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Comment by bartvk | Hacker News Reader

I no longer buy anything without a USB-C port. I hit a snag with my beard trimmer and my first-gen OnePlus bluetooth earbuds, which can only be charged with a USB-A-to-USB-C cable. But other than that, I'm good to go.

I understand the many, many articles that claim it's a mess. And although that may be true, I'm very happy with USB-C.

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A USB C to USB C cable should still work. Anker even sell some charge-only ones (or at least, they're only USB 2 inside)

As far as I know, a USB-C charger should never have a hot V+/V- and that is what my beard trimmer requires. EDIT: alias_neo corrected me, and pointed out that it's D+/D- I'm thinking about.

On the other hand, this is expected behavior for a USB-A charger, and thus for a USB-A-to-C cable.

Your beard trimmer is likely missing the 5.1k resistors to GND on the CC pins, which enables the USB-C charger to output 5V. I had several devices (mostly flashlights with integrated battery chargers) that would only charge using A-C cables. After adding the resistors, C-C cables also work.

Probably, yes. I could do some soldering on the beard trimmer, but the electronics in the earbuds are positively microscopic.

Perhaps you mean D+/D-? You won't get very far if V+/V- aren't supplying any current.

Actually, V+ (the correct name is Vbus) not supplying any current is the correct initial state for a USB-C socket. It instead provides a small current on each of the two CC pins (usually through a pull-up resistor on each pin), and only after it detects that the other side is drawing that current (usually through a 5.1kΩ resistor to GND on each pin) will it supply power on Vbus.

Yeah I think you're right! Updated my comment.

The USB-C Madness never seems to stop.

Wait... How does it charge if it does not supply voltage?

Another poster on this same level provided the info! I made an error.

Although power delivery does have complications, I think the real mess will be software.

Sort of like the cat and mouse of lighting cables.

Guessing I have the same beard trimmer as you, with a micro-USB port. It's great for travel but sucks to have to carry around an extra cable now.

I'm thinking of trying to convert it to USB-C, similar to what this guy did: https://youtu.be/V-vFtiDYiIw?t=538

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