Introduction

Satechi is a brand that has revolutionized the world of electronic accessories with their innovative and efficient designs. They specialize in creating high-quality and versatile accessories for electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more. And today, we got our hands on the Satechi 165W USB-C 4-Port GaN Charger. It's equipped with four USB-C ports to support multiple power configurations up to 165W, and it can easily power your MacBook Pro M1 at full speed, or your iPad Pro setup on-the-go, so you can keep working while your devices are charging. Next, let's take a look at the components and structure of this product.

Product Appearance

The Satechi logo and product are printed on the front.

Some selling points and features are on the back.

The packaging contains the charger, power cord, stand and some documents.

The cord's length is about 1.2 m (3’ 11.24”).

It adopts a sleek space gray design.

And the Satechi logo is printed on a matte surface.

All specs info are printed on the input end. Model is ST-UC165GM. It can support input of 100-240V~50/60Hz 2.5A. When charging a single device, four USB-C ports can support up to 100W, when charging multiple devices, the power decreases sequentially from PD1 to PD4, and the total power won’t exceed 165W. It also has qualified to multiple standards.

Here we have the most impressive feature - four USB-C ports, and different USB-C ports have their own names to distinguish them. There's an indicator light is at the top.

The length of the charger is about 100mm (3.94 inches).

The width is about 72mm (2.83 inches).

And the height is about 32mm (1.26 inches).

Compared with the Apple 140W charger, it’s just slightly longer, but has three more ports.

This is how it looks like on my hand.

And the weight is about 336g (11.85 oz).

The additional stand can turn your charger into a charging dock instantly, after connecting to the power supply, the indicator light turns blue.

The ChargerLAB POWER-Z KM003C shows the PD1 supports FCP, SCP, AFC, QC3.0, SFCP, PD3.0, PPS, QC5 protocols.

It also supports five fixed PDOs of 5V/9V/12V/15V 3A, 20V 5A, and a set of PPS. We found the supported protocols and PDO info of the other three USB-C ports are the same as the first USB-C port, so the charging performance of these four USB-C ports is exactly the same.

Teardown

Next, let’s go ahead and take it apart.

Removing the output panel.

The entire PCBA module can be easily pulled out.

The front and back are wrapped with brass heat sinks, and the black Mylar sheet for insulation is under the heat sink.

The length of the PCBA is about 83mm (3.27 inches).

The width is about 66mm (2.60 inches).

And the height is about 27mm (1.06 inches).

There’s a layer of thermal pad between the internal components and the Mylar sheet.

The fuse, safety X2 capacitor, rectifier bridge, boost inductor, transformer, small buck PCB are on the front of PCBA module.

And the PFC plus LLC 2-in-1 controller, synchronous rectifier controller and synchronous rectifier MOSFET are on the back.

ChargerLAB found it adopts LLC topology and has a PFC circuit. The current will be filtered by synchronous rectification circuit for output.

The input end of the charger has a common mode choke, a two-prong socket, a fuse, and a safety X2 capacitor.

And the two-prong input socket is fixed by through-hole technology.

The input time delay fuse is 5A 250V.

The first common mode choke is insulated with heat-shrinkable tubing.

The red safety X2 capacitor is from JURCC. 1μF.

The second common mode choke is also insulated with heat-shrinkable tubing.

The bridge rectifier uses a brass heat sink for heat dissipation.

The bridge rectifier is used to rectify the AC into pulsed DC for the PFC circuit. 800V 6A. Model is GBU806L.

The pulsed DC is filtered by film capacitors and inductor, and the two film capacitors are from JK-ET (TQCAP). 1μF 450V.

And the filter inductor is wrapped with Mylar tape for insulation.

The master control chip adopts MPS HR1211, which is a multi-mode PFC and current mode LLC two-in-one controller. It integrates the functions that traditional chip schemes need multiple chips to achieve into one chip. The PFC controller supports CCM and DCM working modes.

It adopts digital loop control, and the chip parameters can be flexibly configured. It supports high voltage start and intelligent X capacitor discharge. The PFC supports a maximum working frequency of 250KHz. The LLC has a built-in 600V half-bridge driver and internal bootstrap diode. The working frequency is up to 500KHz and supports comprehensive protection functions.

The green capacitor that powers the master control chip is from Chn Cap. 47μF 35V.

