Managing battery health and complying with international charging and shipping requirements is especially critical when it comes to device refurbishment, recycling, or deployment. When repairing, cleaning, and testing used devices, maintaining consistent charge levels without unnecessary wear might be challenging, but it helps extend the battery life of used or shared devices and improve operational efficiency.  

We developed Target Charge Mode as a part of our Connect Premium software to address this challenge and keep devices powered safely and efficiently.  

In this blog post, we explain what Target Charge Mode is, its recent improvement, and why it’s important for organisations in Circular Tech, Reverse Logistics, IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), Software Quality Assurance (SQA), and Education. 

Why Charge Control Matters in Circular Tech, ITAD, and SQA

Organisations operating in device recycling, refurbishment, and redeployment manage large volumes of devices across multiple life cycles. In these environments, battery health and safety are just as important as regulatory compliance. 

From 1 January 2026, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has extended the ≤30% state-of-charge requirement for lithium-ion batteries shipped by air to include batteries packed with equipment. This applies to smartphones, tablets, and laptops. While ocean and road transport regulations may allow higher levels, many refurbishers maintain the 30% level to comply with international regulations and ensure battery safety. 

At the same time, keeping devices fully charged or frequently pushed to 100% can accelerate battery degradation and ultimately reduce resale value and profitability. 

This creates a clear operational need: precise control over charging behaviour, allowing devices to be held at defined charge levels without unnecessary wear or excess power use. Target Charge Mode was designed to address this exact challenge. 

Target Charge Mode Explained

Target Charge Mode allows Cambrionix users to set a target charge level for connected devices and maintain them at that percentage.  

This approach is particularly useful for: 

• Reducing battery wear during long-running workflows,
• Avoiding prolonged 100% charge states,
• Limiting unnecessary power consumption 24/7.

On Cambrionix hubs without USB Power Delivery (PD) technology and user-configurable PD profiles, this behaviour is achieved by turning the port off once the target charge level is reached, then periodically polling the device to determine whether charging should resume. 

While effective for protecting battery health, this approach has one limitation: when a port powers down, data connections also stop. For workflows that rely on persistent data transfer, such as syncing, testing, or re-imaging, this interruption can be disruptive.

NEW Trickle Charge at Target with ThunderSync5-C16 PD 

With ThunderSync5-C16 PD, we’ve introduced an enhanced version of Target Charge Mode that maintains data connectivity while holding devices at a defined charge level. 

Instead of turning the port off completely, ThunderSync5-C16 PD uses its advanced Power Delivery capabilities to switch the port to the lowest available PD profile (4.5 W) once the target charge level is reached. 

We call it Trickle Charge at Target, and it allows devices to stay connected while tests, updates, and monitoring continue uninterrupted.

How Trickle Charge at Target Works: 

• Devices charge normally until they reach the configured target level,
• At the target, the port transitions to a 4.5 W “trickle” PD profile,
• The operating system may report “Not Charging”, but the device still accepts a small amount of charge,
• The port stays live, and data connections remain active,
• Devices are maintained at the target charge level without unnecessary charging*. 

*Trickle Charge is designed to minimise charging beyond the target while keeping data active. If devices are idle or under very light load, they may continue to charge slowly above the target level.

Watch the demo video, where Anthony Partou, our Head of Product, walks through how Target Charge Mode works in Cambrionix Connect Premium, demonstrates the feature with a connected iPad, and explains how power draw changes in real time.

The result is stable data transfer, controlled charging, and uninterrupted workflows. What makes this possible?

User-configurable Power Delivery profiles

Currently, Trickle Charge at Target is only available on ThunderSync5-C16 PD because the hub features advanced USB Power Delivery technology with user-configurable PD objects. 

USB-PD is a smarter charging standard than legacy USB charging protocols such as USB Battery Charging (USB-BC), allowing the device and hub to negotiate the right power level instead of relying on a fixed, one-size-fits-all profile. 

On ThunderSync5-C16 PD: 

• A shared 300W power budget is available across all 16 ports,
• Each USB-C port supports PD profiles from 4.5 W to 60 W, in 0.5W increments,
• PD profiles can be configured on a per-port basis using Connect Premium software. 

This fine-grained Power Delivery control is what allows the hub to maintain data connectivity while delivering just enough power to hold a device at a target charge level. 

In order to use the updated Target Charge Mode feature, you need to update both the Hub API and ThunderSync5-C16 PD firmware to the latest version.

Firmware and Software Requirements

We regularly release new firmware to ensure our hubs benefit from the latest features, performance improvements, and bug fixes, and maintain compatibility with the latest Connect software. 

To use Trickle Charge at Target on ThunderSync5-C16 PD, the following versions are required: 

• Hub API v3.28.1 (released January 29, 2026) or later,
• ThunderSync5-C16 PD firmware v2.3.6 (released January 29, 2026) or later. 

Firmware updates can be managed through Cambrionix Connect or the Command Line Updater (CLU), depending on your deployment needs and preferred workflow. Learn more about firmware updates and available update methods in this guide: Firmware Updates For Cambrionix Hubs. 

Connect Premium Licence 

Target Charge Mode is a part of Cambrionix Connect Premium software.

A Connect Premium licence is required to use the following features: 

• Target Charge Mode, including the Trickle Charge at Target enhancement
• Power Delivery Profile Selection
• Instant DFU mode for Apple devices
• Port Mode Scheduling 

Since October 1, 2025, all Cambrionix hubs have been available as comprehensive solutions, including: 

• A hub (with a host cable, power supply, and region-specific power adaptor),
• Lifetime access to Connect Standard software,
• A Connect Premium Hub licence, included for an initial term (varies by hub model),
• Dedicated global support with 24-hour SLA,
• Warranty coverage. 

A Connect Premium licence is included with every Cambrionix solution on a per-hub basis. To learn more about solutions, pricing, and license and support duration, view this document. 

In addition, existing Cambrionix customers who purchased a supported hub before October 1, 2025, receive FREE access to Connect Premium until March 31, 2026, allowing teams to explore advanced functionality at no cost. Get started with Cambrionix Connect.

If you’re already using ThunderSync5-C16 PD, make sure your firmware and API versions are up to date to take advantage of the new Trickle Charge at Target. 

If you have questions or need technical support, contact our team at [email] or submit a ticket. If you have ideas on how we can improve our Connect software, please share your feedback.