2015年10月23日星期五

你或许不知的秘密,普通USB充电器也可以为MacBook Retina 12"充电

英文版本请点击这里。English version click here.

最近我很好奇一件事情。那就是,既然2015年新款Macbook Retina 12英寸(以下简称MB12)除了音频接口之外,就只有一个USB-C接口,而且兼容USB-PD协议。其标配充电器的输出标识为14.5V 2A (USB-PD) or 5.2V 2.4A (显然电压是有线补的,所以比标准电压略高)。苹果也在其官方网站确认,你可以使用第三方USB-PD兼容充电器为MB12充电 (传送门)。不过显然我关心的不止这一点。

考虑到USB无论怎么发展,其总是要照顾到兼容性的。那么如果使用一个完全普通的USB充电器,搭配USB-A到USB-C的转接线,可否给MB12充电呢?

Apple USB-C 29W 电源适配器. 额定输出: 14.5V@2A(USB-PD) or 5.2V@2.4A
图片来源:ChongDianTou.com

苹果一贯的风格是隐去具体的技术细节(默认情况下这是好事,用户不用想太多)。然而对电子爱好者来说,却没有办法得知具体细节,除非亲自实验。幸运的是,总会有敢于第一个吃螃蟹的人,为我们进行了相关的测试。以下测试来自互联网。

结论先行:你可以用第三方USB充电器为MB12充电,但建议使用USB-PD兼容的充电器。

警告:能充,并不意味着可靠或是安全。你应使用一个USB-PD兼容的,且输出功率足够的充电器 (例如Google的USB-C 60W通用电源适配器)。使用低额定输出功率的电源适配器为MB12充电可能导致电源适配器过热乃至起火。使用假冒伪劣的、不符合国家标准的充电器可能对MB12造成不可挽回的伤害,甚至有电击、起火乃至人身伤害。无论何种情况导致的伤害,我均不承担任何责任。虽然尽力校正和审阅文本,但我并不保证内容全部正确无误。任何测试,自负责任。 


测试一:来自 notquitemainstream.com (英文)

你可以使用谷歌的USB-C 60W通用电源适配器为MB12充电,但是这并不能充的更快,因为MB12只汲取12W的功率。
你可以使用苹果USB-C 29W充电器为谷歌Chromebook充电,代价是较低的充电速度,因为充电器只能输出29W的功率。

左边是: Google Universal USB-C 60W Charger compatile with USB-PD.右边是: Apple USB-C 29W Charger compatile with USB-PD.


测试二:来自 ChongDianTou.com (中文)

你可以使用第三方标准5V USB充电器为MB12充电,但代价是较低的充电速度。
有趣的是,MB12在标准充电和慢速充电时,显示的充电指示图案不同。

使用苹果官方USB-C 29W充电器(兼容USB-PD)充电.
额定输出功率29W,鉴于能量转换效率低于100%,输入功率为31.8W。

使用第三方5V 2.1A USB充电器为MB12充电。(此充电器虽然带USB-C接口但不兼容USB-PD)
Macbook判断其不兼容USB-PD,仅汲取5Vx1A=5W的功率。这有利于保障安全。
鉴于能量转换效率低于100%,输入功率为6.58W。

不同充电模式下,MB12的屏幕指示不同。上:正常充电;下:慢速充电。
(鉴于慢速充电功率不足,在开机状态下电池电量可能不增反降。)

测试三:来自 bbs.feng.com (中文)

这位勇敢的家伙,尝试使用苹果自家的iPhone电源适配器和iPad电源适配器为MB12充电。
结果证明,能充!当然了,速度会有大大的牺牲,同时仅应在应急情况下使用此办法。

使用iPad  5.1V 2.1A电源适配器为MB12充电。
鉴于能量转换效率低于100%,输入功率为13.8W。

使用iPhone  5.1V 1A电源适配器为MB12充电。鉴于能量转换效率低于100%,输入功率为3.2W。
奇怪的是MB12只汲取了5V 500mA的功率,这是最最最保守的充电方案。
由于充电功率太小,恐怕这并不能为一个正在运行的MB12提供有效的充电。

结论:无论如何,USB总是会兼容5V

无论未来USB会多么的先进,为了安全和向后兼容的考虑,USB总还是会兼容5V的。要知道,如果USB电源适配器提供超过5V或者超过1A的输出,电源适配器和用电器一定需要与某种充电协议兼容才行,例如USB BC协议,例如USB PD协议,例如高通快充。电源适配器提供的初始默认输出,一定是5V的。(因为如果不是这么设计的话,很有可能的是你一不小心就把你的设备给烧了。)
当然了,老旧的充电器,其输出功率往往较低,也不兼容什么高级的协议。虽然不推荐在正常情况下,使用输出功率不足的电源适配器为用电器充电,但应急总还是可以的。设想一下此情此景,你出门游玩,却忘记携带你的标配充电器,没电了很着急对不对?没关系,随便找一个通用USB充电器,应急着充一下还是OK的。是不是很酷?
当然了,你也可以购买一个全新的,高额定输出功率,兼容高级充电协议的USB充电器,这样一来,你就可以使用一个充电器,为各种设备充电了呢。

当然了,在可能的情况下,建议使用官方标配的电源适配器。
如果你希望使用其他第三方电源适配器,你最好知道你在做什么。

虽然USB-C接口很小,但我相信这是科技界的一大步!一个接口走天下有木有?!
我想在不远的未来,你出门只需要携带一个全功能USB充电器,就可以为你的任何设备充电了!无论是笔记本电脑、智能手机、平板电脑,或是其他各种电子设备。

MacBook Retina 12" can be charged using normal USB charger!

