Power (Almost) ANYTHING by USB-C with This Small Adapter Board

Kenneth Finnegan found a small board that turns a USB-C power supply into a universal variable voltage supply. As you probably know, USB-C supports the USB PD (Power Delivery) specification. There are generic power profiles for 5, 9, 12, 15, and 20 volts, which can supply up to 100 watts. This flexibility means you can use a single AC adapter for phones, tablets, and laptops. With an ingenious device like the ZY12PDN board, you can now use a USB-C supply for almost any electronic device.

USB PD uses a separate communication channel. When connected, the two devices automatically determine who is the supply and who is the sink. Then they negotiate what power profile they can use, which determines the voltage and current maximum. The ZY12PDN board that Finnegan found contains an STM32 microcontroller, which does the negotiation work for the PD protocol. One side of the board has a USB-C connector, while the other side has landing patters for screw terminals, header pins, and even a USB-A connector, making it adaptable for many applications.

Previously, we wrote about a STUSB4500-based USB PD adapter, but that one required I2C communication for configuration. The ZY12PDN board, on the other hand, uses a pushbutton for its settings.

As great as this board seems, one issue is that they do not seem to ship with instructions. Finnegan has, thankfully, figured out how the device works and created a video on it. (See below). As he points out, there are (at least) two trade-offs with this board. First, you must configure it each time it is powered-up, and it is effortless to change voltage settings accidentally while operating. Fortunately, there is a clever sequence to program the board. It forces the board to power-up and stays the desired mode. Check out Finnegan's ZY12PDN video to see how to do that.

The ZY12PDN is available on Amazon for $16. Details on the design seem limited, but being able to turn a USB-C supply or battery pack into a universal power supply sounds like a great tool to have in the bag.