I've got around 4 different micro-USB AC Adapters that I have lying around. One is the OEM Lenovo, One is OEM Samsung (i777 charger + Samsung Micro-USB cable), one is a multi-USB port AC adapter with a micro-usb cable, and the last is an iPad 2 wall charger with a micro-USB cable.
ALL of the chargers except the OEM Lenovo ones don't charge my tablet. When It's plugged in, for a couple of seconds it says Charging (AC), and then it just switches to discharging. I've tried all the aforementioned chargers and cables in different combinations, and the ONLY ones to work correctly is the Lenovo combo.
Is there a specific reason to this? Also tried all 4 cables connected to my PC.. They all don't charge efficiently at all.
look at the Voltage and Amperage of the adapter !
Lenovo use 2A if I remember well, the other use only 1A
quyTam is correct... most USB chargers are between 500mA and 850mA. The dual battery design of the tablets requires a min of 2A to charge correctly. This is why most computer USB ports will not charge the device.
However... the changer isn't the only thing restricting the power. The cable you are using can also effect power. Not all cables are created equal.
I stopped by Staples just after getting my tablet and picked up a 4 port 2.1A USB wall charger. It will charge my phone, Bluetooth, and tablet. There are also really nice 2A "extra battery" devices out there that allow you to a charged battery with you that will power and recharge your device.
I also recommend the dock for the tablet... it has a 65w power supply and charges the tablet in a 1/3 the time then the usb chargers.
where to get a charger
i tried 2Amp chargers....didn't help/
my brother says:
"the pins are slightly different/off/longer/shorter/what DID lenovo do here?"
as a safety i bought:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/?_kw=886605022780&_clu=2&_fcid=100&_fvi=1&_localstpos=&_stpos=&gbr=1
just in case...
it costs an arm and a leg for a microUSB charger, but not charging the device for a couple of days would cost me more :S
just another things that makes the TPT slightly less then perfect
o,O
Charger
I use a Dell Axim x51 charger and an LG cable from an old phone. Seems to work very well and eBay prices for the charger are less than $4.
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/8523-rev...arger/page__st__40__gopid__448194#entry448194
In my experience a 1A charger will also work. Nothing less than 1A will do anything.
I keep my Lenovo charger in my home office and use a 1A phone charger next to my bed for overnight charging.
I too have a 4 port mains to USB charger: 2A but I thought it was distributed to the 4 ports. If all were being used then each port would only be .5A.
Will have to try it out. If it works it would lighten the travel load of chargers.
Gottoon said:
quyTam is correct... most USB chargers are between 500mA and 850mA. The dual battery design of the tablets requires a min of 2A to charge correctly. This is why most computer USB ports will not charge the device.
However... the changer isn't the only thing restricting the power. The cable you are using can also effect power. Not all cables are created equal.
I stopped by Staples just after getting my tablet and picked up a 4 port 2.1A USB wall charger. It will charge my phone, Bluetooth, and tablet. There are also really nice 2A "extra battery" devices out there that allow you to a charged battery with you that will power and recharge your device.
I also recommend the dock for the tablet... it has a 65w power supply and charges the tablet in a 1/3 the time then the usb chargers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's for sure. I thought the dock was a waste of money until I forked out on Amazon. Saves so much time it isn't funny....
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
The tablet needs to see 5.3 V, when using >500mA.
Already thinner USB-Cables increase the voltage drop
so the thinkpad wont charge, even with the original charger.
It may have less to do with your charger than with the cables. I bought extra long (6 and 10 ft) USB cables for charging phone and my TPT. The 28AWG of any length won't charge the TPT. The 24AWG 6 ft and 10ft cable *will* on a 2A charger. I haven't tried other combinations. I believe it will charge on a 1A charger as well, but would likely require the larger 24AWG cable.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Design Flaw in Thinkpad Tablet prevents Landscape Mode Charging for Developers
I actually sent my 1838-22U in for service, thinking that there was a hardware problem preventing charging while connected via USB. At first I had noticed that while connected directly to a PC via USB for development purposes (no docking station), the unit indicated that it was charging. However, it seemed to be discharging faster than it was charging and slowly worked its way down to unusable. Lenovo Tech Support indicated that they had heard of this happening, and that I should send it in to have its system board replaced. I sent it in only to find that all they had done was replace the battery and reload the firmware. I did notice, however, that when I connected the USB cable, it appeared to go into charging mode for a couple of seconds then switch into discharge mode. I asked Tech Support about this and they said they this was actually the way it should have been behaving all along, and that this was by design.
