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Plugable USB-C Voltage and Amperage Meter
$26.95 USD
SKU: USBC-VAMETERAmazon Rating : (716 Reviews)
Features
- At a glance - USB C Tester— Monitor USB-C power and charging. Measure voltage and amperage. Visualize the directional flow of electrical current. Updated OLED display is brighter and easier to read. New orientation button lets you flip the screen 180 degrees
- Bidirectional— USB power meter can be connected in either orientation, allowing for the full range of USB Power Delivery voltage from 5 to 20V (4V-22V, 50mA-6.5A operating range)
- Broad USB Support— Used as a data and power quality meter, device allows USB data pass through, USB-C Alt Mode video, USB-C charging. Use USB tester inline with USB-C docking stations, chargers, accessories, etc. Not compatible with Thunderbolt 3 devices
- Small and Tough— Small enough to go anywhere you need a USB C voltage meter. Even fits most phones and tablets without removing protective case. Strengthened USB-C connections ensure it's sturdy enough to be your go-to USB C power tester
- 2-Year Coverage, Lifetime Support— Every Plugable product, including this USB C Power Meter Tester, is covered against defects for 2 years and comes with lifetime support. If you ever have questions, contact our North American-based team - even before purchase
For a multimeter, the Plugable USB-C Amperage and Voltage Tester (USBC-VAMETER) manages to fit a lot of useful features into a sturdy little package. About the size of a USB flash drive, this bidirectional USB tester allows for full USB data passthrough while it monitors USB-C power and charging, measures voltage and amperage, even visualizes the directional flow of electrical current–all in real time.
Connect the VAMETER inline between a USB-C host system like a laptop, tablet, or cell phone and a charger to use it as a USB voltage meter or power consumption meter. An updated OLED screen means a brighter and easier-to-read display in any lighting conditions, and a new orientation button lets you flip the screen with a click.
How it works:
This meter is a transparent interposer–it should not interfere with the USB data (1.1 through 3.1 Gen 2), USB-C Alternate Mode video, or USB-C charging. The meter can be used in-line with USB-C docking stations, chargers, and other USB-C accessories. The meter is able to achieve this without interfering with normal USB-C operation as it only taps into the power (VBUS) and ground connections to measure values and leaves the data lines untouched.
Common uses:
- Connecting between a USB-C host system like a laptop, tablet, or cell phone and a charger to monitor charge information.
- Connecting between a USB-C host and docking station to monitor charge information.
- Connecting between a USB-C host system and a USB-C bus powered accessory like an external hard drive, flash drive, etc to measure power draw of a device.
- Testing for USB-C port spec compliance such as a VBUS hot condition, voltage drop under load, etc.
Important notes:
- This meter is not meant to replace professional USB-C test equipment, it is designed for quick/easy measurements for users of any skill level.
- Not compatible with Intel Thunderbolt 3 devices.
Specifications:
- Meter is bidirectional and can be connected in any direction
- Supports 4-22V, 50mA-6.5A operating range
- Does not support USB-PD R3.1 Extended Power Range (28V, 36V, and 48V)
- Supports all USB data (1.1 through 3.1 Gen 2)
Additional Notes:
Please note that under normal circumstances the meter will not power on without a device connected (host, charger, accessory, etc) at both ends. If the meter turns on when only connected at one end, the attached device is "VBUS hot" which is against USB-C specifications.
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USB Port Types
USB-A
pietz, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This is the standard USB connection that most computers offered prior to the introduction of USB Type-C (USB-C). Even after the introduction of USB Type-C, this is still quite common.
It can provide data transfer rates up to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 gbps) specification depending on the host and device, but does not directly support video in the way that USB-C Alternate Mode does. This limitation makes DisplayLink USB graphics adapters and docking stations ideal on systems that do not have USB-C, or in instances where more displays are needed beyond available video outputs of a PC.
