Passmark USB Power Delivery Tester PRO

Yes, you can control and monitor several testers from one PC. You need one USB port per device. Separate software must be run for each connected device.

Yes, the PC software can record and display all power supply messages sent and read by the tester.

A continuous power dissipation of 240 W is possible. To ensure this function, the tester must be in a cool environment (e.g. 21 °C) and the device must be well ventilated. The device switches off automatically when the heat sink temperature reaches 75 °C or the internal MOSFET junction temperature reaches 150 °C.

The programmable power supply (PPS) is one of the additions to the USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 standard. The output voltage of a power supply can be adjusted in small steps (20 mV) beyond the specified range under programme control.

Quick Charge is a proprietary technology from Qualcomm that enables battery-powered devices to be charged with more than the usual 5 volts and 2 amps. QC1, QC2, QC3, QC4 and QC4+ are supported.

Not at present. Details of the API can be found below. The device can also be used independently without a PC connection.

Maximum 20 profiles (depending on what the device under test supports)

Any voltage between 3.3 V and 48 V can be used for the sink port (depending on the power profiles supported by the device under test). Voltages between 3.3 V and 20 V can be provided at the source port.

The source port is flexibly configurable and allows the emulation of the most common chargers as well as the creation of unusual chargers to test the behaviour of the device under test. The source port supports the following protocols, each of which can be customised:

USB Power Delivery (up to 100 W, types: FIXED, PPS, SPR-AVS).
Quick Charge 3 (200 mV steps, 12 V or 20 V max.).
USB-C CC line pull-up resistance value, Rp (USB-C standard, USB-C @ 1.5 A, USB-C @ 3 A).
BC1.2 SDP and DCP.
All Apple / Divider mode types.
Samsung 2A / 1.2 V/1.2 V mode.
Once a customised charger has been created, it can be stored in the device's memory. Up to five chargers can be saved at the same time, making it easy to switch between different emulated chargers.

Yes, you can override the limit displayed by the device via the PC software. This allows you to simulate a faulty USB device. This is useful, for example, if you are an electrical engineer developing a charger and need to test its safety. WARNING: Although USB chargers switch off in the event of overcurrent, this can happen. The consequences can be a serious failure of the device under test. Smoke, fire, short circuits and risk of electric shock are possible.

To measure the capacity of a USB power bank or battery pack, first make sure that the battery is fully charged. Switch on the USB Power Delivery Tester PRO and connect it to a monitoring device while the monitoring software is running. Click on "Reset capacity" in the user interface. Then connect the power bank to the USB Power Delivery Tester PRO. Then set the current to a value that appropriately reflects the capacity of the power bank (e.g. 1000 mA or 1500 mA). The current can be set precisely via the user interface of the USBPD test software. Please note that the current strength does not necessarily have to be set to the maximum specified value, as higher current strengths can lead to greater heat dissipation, which reduces the efficiency of the power bank. Then let the device run until the voltage is zero. This may take longer than an hour. As soon as the voltage is zero, the power bank is fully discharged. Make a note of the value displayed under "Capacity". The value is given in mAh (milliampere hours). For example, a capacity value of 2000 mAh at a current of 1000 mA would mean that the power bank supplied power for a total of 2 hours. A capacity value of 2250 mAh at a current of 1500 mA would mean that the power bank supplied power for a total of 1.5 hours. Below is a screenshot of a measurement taken after drawing 1000 mA of current from a power bank for about 1.3 hours. The capacity is 1304 mAh.

The device should provide accurate measurements right out of the box with its standard calibration. The typical standard accuracy is around 1% for voltage measurements and ±10 mA for current measurements. Therefore, no further calibration is required for most applications. However, experienced users with suitable third-party equipment can calibrate the PM240 testers to improve the accuracy of voltage and current measurements.

Yes, using the USB Power Delivery Tester PRO in conjunction with a Passmark USB3 loopback connector, you can test USB Type-C cables to verify the specified current, voltage drop and data integrity across the cable. Tools required:
A USB Power Delivery Tester PRO
USB3 loopback connector
A desktop computer with a USB Type-C port (PD support). The current rating of the Type-C port should be higher than the current carrying capacity of the cable to be tested.
Set up the test environment
Switch on the USB Power Delivery Tester PRO by connecting the analysis port to the computer.
Connect a USB3 loopback plug to the loopback port of the USB Power Delivery Tester PRO.
Start the USBPDTest application.
Activate the loopback connection in the menu.
Make sure that the current limitation is set to "Force limits".
Start the USB30Test application.
Select "Loopback test" and activate the "Check bus errors" option in the configuration window.
Cable test
Testing the Power Delivery communication

Connect the USB host port with the USB Type-C cable to be tested to the "Device under test" port. If the message "Rotate connector" appears on the tester's LCD display, rotate the cable from the connection point to the "Device under test" port.
check the displayed profiles in the protocol window. You should be able to see all port power profiles whose current is equal to or less than the cable current.
Check maximum voltage drop
Find the voltage that corresponds to the highest available current and select it from the "Voltage" drop-down list.
Wait until the message "Port function changed" appears in the log window. This means that the PD communication was successful and the new profile is selected and provided by the port.
Move the slider to the maximum current and check the voltage to make sure it is within specification. If the voltage leaves the valid range, a red log line will be displayed.
Check data integrity

Click on "Start" in the USB30Test application and monitor the log window to ensure that the communication is error-free. The test should run for at least 10 seconds and no error should be reported at the end of the loopback test.

Yes, we have a sample Python script that runs automated tests against a list of user-defined profiles. The script selects the profiles individually and performs a voltage test with different loads. The user is notified if the voltage is out of specification. At the end of the test, an overall "pass/fail" rating is issued.

The USB-C port is small and fragile. This applies to all devices with a USB-C port. The connector is not designed for the high number of cable inputs and outputs that can occur in a production environment. Over time, the pins wear out and intermittent electrical contact occurs. Twisting or excessive insertion force on the connection can also cause it to come loose and fail.

For tests in the production line (e.g. hundreds of inputs and outputs per day), we recommend using an additional disposable extension cable that can remain permanently connected to the USB PD tester. Should the connection of the disposable cable fail, it can be replaced at low cost.

USB Type-C connectors consist of 24 small pins spaced 0.5 mm apart. This design makes the connector very fragile and increases the risk of a short circuit between two pins. To avoid damaging the USB Type-C connector, we recommend the following when connecting and disconnecting devices to the USB Power Delivery Tester:
Plug in and unplug the cable as straight as possible.
Never unplug the cable if more than 5 V is set. In this case, a short circuit between two pins is more likely and can cause damage.
Do not pull in the cable with more force than necessary.
Always leave one side of the cable plugged into the USB Power Delivery Tester PRO and only connect/disconnect test devices from the other side of the cable.
Avoid moving or vibrating the cable during use.

The ripple value is calculated based on the difference between the maximum and minimum voltage measured during the entire test run. We recommend performing the test several times to determine the average ripple. Note that transients are not excluded from the measurement. Also ensure that the voltage remains constant during the tests.

The source/loopback port should only be connected to devices that consume power and cannot be connected to devices that supply power (Note: All USB Type-A ports supply power). USB Type-C ports that are configured as USB data hosts and power consumers can be connected to the source/loopback port.