There is a reason for USB-C extensions not to be part of the standard. They can be bothersome in the best case and dangerous in the worst.

  • TheChargedCreeper864@lemmy.ml
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    12 days ago

    This sounds solvable, doesn’t it? Have the extension cable have a chip saying it can do X at maximum, then compare with whatever is to be extended and communicate the minimum of both upstream. Might not become a sleek cable-like design, but would extend the 240W cable with the extender safely staying at 120W

    • Natanael@slrpnk.net
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      12 days ago

      That’s an active extension cable, which is essentially a single port USB hub.

      • PlasticExistence@lemmy.world
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        12 days ago

        Getting $30 cables for $3 with my employee discount was almost the only good thing about working for Best Buy in the early 2000s.

      • iopq@lemmy.world
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        12 days ago

        I’m right now in China and those cables cost $0.50 shipped to your address, so not surprised

    • Petter1@lemm.ee
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      12 days ago

      Well, the source checks the cable using the CC line which doesn’t go through the cable (VCONN). So source only knows the cable directly plugged in. To make the extension cable visible, the sink would be required to check the cable plugged in using VCONN and then the tell max ampere to the source over the other CC that goes through the cable.

      2 Problems:

      1. Sink devices normally don’t read or can’t read VCONN as far as I know

      2. No way of detecting if a third cable (extension in the middle) is present and what specs it has