USB power meter

Question

I am looking for a USB power meter, i.e., a device that you can plug between a normal USB charger and a USB-powered device and that tells what is the voltage supplied by the charger and how much current is transferred.

Ideally, I'd like to have a meter with the following specifications:

1. The meter has USB type A connectors (type A plug in one end, type A socket in the other end), so I can use it with any USB charger with a type A socket, and then just connect a suitable cable to charge devices with either USB micro-B or USB C connectors.

2. The meter supports modern USB power delivery standards, it works fine with e.g. Qualcomm Quick Charge technology, it does not interfere with the voltage negotiation, and it is happy to accurately measure voltages larger than 5V and currents larger than 2A.

3. Reasonable price tag (below 50 EUR).

Based on the reviews, it seems that Satechi type-C power meter works pretty well with modern high-power USB devices, but has type C plugs, so it is not that convenient if I want to use it with devices with micro-B connectors.

Answer 1

Your objective may be easily accomplished, depending on the scope of "larger than 5V" and "larger than 2A."

The few units I've examined via a search using the terms "USB volt amps meter" have presented ranges up to 9V and current up to 3A. The lower priced devices appear to lower limits, which is understandable.

I was surprised to discover a meter which lists in the specifications a maximum of 10V and 10A. One would suspect that it would not be used to measure voltage and current from a computer USB port. This particular unit also supported single input, dual outputs.

I cannot attest to the "modern USB power delivery standards" as the ad copy I've found does not include that reference. The units I've located fit in your specified budget with room to spare. Three US dollars up to about twenty, international availability for most sources.