topic Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

JTTraverse — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:37:27 GMT

I've recently acquired an EOS RP and have been trying to charge the battery using the USB-C port (mainly just to be sure I could do it in an emergency). I purchased a new braided Belkin USB-C to USB-C cable specifically for this, and today purchased an ONN dual-port wall charger that states "20W USB-C port fast charges with Power Delivery". Comparing it to other chargers with the same specs I presumed it should work. So I thought I was good to go with the power delivery requirement, etc.

Unfortunately, with the camera plugged in the green light on the back right that indicates it's charging never comes on. Does anyone have an idea what I might be missing. (Fwiw, the battery I'm testing with probably isn't completely dead at the moment if it needs to be for this to work.)
Thanks..

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

Tronhard — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 03:45:04 GMT

Hi and welcome

The camera should come with its own charging cable. Do you not have that?

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

AtticusLake — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 07:38:52 GMT

I have an R5, not an RP, and the R5 is way more power-hungry. So this may not apply... but it might give you some ideas.

I got USB powering working but it was a hassle. What got me going was:

Use a USB cable which is specifically rated for PD at the power you need
Likewise a power supply which is specifically rated for PD at the given power
I've read that you need 30 watts

Even then, I've had issues. I have a RavPower brick, rated for PD at 30W, and I've had it not work. Tried it again just now and it works... I wonder if there's a bug in its (the power brick's) PD implementation. I also have a 60W Anker brick which works fine.

So, like I said, maybe that gives you some ideas... I kind of feel that with PD, you have to persevere a little. It shouldn't be that way, but there you go.

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

AtticusLake — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 07:42:10 GMT

Based on what I'm seeing on Canon's site, it does not come with a USB cable. There's an external AC battery charger, with an AC cable.

https://www.canon.co.uk/cameras/eos-rp/

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

Tronhard — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 07:50:00 GMT

Must be different in NZ. Seems a bit tacky to me not to include the cable!

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

shadowsports — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 13:36:29 GMT

Greetings,

Adding to the above. My camera requires a 3A input on its USB-C port. I suspect the RP might also. (not sure). The good thing about PD is the camera will only take what it needs, so going with a few more watts can be a good thing.

Canon does not post the specs / requirements for their cameras. I purchased the one below. $36 today, but it was $20 2 days ago. Watch for a coupon. Its small, much smaller that the Anker Power Core (which is heavy, fairly large and $179) for their premium model. The Anker provides about 6 hrs runtime. The one below about 3.5. It will likely power the RP longer. It will fit in a shirt pocket. I like it because it has a % display.

This one will charge the battery, run the camera and allow battery swaps... I've also used a MacBook charger and a Lenovo laptop charger when AC is available. There is typically more than one solution available. Anker seems to have the biggest selection in this type of PD.

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

AtticusLake — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 18:04:48 GMT

Hey,

Just in an attempt to clarify:

Adding to the above. My camera requires a 3A input on its USB-C port.

This is a bit suspect: if the camera needs PD, then it needs PD. The number of volts and amps is beside the point. It will need a certain number of watts; I think the R5C can run with a 30W PD supply. But it must be PD. PD is a data protocol that the devices use to negotiate how power will be delivered, before it actually gets turned on.

The good thing about PD is the camera will only take what it needs, so going with a few more watts can be a good thing.

This is always true. There is no way a power supply (any kind) can force more power into a device than it wants, other than by cranking up the voltage, which would set it on fire. In practice electricity is always by demand: the power supply provides a set voltage (which in PD is something that gets negotiated), then the device draws what it needs. The PD negotiation includes the maximum power the supply can provide, but that's only a maximum.

If you put an ammeter on an R5, for example, while it's running, you will see the current going up and down as it changes what it's doing. This is not a PD thing, it's just how electricity works.

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

JTTraverse — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 20:02:13 GMT

I appreciate all the discussion since it helps me verify some of what I have. Whether or not the power delivery requirement is 3amps, the wall charger I purchased was advertised as a PD unit and does put out 5V / 3amps or 9V / 2.22amps on the USB-C port. So presumably that's enough power to do the job...presumably.

In my case the camera did not come with a USB-C cable. I tried one that I had on hand and then bought the new one which, from reading the box, looked like it was made for this. But so far the camera still doesn't charge (no green light). So, now I'm wondering if Canon built this camera to require some unique USB-C cable to charge...which would be seriously disappointing if so (but I've seen a company do that before to force you to buy their cable..grrr.)

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

AtticusLake — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 20:09:05 GMT

Hi, So I know this is a bit of an arcane art, and I certainly understand how it's all a bit foggy to non-techie people. But, again, the number of volts and amps is beside the point. What you need is PD, and -- I think, though it's hard to confirm this -- you need 30 Watts. A.k.a. 30W.

Having said that, Watts = Volts × Amps, so, if your unit can do 9V at 2.2A, that's 9 × 2.2 = 19.8 Watts. So, not 30, so quite possibly not enough.

