The USB micro-B and C cable tester identifies functionalities supported by USB cables. It helps figuring out if a USB cable is for charging or to transfer data. It supports type A to micro-B, A to C, and C to C USB cables.

usage

• ensure the tester has a non-empty battery in the CR2032/2025, or is externally powered through the USB power port
• plug one end of the cable in one of the host ports
• plug the other end of the cable in one of the devices ports
• the tester will identify the cable's capabilities

design choice

features

do:

• USB micro-B: still wide-spread and popular for charging devices
• USB type-A: still the de-facto host plug
• USB type-C: becoming the standard for battery operated devices
• C to C: often used for high power charging of phones and laptops
• battery operated: it's a very simple device, and this avoids needing to require external power
• power port: in case you have no battery or it runs out
• USB 3.0: because it is hard to identify if C-C cable support Super-Speed

don't:

• small: no need to build it as compact as possible
• A or micro-B 3.0: the connectors that support it are obvious, and it's rare they are used for anything else than Super-Speed transfer (plus they are less common or problematic)
• Power Delivery capabilities: this requires complex host software communicating with the eMarker chip in the cable
• OTG: even if detecting this functionality is easy, micro-B OTG adapters are not popular anymore

future:

• interpret the supported functionalities to show the cable purpose
• show a simple cable type result, and not just the individual capabilities

alternatives

• USB micro-B cable tester: only does micro-B cables
• USB A-C cable tester: only does USB type A to type C cables
• USB C-C cable tester: only does USB type C to type C cables
• DT3 Data Cable Detection Board: does not check shield, battery charging, USB 3.0
• USB Cable Checker 2: too complex and expensive
• USB Cable Tester: only for USB-C and you have to understand and interpret the signals