Patent ID: 8601173

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a port for the connection of a first end of a cable, the port being compatible with a first protocol and a second protocol, the port including a connector for the second protocol, the port including a plurality of pins including a first pin, a second pin, and a power pin; a pull-up resistor coupled between the first pin and a voltage source, wherein the pull-up resistor is a resistor required for the second protocol; a pull-down resistor coupled between the second pin and ground; and a voltage detection element coupled with the second pin; wherein the apparatus is to determine that a cable compatible with the first protocol is connected to the port if the voltage detection element detects a voltage above a first threshold, wherein a cable compatible with the first protocol includes a resistor linking the first pin and the second pin together; and wherein the first protocol includes a discovery sequence between connected devices, and wherein the apparatus is to supply a voltage on the power pin upon determining based upon the voltage detected by the voltage detection element that a cable compatible with the first protocol is connected to the connector without requiring a successful discovery sequence for the apparatus and a connected device.