USB-C PD Trigger Power Cable to DC 5.5×2.1mm Barrel, 9V / 12V / 15V / 20V
What a Trigger Cable Actually Does
A USB-C charger does not output 12 V by default; it waits to be asked. This pd trigger power cable contains the small negotiation circuit that asks the charger for a fixed voltage, then presents that voltage on a 5.5×2.1mm barrel plug. The result is a replacement for a lost or failed AC adapter: any USB-C PD charger, power bank or car charger becomes a barrel supply for a router, an optical modem, a mini PC, an LED controller, a small monitor or a single-board computer.
Fixed Voltage or Auto-Negotiating
Two behaviours are available and the choice matters more than the wattage printed on the box.
- Fixed voltage: the cable requests one specific PDO, so a 12 V device always sees 12 V regardless of which charger is attached
- Auto-negotiating: the cable requests the highest voltage the attached charger offers, and steps down if the charger cannot supply it
- Fixed versions are the safer choice for equipment with a narrow input range
Quick Charge Is Not Supported
This is a Power Delivery device. It speaks PD 2.0 and PD 3.0 and nothing else. Connected to a Quick Charge only port with no PD capability, the cable will not negotiate and the output stays at the default 5 V, which in practice means the load will not start. If your charger is QC only, use a different supply.
Sizing the Load
Power banks and multi-port chargers are rated for the whole unit, not per port, and many of them renegotiate when a second device is plugged in. Check the per-port rating of the charger before assuming a load will run, and leave headroom: a load that pulls close to the charger limit will brown out at startup or on a transient.
- USB-C plug to 5.5×2.1mm barrel plug, centre positive
- 18 AWG conductor, 1 m and 2 m lengths
- Selectable 9 V, 12 V, 15 V or 20 V, plus an auto-negotiating version
- Optional right-angle barrel plug for wall-mounted gear
- Barrel variants to 5.5×2.5mm and 4.0×1.7mm
Related Cable Ranges
Signal and Data Cables • Custom Wire Harnesses • Automotive Cable Wire Harness
| Connector A | USB-C plug with PD negotiation circuit |
|---|---|
| Connector B | DC barrel plug 5.5×2.1mm, centre positive |
| Output options | Fixed 9 V / 12 V / 15 V / 20 V, or auto-negotiating |
| Protocol | USB Power Delivery 2.0 / 3.0 only; Quick Charge not supported |
| Conductor | 18 AWG |
| Lengths | 1 m / 2 m |
| Options | Right-angle barrel plug, 5.5×2.5mm and 4.0×1.7mm versions |
| Max power | Up to 100 W, subject to the attached charger and an E-marked cable |
