Doing Away With the Docking Station

20 Jul 2016 • 2 minute read

My docking station with the rat’s nest of wires dangling from behind it could be going the way of the Dodo bird soon, thanks to USB Power Delivery (PD) protocols and USB Type-C connectors.

The traditional docking station that we all know and hate, typically looks something like the picture below.

This is a photo of my docking station at work. These docking stations have 3 main problems:

There is a mess of cables dangling off such stations. Most of these cables are different from each other, and in some cases proprietary.
Docking stations are expensive and can range up to $400 in the enterprise space.
They restrict collaboration, mobility and openness, the very characteristics that are being widely sought after in the work spaces of the future.

But USB Power Delivery (PD) protocols and USB Type-C connectors are going to change the game drastically on this front in the near future.

USB Type-C is a single connector that carries power, data and video simultaneously, and facilitates thinner, sleeker product designs and enhanced usability.
USB Power Delivery was developed to provide flexible, bi-directional power capabilities by enabling faster charging and increased power levels up to 100W
USB 3.1 enables performance up to 10 Gbps, supporting audio/video for USB hosts, hubs and devices.
Most importantly, USB Alt Mode allows a guest protocol such as DisplayPort to deliver data up to 8GBp/s per lane. This absolves the customer from ever buying a thick and short display cable such as VGA or DVI

The ability of USB Power Delivery (PD) 2.0 and 3.0 to deliver power up to 100W, along with the bi-directional nature of power delivery makes for some interesting possibilities as mentioned in the leading sentence of this blog. USB PD, in combination with USB DisplayPort 1.3 Alt mode and the USB Type-C 1.2 connector provides a compact, integrated replacement solution to the multiple wires that are required in a docking station. The display monitor in a docking station can be connected to the main power source, and can in turn, have a single wire deliver power to the PC, while receiving video data across the same wire from the PC, via a USB Type-C connector. The result is a docking wire, instead of a docking station, and is the last cable anyone will ever need.

Building a USB Type-C System on a Chip solution that includes USB Power Delivery, USB3.1 and is in compliance to IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) will prove to be extremely challenging. Having an IP partner will help you secure and stabilize your design and silicon in a very reliable and timely manner. Cadence has a comprehensive solution for USB 3.1, 3.0, 2.0, and USB Type-C 1.2. Our VIP for USB PD 2.0 with Type-C is now available for customers. Cadence has developed a proven VIP product solution serving hundreds of customers across thousands of designs and supports multiple languages, simulators and methodologies

My desk configuration at work allows me to switch my work surface between sitting and standing positions. While I was excited about this idea initially, managing the wires that go between my monitor to the docking station on the side every time the level is changed has been such a hassle, that I find myself not using this feature at all. Personally, the ‘docking wire’ solution can’t get to market soon enough!

More information on the Cadence IP solution for USB Type-C is available here.