Common external power supply

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In 2009 a European Commission initiative resulted in the specification of a common external power supply (common EPS) for use with data-enabled mobile phones sold in the European Union. The external power supply is the AC power adapter that converts household AC electricity voltages to the much lower DC voltages needed to charge a mobile phone's internal battery. Although compliance is voluntary, a majority of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers agreed to make their applicable mobile phones compatible with Europe's common external power supply specifications.

Purpose

According to the European Commission, a common external power supply / "charger" standard is desirable because,

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Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is a major environmental problem and an inconvenience for users across the EU. Currently specific chargers are sold together with specific mobile phones. A user who wants to change his/her mobile phone must usually acquire a new charger and dispose the current one, even if this is in perfect condition. This unnecessarily generates important amounts of electronic waste... Harmonising mobile phone chargers will bring significant economic and environmental benefits... Consumers will not need to buy a new charger together with every mobile phone...

— European Commission – FAQ[1]

History

In June 2009, many of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers signed an EC-sponsored memorandum of understanding (MoU), agreeing to make most new data-enabled mobile phones marketed in the European Union compatible with a to-be-specified common EPS. All signatories agreed to develop a common specification for the EPS "to allow for full compatibility and safety of chargers and mobile phones."[1] 14 mobile phone manufacturers and technology providers signed the MoU – the original 10 signatories, Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, RIM, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Texas Instruments as well as Atmel, Emblaze Mobile, Huawei Technologies and TCT Mobile (Alcatel).[2]

To develop and formalize the needed technical standards, the Commission issued a standardisation mandate to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI on a common "charging capability for mobile telephones." In response, CENELEC created a task force to develop the interoperability specifications of a common external power supply. The resulting technical specifications were published in December 2010 as EN 62684:2010, "Interoperability specifications of common EPS for use with data-enabled mobile telephones."[3]

In January 2011, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) released its essentially identical version of the common EPS standard as IEC 62684:2011[4]

The original Common EPS memorandum of understanding expired at the end of 2012. The Commission reported at the time that all of the fourteen MoU signatories, "have met their obligations under the MoU."[5] Eight of the original MoU signatories signed a 2013 Letter of Intent (LoI) to extend the 2009 MoU another year and, in 2014, five of those companies (Apple, Blackberry, Huawei, Samsung and Sony) again signed a second Letter of Intent, effectively extending the MoU through the end of 2014.[6]

Technical specifications

Reference to USB battery-charging specification

The common EPS specification relies heavily on existing USB electro-mechanical standards – especially the USB Battery Charging Specification. By the mid-2000s, many mobile phone manufacturers (as well as manufacturers of other small battery-powered devices) had already begun designing their products with the ability to use a USB port's 5 V DC power to recharge batteries. The USB Implementers Forum, recognizing this trend, updated the USB standard in 2007 to better accommodate this popular battery-charging application of USB ports, primarily by defining "charging ports" which can provide more current allowing faster re-charging of batteries.[7][8] In March 2011, the USB Implementers Forum agreed to allow CENELEC "... to make reference to USB technology in its European Standard EN 62684:2010 and ... to grant download access to USB technical specifications free of charge and at any time to manufacturers implementing this European [common EPS] Standard."[9]

Cabling, connectors and adapters

EU common external power supply components
EU common external power supply with captive cable

A common EPS must include a cable with a micro USB-B connector for connecting to a mobile phone. This cable can be either captive (permanently attached to the power supply) or detachable. If detachable, the cable must connect to the power supply via a standard USB type-A plug.[10]

The MoU which defines the common external power supply as well as the related EC standardisation mandate both allow for the use of the common external power supply also with phones not equipped with a micro-USB receptacle. "... [MoU] 4.2.1 ... if a manufacturer makes available an Adaptor from the Micro-USB connector of a Common EPS to a specific non-Micro-USB socket in the Mobile Phone, it shall constitute compliance to this article" and, "... An Adaptor can also be a detachable cable."[11][12]

The type of AC "plug" provided on a common EPS can vary depending on the intended market of use. "Per regulatory requirements for each market. ... preferred supplied input voltage range should be at least 90–264 V" (100–240 V ± 10%).[10]

Reception

The common EPS initiative was generally well received by the public, although at least one European consumer group bemoaned the voluntary nature and narrow scope of the initiative (as it applies only to mobile phones and only those that are "handheld" and "data-enabled") and the fact that the EU's EPS specification does not set aggressive energy efficiency no-load consumption requirements.[13][14]

