Targus DOCK180 USB 3.1 Gen 1 with USB Type-C Power Delivery UDS

Type-C That Always Works

Targus has released to production the DOCK180 USB 3.1 Generation 1 Universal Docking Station (UDS) with USB Type-C Power Delivery. A mouthful I know but the point is that the DOCK180 uses the USB protocol for the video over a USB Type-C connector. This is preferred because USB protocol is on all USB Type-C host ports.USB just works on USB Type-C Gen 1 (aka USB 3.0) or USB Type-C Gen 2, Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 2, DisplayPort Alternate Mode, HDMI or MHL Alternate Mode, or other Host USB Type-C Alternate Modes.

That is, you don't have to worry about the host Type-C port's capabilities or incompatibilities, the DOCK180 just works! The DOCK180 can also be used with USB 3.0 Type-A (traditional host PC connector)>via an in-box captured adapter cable, Targus ACC1104GLX and Type-B ports (often on phones). Note: The first production units will ship with an interim loose adapter dongle, Targus ACC1102GLX. 

To support legacy PC that does not have a USB Type-C port, the Targus ACA42 USB-C Demultiplexer can be used with the DOCK180. It de-multiplexes the USB 3.1 Gen 1 data signal into a USB 3.0 Type-A male upstream and the USB Type-C Power Delivery into the Targus "3-Pin" power tip system to supply legacy (sometimes called barrel) 19.5VDC up to 60W. 

Prolific Type-C Power Delivery

The DOCK180USZ has the same high-performance capabilities as other Targus DisplayLink DL6950 based USB 3.0 docks, but the DOCK180 also has USB Type-C Power Delivery (PD) on its Upstream Facing Port (UFP). PD 2.0 was implemented because it is the most versatile PD when implemented at all of the various voltages needed by USB Type-C hosts. The DOCK180 supports, 5V (phones), 9V (Apple), 12V (some HP), 15V (many Dell, HP, and Lenovo) and 20V (2016 MacBook and higher performance PC) up to 60W. 60W is most common PD contract and even though its lower than say the 87W MacBook or 100W specification, the total energy over the time supplied for charging is about the same as higher power supplies; most people don't notice any difference in charging time for higher power hosts.

Highest Type-C Video Performance

The DOCK180 has the highest possible video performance with MacOS X and Windows PC. It is possible to render up to dual 4096x2160 at 60Hz with 24 bpp color on each of two DisplayPort (DP) ports and 50Hz on the HDMI ports, or a single 5K on one DP port.

4K2K monitors can be connected on either one or both HDMI 2.0 ports, one or both DisplayPort 1.2++ ports, or one each DP and HDMI (in opposite output sets). It is also important to use good cables, ideally those that came with your monitors. Be sure to use HDMI 2.0 cables for high-resolution monitor applications on HDMI monitors.

Type-C OS Compatibility

The DOCK180USZ requires the latest DisplayLink version 8.2M0 (Device Manager Targus USB3 DV4K DOCK driver 8.2.1952.0) version of the software for Windows and for Mac OS-X please use version 3.1. The DOCK180USZ worked on Thee DocKtor's Chromebook with Chrome OS version 55 (Chromebook OEM implementations vary), Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS, and Android 6.0.1+; with varying degrees of high-resolution graphics support. The Galaxy S8 rendered dual mirrored 1080P for instance. New versions of the Targus MAC Address Clone, WiFi AutoSwitch, Ghost Device Removal, and Display Configuration utilities to support the DOCK180USZ are under validation test for release on targus.com.

In The Box

The DOCK180USZ includes a 130W AC adapter (to power the dock and host) and a 1m USB Type-C active cable for connecting between the host and the dock. It is possible to use a USB Type-C Female to USB Type-A Male converter to connect the DOCK180 to legacy PC with USB 3.0 Type-A for video and data connectivity. Note, host Power Delivery is not possible in this configuration since USB Type-A/B does not support it. The DOCK180USZ also comes with five USB 3.0 Downstream Facing Ports (DFP). Of the four USB 3.0 Type-A ports, the port on the right side is BC1.2 Power Delivery compliant for fast charging. The USB Type-C port on the left side is the remaining USB 3.0 port but does not contain any USB Type-C Power Delivery capabilities. This USB Type-C port is for USB 3.0 device data only (i.e., a flash drive).

In addition to dual 4K2K monitor support, the DOCK180USZ comes with a standard industry lock slot (K), a blue LED power indicator, a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet jack (supporting Wake-On-Lan), and a 3.5mm combination stereo audio output/input jack. The DL-6950 chipset inside supports 6-channel audio on the HDMI2.0 and DP1.2++ ports, but this has not been verified yet. The 173mm x 95mm x 40mm wedge shape enables "zero desk space" implementations and the non-slip top surface supports propping up the rear of a host for better air circulation and cooling, as well as improving the viewing angle and ergonomics of most applications. The DOCK180USZ is TAA, CE, FCC, ICES, AU, KC pre-scan, RoHS, REACH, Prop65 certified, and complies with ErP Lot 26, Network Standby with WOL @ 2W. The operating temperature is 0 to 40 degrees C and storage is -20 to 60 degrees C. And it is TAA compliant.

Comparison to DOCK410

The DOCK410 takes advantage of the native DisplayPort data on Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort hosts. The DOCK180 uses the industry standard DL-6950 adaptive compression software for USB. The DOCK410 UFP is "USB Type-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode with PD2.0 to 60W". This dock can be used with USB Type-C DisplayPort hosts or USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 (TB3 contains DisplayPort 1.2) hosts only and will not work with USB 3.1 Gen 1 or Gen 2 or USB 3.0 Type A/B or other USB Type-C Alternate Modes. The DOCK410 depends much more on the USB Type-C implementation for graphics than the DisplayLink based DOCK180 and therefore does not support as high of performance and features. For more on the DOCK410, see Optimizing Your Targus DOCK410 Experience. The DOCK180USZ is indeed the highest performing USB dock on the market, and with a 3-year limited warranty, can be used to future-proof higher-end workstation implementations. Also, DisplayLink's adaptive video compression algorithm often outperforms native graphics solutions including USB Type-C graphics. Be sure to contact your Targus representative for more information, or post your comments and questions here.

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