Tom's Teardown: Philips SPS8038B AC USB Adapter

[Guest]

We’ve torn apart cheap AC adapters and cheap power bars. How about digging into a combination device this time around? Here comes Philips’ SPS8038B.

Tom's Teardown: Philips SPS8038B AC USB Adapter : Read more

 

[cyaros]

I have one of these and it is convenient, but it whines. You can hear a high-pitched buzzing noise reminiscent of 50 cent phone chargers from Hong Kong when you plug it in, but otherwise I'm given no reason to believe it's dangerous.

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

I have one of these and it is convenient, but it whines. You can hear a high-pitched buzzing noise reminiscent of 50 cent phone chargers from Hong Kong when you plug it in, but otherwise I'm given no reason to believe it's dangerous.

If mine whined, it got buried under my test equipment's fans and I didn't notice it at all. Safety-wise, I gave this one to one of my sisters to replace the dollar-store adapters she uses in the kitchen until I find an even better one that can be reassembled after tear-down.

 

[wwenze]

"It's surprising to find an international brand exhibiting worse"

It's not surprising when that brand is called Philips

 

[daglesj]

Just can't see the point of this monstrosity.

 

[froozeball]

I find more reassurance in Daniel's teardowns and expose than in the government's ability(ies) to protect us from cheap cheap, and potential dangerous, USB chargers.
Canada's Health Agency recently posted a recall on some of the more dangerous devices being sold at various Dollar store, Bargain Dollar, etc, type retailers in the country.
http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2018/66316a-eng.php

I'd sooner trust a name brand of some sort versus a no name, or WTF name brand in a dollar store or gas station.

Best trust of all - trust Toms and Daniel to keep us informed.

Merci a Daniel!

 

[DotNetMaster777]

Philips Adapter looks very nice for this money !

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

Canada's Health Agency recently posted a recall on some of the more dangerous devices being sold at various Dollar store, Bargain Dollar, etc, type retailers in the country.

Best trust of all - trust Toms and Daniel to keep us informed.

There's an awful lot of A1265-like adapters on that Health Canada page, nearly half of 'em based on their low resolution images.

Based on the three such units I've opened here so far, the recommendation is to stay as far away as possible from the A1265 form factor unless you are 100% certain it is a genuine Apple adapter. None of the generics (at least so far) are anywhere near safe. While digging through my adapter pile to decide which one to do next, I found another one of these I haven't opened yet. I might do another A1265 double-feature once I get my sister's dollar-store adapter. So far, every A1265 look-alike had a different layout from the others. I wonder how many of them there may be.

Merci a Daniel!

Bienvenu

 

[alphax45]

What do the A/B switches do on the USB ports?

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

What do the A/B switches do on the USB ports?

It is for switching the charging spec resistors/voltages on D+ and D-.

One position uses voltage dividers, the other simply shorts the two pins together via a zero-ohm resistor.