Starter Tethering Kit, USB-C – 15′ (4.6m)

• Power Delivery (PD) is not supported to ensure reliable tethering 

• The Rp resistance setting of USB CM, on the camera side it is 56K 

• The default current is 5V/0.9A 

29+21AWG 

• The longer the cable and the thicker the gauge conductor (thicker wire), you will experience improved data transfer, increased reliability and minimized power drop-off 

• Inversely, the longer the cable and the thinner the gauge conductor (thinner wire), you will experience degraded data transfer, less reliability and increased power drop-off. 

• 10G 31ft cable, voltage drop-off for VBUS is 0.42V and drop-off for GND is 0.172V 

• 10G 15ft cable, voltage drop-off for VBUS is 0.18V and drop-off for GND is 0.11V

TetherPro cables are the optimal balance of heavier gauge wires while still being very easy to work with and coil on a set.  While a heavier gauge wire is more expensive to manufacture, the benefits far out way the costs.  A thicker wire allows for better heat dissipation throughout the entire cable; thus everything runs cooler, including the TetherBoost IRC and PCBA.  Lower overall heat increases performance, reliability and product lifespan. 

The custom formulated exterior cable casing is designed to protect the internal wires and extend the life of the cable.  Optima 10G cables are the optimal balance to withstand being stepped on and having carts rolled over them while still being easy to work with, remain clean and easy coiling for storage. 

Ferrite Cores are the large cylinders that would often be located on one end of a USB-A cable.  Ferrite cores were used primarily to filter out environmental noise and frequencies that could have affected data transmission. If you recall, prior to USB-C technology, USB-A cables carried small amounts of power to charge small devices like phones, batteries and tablets. These cables, while still shielded to block the low power in the cable, could potentially be susceptible to outside noise. Adding a ferrite core provided additional protection to eliminate this risk. 

Enter USB-C, which carries a lot more power internally. To block out noise coming from the power inside the cable, major advancements in shielding technology were required.  New internal shielding, found in higher quality USB-C cables, protects the data wires from the internal power running through the cable. This shielding is more than adequate to protect from environmental noise as well, making external ferrite cores no longer necessary. 

TetherBoost Core Controllers are the rectangle boxes that are precisely positioned in the cable line.  The TetherBoost is a specialized Integrated Retimer Circuit (IRC) to meet specific requirements to achieve longer cable distances.  Depending on the length of the cable there may be multiple IRC’s throughout the cable.  The IRC enhances signal integrity, compensates for signal weakness, and extends signal transmission distance.  The TetherBoost has been designed so no external power sources are required.

We understand how hard our industry can be on gear.  Careful design and thought has gone into the construction of all of our cables. 
 
The TetherBoost octangular housings is designed with reinforcements to withstand the rigors of extreme uses on production sets, which include production carts rolling over them, people stepping on them and much more.  In fact, production trucks have rolled over them and the IC chips and housing remain unaffected. 

Thermoplastic polymer provides a lot of benefits for its unique hi-impact properties, weather resistance, durability in various environments, corrosive resistance and ability to withstand and dissipate heat efficiently.  All cables are thoroughly tested to exceed industry specifications.  Our engineers conduct rigorous environmental reliability testing which include: 

• High and low temperature storage and operating testing 

• High and low humidity storage and operating testing 

• Constant high/low operating temperature with high/low humidity testing 

• Salt spray testing 

• Heat dissipation and thermal equilibrium testing 

Our testing is designed to ensure outstanding product reliably, durability and lifespan.  

While we have not conducted environmental reliability tests on competitor’s cables, a peak under the hood of aluminum and carbon housings reveals PCBA’s tightly encased in injected molded plastic which may confine airflow and have a detrimental effect on heat dissipation and product lifespan. 

The Photo/Video industry has unique and highly demanding requirements.  In order to meet these needs the Optima 10G pushes the limits of USB protocols to maximize speed, data transfer and reliability to achieve long distances (65’/20m) required.  We have made intentional engineering decisions to meet these specific photo/video requirements first and foremost.  Cameras do not require BUS power as cameras have their own internal battery power sources.

If your application requires achieving longer distances via USB and your Source device is self-powered, the Optima 10G may be a good choice.

For any questions regarding technical specs and performance, please contact TechnicalSupport@TetherTools.com

Uni-directional cables communicate data and commands bi-directionally, but necessitate that one device acts as the host (computer) to the connection and the other device as data source (camera). This allows for the most efficient and reliable method to transfer large data files. The devices will be able to fully communicate with each other, as happens with bi-directional cables. There are multiple communication ‘lanes’, so camera control can occur simultaneously as the images transfer. The Optima 10G cables are specialized to isolate the data transfer direction for maximum efficiency and reliably.

The USB 3.2 standard has two methods for transferring power. All USB protocols have a built-in method for transferring (relatively low) levels of power. Just as the USB standard stipulates transfer speed, it also stipulates power draw as part of the standard. In the case of 3.0 and above, that is 5V |  1.5A.

The USB 3.2 standard introduced a secondary (parallel) method for transferring power called Power Delivery (PD). This method allows for a much higher levels of power to be transferred (along with the traditional, relatively lower power mentioned above). PD can allow for up to 240W of power to be provided. This Power Delivery feature is known to cause instability in certain types of connections, including tethered connections. For this reason, the Power Delivery feature has been removed from the Optima 10G cables in order to provide the most stable connection possible. The built-in low-level (1.5A) power provision of USB 3.0 and above, remains part of the cable.

The TetherPro Optima 10G is a true USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 cable capable of full 10Gbps data transfer. The 2.0 Hub alert you may see the first time you connect it is completely normal. 

Optima’s cables contain TetherBoost™ technology (the small rectangular modules) that require a small amount of power (5V/1.5A) from your host device (computer, tablet, phone, etc.). The power activates the retimer chip which amplifies the data signal to maintains fast, reliable performance over longer distances. All data transfer bypasses the 2.0 hub. The cable operates fully within USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 specifications and capable of full 10Gbps performance for high-speed tethering. 

You’ll only see this alert during the initial connection. After that, the hub will simply appear in your System Report as part of normal operation.