First things first...this isn't a cable validator. If you have a cable that's electrically intact, but can't handle a particular signalling speed or data rate, this tester isn't going to tell you that.

This also isn't something you would connect to a computer or USB peripheral, and the instructions warn you not to do so.

However, if you are wondering whether or not a given USB cable is actually good, wired correctly for the application, or if you're just curious how various cables happen to be wired...this is the product for you! It's inexpensive and very effective. USB-C cables in particular can be quickly identified and sorted with this tester. It's got every type of USB connector I can think of.

The tester is powered from an included CR2032 battery. It's also an option to power the tester externally from an external DC power supply. While the input voltages are claimed to be wide ranging, don't get too carried away. The voltage regulator built in to the tester does have its limits and will get hotter the higher the input voltage is.

The only thing I'm not really sure about is how well it will hold up over time and with repeated use. So far I've tested a few dozen cables and everything is still holding up well. Keep in mind that even with the "case" option, that it's still a bare circuit board.

Good continuity tester, it tells you exactly what you need to know if you understand USB cables. It has all the standard USB ports you could possibly want. The only annoyance I found is the "Shield" net is electrically connected to the "GND" net on the board somewhere, so you can't test for these individual conductors in the cable.

This compact tool is a troubleshooter's dream. It outperforms other testers I've used, thanks to its capability to test nearly all USB cable types. One of its standout features is its power source flexibility, although I primarily rely on a CR2032 battery, which has proven to be reliable. I also like how it has individuals lights for each connector signifying connection quality.

It includes a user manual, but in all honesty, it's so intuitive that you'll likely find yourself rarely needing it. One minor drawback, however, is the lack of an included case or cover. If you want to protect your tester, you'll need to purchase one separately from the manufacturer's or supplier's website. In the meantime, I've been using the original shipping box as a makeshift "case" when it's not in use.

Overall, if you're in the market for a dependable device to identify electrical faults in your USB cables, this tester is a solid choice. It's a versatile tool that simplifies troubleshooting, making it an indispensable addition to your toolkit.

This is probably the nicest design I've seen for these USB Cable Testers. It is a simple circuit with a CR2032 battery to energize the lines. Each pin is connected to a corresponding light, and when the circuit is completed with a cable, the light turns on. Its couldn't be a simpler design, and I love it for that!

I like that you have the option to plug in just about every cable combination you could think of. It has MicroUSB, Type B, MiniUSB, Lightning, Type C, and Type A. There are some oddities, like the inclusion of both a 3.0 MicroUSB and 2.0 MicroUSB, as well as 3.0 and 2.0 Type A. These standards are fully backwards compatible, so it is confusing to me why both would be present, but it doesn't hurt anything so whatever.

It does come with the ability to be wired into a power source, but it does not include cables for doing this.

It came in a plain white box and a simple printout with basic operation instructions. No anti-static bag or anything, but given how simple this circuit is, it probably doesn't matter. One of the most important warnings is **DO NOT** try to use this to connect to actual devices. Best case scenario, nothing happens. Worse case scenario, it fries your stuff or itself. Use this with cables only like it is intended to be used and it will work perfectly.

One thing I wish they did a bit better was showing what expected pinouts are and what the different common combinations mean, but this is easy enough to solve with a quick Google search. I'll try to offer my understanding below. Please take it all with a grain of salt, as I'm still learning myself.

There are two sides on this board, "Side A" and "Side B." This is necessary because of the reversible nature of type C cables. However, with other types of cables, it is normal for only 1 side to light up. Typically (with the exception of lightning cables) you just want to look at the side with the most lights on, and you can pretty much safely ignore the other side.

GND = Ground

TX and RX Pairs: These pairs are what allow for USB 3 transfer speeds. One pair would allow for 5 or 10Gbps speeds depending on the encoding, and 2 pairs would allow for 10 or 20Gbps depending on the encoding. These lines are also often necessary for alt-modes, such as DisplayPort alt mode.

VBUS: Voltage Bus, provides power.

CC2 and CC1: These are essentially communication lines that allow the two devices plugged in at either end of the cable to communicate with each other. This line is absolutely required for PD charging.

D+ and D-: Basic USB 2.0 Data lines. It is normal for these pairs to only be lit up on the B side or the A side, even with full-featured USB-C cables, as this is essentially legacy support, and additional lines are not required.

SBU2 and SBU1: These lines are required for "alternate mode." This is most typically used for DisplayPort video signal, but can also sometimes be used for Thunderbolt. However, just because this lights up, it doesn't mean that Thunderbolt will necessarily work (read more about that later in the review.)

ID: Used for Micro USB OTG. Normally this doesn't light up as Type A doesn't carry it.

Shield: Indicates the cable is shielded.

Note that this cable tester can only test electrical conductivity, and it cannot test for functionality that is not a direct result of wiring. This means things like 100W PD charging and Thunderbolt capability cannot be directly tested. This can tell you if it has the wires needed for these, but it can't tell you if the cable has an E Marker (allowing 100W) or if the signal integrity is good enough for Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is a PCIe standard, and it is very sensitive to even the slightest of signal degradation, so something as simple as a cable being too long or not shielded well enough can make a cable straight up not work for Thunderbolt. However, this is still an incredibly useful tool, and has answered a lot of questions on some cables I had that weren't performing as expected.

It works, but it's not quite what I expected. I have a few cables that I suspect are damaged -- my partner says that one cable she uses in her car disconnects periodically, causing issues while playing music and doing things with Android Auto. I was expecting that I would be able to attach that cable, wiggle it around some, and see lights blinking because of internal damage to the cable, but all the suspected-bad cables I tested were fully lit as I exercised them.

It's completely possible that the problem was on her car's side, or something else completely. But I'm a little suspicious that there is enough capacitance in the tester that keeps the lights on even if the damage would be enough to cause issues with data transfer.

I'm quite happy with the board, it was clearly labeled and is intuitive.

I'm not sure the acrylic case was worth the extra dollar. It helps protect it some, but it's not amazing. The base is completely exposed. My biggest disappointment with the case was that it no longer fit in the box that it shipped in. If it fit in the box, I could confidently put it in my tool drawer, but it doesn't fit with the case assembled, so I'm looking for a bigger box. I think you'll have to disassemble the case to replace the battery, too. It's a cheap case. 🤷"â'‚ï¸

Ultimately, it tells me a lot of facts about cables. It's easy to tell if a cable is no-data, if it's shielded, if it has a severe wiring issue. It has all modern USB ports, including the rarer or obsolete ones. It's definitely a good value compared to trying to make your own.

Doing signal integrity testing, instead of just connectivity testing, would be the only improvement I'm looking for, but that would cost a lot more. I'm happy with the features and the price point.