USB-C Power Delivery PCB: The Ultimate Power Supply Design Block

This project is a compact and versatile USB-C Power Delivery (PD) PCB that lets you build your own custom power supply. I designed it to provide a flexible and powerful solution for my various electronics projects, eliminating the need for bulky, fixed-voltage power adapters. It's perfect for anyone who needs a reliable and efficient way to power their devices with a wide range of voltage and current options.

How It Works

The core of the design is the TPS25730SRSMR USB-C PD controller chip. This chip acts as the "brain" of the board, negotiating with the connected device to determine the optimal power profile. The key feature of this design is the use of four 8-way DIP switches to set the desired output power. Each switch corresponds to a specific configuration of voltage and current, allowing for easy and quick adjustments without any complex programming.

Switch 1 (VBUS): Controls the output voltage.

Switch 2 (CC): Sets the current limit.

Switches 3 & 4 (PD): Configure the Power Delivery profile.

The board works by using these switches to set the TPS25730's internal registers. When a device is connected, the chip reads these settings and communicates with the device to establish a power contract. If the device requests a power level that matches the switch settings, the board delivers the requested voltage and current, up to a maximum of 100W. This allows you to power everything from a simple microcontroller to a power-hungry laptop, all from a single, compact PCB.

Here's a simplified breakdown of the process:

1. Power negotiation: A connected device "asks" the PCB what power it can provide.
2. Profile selection: The TPS25730, based on your switch settings, presents a list of available power profiles (e.g., 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/5A).
3. Power contract: The device chooses the best profile for its needs, and the PCB delivers the power.

Why I Made It

I've always found off-the-shelf power supplies to be too rigid. I needed a flexible solution that could provide a variety of voltages and currents for prototyping and testing different circuits. Building this PCB gave me the ability to have a single, custom power source that could adapt to the needs of any project. It's a fantastic tool for any maker, engineer, or hobbyist who wants to build and test their own electronics without being limited by a static power supply.