The two GaN FETs bearing the marking GS6511-1L, which are used in the PFC circuit, are sourced from GaN Systems and feature the PDFN5 x 6 package. 650V, 150mΩ.

Here is all the information about GS6511-1L.

The sampling resistor is used to detect the current of the GaN FETs for the PFC circuit, and the resistance is 33mΩ.

The PFC boost inductor L6 is tightly wound and insulated with yellow tape.

The PFC rectifier is from Global Power and adopts DFN5 x 6 package, it’s a silicon carbide diode with a withstand voltage of 650V and a current of 4A. Model is G5S6504Z.

The high-voltage filter capacitor is on the side.

The electrolytic capacitor for input filtering is soldered on the side, from Chn Cap. 120μF 420V.

The two MOSFETs for LLC topology are from CR Micro and adopt TO252 package. 700V, 230mΩ. Model is HRD65T230D.

The green resonant capacitor is also from JURCC. 0.022μF 630V.

The resonant inductor is wound with Litz wire.

The LLC transformer T1 is also tightly wound with tape for insulation.

The blue Y capacitors on the side is from JYA-NAY.

The CT1018 optocoupler is used to regulate the output voltage.

The synchronous rectifier controller comes from MPS, model MP6924A, which is an LLC synchronous rectifier controller with stronger anti-interference and fast shutdown function, compatible with CCM/DCM mode. It integrates two synchronous rectifier controllers, which are respectively used for the rectification application of the two secondary coil outputs of the LLC, and is suitable for the synchronous rectifier application of the LLC converter. At the same time, it supports 4.2-35V wide-range operating voltage, which can be applied to USB PD3.1 140W charger design.

These two rectifiers are from Hunteck and adopt DFN5 x 6 package. 65V, 3.8mΩ. Model is HGN046NE6AL.

There’re four small vertical PCBs for four USB-C outputs.

And those three solid capacitors for output filtering are from Chn Cap. 25V 680μF for each.

And this is the indicator light.

Four small PCBs are exactly the same on the front.

Same goes for the back.

The protocol chip adopts Ismartware SW3516H, it is used for buck control and protocol recognition. SW3516H is a highly integrated dual-port charging chip for multiple fast charging protocols, supporting fast charging output on USB-A plus USB-C port, independent current limiting on dual ports.

It integrated 5A high efficiency synchronous buck converter, and supports PPS, PD, QC, AFC, FCP, SCP, PE and SFCP fast charging protocols. The maximum output is 100W PD with CC/CV mode and dual-port management logic. Only a few peripheral devices are needed to form a complete high-performance dual-port charging solution for multiple fast charging protocols.

Here is all the information about SW3516H.

One of the buck MOSFET is from Techcode and adopts PPAK3*3-8 package. 30V, 5.6mΩ. Model is TDM3548.

Another buck MOSFET on the back is also from Techcode, but in a different model. 30V, 5mΩ. Model is TDM3478.

The buck inductor is insulated with heat-shrinkable tubing.

And the solid capacitor is also from Chn Cap. 25V 220μF.

The USB-C connector is fixed by through-hole technology.

Finally, the 32-bit MCU with an M0 core is from MindMotion and adopts QFN20 package. It can automatically control the power distribution of four USB-C ports. Model is MM32F0010.

One last look at all the components of this Satechi 165W GaN Desktop Charger.

Summary of ChargerLAB

The Satechi 165W GaN Desktop Charger boasts a stylish silver design and four USB-C ports. With a total output power of 165W and each port capable of fast charging at 100W, this charger effortlessly accommodates the simultaneous charging needs of three to four devices, from smartphones to laptops and beyond. The charger's convenient two-prong design and vertical stand make it a perfect addition to a desktop or workspace setup.

Compared with the AENZR 130W GaN charger we took apart before, the internal components and structure are pretty similar. 

But this is the first time we’ve seen all four USB-C ports of a multi-port charger have the same performance. It means you do not need to distinguish which port is faster or slower when charging a single device.

Related Articles：
1. Teardown of Satechi 165W GaN Desktop Charger (Four USB-C Ports)
2. Teardown of Satechi 100W USB-C PD Compact GaN Charger
3. Teardown of UGREEN Nexode 200W Desktop Charger (4C2A)