Some observers, noting Apple's continued use of proprietary, non-micro USB charging ports on their smartphones, suggested Apple was not in compliance with the 2009 Common EPS Memorandum of Understanding. The European Commission however, confirmed that all MoU signatories, "have met their obligations under the MoU,"[15] stating specifically, "Concerning Apple's previous and present proprietary connectors and their compatibility with the agreement, the MoU allows for the use of an adaptor without prescribing the conditions for its provision"[16] and "The Commission does not have evidence that Apple has breached the [MoU] agreement. The iPhone 5 can be used with an adaptor allowing it to be connected to the common charger."[17]

Pending/future European legislation

In a 2013 amendment to a "Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament … relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment", the European Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection included a recommendation for "... A renewed effort to develop a common charger ... [being] highly desirable and consequently ... beneficial in particular for consumers and other end-users." Although the parliamentary proposal applies to all radio equipment (any "product which intentionally emits or receives radio waves for communication") including mobile phones, tablet computers, car door openers, modems, etc.[18][19] the draft law, approved overwhelmingly by the European Parliament on 13 March 2014, stipulates that it will be up to the European Commission to decide which specific types of radio equipment will have to be compatible with common chargers.[20] Once formally approved by the Council of Ministers, member states will have two years to transpose the new regulations into national laws and manufacturers will have an additional year after that to comply.[21][22]

Similar regional and global industry initiatives for mobile phone charging

Other mobile phone power supply and charging standards have been implemented in other parts of the world (e.g., Korea and China). Proposals for a global/industry-wide mobile phone charging solution have also been promoted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and by industry organizations GSMA and OMTP. The ITU and the GSMA/OMTP proposals are very similar to the European and Chinese charger standards although the GSMA/OMTP proposal is less flexible and has not been adopted by as many phone manufacturers as has the EU standard.

Charger and interface standard in South Korea

In March 2001, the Korean Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) released a "Standard on I/O Connection Interface of Digital Cellular Phone".[23] This standard describes the electromechanical interface specifications for cellular phone charging, wired data communication, analog audio, etc. and was released together with related test and certification specifications.[24][25] The main feature of the standard is the specification of a 24-pin connector/socket for mobile phones to handle connections for power input (battery charging) and output, data communication (USB and other digital signals), analog audio inputs and outputs (for hands-free microphone, earphone) and other signals. The 2007 revision of the standard[26] specified a smaller 20-pin connector to succeed the 24-pin connector and added analog (composite) video output support, among other changes. Chargers with the new 20-pin connectors started appearing in 2008 and phone manufacturers were urged to include 24-to-20-pin adapters with new phones sold in Korea to enable the charging of new phones with the older 24-pin chargers.[27]

Charger and interface standard in China

In December 2006, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MII) released a new China Communications Standards Association (CCSA) standard, "Technical Requirements and Test Method of Charger and Interface for Mobile Telecommunication Terminal Equipment".[28] This standard describes the electromechanical requirements for a common mobile device battery charger equipped with a USB type-A socket providing power at 5 V DC. All new mobile phones requesting network access approval in China from June 2007 are required to support charging from the new common chargers. The original 2006 regulation is flexible regarding the interface on the mobile phone itself, allowing for the use of adapter cables if the mobile device is not equipped with a standard USB connector.[29] Among other things, the 2009 update adds references to USB On-The-Go (OTG) support and the use of USB micro-B, micro-AB, mini-B; and Mini-10-pin and cylindrical ("barrel") type connectors on the terminal (phone) for charging.[30]

GSMA universal charging solution (UCS) and OMTP common charging solution (CCS)

OMTP's common charging solution (CCS) components

In February 2009, the GSM Association (GSMA), together with six mobile phone manufacturers and technology providers, and eleven mobile service providers, announced their commitment to implementing a cross-industry standard for a common/universal charging solution for new mobile phones and chargers. The aim of the GSMA initiative is "...to ensure that the mobile industry adopts a common format for mobile phone charger connections and energy-efficient charger...". Universal charging solution (UCS) chargers are required to use micro-USB as the common universal charging interface and have a four-star or higher efficiency rating (standby energy use ≤ 0.15 W).[31]

