New Raspberry Pi 4 Problem Reported with Certain USB-C Cables

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has confirmed that the recently released Raspberry Pi 4 will not work when powered using certain USB-C cables. The economical, single-board computer is the first Pi board to use a USB-C power connection. Pi co-creator Eben Upton has confirmed that not every USB-C cable will work. “The Pi 4 doesn't receive power when used with electronically marked or e-marked USB-C cables — the type used by Apple MacBooks and other laptops,” the article quotes Upton as saying. “A smart charger with an e-marked cable will incorrectly identify the Raspberry Pi 4 as an audio adapter accessory, and refuse to provide power.”

“The Raspberry Pi 4 marks a significant upgrade for the Pi, introducing a new CPU and GPU, upping the Pi’s memory to 4 GB, introducing USB 3.0 for fast storage, and adding support for dual 4K displays”

Upton said he anticipates the issue will be fixed in future board revisions, but until then, Raspberry Pi 4 owners will need to use non-e-marked USB-C cables — the type many smartphone chargers use — with a power supply that can deliver the 5.1 V at 3A the board needs. Another option is to purchase the official Raspberry Pi 4 power supply, which costs around $8. Older chargers with A-C cables or micro B-to-C adaptors will also work if they provide enough power.