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Reviews with images
BETOP Surface Connect cable makes serious safety omissions.
This is Nathan K., I do independent verification and testing of USB-C devices and peripherals. I also use a Microsoft Surface Pro 3.TL;DR: DO NOT BUY THIS! You risk damaging your power adapter, USB-C device, or Surface computer by using this. Just watch the video where the exposed pins spark out (because BETOP doesn't use the "Control" pin for connection detect).Full review:The BETOP Surface Connect cable [PN B07HT3BNYY] could have been OK.... if it was engineered properly. Instead they cut corners and it is a absolute mess.The magnetic Surface Connector is actually quite safe. Microsoft engineered safety protocols (via the "Control" pin), since they knew exposed contacts could short if it came into contact with metal surfaces, moisture, etc. Despite the high price -- that engineering is what you are paying for when you buy an official Microsoft adapter.This cable bypasses all those safeties in a totally hack way.The main problem boils down to this: the cable DOES NOT bidirectionally isolate Vbus until:(a) proper USB-C voltage/current is negotiated, and(b) the Control pin indicates a mechanical connection is achieved.All they had to do was add 2x FETS and some logic control circuits..... but you can guess where I'm going with that.Regarding (a):Microsoft Surface Connector uses either 12v/3a or 15v/3a with MPPT. USB-C uses explicit voltage/current contracts. It's entirely possible to simply negotiate a USB-PD 45w (15v/3a) contract and refuse to open up the voltage lines until you connect a 45w charger. Easy.However due to not having said FETs (and saving $2), if you connect this to a 5v power supply (like, say, a $2k USB-C Surface Book) it will blast the same 5v out the other end. No contract checking, no safeties, nothing. See picture. Connecting a 5v/500mA port directly to a 15v/3a input is a really, really bad idea. So the basic USB-C rules are broken.Regarding (b):BETOP doesn't use the Control pin to turn on. It's always on. The video (and traffic trace) proves this. I was using a Google 45w charger which has OCP protection/shutoff.But if I wasn't, this could have sparked out and melted the cable. 15v/3a though a dead short is bad bad bad. So the basic Microsoft Surface Connector rules are broken.Conclusion:This may "work" in certain circumstances. Hence the positive reviews. But it is absolutely not worth bypassing safeties with a paperclip to do so.Please re-engineer this product properly! It could work safely and properly if only a little more work was put in. As it stands this is a great idea with absolutely terrible execution.CONS and other "fun" [read: terrifying] tidbits:* Claims to be a DisplayPort USB-C video adapter (?!)* Claims to transfer USB3.1 SuperSpeed data (?!)* Claims to be made by "Shenzen Legends"
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2018
TL;DR: DO NOT BUY THIS! You risk damaging your power adapter, USB-C device, or Surface computer by using this. Just watch the video where the exposed pins spark out (because BETOP doesn't use the "Control" pin for connection detect).
Full review:
The BETOP Surface Connect cable [PN B07HT3BNYY] could have been OK.... if it was engineered properly. Instead they cut corners and it is a absolute mess.
The magnetic Surface Connector is actually quite safe. Microsoft engineered safety protocols (via the "Control" pin), since they knew exposed contacts could short if it came into contact with metal surfaces, moisture, etc. Despite the high price -- that engineering is what you are paying for when you buy an official Microsoft adapter.
This cable bypasses all those safeties in a totally hack way.
The main problem boils down to this: the cable DOES NOT bidirectionally isolate Vbus until:
(a) proper USB-C voltage/current is negotiated, and
(b) the Control pin indicates a mechanical connection is achieved.
All they had to do was add 2x FETS and some logic control circuits..... but you can guess where I'm going with that.
Regarding (a):
Microsoft Surface Connector uses either 12v/3a or 15v/3a with MPPT. USB-C uses explicit voltage/current contracts. It's entirely possible to simply negotiate a USB-PD 45w (15v/3a) contract and refuse to open up the voltage lines until you connect a 45w charger. Easy.
However due to not having said FETs (and saving $2), if you connect this to a 5v power supply (like, say, a $2k USB-C Surface Book) it will blast the same 5v out the other end. No contract checking, no safeties, nothing. See picture. Connecting a 5v/500mA port directly to a 15v/3a input is a really, really bad idea. So the basic USB-C rules are broken.
