Introduction

The ChargerLAB POWER-Z KM003C has received widespread praise for its support of mainstream fast charging protocol detection including PD3.1, QC4/5, as well as its practical features like E-marker detection, ripple measurement, and more. These capabilities have made it a favorite among tech enthusiasts and engineers. However, when it comes to detailed PD protocol packet capturing, the KM003C falls short in precision.

To address this, we are launching a brand-new product — the POWER-Z ET240 PD Protocol Analyzer, a handy tool designed for debugging USB Type-C PD products. It can monitor voltage and current on Type-C CC1/CC2/VBUS lines, and decode PD packets, DisplayPort auxiliary messages, and USB4 sideband messages.

Unboxing

Like the KM003C, the ChargerLAB POWER-Z ET240 PD Protocol Analyzer comes in a simple white cardboard box with the “POWER-Z” logo printed on the front.

One side of the box features our official website, surrounded by various electronic device icons.

Inside the box, you’ll find our signature silver metal case, which is convenient for everyday storage.

The ET240 carries over the design language of the KM003C — a CNC-machined aluminum casing with an anodized surface finish. Unlike the KM003C, however, it features a transparent resin glass window on the top, giving you a full view of the internal PCB layout.

Through the transparent window, you can clearly see the compact layout of the internal components — a strong visual representation of cutting-edge technology.

On the back, you’ll find labeled ports for “IN,” “OUT,” and “HID,” along with key product specifications:

• Product name: USB-C PD Sniffer
• Model: ET240
• Voltage range: DC 48V 240W
• Website: www.power-z.com

There is an HID port for connection to PC software.

Here is the input port.

And a full-pin output port.

The ET240 is approximately 45.14mm in length,

About 43.45mm in width,

And roughly 9.91mm in thickness.

The total weight is about 26.9g, noticeably heavier than the KM003C.

Here’s how it looks in my hand.

Chipset Introduction

nuvoTon M487SIDAE

At the heart of the ET240 is the high-performance, low-power microcontroller — M487SIDAE. Based on the Arm® Cortex®-M4F core with a DSP instruction set, it can run at up to 192 MHz with a dynamic operating power of just 175 µA/MHz.

It features a dual-bank architecture with 512KB of Flash memory supporting OTA firmware upgrades, and 160KB of SRAM, including 32KB of cache for accelerating external SPI Flash XIP (eXecute-In-Place) operations.

The chip is factory preloaded with a bootloader and supports Secure Boot, allowing integrity checks on internal flash-stored code. It also includes a Secure Protection ROM for confidential code or data, as well as One-Time Programmable ROM for product lifecycle management.

It operates within a voltage range of 1.8V to 3.6V and an industrial temperature range of -40°C to 105°C. The chip also includes a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet MAC, RMII interface, and hardware encryption engine. It is packaged in LQFP64 form.

Here is a wiring diagram — the right-side port connects to the PC software.

Summary of ChargerLAB

The ChargerLAB POWER-Z ET240 PD Protocol Analyzer features a CNC aluminum body with a transparent window, revealing its detailed internal PCB layout. Its protocol sniffing functions provide a much more convenient testing solution for USB PD products on the market. The compact size also makes it ideal for on-the-go use, significantly reducing the inconvenience for engineers during business travel.

Interested readers can click the button in the article to purchase.