Chinese version click here. 中文版本(点我 传送门 )。

Recently I was curious about this. Since Macbook Retina 12" use USB Typc-C interface to charge, and the rated supply voltage is 14.5V 2A (USB-PD) or 5.2V 2.4A (clearly output voltage is a little higher for cable compensation),and Apple claims "Your MacBook will charge from USB-C power adapters not manufactured by Apple if they adhere to the USB Power Delivery specification." on this page. So I wondered, whether I can use a normal USB charger plus USB Type-A to USB Type-C adapter to charge MacBook Retina 12" or not.

Apple USB-C 29W charger. Output: 14.5V@2A(USB-PD) or 5.2V@2.4A
Image Source: ChongDianTou.com

Since Apple won't tell you the technical detail of Mac, so there must be some brave guys to test for us. Luckily I found some tests on the Internet.

TL;DR: You can charge Macbook using normal USB charger.

WARNING: Compatible does NOT mean reliable or safety. You should use a USB-PD compatible charger with enough rated output power to charge your Macbook Retina 12" (e.g. Google Universal USB-C 60W Charger).     Charging Macbook Retina 12" using a low power-output charger may result in over-heat in the charger, even fire. Charging Macbook Retina 12" using a fake/conterfeit or low-quality charger may result in danger of electric shock or fire or permanent damage to your MAC.  I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY POTENTIAL DAMAGE OR ANY INCORRECT IMFORMATION IN ANY CASE. TRY IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.


TEST ONE from notquitemainstream.com (English)

You can use Google Universal USB-C 60W charger to charge your Macbook, but you will NOT benefit from a larger rated power (60W), since Macbook only takes 29W.
You can use Apple USB-C 29W charger to charge Google Chromebook Pixel, but you WILL suffer a lower charing speed, since charger can only output 29W of power.
Left: Google Universal USB-C 60W Charger compatile with USB-PD.
Right: Apple USB-C 29W Charger compatile with USB-PD.



TEST TWO from ChongDianTou.com (Chinese)

You can use a 3rd party Standard 5V USB charger to charge your Macbook Retina 12", but you WILL suffer a lower charing speed.
An intersting fact was showed. While your Mac is in NORMAL CHARGE mode, the charge icon is different from that while charging in SLOW MODE.

Charging using offical USB-PD compatible USB-C 29W charger.
Since power conversion efficiency is lower than 100%, so input power is 31.8W.

Charging using a 3rd party USB 5V 2.1A charger with USB-A & USB-C ports.
(USB-PD not compatible, JUST normal charger plus a USB-C port)
Macbook cannot determine this 3rd charger, so it take only 5Vx1A=5W.
5V 1A is kind of standard spec, in order to insure your safety.
The power efficiency is lower than 100%, so input power is 6.58W.

Here is Mac icon for NORMAL CHARGING and SLOW CHARGING.

TEST THREE from bbs.feng.com (Chinese)

This brave man try using iPhone or iPad charger to charge his/her Macbook Retina 12". It turns out that you can charge Macbook Retina 12" with a normal USB charger which is not compatible with USB-PD.

Charge Macbook 12" using iPad 5.1V 2.1A charger.
Since power conversion efficiency is lower than 100%, so input power is 13.8W.

Charge Macbook 12" using iPhone 5.1V 1A charger.
Strange enough Macbook only take 5V 500mA. Maybe the iPhone charger is too old for her to recognize.
Since power conversion efficiency is lower than 100%, so input power is 3.2W.
Anyway this power is too low, and dfinitely will not effectively charge Macbook while OS X is still running.

CONCLUSION: USB WILL ALWAYS COMPATIBLE WITH 5V FOR BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY

No matter what USB will advance in the future, for safety, for backward compatibility, USB will always compatible with 5V. Remember if USB output a voltage other than 5V or a current higher than 1A, the host and client must comply with some sort of standard, like USB Battery Charging, or USB Power Delivery, or Qualcomm Quick charge 1.0/2.0/3.0. THE INITIAL AND DEFAULT PROFILE WILL ALWAYS BE 5V. If it is not designed like that, you can easily burn your device into fire. Of course, old charger rated with lower outut power, and you should not use a low-power charger to charge a power-demanding device in the normal case. But imagine, that you didn't bring your charger along with you, and don't worry, you can charge it using a normal USB charger to help you out. That's wonderful. Also, you can buy a new full-spec high-output-power universal USB charger for any USB devices. 

Of course you are recommended to use official charger.
If you want use any other charger, you should know what you are doing.

IT IS A BIG STEP, THAT ONE PORT WILL SUPPORT ANYTHING!
Not far in the future, you will need just a single full-spec USB charger to charge your notebooks, mobile phones, tablets, power banks, and more.