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Technical white paper | HP USB Type-C™
The purpose of this document is to provide a brief overview of USB Type-C™
and define the available features, accessories, and power options.
What is USB Type-C™?
USB Type-C™ is a small, reversible USB connector with 4x high speed lanes (24 pin). USB Type-C™ can deliver
data (including Thunderbolt™ 3), audio, and video, as well as provide charging power to many devices (USB Power
Delivery).
Figure. USB Type-C™ Plug
USB Type-C™ video modes (alternate mode): USB Type-C™ ports support adapters that can output different types of
video, such as HDMI, VGA, and DisplayPort™, all from one USB Type-C™ port on your computer or device.
USB Type-C™ power delivery (USB PD): USB Type-C™ power delivery is bi-directional, so a device can either send or
receive power. This power can be transferred at the same time the device is transmitting data across the connection.
Thunderbolt™ 3: The Thunderbolt™ 3 controller has bandwidth up to 40 Gbit/s (5 GB/s) and can drive two external 4K
displays at 60 Hz. It supports PCIe 3.0, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort™ 1.2, and allows backwards compatibility with the first
two Thunderbolt™ versions by the use of adapters or transitional cables.
Power delivery implementation on HP ZBooks, commercial notebooks,
and adapters
USB Type-C™ power delivery allows HP computers to deliver a higher current output at different output voltages. The
power delivery output and voltage will vary based on the capabilities of the computer or device.
Hosts or computers
• HP ZBooks and commercial notebooks deliver 5V of output voltage. Some computers support delivering a
maximum current of 1.5A or 3A, but do not support 5A. Refer to the HP Computers - USB Type-C™ Features table
for more details on power delivery.
• The USB Type-C™ output power can be adjusted based on system power conditions. For example, an HP Elitebook
or HP ZBook provides power at 5V@3A. But, the computer can change the output power to 5V@1.5A or 5V@900mA
depending on the load that the system exerts on the AC Adapter to prevent overdrawing current.
• Some HP commercial notebooks can also withdraw power from an external device (i.e., an AC Adapter) through the
USB Type-C™ Port. Refer to the HP computers - USB Type-C™ features table for more details.
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