USB cable tester - recommendations

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mdf

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#294113 6-Mar-2022 11:35

I'm after a USB cable tester to test charging (so voltage and amps) on cables - we have an enormous pile of cables, and keen to weed out the good ones from the bad/suspect/charging constrained. I see a vast array on ebay, Trademe et al, so anyone with specific recommendations?

Unfortunately it is a mix of USB-A --> Micro USB, USB-A --> USB-C and USB-C --> USB-C cables to test. Though I'm hoping adapters might deal with that, rather than an over-elaborate testing system.

I've already got a (very) basic network tester, so dedicated USB tester or combined network + USB tester is fine if it offers the best option.

Gordy7

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#2879847 6-Mar-2022 15:44

I went with a simple USB tester and a resistive load some years ago. Useful for checking chargers, cables plus phone and tablet loads.

A more up to date tester version is shown below. You might need a few extra adapters to suit your cables and connector combinations.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32854809579.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.1.63155979Dog1bQ

USB Load with switched resistors:

I have a board with 4 resistors for various loads.... does not seem to be available now.... but here is a 2 resistor version.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32717673669.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.5.7cb07967DVYRGI

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

mdf

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#2879852 6-Mar-2022 16:05

Thanks! Have ordered the fancy 4-way looking one - seems to have all of USB A, C and micro!

Gordy7

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#2879886 6-Mar-2022 17:17

mdf:

Thanks! Have ordered the fancy 4-way looking one - seems to have all of USB A, C and micro!

Any chance of a link?

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

neb

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#2879988 6-Mar-2022 22:17

Most USB cables other than USB-C are garbage, there's some EE guy who has a web page where he reports the results from testing a pile of different cables and some of them are so bad that he describes them as "a very long thin resistor". Even with USB-C you run into problems with out-of-spec cables, or out-of-spec devices that get things like the CC resistors wrong and what looks like a power supply or cable problem is actually a device problem. In particular what you need to test USB cables is a dummy load to see what they perform like at various current draws, the switched-resistor loads are OK for basic testing but remember that what you're measuring isn't the voltage at a draw of (say) 1A but the voltage at what would be 1A if you had a perfect cable. To actually measure the voltage at 1A draw you'll need an electronic load.

mdf

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#2880733 7-Mar-2022 20:35

Gordy7:

Any chance of a link?

This is the one I've ordered (though it looks like I got the last one): https://www.ebay.com/itm/403085244260. I think this is the same one you suggested, but from ebay rather than AliX - I'm sure it's all the same sellers, but overall I've had better experiences with ebay.

mdf

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#2880735 7-Mar-2022 20:38

neb: Most USB cables other than USB-C are garbage, there's some EE guy who has a web page where he reports the results from testing a pile of different cables and some of them are so bad that he describes them as "a very long thin resistor". Even with USB-C you run into problems with out-of-spec cables, or out-of-spec devices that get things like the CC resistors wrong and what looks like a power supply or cable problem is actually a device problem. In particular what you need to test USB cables is a dummy load to see what they perform like at various current draws, the switched-resistor loads are OK for basic testing but remember that what you're measuring isn't the voltage at a draw of (say) 1A but the voltage at what would be 1A if you had a perfect cable. To actually measure the voltage at 1A draw you'll need an electronic load.

Hasn't arrived yet, but I was under the impression this style of one worked by sitting between the charger and device i.e. charger --> cable --> tester --> device. I was planning on testing this with something like a powerbank. I'm basically trying to weed out the worst offending cables, so hopefully will work for that.

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Gordy7

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#2880738 7-Mar-2022 20:55

mdf:

Gordy7:

Any chance of a link?

This is the one I've ordered (though it looks like I got the last one): https://www.ebay.com/itm/403085244260. I think this is the same one you suggested, but from ebay rather than AliX - I'm sure it's all the same sellers, but overall I've had better experiences with ebay.

That tester looks good.

I sometimes get called by family and friends with 'my phone or tablet won't charge'

Often plugs and sockets have been thrashed or they have used the incorrect charger - not knowing that chargers are different or a device needs more current.

So these testers provide useful info but a bit of detective work is also required.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

neb

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#2880745 7-Mar-2022 21:23

mdf:
Hasn't arrived yet, but I was under the impression this style of one worked by sitting between the charger and device i.e. charger --> cable --> tester --> device. I was planning on testing this with something like a powerbank. I'm basically trying to weed out the worst offending cables, so hopefully will work for that.

Ah, OK, so you're using the device as the load. That'll work if you're wanting to test the behaviour of that particular device with that particular cable, but may not characterise the cable in general.

Also, before you add the cable to the mix, plug the tester straight into the charger to see whether the charger is the problem, then add the cable. I've seen chargers that start to sag over about 1A, but also 1A chargers that are still delivering > 5V at 2A, which is either good (reliable over-engineering) or bad (no safety circuitry so they'll eventually cook themselves).

In any case though really bad cables will be so obviously bad that it shouldn't be hard to find them.

richms

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#2880765 7-Mar-2022 22:55

I had a particularly bad cable that I ended up wanting to cut up to just use the micro usb plug on it from something else and found that the clueless people that made it had used one of the thin data wires for the negative power, and the thick power one for the data -. I guess they stuff one end up so just do the same on the other and it passed the continuity test at the sweatshop cable factory that made them to bundle with arduino clones etc. Was a pretty transparent blue insulation cable that was sticky and stunk too.

I don't bother testing them now. The kmart USB-C cables work great. I bought a few of them and the rest I have are just used for data to random low power hobby junk stuff.

Richard rich.ms