The User Manual (see attachment) states only that it might not charge, and that it will only discharge if the tablet "exceeds USB 2.0 power limits" (i.e. 500ma).
Well, the Thinkpad Tablet seems to be pretty good at doing that.
Here's where I present to the development community a conundrum. How can one develop in landscape mode while charging (even slowly)? In portrait mode, one can use the accessory docking station, which uses its own charger and charges through the proprietary connector next to the micro USB port, while separately allowing the USB to be used for data. In landscape mode, there is no such option. I will accept that the unit may draw too much current to charge well via a 500ma USB data connection, but then Lenovo should provide a optional charger that connects directly to the same proprietary connector used by the docking station. This is done elsewhere. For instance, Motorola realizes that the Xoom draws too much current to charge via a USB data connection, so they don't even bother with it - they provide a dedicated charger connection and charger.
==UPDATE== 25-May-2012
SOLUTION FOUND
The solution to using a data connection and charging the Thinkpad Tablet at the same time, without relying on the portrait-mode-only Dock Station, is to connect through a powered USB hub which supports the USB Battery Charging Specification (with a Charging Downstream Port). The specification provides at least 1.5A, which quite handily satisfies the Thinkpad. I found such a hub, the GWCTech HU2V40, on Amazon for $15.99.
If you get this model, note that only one of the 4 ports can be used for high-current charging. It includes a tiny "Smart Charger Adapter" but which appears to block the data connection (at least when when used with the Thinkpad). In other words, ignore the little black passthrough adapter included with it, and plug directly in as you normally would. The instructions don't explain the purpose of the passthrough adapter.
Hi everyone!
I just wanted to ask this: I just bought a 90W charger for my laptop. It is a "Targus Compact Charger for laptop and usb tablet"
It charges my laptop and also has that usb port which charges through a cable, compatible devices. Only that on that usb port, it says that it charges 2.1A, which is a lot. My phone charger does only 550mAh.
So the question, shouldn't I charge my phone through the adapter?
Thanks in advance!
Related
i bought two extra usb cables from amazon, i can't link to them since i don't have enough posts yet, but they're the "EMPIRE USB Data Cable for Verizon HTC ThunderBolt" from amazon
i intentionally looked for some that said for use with thunderbolt in case there was something different than just a micro-usb cable; however, it does not seem that these cables charge as well as the cable that ships. it takes several hours even when trying to charge with the original AC adapter using one of these cables vs the ~1.5-2 hours with the cable that comes with. When trying to use a computer or a car adapter it just holds the charge steady, if using navigation it actually drops battery while plugged in!
is there something i'm missing here? they should all be the same right? can anyone point me to some that actually work? (preferably from amazon since i have gift cards there)
I've had the same problem.
Make sure you are getting the correct voltage. I think my issues are that USB is a slower charge than outlets and the "extra" charger I had was for my bluetooth which had a lower voltage.
strobieone said:
I've had the same problem.
Make sure you are getting the correct voltage. I think my issues are that USB is a slower charge than outlets and the "extra" charger I had was for my bluetooth which had a lower voltage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, i understand that usb from the computer will be a lower voltage, which is what i thought the issue was at first. but then i tried using the original AC adapter with the replacement usb cable and it was slower than the original cable. i don't see why the cable would make a difference, but it definitely appears to.
i downloaded the current widget and can see that just swapping between the OEM cable and the aftermarket cable the charging current is quite different. ~+600ma with the OEM and -100ma to +300ma with the aftermarket (yes at times it was LOSING charge while plugged in using the aftermarket)
roppetty said:
yeah, i understand that usb from the computer will be a lower voltage, which is what i thought the issue was at first. but then i tried using the original AC adapter with the replacement usb cable and it was slower than the original cable. i don't see why the cable would make a difference, but it definitely appears to.
