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0 pointsduskwuff2y ago0 comments

> Nintendo comes to mind; charging the Switch (the earlier models IIRC) with a third-party adapter was a lottery, and the losing prize was a fried console.

The problem you're thinking of was caused by a Nyko third-party docking station with a faulty hardware implementation of USB-PD. While Nintendo's software implementation of USB-PD was flawed in some ways, it didn't cause this problem.

> I think it was the NES or the SNES that used a standard barrel jack and voltage, but reversed the polarity, with no circuit to protect the console

There is, sadly, no "standard" polarity for barrel power jacks. Center-positive and center-negative are both fairly common.

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4 comments · 1 top-level

rollcat2y ago· 3 in thread

> While Nintendo's software implementation of USB-PD was flawed in some ways, it didn't cause this problem.

I stand corrected.

The dock however, still rejects non-Nintendo chargers. I have an MBP, a Thinkpad, an iPad, and a Switch - every device works with each other's (and third-party) chargers, except the Switch, when docked.

sleepybrett2y ago

I think these usb-c pd (and other) issues were corrected in the oled switches and the docks that come with them but the fixes might not have been total.

This comment, specifically about some of the technical details of the video out stuff points to at least some changes were done in the new generation: https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardware/comments/171c3mj/comme...

Someone can correct me on this as well. I've noticed that my switch will charge properly and quickly on their provided charger and a few other usb-c chargers I have but not certain other ones where it charges much slower. My theory has been that not all usb-c chargers are compatible with all voltages and that perhaps the switch's 'preferred fast-charge voltage' is somewhat uncommon (i think it's 17v?). Can anyone confirm this is how these things work? I just assume there is a negotiation where the charger says 'I can supply these voltages, and perhaps at these max amps, and the device choses one or none of them depending on it's needs.

rollcat2y ago

> I think these usb-c pd (and other) issues were corrected in the oled switches and the docks that come with them but the fixes might not have been total.

I have the OLED model, and the accompanying dock refuses every single non-Nintendo charger I've tried. It literally tells me so on the screen.

> My theory has been that not all usb-c chargers are compatible with all voltages [...].

Correct. Both devices present eachother with a list of supported modes, and negotiate the optimal one. If you try a fancy charger/powerbank with a screen, it will even present per-port current/voltage stats. Fun to observe the changing power draw on different devices.

Also if you plug another device to the same charger, it will trigger a re-negotiation, possibly end up in a different mode. LTT had a whole video on modding ancient consoles to use USB-PD, and the possible resulting issues.

https://linustechtips.com/topic/1470228-how-to-put-usb-c-pow...

sleepybrett2y ago

Turns out I seem to be right about the negotiation: https://acroname.com/sites/default/files/shared/blog-basic-p...

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4 comments · 1 top-level

rollcat2y ago· 3 in thread

> While Nintendo's software implementation of USB-PD was flawed in some ways, it didn't cause this problem.

I stand corrected.

sleepybrett2y ago

I think these usb-c pd (and other) issues were corrected in the oled switches and the docks that come with them but the fixes might not have been total.

rollcat2y ago

> I think these usb-c pd (and other) issues were corrected in the oled switches and the docks that come with them but the fixes might not have been total.

I have the OLED model, and the accompanying dock refuses every single non-Nintendo charger I've tried. It literally tells me so on the screen.

> My theory has been that not all usb-c chargers are compatible with all voltages [...].

https://linustechtips.com/topic/1470228-how-to-put-usb-c-pow...

sleepybrett2y ago

Turns out I seem to be right about the negotiation: https://acroname.com/sites/default/files/shared/blog-basic-p...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse