EMARKER AND ASSOCIATED CABLE AND METHOD
EMarker and associated cable and method. The cable includes a CC (configuration channel) wire, the eMarker includes an active trigger circuit and a protection circuit coupled to the active trigger circuit and the CC wire. When a second port connects a first port via the cable, if a predefined event happens, the active trigger circuit triggers the protection circuit to change an electric characteristic of the CC wire, such that the first port detects a detachment of the second port.
1 . An eMarker for a cable; the cable comprising a CC (configuration channel) wire, and the eMarker comprising:
an active trigger circuit; and
a protection circuit coupled to the active trigger circuit and the CC wire;
wherein when a second port connects a first port via the cable, if a predefined event happens, the active trigger circuit triggers the protection circuit to change an electric characteristic of the CC wire, such that the first port detects a detachment of the second port.
2 . The eMarker of claim 1 , wherein when the active trigger circuit triggers the protection circuit to change the electric characteristic of the CC wire, the active trigger circuit triggers the protection circuit to raise a voltage of the CC wire to exceed a predefined open-circuit voltage.
3 . The eMarker of claim 1 , wherein the cable is a USB type-C cable.
4 . The eMarker of claim 1 further comprising:
a CC communication circuit coupled to the CC wire, for performing BMC (bi-phase mark coded) communication over the CC wire.
5 . The eMarker of claim 1 , wherein the cable further comprises a bus power wire, and the active trigger circuit is further coupled to the bus power wire, so as to determine whether the predefined event happens according to a supply characteristic of the bus power wire.
6 . The eMarker of claim 1 , wherein the predefined event is an over-voltage protection event.
7 . The eMarker of claim 1 , wherein the predefined event is an over-current protection event.
8 . The eMarker of claim 1 , wherein the predefined event is an over-temperature protection event.
9 . The eMarker of claim 1 , wherein the predefined event is an event reflected by impedance sensing.
10 . A cable, comprising:
a CC wire; and
an active protection module, coupled to the CC wire;
wherein when a second port connects a first port via the cable, if a predefined event happens, the active protection module changes an electric characteristic of the CC wire, such that the first port detects a detachment of the second port.
11 . The cable of claim 10 , wherein when the active protection module changes the electric characteristic of the CC wire, the active protection module raises a voltage of the CC wire to exceed a predefined open-circuit voltage.
12 . The cable of claim 10 being a USB type-C cable.
13 . The cable of claim 10 further comprising:
a CC communication circuit coupled to the CC wire, for performing BMC communication over the CC wire.
14 . The cable of claim 10 further comprising a bus power wire, wherein the active protection module is further coupled to the bus power wire, so as to determine whether the predefined event happens according to a supply characteristic of the bus power wire.
15 . The cable of claim 10 , wherein the predefined event is at least one of the following: an over-voltage protection event, an over-current protection event, an over-temperature protection event and an event reflected by impedance sensing.
16 . A method applied to a cable, the cable comprising a CC wire, and the method comprising:
when a second port connects a first port via the cable, changing an electric characteristic of the CC wire if a predefined event happens, such that the first port detects a detachment of the second port.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein changing the electric characteristic of the CC wire is raising a voltage of the CC wire to exceed a predefined open-circuit voltage.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the cable is a USB type-C cable.
19 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:
performing BMC communication over the CC wire.
20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the cable further comprises a bus power wire, and method further comprises: determining whether the predefined event happens according to a supply characteristic of the bus power wire.
21 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the predefined event is at least one of the following: an over-voltage protection event, an over-current protection event, an over-temperature protection event and an event reflected by impedance sensing.