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Is there a way to know the specifications of your cables? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 1 hour ago by Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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Hi everyone!

Over the years, I’ve started having big collection of cables or dongles.

Mostly USB-C, USB-A to Micro USB, USB A to C, USB C to A, HDMI..

I was wondering how I could know their specifications as nothing is written on them. Maybe through a Linux program telling me how fast they can transfer data.

I was wondering also if there was a way to know how much power was sent to a device when these cables are used to power one. For instance, I’ve noticed that my Steam Deck battery was draining when playing games with 15TDP and being charged with an iPhone charger.

I don’t know if it’s useful, but here are my computers: Steam Deck running Steam OS, Surface Go 1 running Fedora Silverblue, MacBook Pro 2012 running PopOs.

I don’t want to buy anything to be able to measure how much data or power these cables can send😇

Thanks in advance for your help.

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[–] Coolcoder360@lemmy.world 1 points 54 minutes ago

Regarding the part about how much power is sent to a device using a cable, that has to do with the charger (the plug or wall wart the cable is plugged into) and not the cable itself. Usually the charger will have text on it saying what voltage and how many amps it can deliver. And for your purposes of "how much power" you likely want to know how many amps. More amps is more power. But the device you plug in to charge needs to also support negotiating that many amps from that charger (different charger types as well and not all are supported by all devices, they all fall back to few amps if negotiation fails so it will still charge but it won't fast charge)

Without getting into it too far: it matters more what version of USB or HDMI the cable supports rather than the cable itself.

Ie: the cables are just wires. More wires (according to the usb or HDMI spec) = better cable (okay this is a huge simplification...) But the actual speed and power that can go through the cable depends on the things at either end of the cable more than the cable itself. The cable just connects them.

So I would look for the USB cable that supports USB 3.0 (look for a blue bit on the USB A plug, the plastic is blue to designate 3.0 A commectors) If it's USB C to C then it gets iffy, there are cable makers that make their cables cheap by providing enough wires for usb 2.0 (or even sometimes cables only have enough to just charge, not send data) but not 3.0. It can also still be worth it to have a 2.0 cable, so I wouldn't throw those all out just because they're not the latest and greatest, but the 3.0 ones are the ones to definitely hang on to, and will also have been the most expensive because of having the most wires.