USB-B
Fred the Oyster, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
IngenieroLoco, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This type of connection comes in a couple different styles depending on whether USB 3.0 and higher transfer rates are supported (bottom graphic). Usually this type of connection is used to plug into USB devices that do not have a fixed cable connected, such as USB docking stations, USB hubs, printers, and others.
USB Mini-B
Fred the Oyster, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
One of the first connectors for charging a smartphone, wireless game controller (such as the Sixaxis and DualShock 3), and other small devices such as external hard drives. Not commonly used today, but is still used in some cases. Most devices using USB Mini B are using USB 2.0, though a USB 3.0 variant does exist. This specification also added USB On-The-Go (OTG) functionality, though it is more commonly implemented with Micro USB.
USB Micro-B
Fred the Oyster, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
IngenieroLoco, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
A smaller connector that serves many of the same uses as the Mini B connector, with added optional features such as Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) to allow devices like smartphones to output video to larger displays without requiring a dedicated port for video output.
The larger variant of USB-B is most commonly used for external hard drives for higher 5Gbps transfer rates.
USB-C, Thunderbolt™ 3, and Thunderbolt™ 4
Niridya , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The most recent USB connection, USB Type-C (USB-C), represents a major change in what USB can do. The connector is smaller, can be connected in two orientations, is able to carry substantially more power and data, and can directly carry video signals of multiple types (HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.) Intel has also adapted the USB-C connector for use with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4.
It is important to note that while all Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 connections are USB-C, not all USB-C connections can be used with Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 devices.
More details regarding physical USB connections can be found on Wikipedia . The graphics depicted here are adapted from Wikimedia Commons by various artists under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
How Accurate Are the Voltage and Amperage Measurements From the USBC-VAMETER?
In our testing we’ve found that compared to a professional multimeter, our USBC-VAMETER is within +/- 3% of the true value (measured at 20V).
Please note that this meter is not meant to replace professional USB-C testing equipment, it is designed for quick and easy measurements for users at any skill level.
How Do I Calculate the Wattage From the Provided Voltage and Amperage Information on the USBC-VAMETER?
The USBC-VAMETER will display voltage, amperage, and the calculated wattage on screen. If you would like to manually calculate the wattage (how much power a device using) you can follow this simple formula:
The power (P) in watts (W) is equal to the voltage V in volts (V) times the current (I) in amps (A), P = V × I.
Example: A device is charging at 20V, 5A: 20V × 5A = 100W.
I Have a USBC-VAMETER but It Looks Different Than What Is on the Plugable Website, Why?
The USBC-VAMETER has had three revisions.
- Units purchased before Q1 2018 are our original design.
- Units purchased after Q1 2018 through Q1 2021 are an updated design.
- Units purchased after Q2 2021 are our newest design.
If you have issues with your USBC-VAMETER of any revision please feel free to contact us at support@plugable.com and we'll be happy to assist!
What is the Difference Between the USBC-VAMETER and USBC-VAMETER3?
The USBC-VAMETER is designed for USB-C Power Delivery Revision 3.0 (5-20 volts, up to 5 amps, 100 watts maximum). Most devices currently on the market use PD R3.0.
The USBC-VAMETER3 is designed for the latest USB-C Power Delivery Revision 3.1 Extended Power Range (EPR) (5-48 volts, up to 5 amps, 240 watts maximum). As of July 2022 there are not many EPR devices available yet, but a good example is the 16" Apple MacBook Pro with 140W charger.
If unfamiliar with Extended Power Range feel free to take a look at our blog post on this topic here: https://plugable.com/blogs/news/what-is-240w-usb-extended-power-range-epr
Do Plugable products support the Apple SuperDrive?
Unfortunately Plugable products do not support the Apple SuperDrive.
