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ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

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Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#71

Post by lmilcin »

s_gourichon wrote: post #67
lmilcin wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing mind blowing. Processor is cheaper than building analog circuitry. Think about your toothbrush. All important timing parameters are configured digitally and you can easily change it. You can technically do the same with resonators but it would take much more board space, be less precise, require inductors which you want to avoid in the circuit, etc.

> important timing parameter You can also, well, use a regular toothbrush. What is actually important in a toothbrush has nothing to do with electronics.

Actually I switched to electronic toothbrush years ago as it cleans better. Now when I am deprived of my brush and have to rely on a normal brush I don't feel like I did good job cleaning my teeth. Part of this may be subjective feeling but various tests show that electronic toothbrush cleans better than regular one in most cases.

No, I don't need any special functionality other than to clean my teeth but if you were to design a toothbrush you would most likely be asked to implement those.

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#72

Post by chrisfinazzo »

tjoff wrote: post #53
breakfastduck wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think they're keeping lightening to help their 'eco' brand. They just removed chargers from the iPhone box because 'everyone has one' - if they suddenly changed to USB-C on iPhone it would create a LOT of ewaste. I still think they should switch, but I reckon it's because they'd get accused of hypocrisy if they deprecated it.

Even apple chargers are regular USB at the charger-end, right? Just include a cable then, problem solved. Or the apple way: an adapter.

Most of them, anyway.

I've been putting an Apple Watch SE through its initial paces over the past week and was mildly disappointed to find that only Series 6 ship with a Type C cable in the box - the SE uses Type A.

The same split is true for iPhone 12 Pro, so far as I can tell, even though (curiously) my 11 Pro from last year did include a 20W Type C Power Adapter in the box.

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#73

Post by Acinyx »

frederikvs wrote: post #24
Roritharr wrote: post #2

Once again i'm amazed what ALSO has a processor in it. I'm wondering if at some point I'll just see it as normal that nearly every device, no matter how static it may seem, has more processing power than my first computer.

Another thing to consider : more and more single-use items also have processors and electronics in them. At what point will disposable electronics have more processing power than, say, the Apollo flight computer? A couple of examples that I've noticed : There's a sports good store near here where they attach some form of RFID tag to each item (including individual protein bars), to automate the scanning. That means t…

Those RFIDs make it possible to not just scan them when the article gets bought, but also to very easily scan the inventory of the whole store by just walking through the store with a scanner.

Just as useful, although currently still more likely to be done with barcode scanners is to identify the products in the logistics chain. Right now you need scanning ports with at least 4 cameras/scanners or humans manually scanning each barcode, with RFIDs the port would be simplified further.

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#74

Post by lmilcin »

alexhutcheson wrote: post #68
lmilcin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am right now making backlight with RGB LEDs for my monitors. It is going to have Cortex-M4 ARM in it. I put into just about everything I build these days regardless of how small it is.

Is there a specific dev board with a Cortex-M4 that you like to use, or does it vary by project?

I have a bunch of STM32 Nucleo and Discovery boards that I use and which one I use will depend on circumstances.

For prototyping I use both breadboards and perfboards. I use breadboards for small fast prototypes and perfboards when I know I am going to develop it over a longer time or when I have some special requirements (like AC power on board or a component that has 2.54mm pitch but is not breadboardable) that exclude or make it more difficult to use on a breadboard.

For breadboard I would default to use STM32L432 Nucleo-32 which is breadboardable and doesn't use much space.

For perfboard I default on either STM32L452 Nucleo-64 or STM32F303 Discovery. I don't solder them to board but instead just insert it in the board and then put couple of pieces of plastic from 2.54mm pitch header with the metal pins removed. This mounts the board securely in place without having to solder it. I use dupont jumper wires to connect it to the rest of the board where I would typically solder the rest of components (unless I also don't want to solder them in for some reason).

I would typically solder in things that are disposable to me that I don't want to flap around.