i downloaded the current widget and can see that just swapping between the OEM cable and the aftermarket cable the charging current is quite different. ~+600ma with the OEM and -100ma to +300ma with the aftermarket (yes at times it was LOSING charge while plugged in using the aftermarket)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should never use any other cable than the one provided with your Thunderbolt. On the site it may say that it "Works" with the Thunderbolt but that doesn't mean you are going to get the performance you need out of it. I have had that problem plenty of times with older cables and sadly it keeps me buying the slightly overpriced cables from Verizon so I know that I get what I need.
roppetty said:
yeah, i understand that usb from the computer will be a lower voltage, which is what i thought the issue was at first. but then i tried using the original AC adapter with the replacement usb cable and it was slower than the original cable. i don't see why the cable would make a difference, but it definitely appears to.
i downloaded the current widget and can see that just swapping between the OEM cable and the aftermarket cable the charging current is quite different. ~+600ma with the OEM and -100ma to +300ma with the aftermarket (yes at times it was LOSING charge while plugged in using the aftermarket)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like a defective cable. Check to see how it's charging (AC or USB). If it says USB when connected to the HTC charger, the cable is bad.
I use micro-USB cables I got from Monoprice, no problems.
mike.s said:
It sounds like a defective cable. Check to see how it's charging (AC or USB). If it says USB when connected to the HTC charger, the cable is bad.
I use micro-USB cables I got from Monoprice, no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not defective, it's just not designed for charging. OP, always make sure it says it is a charger cable, not a data cable, when you buy one.
WeaselWeaz said:
It's not defective, it's just not designed for charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BS. You have no clue what you're talking about. The TB follows the USB charging specification.
The thing about USB (Universal serial bus) cables is that they are UNIVERSAL. It doesn't matter where you get them from, what they say, or what they are branded. They have to meet certain specs (including materials and current capacity) in order to get the USB label.
If you're having a problem, I am 99% sure the cable is not the issue.
Try out monoprice.com. I've used them for years. You can get 3 wall chargers, 5 USB cables and 2 car chargers (all 1A) for like $25, shipped.
Edit: QFT
mike.s said:
BS. You have no clue what you're talking about. The TB follows the USB charging specification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
necosino said:
The thing about USB (Universal serial bus) cables is that they are UNIVERSAL. It doesn't matter where you get them from, what they say, or what they are branded. They have to meet certain specs (including materials and current capacity) in order to get the USB label.
If you're having a problem, I am 99% sure the cable is not the issue.
Try out monoprice.com. I've used them for years. You can get 3 wall chargers, 5 USB cables and 2 car chargers (all 1A) for like $25, shipped.
Edit: QFT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, i'm with you, that's why i posed to see if there was something i'm missing and didn't know about. i'm a computer engineer so i know a cable is a cable is a cable, which is why i was like wtf when these didn't work the same.
thanks all, at least i know i didn't miss something and these should work the same.
ive had this problem on every phone. takes forever to charge through usb.
A USB cable is a USB cable is a USB cable is a USB cable.
If you are doing seat of your pants checks on charging, etc, they are never going to be accurate. CPU usage, network usage, etc while the phone is charging will affect how quickly it does charge. The stock charger provides 1000mA to charge the device, if you are using it, or another app is doing something (downloading data, using cpu, etc) it will not charge as quickly because power is being drained as it is being charged.
There is too much that would cause a slower charge state that you can't compensate for by a seat of the pants judgement on charging.
Its all about the mA.
No, thats not a storm. Its just my Thunderbolt layin down this post.
I have the same issue. I have tried four different usb cables with the oem charger and only two charge normally, the oem and one that I had with an old phone that I put a mini to micro adapter on to fit. The other two, one actually micro one mini to micro adapted, charge extremely slow. Yes a cable is a cable, but given I use the oem charger, the only differing things are the cables.
For what it's worth, I hate to burst your bubbles but not all USB cables are equal. And, in fact, not all phones are optimized for USB cables. Just because a cable looks like a USB cable and works as a USB cable doesn't mean that it is ONLY a USB cable. There are quite a few devices out there that can be charged (albeit slowly) with a USB cable but can be charged quickly with a cable that you only think is a USB cable. Take the Nook Color, for instance. The cable that it comes with looks like a USB cable on all accounts, but it's not. I forget which (both are techniques currently used) but either it has extra pins or has a data pin repurposed to provide additional power so it can charge faster. There are quite a few devices out there that are like this, and it seems like the number of these devices just keep growing and growing.
