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I have a cheap Sabrent SATA III to USB 3.0 SSD enclosure (EC-UASP, 2.5-Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool-free External Hard Drive Enclosure) that I often use with an equally cheap SSD for some extra storage. The device works well with all of my USB A ports (it comes with a very thick USB A to A cable) but today when I tried using it with a USB A to C cable to connect it to one of my laptop's USB C ports I found that the device doesn't even power on.

I tried another cable and even tried using the SSD with my phone instead of my laptop, but no matter what, the device simply won't turn on when connected to a USB C port.

From what I understand, a USB A device should be usable with a USB C port provided it is used with an adapter. I don't have a USB-C hub that would offer USB-A ports, so I can't test it with it's own USB cable.

The enclosure (with the SSD in it) seems to draw ~50mA at idle and maxes out at ~300mA when writing sequential data, so current draw shouldn't be the problem.

Image of the Sabrent enclosure from their official website that shows connections.

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The device works well with all of my USB A ports (it comes with a very thick USB A to A cable)

That's one classic issue with the type-A port used on a USB device. Type-A ports are designated for USB hosts. You were using illegal A-A cables to connect it. Fine.

Now you are using a Type-A to Type-C cable. This cable is designed to connect USB host (type-A) to Type-C device. Therefore it has HOST SIGNATURE on CC pins in the cable's overmold. Your new Type-C is also a host, so you are attempting a host-host connection, and this fails for obvious reason.

To get your SSD enclosure to work with Type-C host, you need a Type-C to Type-A Female adapter, aka "OTG adapter.

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This adapter will have DEVICE signature on Type-C end, and FEMALE Type-A port, which will act just as an ordinary PC port. Then use your illegal A-A cable.

There is no single-piece Type-C cable which will connect your illegal device with Type-C port, unless you do a serious overmold "surgery" and switch the embedded pull-up to a 5.1k pull down on one of CC pins.

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  • Ah, that makes sense. I was under the impression that I would not need an OTG cable because of Dual Role Ports introduced with Type C, but of course the dynamic selection would only work with a Type C to Type C cable as Type A doesn't have the required pins. Thanks a lot!
    – DividedByZero
    Commented Sep 8, 2018 at 3:24
  • @DividedByZero, "as Type A doesn't have the required pins" - yes, this is precisely the reason, and the cause of all the confusion around mixed Type-C cables.
    – Ale..chenski
    Commented Sep 8, 2018 at 22:47
  • I just had this same problem, and I can't believe I actually found an answer. Time to return and get a USB-C enclosure then. Thanks!
    – Tsuharesu
    Commented Feb 1 at 20:42

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