The USB 3.0 Promoter Group has announced that it is creating a brand new power delivery specification, which they feel will help to “extend the capabilities and usages” of cable bus power in USB applications.
Brad Saunders, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman said, “Building on the rapidly increasing industry momentum for using USB bus power to charge a broad range of mobile devices, the new USB Power Delivery specification extends USB’s cable power delivery capabilities beyond simple battery charging,”
He went on to say that, “For example, charging the battery of a notebook PC, or simply powering that notebook PC while actively using the USB data connection, would be possible. Conceivably, a notebook PC could rely solely on a USB connection for its source of power.”
The main new features of the forthcoming USB Power Delivery solution include:
- Compatible with existing cables and connectors
- Enables voltage and current values to be negotiated over the USB power pins
- Enables higher voltage and current in order to deliver power up to 100W
- Switchable source of power delivery without changing cable direction
- Coexists with USB Battery Charging 1.2 and works equally well with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
The new specification will be placed in front of industry review towards the end of the year, while additional information is due to be announced during the Intel Developer Forum, which will take place from September 13th to 15th this year.