of power that the USB-C hub needs is determined by the design, the number of ports and the specification of each port. It could range from 5W to 20W.
Does your device provide enough power to run your USB-C hub without connecting the PD port?
What the EZQuest team has learned over the years is that each device — laptops, tablets and cell phones — provides a different amount of power through the USB-C port to the USB-C hub. This is why we recommend, if your device allows, powering your device through the PD port so your hub gets sufficient power.
Why won't my device charge when I connect my PD power adapter to the USB-C hub and then connect the hub to my device?
If your hub needs 15W to operate and your device is, for example, an iPad Pro which uses 20W power, you will be short 15W. This is why it won’t charge your iPad Pro. Apple provides a power adapter that is enough to run your iPad Pro — not the iPad Pro and a USB-C hub. The solution is to add the amount of power your hub uses to your power adapter. In this case, 20W plus 15W makes 45W. You can even go higher than 45W and it won’t hurt your hub or device. That is the beauty of USB-C Power Delivery technology.
