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I wanted to debug an Android-based device (not a cell phone), and connected its USB C port to my computer's USB A port using a cable with USB C connector on one end and a USB A connector on another end.

The computer (an iMac) turned off immediately after I connected the devices. And it seems to be lethal - the iMac seems to be dead since then.

As I later figured out, it was a wrong port to use on an android device - it wasn't a USB C slave data port for debugging/data transfer, it was a USB C PD port for powering other devices.

The Android device is a point of sale system / kiosk, based on Snapdragon 8xx CPU, if that helps. The USB C port I connected to was at the bottom of the device, right where it had a power adapter. It wasn't the device's port at all, but rather the power adapter's port.

According to the USB C spec, it seems that the power delivery is enabled only after some negotiations, but that negotiation happens only between two USB C ports. What happens if I connect USB C to USB A?

And is it possible to resurrect my computer now, or is it dead forever?

Serge Vin
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Can a USB-C port kill a USB A port? Maybe, but not if everything is functioning correctly.

If you force a USB C cable into a USB A port, it won't be good for either of them, and you'll probably bend and break stuff and maybe short out the port. This shouldn't hurt the computer (other than damaging the port), but if the port is not well designed, it is possible it could damage the computer. But I'm sure this isn't what you meant.

You probably meant you have a cable with a USB C on one end and a USB A on the other end. Can this damage a computer? If the cable is not a valid USB cable, it could. If the cable and USB C port follow USB specs, this is perfectly legitimate and it should not damage anything at all.

As hinted i the comments, your computer turning off could be totally coincidental. Maybe it ran out of power in the battery just at the moment you plugged the cable in, or maybe you bumped the power button while inserting the cable or something else ...

user10489
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