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Plugable USB-C docking station with Power Delivery and charging

Turn a single USB-C port into a multitude of useful
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor

Modern laptops -- and even many desktop systems -- come with a limited selection of ports. This is where a dock comes in handy, and the Plugable UD-CA1A USB-C dock is an affordable solution to boost your work from home productivity.

Using just a single cable, the UD-CA1A USB-C dock can add an external HDMI display, provide up to 60W of power to charge devices, add a Gigabit Ethernet port, audio input/output, and five USB ports to connect your peripherals. 

All through a single USB-C cable.

Plugable UD-CA1A USB-C dock

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Tech specs:

  • One HDMI output for mirroring or extending your desktop to an external monitor
  • One USB-C port on the backside of the docking station with Power Delivery functionality to charge your host computer with 60W of power
  • Five USB (Type-A) ports to connect peripherals; three USB 3.0 ports on the front and two USB 2.0 ports on the rear
  • One Gigabit Ethernet port to expand connectivity
  • Headphone and microphone ports both require TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) jacks to function; if you only have a TRrS (Tip Ring Ring Sleeve) combination headset with one jack, a female TRRS to dual male TRS adapter can be used
  • Removable stand for vertical or horizontal orientation
  • 4K-capable HDMI display
  • Compatible with Windows 10, 8.1, Mac OS X 10.11+, and Chrome OS on supported USB-C systems

The UD-CA1A supports USB 3.1's Alternate Modes and Power Delivery modes. Alternate Modes allow certain non-USB data and protocols (such as native video) to be sent over a USB-C cable, while Power Delivery enables you to power and charge a supported system without the need for a traditional proprietary OEM charger. To find out more about what different systems support, check out Plugable's compatibility list.

In the box, you will find the UD-CA1A docking station complete with an optional stand, 1-meter USB-C to USB-C eMarker cable, 80W (20V, 4A) power adapter (100V-240V) with a US power plug, and quick start guide.

Available on Amazon for $99.

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