Something something ground loop detection, maybe.
Comment on Break science with this one weird trick
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 3 months agoI wonder by what method it does that? put out a pulse code on the power out and look for it? Some USB cables don’t actually carry the data lines through, so.
ShortFuse@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Johanno@feddit.org 3 months ago
You either have a ping before connecting and if you get a response don’t do it. Or you send some high frequency wave additionally to the power. You can detect that signal and then stop accepting the power.
Basically like ethernet over powerlines work.
Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 months ago
Probably just sends a number as data, and if it gets it back then doesn’t charge.
You’re right that some cables don’t carry data, but most do and as long as the cable that comes with it does then it’s going to be fine for 99% of cases.
There’ll often be a way to break it like going through a USB hub, but most people aren’t actively trying to damage things. I can see people wrapping the cable around it and plugging both ends in to stop them flapping about though.
dabaldeagul@feddit.nl 3 months ago
I imagine plugging a powerbank into itself just causes a short circuit. Detecting that isn’t the most uncommon thing fafaik.
Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 3 months ago
What about all those usb handshakes? It think it will just drain itself with heat and damage the battery slightly while doing so.
recarsion@discuss.tchncs.de 3 months ago
Next technological revolution will be breakers in powerbanks
Zwiebel@feddit.org 3 months ago
There should be a bunch of tiny fuses in there