Now these "non-USB" devices still support USB standards, and can be charged via USB standard cables. However, they are optimized for non-USB standards and charge faster with these non-USB cables.
I'm honestly not sure if our Thunderbolts are such a device or not, and if the cables that they come with are such cables. They very well could be, and what the OP claims goes along with that theory. But honestly, I simply do not know.
EDIT:
Oh, and one more example. Go take a look at the custom "USB" cables that Team Blackhat had made that can power Motorola devices in CWM without a battery in the device. This is yet another example of where a USB cable isn't a USB cable.
Having the data pins connected to 5v sources is part of the charger itself; it has nothing to do with the cable.
Every USB cable has 4 pins: two 5v+, a gnd and a 5v- if the second + and - aren't connected to a source in the charger, you will only get a 0.5A charge, and it will go slow. If the charger DOES have them connected, you get the full 1A, and a much faster charge.
If the charger or cable is anything different then it is not USB. End of story. I know some phones have extra pins in the USB location for video out, for example, but those don't interfere with the standard USB pins.
Sent from my ThunderBolt using Tapatalk
necosino said:
Every USB cable has 4 pins: two 5v+, a gnd and a 5v-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, kinda. Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook_Color#USB_port
The Nook Color uses a modified connector with two depths. The first depth is compatible with micro-usb (5-conductor), while the second depth has 12 conductors. This change was made to increase the amount of power available to charge the larger battery of the Nook Color when using the included cable.
Because of this, the USB cable included with the Nook Color is physically incompatible with other devices employing standard micro-usb connectors. However, the Nook Color itself is physically compatible with standard micro-usb cords.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I realize that calling this a "USB Cable" might be stretching the definition of "USB Cable" (hence the "wrong, kinda" comment) but more than likely, most people have no clue that one cable is different than another, so the end result is that, for all practical purposes, we DO have different types of USB cables.
necosino said:
Every USB cable has 4 pins: two 5v+, a gnd and a 5v- if the second + and - aren't connected to a source in the charger, you will only get a 0.5A charge, and it will go slow. If the charger DOES have them connected, you get the full 1A, and a much faster charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Close, but not quite.
The pins are +5, Ground, +D and -D. All power is drawn through the +5 and Ground lines. The D lines are used for data transfer.
Per the USB specifications, a device can only draw 100 mA without enumerating (negotiating via USB, implies both ends have "intelligence"). If it can enumerate, it can negotiate for up to 500 mA (e.g. plugged into a PC which has a "driver" which recognizes the phone).
There are also specifications for DCPs (Dedicated Charging Ports). For these, the D+ and D- pins (the center two in a full sized USB connector) on the charger must be connected together with no more than 200 Ohms. These ports must provide at least 500 mA, but can provide more (micro-USB connectors are rated to 1.8 A). That's how the phone knows it can draw more than 100 mA from a "dumb" power adapter.
The TB follows the USB charging spec. Here are some things that can happen.
If it's plugged into a charger which doesn't follow the USB spec (D+ and D- not connected together, these are fairly common), it can only draw 100 mA. It doesn't matter if you bought a "2.5 Amp USB charger," if the charger doesn't follow the spec, a device which does isn't supposed to draw more than 100 mA. That's enough to charge it very slowly when the screen is off and it's idling. If the phone is doing anything, the battery will actually be discharging. This is a problem which seems to be common with many car chargers. A lot of device will ignore the 100 mA spec limit, and draw whatever they can, which is why they will charge from an improper adapter.
It's plugged into a PC with no driver - same thing.
It's plugged into a PC with a driver - it can negotiate and pull 500 mA. This is enough to charge while running in almost all cases (it might be on the edge if streaming video via 4G with GPS on, etc.) It will charge, but not as fast as it could.
For all of the above, a TB will show "USB" as the charging type.
It's plugged into a USB DCP. By spec, these must be able to deliver at least 500 mA. The AC adapter shipped with the TB is marked 1.0 A, and the phone won't draw more than 1.0 A (the most I've seen it use to charge the battery is ~800 mA). This will allows the fastest charging. With a DCP, the TB will show "AC" as the charging type.
Cables can have the same effect - all USB cables are supposed to be basically the same. But, some manufacturer's play loose with the spec. They may have "USB" cables with resistors or other changes inside which signal different things to a device. They may not have proper gauge wiring. It may just be a bad cable. Etc.
