VCONN pull-down circuits and related methods are disclosed for USB Type-C connections. A device is connected through a USB Type-C connection to a separate device using connections including a CC (configuration channel) pin and a VCONN (connection power) pin. The device pulls down the VCONN pin to ground through a resistance (Ra) by applying the voltage on the CC pin to close a switch coupled between the VCONN pin and ground. The device can also be operated in a dead-battery mode where no supply voltage is present for the device. The device can also stop the pull-down on the VCONN pin after a connection is established, for example, using additional switches coupled to a pull-down control signal to remove the CC voltage and open the switch. The voltage on the CC pin can also be clamped to a desired voltage or voltage range using a voltage clamp.