What Does A+C Multi-port Charging Mean?

A+C multi-port charging means charging using both the USB-A port and the USB-C port at the same time. This charging method can provide power to multiple devices at the same time, improving charging efficiency. Now the common multi-port charging products on the market are power adapters, car chargers, power strips, etc. The multi-port charging combinations are mainly 2C, 1A1C, 2C1A, 3C1A, 2A2C, 4C, 3C, 4C2A, etc., with 2C, 1A1C, 2C1A, and 3C1A being the main ones.

A+C Multi-port Charging

Judging from the market distribution of multi-port charging adapters, the main ones are chargers with 1A1C and 2C1A interfaces. The multi-port market is mainly A+C or multiple C ports, basically 2~3 ports. The main feature of A+C is that it has two or more interfaces, USB-A and USB-C, and can be adapted to a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, digital cameras, etc. Users do not need to carry multiple chargers, only one A+C charging product can meet the charging needs of most devices, which greatly facilitates charging operations in life and work. Here, we will sort out the mainstream multi-port A+C architecture of charging power adapters on the market. There are three main architectures for implementing A+C charging: fully shared architecture, fully independent architecture, and semi-independent architecture.

Fully Shared Architecture

The fully shared architecture mainly controls multiple charging ports at the same time through a Multi-Port Controller.

Figure 1: Fully Shared Architecture

Its features are:

• Suitable for 20W~30W low-power fast charging applications.
• Ultra-small size, easy to carry.
• Supports fast charging when a single port is working, and supports 5V charging when multiple ports are working at the same time.

Fully Independent Architecture

The fully independent architecture realizes multi-port charging through two or more Port Controllers. It is widely used in high-power applications.

Its features are:

• Suitable for medium and high-power applications of 65W and above, and can meet the charging needs of more types of electronic products.
• Full power output when a single port is used; multiple ports work and support fast charging at the same time.
• Power can be intelligently allocated with high energy efficiency.

Figure 2: Fully Independent Architecture 1

Multi-port charging products with this architecture are similar to stacking blocks in design and can be extended to 2 or more. However, it is precisely because of this form of building blocks that the product size is large. Under this architecture, if DC-DC is used to reduce power (as shown below), the product size can be reduced, but the efficiency will be slightly weaker than before.

Figure 3: Fully Independent Architecture 2

Semi-independent Architecture

The semi-independent architecture controls multiple ports through DCDC+Port Controller, and is mainly used in 30W~65W products.

Figure 4: Semi-independent Architecture

Its features are:

• Suitable for small and medium power applications such as 30W~65W.
• Supports fast charging when using a single port.
• When multiple ports are working, the C1 port always supports fast charging.

According to market sales, it can be found that the power of the top-ranked chargers is basically 20W; at the same time, looking at the ranking of tablet power adapters, it is found that the power is mostly concentrated at 65W. For different application scenarios and fast charging power requirements, choosing a suitable multi-port fast charging design can effectively reduce costs and improve performance and efficiency.

Advantages, Safety, and Problem

1. Safety 

The internal chip of a A+C multi-port charger usually has multiple protection mechanisms in terms of safety to ensure the safety of users. ‌In addition, it also has a built-in overcharge protection function that can sense the amount of electricity and effectively prevent circuit fire problems caused by excessive voltage or power, thereby protecting the battery. It is more common that a multi-port charger has a current cutoff during use. When a multi-port charger charges multiple devices at the same time, the charger needs to reallocate power according to the charging needs of different devices. For example, when the second port is connected to the charging cable, the first port may lose power and then resume charging. This phenomenon is called current cutoff. It is a self-protection mechanism of the charger, which is designed to ensure the safety of the charger and the power-consuming device, while taking into account the efficient charging of multiple devices at the same time. 

2. Advantages

A+C multi-port chargers are portable and versatile. They are usually small and easy to carry, and can meet the charging needs of multiple devices at the same time. Many brands of fast charging chargers on the market are small in size and can be hidden in clothing pockets. They support charging of multiple devices, including headphones, bracelets and other low-current electrical appliances. In addition, multi-port chargers are also very practical during travel, ensuring worry-free charging and high adaptability.

3. Potential problems

Although A+C multi-port chargers have many advantages, there are also some potential problems. For example, since multiple devices are charged at the same time, the power distribution may be uneven, affecting the charging efficiency, and only one device can be fast charged if charged at the same time; in addition, multiple charging ports working at the same time may cause the charger to overheat, thereby increasing the risk of fire or leakage and electric shock. Of course, sometimes the transformer reaction speed of a multi-port charger may not be as fast as that of a single-port charger. Therefore, when choosing a multi-port charger, users should buy a A+C multi-port charger with reliable quality and in compliance with formal standards, and also need to valued it according to their specific needs.

Conclusion

The A+C multi-port charging method takes into account the advantages of both Type-A and Type-C interface methods, and also makes the charging device more compact and portable, simplifying the daily travel. With the popularity of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, users' demand for chargers continues to increase. Traditional single-port chargers cannot meet the needs of charging multiple devices at the same time. At this time, multi-port chargers came into being, which can provide charging services for multiple devices at the same time, enhancing the flexibility and convenience of charging. In addition, driven by today's technological advances and brand competition, the combination of multi-port charging will become a future development trend.

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