I've charged the TB with the stock AC charger using both the stock cable, and one I got from Monoprice. Works fine. I've also got a USB hub I converted to a charging station (follows the spec for USB dedicated charging ports), and that works fine with both the original and the Monoprice cables.
I have run into "flaky" cables, where they only work right if jiggled around a bit. Maybe they've been flexed too much, and have an intermittent connection. Maybe the contacts have gotten dirty. I don't worry about it, I just throw those away, you can get new ones from Monoprice for less than a buck.
Thanks Mike S (Also my initials, lol) That's what I get for posting after staying up a bit too late.
well i just ordered two micro usb cables from monoprice. we'll see if those fare any better.
the only thing i can guess is the power wires are a small gauge in the cables i bought from amazon. monoprice has two different kinds, some use 28awg for both data/power and then they have some that have 24awg for power and 28awg for data. i'm hoping that getting the bigger wire for the power will solve the issue.
also, i've been using juiceplotter and you can visibly see the slope of the charge change when switching just between these cables i bought vs the stock one when using the HTC charger so i'm pretty certain it's the cable.
roppetty said:
i've been using juiceplotter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery Monitor Widget will do that, and more, including telling you whether it's charging AC or USB.
You can also check the charging type from Home Settings/About Phone/Battery/Battery Status.
I have noticed the NT only charges when using the AC charger and not when connected to a PC like phones. It even has to use the cable it came with as normal micro usb cables do not work (not for charging anway). Is this right or is this posdibly a hidden setting somewhere I have missed?
romified said:
I have noticed the NT only charges when using the AC charger and not when connected to a PC like phones. It even has to use the cable it came with as normal micro usb cables do not work (not for charging anway). Is this right or is this posdibly a hidden setting somewhere I have missed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The computer does not provide enough amps to charge it. The first day I got mine I plugged the usb into a phone wall charger and it indicated it was charging but didnt seem to be increasing charge. I left it overnight and when I woke up i checked the charge...it didnt budge. I looked at the two wall chargers. The phone charger is a 1 amp charger while the nook charger is 1.9amp. Considering a usb from the computer only provides .5 amps there is no way it will charge.
This is the same as the nookcolor. They use the same charger and have the same limitations.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
In addition to the current difference, the cable that comes with the NC or NT has a different MicroUSB end. It is a little longer to reach the higher current pins. There are several discussions in the NC Accessories forum that go into the details.
The NC can charge via pc, as long as the usb hub is powered, or the usb ports are powered, with the provided cable micro usb cable.
Other tablets can charge over .5amp USB so it should work on the NT unless they intentionally designed it to be limited. The Lenovo ThinkPad tablet and iPad both worked via .5amp USB. Just very slowly (had to put iPad in sleep mode).
EDIT: iPad 1 for clarification, never owned the second.
Sent from my Nook Tablet using Tapatalk.
I have a newer motherboard (Gigabyte Z68XP-UD4)
when I plug my Nook Tablet into the front USB, it doesn't charge. But I just plugged it in at about 80% power into the rear USB that was red and labelled "3x USB Power" and it charged WHILE I was transferring files.
I didn't know it was charging until I plugged it into the AC and it showed 100%.
I can confirm it with video evidence if you need it because I'm not one to spread misinformation.
My Giga X58A-UD7 will charge mine too. The option must be enabled in The BIOS in order for the additional Amps to be dispensed. And, it will only work on the onboard (rear) USB ports.
Am I correct in thinking that the USB Standard must include a provision for optional high power pins that may not be present in all USB cables - or chargers?
If I have a standard microUSB cable, can I use my 3x port to charge my NT or do I need to use the special longer connector cable that came with the NT?
Another poster said the Nook USB connector was actually longer, so the high power pins would reach the recessed ones.
Bottom line - don't assume just any cable will work.
Are thenook color and tablet chargers the same? im looking to pick up a spare on ebay,
It's the same thing as the ipad. It will say not charging but it actually does just reaaaaaaaaaaally slow.
dermotti said:
Are thenook color and tablet chargers the same? im looking to pick up a spare on ebay,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They appear to be the same or at least work the same. I have one charger downstairs and one upstairs and the tablet and color charge fine on either one. Just make sure to use the B&N cable, unless you want to wait a while.
