PD Charging 101 – Everything You Need to Know About PD Charging
24.11.22 in Blog, Industry News, Product News
Commonly Asked Power Delivery (PD) Questions
Mobile device charging technology has come a long way in the past few years. The PD Charging standard and the Type C connector were developed in tandem with the aim of being as universal as possible, making mobile device charging fast and more efficient. As the experts in physical device management, we've answered some of the most commonly asked questions about PD (Power Delivery) charging to help you better understand what it is, how it works and how it may benefit your organisation.
What is PD charging?
Power Delivery (PD) Charging is the latest mobile device charging standard. It lets us quickly charge larger capacity batteries than we were able to in the past. Phones, tablets and laptops can all use PD Charging.
How does USB-C PD Work?
A USB-C PD Charger can detect the device it’s connected to. If that device supports PD protocol, it will negotiate/communicate between the charger and device, and it will send the right amount of power to provide the fastest charge possible.
What’s the benefit of PD Charging standard and Type C connector, and why do I need PD Charging?
Together, PD Charging standard and Type C connector are the dream team! The PD Charging standard and the Type C connector were developed in tandem with the aim being as universal as possible.
Are Lightning devices PD compatible?
Lightning devices like the iPhone 12, iPhone X and various iPads have been PD compatible for some time. Using a PD charger in conjunction with an MFI-certified Type-C to Lightning cable allows for higher current draw and faster charging.
What is the difference between a Type C cable vs. Type C device/connector?
Type C is much more than just a cable connector or a device socket. There’s a standard for the connector and socket, several standards for the charging method and yet more standards for the communication of data. Just because a device has a Type C socket does not necessarily mean it also supports PD or high-speed data.
How does USB PD select charging voltage?
Voltage is selected by negotiation/communication between the charger and the device.
What devices use USB-C PD?
iPhone 12, iPhone X, iPhone 8/ 8 Plus, iPad Pro, Google Pixel 5, Google Pixel 2, Google Pixel 2 XL, Samsung S20 and Note are just some of the popular devices that use PD. When investing in new hardware it’s important to know your new devices are fully compatible with the supporting hardware.
How much power does USB-C PD deliver?
Varies on a product basis. Check your device for specifics.
Can I use my old charger on PD devices?
This is a broader question than people realise. Your old charger can take a USB-A to Type C cable which can connect to a Type C port on a new device and in some cases, may work. So, if you already have the charger and the cable there’s no harm in trying it out.
But most devices will not charge properly, and some will not charge at all. This is important to remember when investing in new hardware.
How do watts factor into mobile device charging?
The Watt capacity (Wattage) of a charger is the amount of power a charger can supply to a device that requests it. Note it is the device's prerogative to request that charge.
The Wattage of a device is the amount of power a device can source from a suitable charger.
There is no danger to either device or charger if the relative wattages do not match.
It is ideal for the device (in terms of charge time) that the charger Wattage matches or exceeds the Wattage of the device.
What happens if my device doesn’t support PD protocol, but I plug it into a PD charger?
If the attached device does not support the PD protocol, communication cannot be established. By default, a lower charge rate is used. The short of this being that it may just take longer to charge than normal.
What are the best charging stations for PD Charging?
The Best Charging Stations with USB-C PD:
The Best Smart Charging Lockers with USB-C PD:
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Hospitals are Short Staffed. Ease the Burden with Better Device Management
24.11.22 in Blog, Industry News, Product News
There’s no question the vital role healthcare workers played in combating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic - and technology was essential in helping them do it. The rapid adoption of digital tech like tablets on an unprecedented scale allowed nurses and practitioners to provide care quickly, minimising health risks while maximising responsiveness at a time of exhaustion.
While the World Health Organisation recently declared that the end of the pandemic is in sight, the healthcare sector is now facing another troubling challenge: hospitals, clinics, and aged care facilities are struggling with widespread staffing shortages as burnout and turnover accelerate. With the digital transformation of healthcare, careful attention should be paid to optimising shared device management to continue to meet care standards while easing the burden on an already stressed workforce.
