Axon SBC Power Input: Mobile Charger vs Recommended 12V PD Supply

General
1

Hi @Avi_Shihora,

I am currently using the Axon SBC and noticed that it powers on and works fine even with a regular mobile charger in my case. So far, I haven’t observed any issues or instability.

However, the Official Documentation mentions to use a 12V PD power supply Adapter, which has made me unsure about which one I should follow.

My Questions:

  1. Is it safe to continue using a normal mobile Adapter (non-PD) if the board is working fine?
  2. Could this cause any long-term issues or performance limitations?
  3. What are the risks of not using the recommended 12V PD supply?
  4. Are there any specific charger/Adapter models or specifications you recommend for reliable usage?

I will also attach the details and image of the charger I am currently using.

Thanks!

:battery: My Charger Info: The adapter I’m using is a Motorola TurboPower 33W Charger (Model: MC-334)

  • Output:
    • 5.0V ⎓ 3A — 15.0W
    • 9.0V ⎓ 3A — 27.0W
    • 12.0V ⎓ 2.5A — 30.0W
    • 11.0V ⎓ 3.0A — 33.0W Max
  • Protocol: Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC 3.0) (not USB PD)
  • Connector: USB Type-A

:camera_flash: Image of Mobile Adapter :

Motorola TurboPower 33W Charger
Motorola TurboPower 33W Charger899×1599 97.5 KB

Motorola_TurboPower_33W_Charger_Type-A-port
Motorola_TurboPower_33W_Charger_Type-A-port1080×1139 59.4 KB

2

non PD adapter will not work, for axon. You’ll need 12V PD adapter.

3
  1. PD Adapter as it supports power negotiation functionality, it only gives power to axon device that Axon really needs on time to time basis or dynamically.
  2. Yes, It cause. When you connect more peripherals to Axon, it requires more Voltage with current goes to a higher power (Watt), and your adapter is not sufficient to reach 60W. ( Max Capacity consumption of power from Axon )
  3. Axon may behivour unexpectebly like, automatically restarting after some time.
4

Hi team,

Thanks for the clarification!

I tested my non-PD adapter (Motorola TurboPower 33W) by adding multiple peripherals and load — the Axon became unstable and rebooted unexpectedly. This confirms the power limitation. So, I got that is better to switch to a proper 12V adapter with PD Protocol.

Follow-up questions:

  1. I noticed your official store adapter (AXON PD Adaptor — EU Plug, Type-C to Type-C) lists 12V/5A output but states 18W — shouldn’t that be 60W? Seems like a listing error.

  2. The store adapter appears to have two ports — a USB-A port and a USB-C port. Could you clarify:

    • What is the output of the USB-A port individually?
    • What is the output of the USB-C port individually?
    • What is the output of each port when both ports are used simultaneously?

Thanks again!

5

We recommend you to buy other than store adapters. Since we don’t provide any warranty for it.

18W will work in most of the use-cases, you only need 60W when you want all the peripherals support. ( NVMe, USB3.0, DP, etc, GPIOs, etc. ).

Our listed adapter supports 18W ( 12V and 1.5Amp for type-c ) and USB A should be around 1.5 Amps at 5V.