The Open Mobile Terminal Platform industry forum (OMTP) specified the requirements of the GSMA's Universal Charging Solution and published these requirements under the title "Common Charging and Local Data Connectivity" in 2009. This document specifies the three components of a common charging solution (CCS): a charging and local data connector (CLD) on the "terminal" (e.g., a mobile phone) consisting of a micro-B or micro-AB receptacle; a common power supply (CPS) with a type-A receptacle; and a detachable type-A to micro-B cable to connect the power supply with the mobile phone.[32] As of early 2011, an additional 10 service providers and one additional mobile phone manufacturer have joined the agreement.[33]

In April 2009, the industry trade group The Wireless Association (CTIA) announced its support of the GSMA's Universal Charging Solution.[34]

ITU Universal power adapter and charger solution

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU, the UN specialized agency in the field of telecommunications, information and communication technologies) announced in October 2009 that it had also embraced the universal charging solution standard—based on input from the GSMA—as its "energy-efficient one-charger-fits-all new mobile phone solution."[35] The ITU published Recommendation ITU-T L.1000, specifying a charger similar in most respects to that of the GSMA/OMTP proposal and of the Chinese charger and the EU's common EPS. The ITU specifies that the OMTP's more aggressive "preferred" no load consumption requirement be mandatory after a three-year "transition period" but is more flexible in allowing the use of captive cables and USB micro-B adapters in its "target solution" – similar to the European common EPS standard. The ITU recommendation was expanded and updated in June 2011.[36]

Other higher power charging standards for mobile devices

USB Power Delivery and Type-C specification

In 2012, the USB Power Delivery (PD) specification was released. Power Delivery provides the ability for 5 V devices to draw more than 7.5 W of power (the limit specified by USB Battery Charging) from USB PD-aware ports when using PD-aware USB cables. The specification also allows PD ports to provide even greater power at higher voltages over PD-aware cables; up to 36 W at 12 V and 60 W at 20 V (for micro-USB connectors) and up to 60 W at 12 V and 100 W at 20 V (for type-A/B connectors).[37]

In August, 2014, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced the completion of the USB Type-C connector and cable specification. Type-C cables and connectors are reversible and are electrically backward compatible, but not physically backward compatible, with previous USB plugs and receptacles. New-to-existing cables and adapters have been defined. Some USB Type-C cables and connectors can support "USB performance at SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps (USB 3.1) and USB Power Delivery up to 100W"[38][39][40] although USB Type-C cables are only required to support USB 2.0 (non-SuperSpeed) data rates and 3 A (60 W at 20 V) of current.[41] Such minimum-specification USB Type-C cables are sometimes referred to as "charge" cables because, for most mobile device battery charging applications, 60 W is more than sufficient and a higher data transfer speed is less important than minimizing cable cost and maximizing cable length.

IEEE P1823, universal power adapter for mobile devices (UPAMD)

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Main article: Universal Power Adapter for Mobile Devices

IEEE P1823 is a proposed global standard for a universal power adapter for mobile devices (UPAMD) that require between 10 W and 240 W. E.g., Laptops, larger tablets and other mobile devices that can require much more power than the (non-Power Delivery) USB battery charging specification limit of 7.5 W at 5 V.[42]

IEC 62700, DC power supply for notebook computer

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Main article: IEC 62700

IEC Technical Specification 62700: "DC Power supply for notebook computer" is an IEC specification for an external laptop computer power supply, published in February 2014.[43][44]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ USB Battery Charging specification released in March 2007 (version 1.0) with updates in 2009 (version 1.1) and 2010 (version 1.2) permits appropriately designed USB devices to, "... draw current in excess of the USB 2.0 specification for charging and/or powering up ..."
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ MEPs push for common charger for all mobile phones
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ "Standard on I/O Connection Interface of Digital Cellular Phone" TTAS.KO-06.0028 released in March 2001. Later updated in 2002 (/R2), and in 2007 (/R4)
  24. ↑ Related test and certification standards published (TTAS.KO-06.0029 and TTAS.KO-06.0030).
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ (2007 revision = TTAS.KO-06.0028/R3)
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ "Technical Requirements and Test Method of Charger and Interface for Mobile Telecommunication Terminal Equipment" (CCSA YD/T 1591–2006, later updated to YD/T 1591–2009)
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (Final revision V1.1 published in 2010)
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

USB battery charging:

EU common External Power Supply:

EU Future Directions

Other (non-EU) initiatives:

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