Digital Technology in Healthcare
The use of portable digital technology in the health sector isn’t new, but it was the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed it to new heights. As patient numbers surged in hospitals and healthcare facilities across the world, portable tech quickly became an essential part of care. Tablets replaced clipboards and connected patients to their families, while management apps tracked crucial health data including medications.
Healthcare services in Victoria, which rapidly pivoted to using virtual care tools, saw positive increases in efficiency and patient experience according to one study, while in New South Wales, the Ministry of Health bought thousands of iPad devices to monitor patients remotely.
As facilities now look to refine their digital strategies for the post-pandemic age, they also have to contend with Australian healthcare workers experiencing a “pandemic-fuelled burnout” severely impacting an ongoing skills shortage. The nursing workforce is projected to face a shortage of up to 123,000 nurses by 2030, putting the future of delivering quality healthcare at risk.
A Better Way to Manage Devices in Hospitals, Clinics and Nursing Homes
One way to ease the burden on professional caregivers is to streamline the charging and deployment of portable tablets. Compatible with iPads and tablets, PC Locs’ Charging Stations are designed for fast-paced and shift worker environments like hospitals and aged care facilities.
PC Locs’ Putnam Charging Stations, for example, can charge, story, and secure 8 or 16 iPad and Tablet devices. The stations feature external LED lights that reveal the charging status of devices inside. They come pre-wired with neatly organised cables, allowing for easy device retrieval. Streamlining workflow reduces friction during shift rotations, and the integrated combination lock gives the entire nursing team access to devices charging inside. Placed at nursing stations and check-in desks, the plug-and-play charging stations are ideal for shared devices that need to be charged and accessible at all times.
With compatibility as a key feature, PC Locs’ iQ 10 Charging Station can be used with the latest USB-C devices, efficiently charging 10 devices at once with powerful PD charging technology that lessens turnaround time for busy hospital staff. The iQ 10 Charging Station’s simplified design also means it can be mounted to any wall or placed on a counter while taking up minimal space.
As technology continues to be critical to modern care, ensuring its ease of use in fatigued and short-staffed medical settings is essential to the future well-being of both staff and patients.
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Contact us to learn how a charging station can make all the difference.
Don’t Let Broken Devices Derail Learning: Minimise Student Downtime with a Smart Charging Locker
07.11.22 in Videos
Are students missing out on lessons because of a broken or forgotten device? Good news. There's a better way.
Life Without vs. Life With FUYL Tower
Get a working device back in the hands of a student faster – and save your tech teams serious time – by implementing an on-site device loaner program. By filling a secure FUYL Tower™ Smart Locker with loaner devices at each school location, students can check out a loaner device with minimal faculty oversight.
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Simplify Device Check Outs with a Smart Charging Locker
07.11.22 in Videos
Is managing daily device check-outs making your head spin? Good News. There's a better way.
Life Without vs. Life With FUYL Tower
When a shift worker, employee, student or teacher checks out a device for the day, keeping track of who is taking which device can derail productivity for even the most organised department managers or IT teams.
Simplify your process and ensure device accountability with a FUYL Tower™ Smart Locker from PC Locs. When paired with PC Locs Cloud, FUYL Towers empower users to self-serve devices at their convenience to maximize device uptime and protect time for those managing the devices.
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Automate Device Returns with a Smart Charging Locker
07.11.22 in Videos
Is your device collection process at the end of a day causing chaos? Good news. There's a better way.
Life Without vs. Life With FUYL Tower
When a shift worker, employee, student or teacher checks out a device for the day, it's impossible to enforce a proper return process without accountability measures in place. And tracking down devices that aren't returned is a real time suck for anyone tasked with managing those devices.
Simplify your process and ensure device accountability with a FUYL Tower™ Smart Locker from PC Locs.
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Sign up to receive helpful emails about Smart Lockers, have a Smart Locker expert contact you straight away – or both! We're here to help anyway we can.