Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be determined”

Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by yftsui on Monday May 25, 2020 @05:18PM (#23305093)

Doesn't DRM means they tried hard to stop you from clone it? Any hobbyist can get a sample chip from Maxim, clone the data from the original PSU and write it to the new chip.

I agree it should be an open standard, but the implementation is really similar to EDID. As we are moving forward with USB-C power supplies, this is probably going to be irrelevant very soon.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by littlestymaar on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @02:03AM (#23307894)

“Any hobbyist can circumvent it” is a poor test to determine if something is a DRM though, most DRMs pass this test too, since most of them are vulnerable to the “analog loophole”.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by catalogia on Monday May 25, 2020 @08:30PM (#23306296)

> The content is something like `DELL 01 AC 065 195 033 {23bytes} 01`

Are they doing that trademark hack thing where they threaten 3rd party manufacturers who put that "DELL" string in their product without a license?

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by WWLink on Monday May 25, 2020 @11:16PM (#23307087)

That's ridiculous. What the hell kinda court would accept that claim? The packet is clearly 0x44 0x45 0x4c 0x4c 0x01 0x41 0x43 0x65 0xc3 0x21 <23 bytes> 0x01!

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by dannyw on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @01:38AM (#23307770)

Are you being sarcastic? I unfortunately can't find a source as the exact case is escaping my memory at the moment, but this was successfully argued in court that a third party using "TRADEMARK" in a chip (which is checked by the DRM system) was a violation of their trademark.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by kalleboo on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @04:04AM (#23308534)

https://segaretro.org/TradeMark_Security_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_v._Accolade

I read it like Sega was on their way to losing the appeal, so they settled it out of court.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by catalogia on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @11:53AM (#23312706)

Even if it doesn't hold up in court, it may still be a deterrent to any company looking to produce compatible parts. Shipments of their product could very plausibly be stopped at customs then held up for years until the court case is won.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by littlestymaar on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @02:09AM (#23307927)

That's exactly what Apple does to prevent other companies to sell computers with MacOS on them![1]

[1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psystar_Corporation#Legal_is...

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by ProZsolt on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @08:21AM (#23310200)

It as DRM as Printer cartridges or Keurig 2.0 K-Cup[1]

[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8726707

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by Causality1 on Monday May 25, 2020 @06:52PM (#23305731)

Yes, I'm sure it has nothing at all to do with forcing customers to buy OEM chargers for $119 a piece plus tax and shipping instead of buying a generic one for $30.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by yftsui on Monday May 25, 2020 @07:25PM (#23305946)

If a company is making a "Generic" charger using a proprietary connector(only used by Dell in this case), it is their responsibility to make sure it works. Otherwise, it is a bad quality knock-off.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by Dylan16807 on Monday May 25, 2020 @09:33PM (#23306625)

If someone is making a dell-specific charger, I can see that. But generic chargers usually have interchangeable tips, and they should not need to embed a different chip inside each one of them.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by ProZsolt on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @08:31AM (#23310275)

I don't like the proprietary protocol, but actually there is a good reason for this communication between the charger and the laptop.

There are multiple charges with the same barrel jack, but different wattage. You plug a low wattage power adapter to a high powered laptop. Without the chip: The laptop can draw to much power and in the best case scenario it damages your power adapter, in worts case damage your laptop or burns down your house. With the chip: the laptop can throttle, so it draws less power.

USB Power Delivery does the same thing, just without the properitary protocol.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by Dylan16807 on Tuesday May 26, 2020 @11:50AM (#23312663)

> in the best case scenario it damages your power adapter

The best case scenario is that your charger is not a garbage fire hazard, and so it slowly drops the voltage when the laptop tries to draw too much.

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Re:Hardware fix for Dell “AC power adapter could not be dete... by Causality1 on Monday May 25, 2020 @11:55PM (#23307270)

A barrel connector is hardly proprietary.

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