PD power for internal components.

[Moogy]

To start, I know this isn't really a thing. Just had an idea and wanted to see what the community had to say regarding it's viability.

 

I've been doing DIY projects and have been learning a lot about USB-C PD power delivery. While doing so, I watched Linus' videos on ATX12v and wondered, how feasible would it be for the industry to use this same idea in power supplies? 

 

Given USB-C has 24 pins, a variant of that end with good cabling could replace the large 24-pin connector on modern motherboards. Potentially with dual cables, couldn't this replace the 4/8 pin cpu power and allow a microcontroller to be integrated into the PSU for active health monitoring without extra connections?

 

If drive power is handled front the motherboard like in ATX12v, power and date could run over the same cable internally with the PD power integration determining the power needs per drive.

 

As modern PD bricks can supply 100w, a better cable could allow a similar cable to function as a 24 pin GPU power connector.

 

I like the idea of power and data cabling being reduced to the size of a few usb cables.

 

 

Thoughts? I imagine I'm not factoring some things in like efficiency, but it sounds like a great idea to have identical ports on your PSU that determine their function on the fly.

[Levent]

Limiting factor here would be the current handling capability of the tiny pins inside USBC connector. USBPD is able to provide 20V 5A through a good cable. If you were attempt to power 4 pin EPS with USB C, you would be looking at 12.5amps at 12v through that connector. I dont see that happening with USB-C.

[tkitch]

^ That.  The amount of copper would be the limiter at that point.

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to Power Supplies

[Moogy]

I agree on that point. I did mention it would likely need a different connector anyway, though that was mostly because my random thought wouldn't actually be USB-C. Just using the general concept being PD power to allow one plug to intelligently work on something requiring 5v or something needing 12v.

 

I know it doesn't exist, just a fun thought excitement I had.

 

A little surprised this got moved to power supplies, the idea was really just spitballing a hypothetical form factor.