EEVBlog also talked about this in a mailbag episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEZQvSgdA2k&t=1839s
And they also have different cable versions available: caberqu.com
Oh, that kind of bad usb cable. Still useful I guess.
This tool for finding bad USB-C cables
Submitted 5 months ago by quiescentcurrent@discuss.tchncs.de to technology@lemmy.world
https://hackaday.com/2023/08/11/usb-c-cable-tester-is-compact-and-affordable/
Comments
peto@lemm.ee 5 months ago
quiescentcurrent@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
Not sure what else, but the thing can tell you if a cable is USB2.0, USB3.0/3.1/… or just for charging.
01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 5 months ago
I’m pretty sure they thought the article meant this type of badusb cable. I did, too, at first.
Romkslrqusz@lemm.ee 5 months ago
There are superior versions of this that include every physical USB port (A, B, C, Micro, Mini, and even lightning) so that you can test any cable instead of just type C to type C.
jenny_ball@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Link? i have this one only
Romkslrqusz@lemm.ee 5 months ago
Here’s the one I use: treedix.com/…/treedix-usb-cable-tester-board-usb-…
The exposed pads are also fantastic to break out data lines for measurement when performing electronics repairs.
paddirn@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Is it common for USB-C cables to go bad? I just had a cable for an Xbox controller start to go bad somehow in a way I hadn’t seen before. When plugged in, it will cause the Xbox to power off. Swapping out the cable, but using the same controller made the problem go away, so it’s definitely the cable causing it. It’s the same USB-C cable we had been using for awhile with this controller, it’s what came with it.
567PrimeMover@kbin.social 5 months ago
I have a USB-C cable that will only work in a specific orientation. So I'll plug in a device, laptop won't recognize it, (sigh) unplug and flip the cable, and then everything works.
thisisbutaname@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
USB-A’s legacy lives on
lloram239@feddit.de 5 months ago
If you wiggle them around long enough, they all go bad. But it should take a few years under normal use. They are rated for around 10,000 insertions. Cable bending can also damage them.
The more annoying part with modern USB is that not all cables are alike to begin with. Cheap charging cables that you get with random gadgets (e.g. flashlights, fans, etc.) will often just have two pins connected, meaning they work only for charging, not data. Others might have data pins, but only enough for USB2, not USB3 speeds. Others might have too much resistance slowing down charging or dropping too much voltage to even have a device function properly at the other end (common issue with long cables or extensions). And so on. Rather annoying to deal with when you just have some random cables floating around, as there is absolutely no labeling or color coding to differentiate the cables.
jenny_ball@lemmy.world 5 months ago
it’s not that they go bad. this tool can tell you what features are on the cable because the cables vary a lot.
riskable@programming.dev 5 months ago
It’s not the cable that goes bad it’s the connectors on the ends: They wear out.
sagrotan@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Am I missing something here or is this roughly the same what you get for 4 bucks from China? I mean, 30 euros plus shipping is a lot for a cable tester imo
phx@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
Do you trust the $4 tester from China to test the suspect cheap cables from China?
XeroxCool@lemmy.world 5 months ago
50% failure rate of the cables and 50% failure of the tester means a problem will be found 100% of the time, but it dmwont tell you where. Or something.
topinambour_rex@lemmy.world 5 months ago
This one seems to test much more lines than the cheap chinese ones.
jadedwench@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Oh man! Super happy to see his channel on here. Dave is the shit and is the only reason I can half ass solder things. His intro soldering videos are great.
SaintWacko@midwest.social 5 months ago
I have a really cool one of those for serial cables
lnxtx@feddit.nl 5 months ago
Null modem or straight through.
jamesalan@discuss.tchncs.de 4 months ago
annata20@discuss.tchncs.de 4 months ago
Consider using a USB-C analyzer or connections tester. These devices can provide information about the cable’s performance, power delivery capabilities, and compliance with USB standards.
Eideen@lemmy.world 5 months ago
If it tested the resistance i would be great.
DonPiano@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
No point; resistance is futile.
I’ll just see myself out.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
There are some cheap testers for that. Even om amazon
noodlejetski@lemm.ee 5 months ago
heh
JaymesRS@literature.cafe 5 months ago
You still need a multimeter, but the one I have (Treedix.com) has easily accessible electrical contacts for testing resistance.