There shouldn't be any such thing as a "unique USB-C cable"... but there are certainly different cables, and some are buggy. You should just need a USB-C cable which is specifically rated for PD at at least 30W.

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

Tronhard — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 20:29:48 GMT

Canon used to supply cameras with battery chargers plus cables to connect to display devices and even to connect via USB to a computer. Considering one cable can essentially do all that, for the minimal cost but massive confusion it generates they need to include with a camera the correct USB C cable and save a lot of frustration!

I checked and the supply of the cable is a decision by the NZ supplier - that's called smart customer service...

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

JTTraverse — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 23:51:32 GMT

To resolve my own post/question: I've determined that you definitely need a specific kind of USB-C cable. I don't mean it must be a specific brand, but simply that even if the statements on the packaging suggest that it's a cable for 'power delivery'--there is a difference somewhere inside the various cables being sold out there.

I took the camera and the wall charger I'd purchased to a local store (Best Buy) so I could test cables on the spot. The clerk must have known what he was doing because he picked out one of their in-house 'Insignia' brands and it worked immediately! The only specific thing I see on the box is that while at first glance it looks like merely a USB-C to USB-C cable, it states 'Braided Charging Cable' in the top corner and in the small print on the back states 'USB-C cable transfers files and charges'.

So apparently there is something about charging that is built into some cables that is not in typical USB-C cables. (In my case the 4' cable I purchased is labeled on the bottom: 21K26T and NS-MCC421C)
What a relief...

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

AtticusLake — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 05:58:58 GMT

Congratulations on solving your issue -- checking the cable out in-store was definitely a good move.

You are right about the cable not being "merely a USB-C to USB-C cable". As I said before, "Use a USB cable which is specifically rated for PD at the power you need". A PD cable is different from a regular USB-C cable because it contains a chip which identifies it as being rated for PD at a specified power level. A regular USB-C cable won't have the chip, and will not work for PD. If the power level is less than your device needs, it also won't work.

Also, the printing on the package which says that it "charges" is completely bogus. *ALL* USB cables will charge. This has been true since the very first USB device was made. The question is do they charge at 2.5 watts -- which won't run your camera -- or do they support PD at the wattage you need.

The problem is fraudulent cables which claim to be PD, but don't actually have the chip. Ultimately the only way to avoid this is to insist on testing it in-store, as you did.

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

JTTraverse — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 00:02:07 GMT

As a side note to the USB-C cable topic (hoping this my be useful to know) I happened to purchase a power bank called a 'HenHot PD Pioneer 65W 20000mAh 2-port' mainly because it was fairly inexpensive (about $40) but had pretty good reviews. It definitely works with the camera as well as with the dummy battery--and they include a short 20" USB-C cable which will charge itself as well as the camera--and will work if you have a wall charger. (I could have saved the $20 for those other two cables if I'd waited...go figure 🙂

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

Tuwimek — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 05:40:31 GMT

This is about the length of the cable. Even if Canon use PD they only use low voltage so the length matters. Shorter better.

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

normadel — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 06:35:07 GMT

Just for my own education, I did a quick search for USB-C PD cables and found these sites explaining (?) it.......

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/whats-the-difference-between-usb-c-and-usb-c-pd/

https://www.codrey.com/learn/usb-c-power-delivery-usb-c-pd-quick-explainer/

https://www.howtogeek.com/769888/what-is-usb-power-delivery-usb-pd/

I didn't see anything about a PD cable having resistors. The gist of the matter seems to be the cable has to be able to handle the currents called for in charging. I'm guessing the gauge of the conductors is the key. The OP referred to braided cables. This has nothing to do with electrical stuff. Braided cables are just stronger and prettier.

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

AtticusLake — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 07:32:31 GMT

The gauge of the conductors is the issue, as you point out; original USB cables weren't designed to handle anything like 5 amps. But to be allowed to carry more than 3 amps, a USB cable has to include an E-Marker chip which identifies that it can do that. So for high-power charging, an E-marker chip is mandatory, and older cheaper cables won't have one, because this is a new thing.

See here: https://www.inviolabs.com/blogs/news/what-is-e-marker-and-why-the-usb-c-to-c-cable-needs-it

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

normadel — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 14:35:03 GMT

Ahhhh....a CHIP. So now the whole story is told. Nowhere in my looking up PD cables did I see anything about what physically MAKES a proper PD cable different from an ordinary one.

Funny how even a USB cable is now an electronic device, not just wires and connectors!

Re: EOS RP not charging battery w/USB-C and PD

Mdverbois — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 10:09:43 GMT

Unfortunately I ran into the same problem but we were in Borneo at the time. I left that little battery charger in a hotel room 1000 miles away and couldn’t seem to figure out a solution with any of the small electronic stores. I tried every cable and combination I had until my battery was less than half life. I suddenly remembered my laptop charger was a USB-C and somehow that worked. I don’t understand the wattage, etc. but wanted to share as a possible wall charging option and added the pics.