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#75

Post by TheRealSteel »

bluefirex wrote: post #55
bluejekyll wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, Apple seems to be very confused in this regard. They’ve committed to USB-C for all of their computers, but then are continuing to push lightning for all the other portable devices. It’s hard not to be annoyed at them about this. Enough to not buy Apple again? No, not yet, but I’d be lying if it’s not a reason why I’ve delayed purchasing a new device. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and makes me grumpy. So I’l…

USB-C is now a requirement for me to upgrade my iPhone. I'm holding onto my XS until they switch to that.

The lack of USB-C is the reason I didn't replace my Airpods with more Airpods when their battery died.

(Still looking for a decent replacement -- I unfortunately cannot use the kind that has those rubber seal plug things, I must have the hard plastic style like the non-pro Airpods)

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#76

Post by vladvasiliu »

bluefirex wrote: post #38
TheRealSteel wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lost the charger for my Nintendo DS, I was able to MacGyver one out of a piece of cardboard and two strips of aluminium foil. A quick look at the USB-A port spec, and pin locations on the similar-to-USB-but-proprietary DS charging port indicated it was a very simple construction. Amazingly, this hack worked successfully and I was able to have my yearly Elite Beat Agents binge. The hardest part was actually not…

I forgot to take my MacBook Pro's charger with me but could still charge it using my iPad's charger (USB-A to USB-C, mind you) - albeit very slowly. Still better than nothing, though. If only iPhones had USB-C…

Huh. I think that's a good thing. Slow charging is better than a dead battery and unusable device.

My work HP laptop has USB-C charging but won't charge at all without PD. I tried it with a USB-A - C cable and a fairly hefty adapter without PD.

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#77

Post by lmilcin »

unilynx wrote: post #30
lmilcin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am right now making backlight with RGB LEDs for my monitors. It is going to have Cortex-M4 ARM in it. I put into just about everything I build these days regardless of how small it is.

Now I'm curious about the things you're building. They wouldn't happen to be on a blog somewhere?

No, I don't have a blog. These are just my private projects that I make for my own use. I am working as a software developer and learning electronics as a hobby.

The backlight is going to be a box supplied directly from AC, connecting up to 6 strips of individually addressable WS2812 RGB LEDs, providing up to 10A at 5V (50mA per LED == 200 LEDs at full power). It will be connected using galvanically isolated Full-Speed USB to the PC.

For now I will have some pre-programmed sequences but I plan to make a piece of software that will make it possible to match LEDs to the borders of image on the screen though I have no idea how to do that at the moment.

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#78

Post by vvanders »

meragrin_ wrote: post #57
Ellipsis753 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does. (Checksums)

Aren't checksums for error detection and not error correction? As I understand it, error correction is having enough information to correct the error while error detection is only knowing an error has occurred.

Error correction only makes sense if the latency of the read/write is long(i.e. spinning physical medium, co-sharrd radio channels).

FEC isn't free(~2x overhead per bit recovery if I remember right) so if your error rates are infrequent then it's worse to use FEC over just resend/reread.

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#79

Post by Craighead »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #20

What bothers me, is the prevalence of counterfeit and just plain bad-quality, cheap chips. These become so low-cost that corporate buyers pretty much have no choice, but to use them. The result, is things like expensive Bluetooth headsets, crapping out, after a year. I have been through quite a few. I/O ports see a lot of use (even virtual ones). Those are some of the hardest-working chips in a device. Not a good pla…

Corporate buyers always have a choice

Re: ACE: Apple Type-C Port Controller Secrets

#80

Post by dylanrw »

bluejekyll wrote: post #41
bluefirex wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I forgot to take my MacBook Pro's charger with me but could still charge it using my iPad's charger (USB-A to USB-C, mind you) - albeit very slowly. Still better than nothing, though. If only iPhones had USB-C…

Yes, Apple seems to be very confused in this regard. They’ve committed to USB-C for all of their computers, but then are continuing to push lightning for all the other portable devices. It’s hard not to be annoyed at them about this. Enough to not buy Apple again? No, not yet, but I’d be lying if it’s not a reason why I’ve delayed purchasing a new device. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and makes me grumpy. So I’l…

All these complex theories/complaints about lightning. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, one good reason for not shifting to USB-C is to keep IP ratings high.

Most USB-C sockets I can find are waterproof only with a matching cable plugged in.

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