So does anybody know where we can pick up chargers cheap? I already have like 5 micro usb chargers and it sucks I cant use them.
AFAIK the NT and NC use the same power supply. My NC with CM 7.1 draws about 600-700 milliamps (according to the Battery Monitor Widget). I have successfully charged it from a PC using a standard micro USB cable. Here's the catch:
- when you connect the tablet to the charger it will turn on. Power down the tablet completely. It will then charge, but takes about 12 hours.
NT uses a 12pin micro USB cable as NC, it seems a special standard, if we use standard 5pin micro USB, only connect to computer is OK, but seems have some trouble to charge, could we find any replacement one?
ms2003 said:
NT uses a 12pin micro USB cable as NC, it seems a special standard, if we use standard 5pin micro USB, only connect to computer is OK, but seems have some trouble to charge, could we find any replacement one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll need to purchase from B&N (unless somebody else can find another source). It is unique. If you look at it, the connector not only has 12 pins, but is longer. The extra length is what initiates contact for charging.
Although its slower to charge attached to the PC (500mA instead of 2A), it does charge. I left mine overnight and it was fully charged using a standard micro-usb cable.
My Samsung Galaxy Tab is like this. There is a software work around that makes it charge faster over USB (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1323957). This gives hope that someday we get similar functionality.
donbowman said:
Although its slower to charge attached to the PC (500mA instead of 2A), it does charge. I left mine overnight and it was fully charged using a standard micro-usb cable.
My Samsung Galaxy Tab is like this. There is a software work around that makes it charge faster over USB (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1323957). This gives hope that someday we get similar functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have heard it will only charge on PC via USB if the screen is off. Otherwise, it uses too much power to really charge it.
What would happen if I put the USB port into a power adapter? I use them to charge my phones when I don't have access to my laptop's USB ports.
salvachn said:
What would happen if I put the USB port into a power adapter? I use them to charge my phones when I don't have access to my laptop's USB ports.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure it provides the correct amount of power first.
donbowman said:
Although its slower to charge attached to the PC (500mA instead of 2A), it does charge. I left mine overnight and it was fully charged using a standard micro-usb cable.
My Samsung Galaxy Tab is like this. There is a software work around that makes it charge faster over USB (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1323957). This gives hope that someday we get similar functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
only the output will affect? if i found a charge head that provides 2A output will it work?
FWIW...
I tried using the official Nook cord with an Apple iPad (2 amp) usb charger. The NT never indicated that it was charging.
I tried using a quality micro USB cord with an iPad charger and with the official Nook charger, but it never indicated that it was charging.
I haven't tried a standard micro USB cord to a PC (yet).
So far, only official Nook cord and official Nook charger work for me. Alas.
SoonerLater said:
FWIW...
I tried using the official Nook cord with an Apple iPad (2 amp) usb charger. The NT never indicated that it was charging.
I tried using a quality micro USB cord with an iPad charger and with the official Nook charger, but it never indicated that it was charging.
I haven't tried a standard micro USB cord to a PC (yet).
So far, only official Nook cord and official Nook charger work for me. Alas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
using the nook cord here with my htc phone charger. all works well
None of my generic USB cords work.
USB Extension cables appear to work with charger
I tried a USB extension cable with the Nook charger and it does work. That means, I think, that the A end of the USB is standard.
I know nobody wants to sacrifice the Nook cable but I'm surprised no one has done this yet. I thought at least the Nook Color cable would be cross-compatible with the NT and someone would have buzzed out the Color cable by now.
There's the bi-color charge LED, but I can't see how they could put a charge chip in there; no room.
This cable is unique....and poorly constructed/misaligned to the 2 prong AC adapter. The USB does not fully insert into the AC Adapter. If not perfectly placed/propped while plugged in to charge, the NT does not charge or charges slowly.
My remedy has been to move the NT closer to the plug so that there is little to no bend in the cable leading to NT.
Will B&N send another if I request online/call? Or, must I unroot and go to a B&N?
SoonerLater said:
FWIW...
I tried using the official Nook cord with an Apple iPad (2 amp) usb charger. The NT never indicated that it was charging.
I tried using a quality micro USB cord with an iPad charger and with the official Nook charger, but it never indicated that it was charging.
I haven't tried a standard micro USB cord to a PC (yet).