Regarding (b):
BETOP doesn't use the Control pin to turn on. It's always on. The video (and traffic trace) proves this. I was using a Google 45w charger which has OCP protection/shutoff.
But if I wasn't, this could have sparked out and melted the cable. 15v/3a though a dead short is bad bad bad. So the basic Microsoft Surface Connector rules are broken.
Conclusion:
This may "work" in certain circumstances. Hence the positive reviews. But it is absolutely not worth bypassing safeties with a paperclip to do so.
Please re-engineer this product properly! It could work safely and properly if only a little more work was put in. As it stands this is a great idea with absolutely terrible execution.
CONS and other "fun" [read: terrifying] tidbits:
* Claims to be a DisplayPort USB-C video adapter (?!)
* Claims to transfer USB3.1 SuperSpeed data (?!)
* Claims to be made by "Shenzen Legends"
BETOP Surface Connect cable makes serious safety omissions.
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2018
This is Nathan K., I do independent verification and testing of USB-C devices and peripherals. I also use a Microsoft Surface Pro 3.Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2018
TL;DR: DO NOT BUY THIS! You risk damaging your power adapter, USB-C device, or Surface computer by using this. Just watch the video where the exposed pins spark out (because BETOP doesn't use the "Control" pin for connection detect).
Full review:
The BETOP Surface Connect cable [PN B07HT3BNYY] could have been OK.... if it was engineered properly. Instead they cut corners and it is a absolute mess.
The magnetic Surface Connector is actually quite safe. Microsoft engineered safety protocols (via the "Control" pin), since they knew exposed contacts could short if it came into contact with metal surfaces, moisture, etc. Despite the high price -- that engineering is what you are paying for when you buy an official Microsoft adapter.
This cable bypasses all those safeties in a totally hack way.
The main problem boils down to this: the cable DOES NOT bidirectionally isolate Vbus until:
(a) proper USB-C voltage/current is negotiated, and
(b) the Control pin indicates a mechanical connection is achieved.
All they had to do was add 2x FETS and some logic control circuits..... but you can guess where I'm going with that.
Regarding (a):
Microsoft Surface Connector uses either 12v/3a or 15v/3a with MPPT. USB-C uses explicit voltage/current contracts. It's entirely possible to simply negotiate a USB-PD 45w (15v/3a) contract and refuse to open up the voltage lines until you connect a 45w charger. Easy.
However due to not having said FETs (and saving $2), if you connect this to a 5v power supply (like, say, a $2k USB-C Surface Book) it will blast the same 5v out the other end. No contract checking, no safeties, nothing. See picture. Connecting a 5v/500mA port directly to a 15v/3a input is a really, really bad idea. So the basic USB-C rules are broken.
Regarding (b):
BETOP doesn't use the Control pin to turn on. It's always on. The video (and traffic trace) proves this. I was using a Google 45w charger which has OCP protection/shutoff.
But if I wasn't, this could have sparked out and melted the cable. 15v/3a though a dead short is bad bad bad. So the basic Microsoft Surface Connector rules are broken.
Conclusion:
This may "work" in certain circumstances. Hence the positive reviews. But it is absolutely not worth bypassing safeties with a paperclip to do so.
Please re-engineer this product properly! It could work safely and properly if only a little more work was put in. As it stands this is a great idea with absolutely terrible execution.
CONS and other "fun" [read: terrifying] tidbits:
* Claims to be a DisplayPort USB-C video adapter (?!)
* Claims to transfer USB3.1 SuperSpeed data (?!)
* Claims to be made by "Shenzen Legends"
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2019
I Guess I will first plug the surface pro connector and then the USB C to avoid any sparking.
The product itself works for me. I use this with a min of 45W adapter as well as power bank.
The USB C conntor seems not of a ‘high quality’. Not bad overall for 18-19 bucks.
Excellent traveling accessory for the Surface Pro
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2019
I bought this in spite of one of the reviews mentioning sparking, not using a safety circuit, etc as the other manufacturer did not ship to Singapore.Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2019
I Guess I will first plug the surface pro connector and then the USB C to avoid any sparking.
The product itself works for me. I use this with a min of 45W adapter as well as power bank.
The USB C conntor seems not of a ‘high quality’. Not bad overall for 18-19 bucks.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019
