Connecting laptop using USB-C cable

PicoPix Max Technical Topics
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Hello. I just received my picopix max today. It’s awesome! :+1:t2: I just want to know if connecting the laptop to the projector should just be plug & play. I connected my Microsoft surface book w it using the usb-C cable. But the screen is just green and says “no signal”. Do I need to adjust settings or install something to connect w my laptop? Please help.

Thanks :blush:

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Hi @sandywahine,

Glad you like your PicoPix Max.

Yes of course, the USB-C input is “plug and play” — you don’t need to do anything on the projector. As soon as you plug in the cable, the projector will switch to it.

If it’s not working, try the following:

  • Is an HDMI cable also plugged in? If yes, unplug all cables and then plug the USB-C cable back in. The projector automatically switches to the last-plugged input.
  • Are you using the supplied USB-C cable, or another cable? If you’re using another cable (e.g. the charging cable of your notebook), please first try with the included cable.
  • Are you plugging into the correct USB-C port on the PicoPix Max? There’s one only for charging, and one only for video. Please use the video port!
  • Have you enabled USB-C video output on your laptop?

If you have any other devices with USB-C video output, does plugging them into the PicoPix work fine?

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This is an annoying part about USB-C cables. It’s not always obvious which ones do support video/SuperSpeed USB and which ones do not.

How is the USB billboard setup in the PPM? The only mode supported on the USB-C video input port on the PPM is HDMI alt mode, correct? No DP or anything like that, and no USB communication apart from USB 2.0 billboard?

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Afaik surface book doesn’t support video over usb. Only surface book 2 and newer do.

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In that case the USB billboard message from the PPM should have popped up, but maybe the Surface book doesn’t support that either.

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I tried connecting GPDWIN2, but it was displayed as no signal and could not be used
As for the cable, I tried the attached cable and the cable of the mobile monitor, but neither of them output video as well
GPDWIN2 supports alternate mode (Alt mode)

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I have issues connecting USB-C from surface book 3 to the PPM, in laptop the usb detecting the PPM every 15 seconds. The USB appears and disappears every 15 seconds also seems unable to load the drivers properly.

I used the cable provided by Phillips, any solution or fix plz

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Thanks for the replies guys.

I’ve tried everything you suggested. It still doesn’t work.

I was able to connect my laptop w a USB-C dongle + HDMI cable. That’s my fix for now but it’s just more handy if that USB-C cable supplied by Philips works. Less additional attachments to bring.

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If that dongle is a straight USB-C HDMI alt mode dongle at least that confirms that your USB-C port supports the required signaling. Do you happen to have the dongle part number available? I just want to confirm that it isn’t a DisplayLink-based dongle.

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Is there enough time to see what the PPM is detected as?

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Oops correction. It’s a usb-C to hdmi adapter. It’s not a dongle. (I will correct my reply above) I thought its called a dongle.

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It may very well still be called a dongle. Did you find a part number on the USB-C to HDMI adapter?

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I tried and couldn’t

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I’m using an HP Pavillion x360 with the native USB-c (small type) and it gives no signal when trying to cast.

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Are you using the USB-C cable supplied with the PPM (or another full-featured cable)? If so, maybe HDMI alternate mode isn’t supported by the HP?

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Hi Werner,
I’m using the one that came with the PPM. It’s the only USB C to USB C that I own. Does yours work with USB C to UsB C?

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Your machine has the followng ports
1 USB 3.1 Type-C™ Gen 1 (Data Transfer up to 5 Gb/s);
2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Data transfer only);
1 HDMI;
1 headphone/microphone combo.

Its specs: HP Pavilion x360 - 14-ba008nl Product Specifications | HP® Customer Support

Unfortunately no, it won’t work because you have a USB Type-C port supporting data transfer only, not for DP nor HDMI.

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I haven’t received my unit just yet, looks like it’s scheduled on the April 11th flight.

As @IvoGrijt points out your machine simply isn’t capable of HDMI alt-mode on its USB-C port. This is a common issue with USB-C, wildly varying support. USB4 aims to rectify some of those issues, requiring all hosts to support DisplayPort alt-mode on all downstream-facing ports. That’ll help some but not in the PPM case as the PPM doesn’t understand DP alt-mode but requires HDMI alt-mode. This whole USB-C chaos will take quite a few years to iron out…

You should have received a billboard popup stating that your USB-C port isn’t supported when the device fails to enter its alternate mode, but I’m not sure how Windows actually deals with that.

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Thanks IvoG. How do you connect your windows device to the picopix?

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I have used HDMI, USB-C, and Miracast to connect from my own Precision 5520 laptop as well as from other laptops of the kids or iPhones and iPads by using the Lightning to HDMI AV adapter.