So far, only official Nook cord and official Nook charger work for me. Alas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an Apple USB extender between the Nook wall plug and USB cable. Charges fine.
Sent from my BNTV250 using xda premium
johninsf said:
This cable is unique....and poorly constructed/misaligned to the 2 prong AC adapter. The USB does not fully insert into the AC Adapter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's terrible. I don't have any charging issues, but the misalignment causes a ton of electricity to leak, so don't leave it on a couch or a fuzzy blanket unless you want (shockingly) pleasant surprises for hours. I wish they would make an all-in-one-piece as well (do they? would be a good add-on). Sheesh, poor design.
With the billions and billions of 3rd party cords out there, it seems amazing that none exist for the nook tablet. I don't really wanna pay 30 bucks for a backup charger.
2mA too much?
I noticed that the official Nook charger output is rated at 1.9mA - I've just bought a generic 2.0mA USB plug adapter and am hoping that it will work with the existing Nook USB cable. I'm hoping the extra 100mA won't fry the thing...
The extra pins in the Micro end of the Nook USB cable are used to support the higher power draw of the Nook when charging at full rate (2.0A) since the max rated current of a Micro-USB connector is only 1.8A. I am sure they also use the additional pins to make the cable proprietary and possibly also control the bi-color LED. The extra pins are set further into the connector so that they do not cause compatibility problems with standard Micro-USB cables.
In addition to this, the charger brick that comes with the Nook has its Data lines shorted, to each other I believe, to indicate to the Nook that it is plugged into an adapter and not a computer.
The combination of those two things is what is needed for the Nook to charge at its full charge rate. Since the USB A end of the cable is a standard 4-pin design, extension cables that offer all 4 pins/wires will work fine.
The Apple adapter (even the 2.0A version) will not work because it uses a voltage divider (couple of resistors) on the data lines to indicate to the iPod/iPhone what style charger it is (1.0A or 2.0A). One of the data lines is held at 2.1V and the other at 2.7V. Depending on which one (D+ or D-) is at what voltage determines what style charger it is. So the Nook does not recognize the "non-zero" voltage values on the data lines and assumes it is a PC, so it will only charge at 500mA.
Other vendors power bricks use the same "short the data lines" trick as the Nook adapter so several others will work. I believe as mentioned already in this post that HTC uses this same method.
WARNING​
Be careful though because if the adapter is rated at less than 2.0A (e.g. 1.0A) you could cause damage or fire. I am not sure if the Nook will slow down charging if it detects the charge voltage dropping if it is trying to pull too much power out of an underrated supply.
If you really want to use your Apple IPad adapter with your Nook Color/Tablet cable you could modify a USB A/A extension cable to disconnect the Data lines and then tie together only the data lines on the side of the cable that will go to the Nook. Again, this can be dangerous, I can not take any responsibility if you attempt to do this.
HTML:
USB A/A Extension Cable
[ ] GND ----------------------------------------------------- GND [ ]
[ ] D+ ------} <-tied to D- cut and taped-> D+ [ ]
[ Nook ] D- ------} <-tied to D+ cut and taped-> D- [ Adapter ]
[ ] +5V ----------------------------------------------------- +5V [ ]
AdamOutler has confirmed that it will charge on any usb cable, but the tab must be off and it will not show signs of charging. I'm pretty sure that this was charging from the computer.
My device battery is way low.. I'm charging on normal USB so it's trickling up at a rate of about 0x0010 per 2 minutes. At this rate, the device will be ready to use in aproximately 1.5 hours... And until then i'm sure nothing will show on the screen.
This may or may not apply to using the Barnes and Nobel cable. I do not have one available though.
So, if you ever come across a situation where the device won't turn on even after being plugged in, leave it plugged in for a few hours. It could have a case of the "sleeping death".
Also, I'm able to verify that the device... even when totally powered off will charge on a standard USB cable.
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20905962&postcount=190
Has anyone else had issues with the end that plugs into the nook bending out of place and preventing the cable from working? Since its the cable that is not working and since the tab is still under warranty can I take it back and get the cable replaced for free?
bscythe said:
the charger brick that comes with the Nook has its Data lines shorted, to each other I believe, to indicate to the Nook that it is plugged into an adapter and not a computer.
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Ahhh... So we can't use a generic power brick or car charger and have the NT charge at full rate (unless we also muck with the USB cable). Thanks for this info!
