Apple 87W USB-C Power Adapter A1719 Teardown Review: the Back of the Drawer

The 87W charger (A1719) that first came with Apple's 2016 MacBook Pro 15 is the most powerful USB-C charger made by Apple. Three years passing by and it is still one of the most powerful PD chargers on the market. You can basically count the number of 85W+ PD chargers from known brands with one hand. Technology moves slowly sometimes. And here's our in-depth teardown review.

Misleading package photo here. The unit inside is actually a Hong Kong version with giant and protruding UK prongs.

A comparison of three Apple PD chargers, from left to right: 29W, 61W, and 87W.

All lay inside the white paper trays.

Package contents: charger, user guide, and manual.

Interchangeable plug adapter design to fit different electrical outlets around the world. Pity the UK plug adapter does not adopt the brilliant folding pins design.

The T-shaped disc mount is for ground contact, and there is a globally unique SN code C0470620AQAGW85AL inside the slot, which is consistent with the SN code on the package box.

The UK plug has a built-in 3A fuse that fuses when overcurrent.

The three Apple PD chargers all share the same thickness (28mm).

Length and width are all 80mm/3.15in.

Etched Apple logo with a matte finish in the center, and the rest of the body has a glossy finish.

It weighs 318g (11.2oz).

Model: 87W USB-C Power Adapter (A1719). Input: 100~240V. Output: 20.2V/4.3A, 9V/3A, 5.2V/2.4A.

Certifications. The charger has DOE Energy Efficiency Level VI, and is made by Delta Electronics (world’s largest adapter manufacturer).

Metal wrap around the USB-C port offers enhanced durability (and class).

II Test

Using our ChargerLAB Power-Z KM001 USB tester, it shows that the charger can charge at 5V2.4A, 9V3A, and 20V4.3A.

Using our ChargerLAB Power-Z FL001 USB tester, it shows that the maximum power of the charger at 5V step is 4.84V/3.5A/17W, with input power at 20.01W (efficiency around 85.00%).

Maximum power at 9V step is 8.78V/3.61A/31.7W, with input power at 37.18W (efficiency around 85.26%).

Maximum power at 20V step is 20.13V/5.27A/106W, which is way beyond the rated 87W rating, and surpasses the USB PD 100W limit. That with input power at 112W (efficiency around 94.15%). Classic Apple/Delta.

III Teardown

The casing utilizes clips and sonic soldering assembly which is extremely firm and makes it almost impossible to open it without damage. This is also the tradition of genuine Apple chargers. If you found yours very easy to open, then you have to doubt its authenticity. After opening, we can see a large copper heat sink and plenty of thermally conductive adhesives.

There are thermally conductive adhesives on both sides of the copper heat sink.

Insulation tape is attached to the bottom of the copper heat sink.

Other copper heat sink on the other side of the structure.

Folding over, we can see that the heat sink is a one-piece.

Remove the heat sink, we can see the PCBA is covered by an insulating plate.

Remove the insulating plate.

A glimpse at the components from the top.

And the bottom of the PCBA.

The wires are all covered with heat shrinkable tubes to prevent short-circuit, and the grounding leads are welded to the bottom of the T-shaped disc mount.

Remove the thermally conductive adhesives.

The USB-C port is connected by three FPCs.

The metal wrap of the USB-C port is made by spot welding of two parts.

NXP primary PWM controller, a few green resistors around have the precision of one-thousandth. Their operating resistance will not have excessive offset even at high temperatures, ensuring stability in long-term high temperature operation.

A component with letter code VU SUA GP650 from STMicroelectronics.

Components with letter code K524 and KAEDN, respectively.

A row of optocouplers, which act as the bridge for information transmission between the primary and secondary. Letter code LG48 V1014W and 1014-4108 V70468, respectively.

ON Semiconductor NCP4304A and Infineon BSC077N12NS for synchronous rectification.

The outer edge is a thick piece of copper plate. The heat is transferred to the copper plate by screws or adhesives, and thermally conductive adhesives almost filled the entire cavity.

The glue makes our teardown much like expedition in the cave. But step by step, we opened the copper piece and encountered the safety capacitor. A fuse is placed on the top with a heat-shrinkable tube sleeve to prevent burst and fire.

10S621K varistor.

With the heat sinks on the sides removed, we are greeted by two-phase common mode chokes. A luxury in such a limited space.

Two Y capacitors.

After removing the large inductor, we can see a piece of copper wraps the rectifier bridge.

Rectifier bridge with letter code LT KBP408 6B45.

Two blue X capacitors with letter code FPS2W105 L6D1.

The climax of the teardown: two polymer Tantalum capacitors from Kemet, 33μF 35V, T521 series. Mainly used in military, aerospace, and industrial applications, they offer lower ESR, benign failure mode, and long-term reliability as an excellent choice for any design that requires stable capacitance, long life, high reliability and small size. Seeing polymer Tantalum capacitors inside a power adapter is a true rarity as they are so expensive for products like chargers. And although the Apple IS expensive, current counterparts from known brands are priced similarly.

Japanese Nichicon 82μF 420V high voltage filter electrolytic capacitor. Premium stuff.

Transformer with letter code: MP-130I (05) MY-MP15356 DELTA DCWM1703 (19) 6M13.

Next to the transformer are two Japanese Rubycon 200V 4.7μF electrolytic capacitors. Premium stuff.

Remove the transformer.

There is even a primary active PFC inside this power supply. It is not necessary but offers higher efficiency and lower ripple. Another round of applause to Apple/Delta. Here is the PFC boost inductor with letter code PFCH MP 15378 DCWM 1703(14)2XD05.

At the end of the heat sink are three tubes.

From left to right are Infineon 11N80C3 switch tube, NXP BYV29X-600 rectifier diode, Toshiba K20A60U PFC boost tube.

Then there is the daughterboard.

Japanese Rubycon 820μF/25V long life and 330μF/25V electrolytic capacitor, there is a 220μF/25V solid capacitor behind, you can see the two cable slots of the USB-C output.

ON Semiconductor FDS6681Z PMOS as the output switch of the C port.

The daughterboard is connected to the main PCB through a 20 pin.

The front of the daughterboard.

The back of the daughterboard.

Letter code Y651 715 33.

Letter code 513 4670 1648.

Letter code BGXAS 327.

Letter code AAA BBP, with an inductor below, the chip seems to be a switching regulator chip.

STM32F071CBU7 MCU

Letter code BGXAP 327。

Cypress CYPD 2134 PD protocol handshake IC.

IV Conclusion

It's no news that the average lifespan of consumer electronics is getting shorter and shorter. And for chargers, the evolution of charging protocols and specs are calling us to replace our charger faster and faster. But what's the difference between charging your laptop with a PD2.0 and a PD3.0 charger? And how about the longevity/ripple/efficiency of a charger?

Here's a quote from Steve Jobs: “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” And boy have we saw a beautiful back of the drawer inside the Apple 87W PD charger. It's funny that the charger only gets a two-star rating at Apple Store. But at ChargerLAB.com, it is a five-star, and tearing it down was a joy ride.

Pros:

Beautiful inside and out.

Premium Kemet polymer Tantalum capacitors and Japanese capacitors.

High performance, high efficiency, and low ripple.

Cons:

Relatively expensive ($79).

USB PD 2.0 only.

Make sure it says "ships from and sold by Amazon.com" to avoid counterfeits

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Source: chongdiantou