The Apple SuperDrive has stringent power requirements that can only be met by directly connecting the SuperDrive to your host laptop. As a result at this time Apple recommends only using their USB-C adapter cables. You can find more information on that here → How to connect the Apple USB SuperDrive
If you have purchased a Plugable product to use with your Apple SuperDrive, and would like some additional assistance please do not hesitate to reach out. You can do so by emailing support@plugable.com, or going to Plugable.com/Support.
Can I connect this product to a computer's Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 port?
Many users assume that USB-C devices can work with older Thunderbolt 2 Macs if they use a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, such as the one made by Apple. However, this is not the case. These adapters are specifically designed to support Thunderbolt devices only - not standard USB-C peripherals.
While Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C share the same connector type, they use different underlying data protocols. Non-Thunderbolt USB-C devices, rely on USB standards for data and power. The Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter does not carry USB signals; it only passes Thunderbolt data. Because of this, plugging a USB-C device into a Thunderbolt 2 Mac using this adapter will not work - the computer will not detect or communicate with the device.
If you need to connect peripherals to a Thunderbolt 2 system, we recommend using a USB-A dock or hub (if available on your system). This ensures compatibility without relying on unsupported adapter chains.
In short, even though the connectors may fit, USB-C devices are not compatible with Thunderbolt 2 Macs via Thunderbolt adapters - only Thunderbolt devices will work in that setup.
Do I need to approve or authenticate Thunderbolt devices when I connect them to my Windows or Mac computer?
Overview
For most modern Windows and Mac systems, Thunderbolt devices are automatically approved and will ‘just work’ once connected.
The main exception is Apple Mac laptops with Apple CPUs running macOS Ventura (13) or newer, where you’ll be prompted to manually approve the device the first time you connect it.
The summary table below provides the specific details at a glance, and the text that follows explains the table in more detail.
Thunderbolt Approval / Authentication Summary Table
Why Authentication Exists
To expand further, Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5 are in essence external connections to the host computer’s internal PCI Express bus. This type of low-level and high speed connection warranted security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to user data.
Windows: From Intel Software to Native OS Support
When Thunderbolt 3 Windows systems were first introduced in late 2015 it was necessary to use Intel Thunderbolt software to manually authenticate and approve external Thunderbolt devices.
With the introduction of Thunderbolt 4 Windows systems in 2020, it was still necessary to have Intel Thunderbolt software installed on the host computer. However, in most cases the authentication and approval process would happen automatically greatly simplifying the process.
Starting with Windows 11 version 21H2 released in October of 2021, Microsoft integrated support for both USB4 and Thunderbolt into the Windows operating system → LINK
This means that with most modern Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 computers running the latest version of Windows 11 it is no longer necessary to install Intel Thunderbolt software on the host computer in order to manage Thunderbolt devices. In most cases, the authentication and approval process will still happen automatically.
macOS: From Intel CPUs to Apple CPUs
When Thunderbolt 3 Mac systems with Intel CPUs were first introduced in 2016, the authentication and approval mechanism was built-in to macOS and was transparent to the end user.
Apple introduced Mac computers based on Apple CPUs in 2020. Macs based on Apple CPUs running macoS 11 Big Sur or macOS 12 Monterey would automatically approve and authenticate Thunderbolt devices when connected.
macOS 13 Ventura was released in 2022 and for portable Macs with Apple CPUs Apple introduced a feature known as ‘Accessory Security’ (also known as ‘Restricted Mode’) → LINK
By default, portable Macs (i.e. laptops) with an Apple CPU running macOS 13 Ventura or newer version of macOS will require the end user to authenticate and approve a Thunderbolt device when initially connected.
Stationary Macs (i.e. desktops) with an Apple CPU running macOS 13 Ventura or newer version of macOS do NOT implement the ‘Accessory Security’ feature. As a result, Thunderbolt devices will be automatically approved and authenticated when initially connected.
Apple Macs with Intel CPUs (both laptop and desktops) running macOS 13 Ventura or newer do NOT implement the ‘Accessory Security’ feature. As a result, Thunderbolt devices will be automatically approved and authenticated when initially connected.
