Sounds a bit like the Apple Macbook ones. They have a 1-wire bus to a microcontroller in the magsafe plug. This allows the macbook to tell it to switch on the green or amber LED, and the macbook reads the max power the supply can deliver (45W, 65W, or 85W IIRC). It also reads a flag saying if the power supply is allowed to charge the battery, or only to run the macbook (airplane power supplies are not allowed to charge the battery, only to power the computer). There's other data available too, such as serial number - this is all displayed by the macbook system status if the magsafe is connected.
As you suggest, very similar to the Dell then (albeit without the LED).
Yup, similar again.
Ah, didn't know that but it makes sense.
It's funny isn't it ... as all this technology moves on how we might assume say the Apple PSU is more expensive than a more straightforward one but then it's (possibly) made to a higher standard (than a Chinese clone especially) 'std' laptop charger / PSU.
But then many other manufacturers 'manage' without all this complexity ... like we did with 'points' in cars before computers took over. How many cars have ever been written off because the points failed ... ?
But I know, with all this 'intelligence' often comes better management and control. That said, I'm not sure all this more complicated electronics (that has a lower MTBF?) is any good for the environment when we chuck it away?
(I was just reading that my Samsung Galaxy S4 can charge at ~2A if you use their supplied charger as it uses voltages on the USB TX/RX data wires to indicate it's presence. Personally I prefer to charge it at around 800mA using the old charger from my S2. Ok, it might take longer but it's still quicker than 'overnight' and the likelihood it will stay cooler and possibly last longer?)
Cheers, T i m
p.s. I've just found the 'Ampere' Android app and it's quite interesting for measuring charge rates etc (assuming it's accurate).
That isnt even possible with the lightning connector waving around in the breeze on the end of the cable with the other end of the cable plugged into the mains charger.
Sure, but that is after its been plugged into the iPhone.
There likely is some protection in the mains charger that stops any short on the connector itself when its not plugged into an iPhone from damaging the connector 'pins' but I haven't been game to try it because of the cost of a new one.
Someone must have tried it on youtube, must have a look sometime.
That one is different from the one I was commenting on, and appears to be just a short male uUSB to female uUSB adapter with a magnetic break in the middle. So you should be able to plug anything into it which has a male uUSB at one end - including an OTG cable/adapter.
[You probably mean Lightning rather than Thunderbolt - close!]
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