PoweredUSB explicado: cableado POS de 5V, 12V y 24V, conectores y cómo elegir el correcto

PoweredUSB (also called Retail USB, USB PlusPower or USB +Power) is a USB connector that carries data and DC power in one cable, so a receipt printer or touchscreen can run without its own power brick. The only two things you must get right when buying one are the voltage and the connector shape — and the standard makes both easy to check:

A standard USB port gives you data and a little 5 V power — fine for a mouse, not enough for a thermal receipt printer. PoweredUSB solves that by stacking a power connector onto a standard USB plug: the bottom half is ordinary USB (data), the top half delivers higher-current DC. One cable, both jobs, far less clutter behind the counter.

You’ll find PoweredUSB on receipt printers, touchscreens and scanners from the major POS brands. Because it removes a power supply per peripheral, it cuts both cable count and the number of mains outlets a lane needs.

The standard offers three main voltages plus a variant, each colour-coded so you can identify a cable or port instantly:

Voltage isn’t the only variable — the physical pin arrangement at the device end differs too. The two you’ll meet most are described by their pin layout:

Crucially, the different voltage versions are mechanically keyed so they can’t be mis-plugged — a 12 V plug won’t fully seat into a 24 V socket. That keying is a safety feature, not an obstacle: if a connector resists, you have the wrong cable, not a stubborn port.

Choosing the right PoweredUSB cable is a short, ordered checklist. Work it from the device outward:

If a PoweredUSB peripheral won’t power up, run these checks before suspecting the device:

Browse PoweredUSB cables, extensions and adapters in our cables & connectors category, PoweredUSB hubs and expansion cards in interface cards, and replacement bricks in power supplies. If a printer on a PoweredUSB line is dead rather than miscabled, see our power supply failure diagnosis guide. Tell us your printer or peripheral model and we’ll match the exact voltage and connector before you order.