There are advances on the universal power adapter front in evidence at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. Green Plug, which devises technology that lets electronic devices collaborate with their power sources, recently inked a deal with Imagination Technologies PLC by which Imagination will make Green Plug’s Greentalk digital protocol and Greenwire connection sensing technology available in its System-on-Chip (SoC) core products.
At the same time, Imagineation's PURE operation, which makes radio products, will put Green Plug in select radios and will introduce a smart power adapter accessory.
The initial step in transforming from dumb power adapters into smart power devices is to let electronic products communicate over the power connector. Using the new technology, any device can communicate with Green Plug-enabled power supplies directly over the power cable and connector on the device, in many cases without adding any extra components.
Consumers will have the option of using the free, vendor-provided power adapter or of purchasing a power accessory that will work with all Green Plug-enabled CE products and can be configured to simultaneously power 2, 4, 8 or more products, each with unique power requirements.
Green Plug says it is the first to use two-way digital communication to convert a universal power source to a device’s specific power requirements. The Greentalk digital protocol lets devices communicate with power supplies to dynamically monitor, control and optimize power delivery for changing conditions. Highly efficient, stylish dc power hubs enabled with Green Plug’s GPP chip are able to simultaneously power multiple devices, each with its own specific voltage and power requirements.
Perhaps best of all, Green Plug technology minimizes solid waste by allowing consumers to keep their chargers for use with future devices after their current devices have become obsolete.
More info: http://www.greenplug.us/products.php
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