Has anyone successfully used a 12v usb charger other than the BN ripoff? I have a gmax 2.1a and aluratek 2a and neither one will charge the bn tablet. I get the "not charging" message on the tablet.. so I supposed its getting some juice, but not enough to sustain it. I soldered d+/d- together on both adapters and now both will show ac charging in the nexus - so I know each is getting close to 1amp. Ironically, the tablet will show ac charging if I use the nexus power ac power cube which is rated at 5v / 1amp output. So you would think the 12v usb adapters which are rated the same would work as well.
thoughts?
darby427 said:
Has anyone successfully used a 12v usb charger other than the BN ripoff? I have a gmax 2.1a and aluratek 2a and neither one will charge the bn tablet. I get the "not charging" message on the tablet.. so I supposed its getting some juice, but not enough to sustain it. I soldered d+/d- together on both adapters and now both will show ac charging in the nexus - so I know each is getting close to 1amp. Ironically, the tablet will show ac charging if I use the nexus power ac power cube which is rated at 5v / 1amp output. So you would think the 12v usb adapters which are rated the same would work as well.
thoughts?
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did you read about the 'special' connector that is deeper than the normal ones ? please use the search function for more info.
sure did.. all of this was with the [email protected] cable..
old_fart said:
did you read about the 'special' connector that is deeper than the normal ones ? please use the search function for more info.
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There's also the part of the equation where the USB adapter must supply a lot more than the 500mA of current that most adapters and computer USB ports are limited to. Mine will say "charging" as long as the adapter puts out around 1A (1000mA) or more and I use the NT's supplied cable. <-- But it still won't charge as quickly as it does when I use a 2A charger such as the one it came with. The factory charger is around 2A and expecting the NT to charge with anything less may not result how you'd like. Just because your phone likes a charger doesn't mean your NT will.
There is more to it than just shorting the D+ and D- pins. If the charger was designed for iPad, then you will also need to remove 4 resistors. Check out the two links in my post relating this issue at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1614091
I modded a car charger by just shorting the two pins. My HTC EVO 4G phone showed AC charging but my NT showed USB charging. I opened it up again and removed the resistors network and NT showed AC charging right away. Good luck.
bigdogz - good advice - made an attempt at it but my eyesight and hand steadiness aint what it used to be However, I did find one that works - Scosche reviveII - GUSBC3. Its a 2.1a port for the galaxy tab and a 1amp port for apple. It charges both the galaxy tab 10.1 and the nook tablet on the 2.1a port. It also will charge in ac mode a galaxy nexus from the tab port. The 1a port does not have the d pins shorted, but will charge an iphone.
Can anyone else tell me if they have any issues charging the sony xperia using an adapter other than the one supplied?
I have one that I use for everything, iphone, kindle, garmin watch, sansa mp3 player. Yet when I hook up the sony usb charger cable to it the battery light blinks and viewing in the battery section of settings shows it alternating between 'charging' and 'discharging' at the same frequency as the flashing light. This frequency is roughly 1 second. I managed to stabalise the charging on this OEM adapter once. It always charges perfectly on the supplied adapter.
Also I have a portable 5V charger that again I use for all my gadgets as listed above. They all work fine. Not the sony tablet. 'Charging is not supported with this accessory' I'm told this time.
This tablet is looking worse and worse to me. The fact that this tablet was supposed to be bog standard 5V and came with the usb setup (making it simple to use with my portable charger) was one of the major reasons I bought it. Yet I can only use the supplied adapter and am stuck to the A/C supply.
Anyone else seeing similar problems?
Problem? Sony tableyt s dont use the usb port for battery charging
Sent from my Sony Tablet S using xda app-developers app
Hernan1978 said:
Problem? Sony tableyt s dont use the usb port for battery charging
Sent from my Sony Tablet S using xda app-developers app
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Anyone that owns the tablet will understand what I am saying. The charger cable comes in a 2 piece. A usb to proprietary connector lead and an A/C adapter. You connect the proprietary end of the cable to the tablet. You connect the full USB connector end of the the cable to the adapter. You plug the adapter into the mains and it charges your tablet.
What I am saying is that if I use an alternate A/C adapter (i.e. one that accepts a USB connection and is rated for 1.5 amps and 5V) it does not charge the tablet correctly. I can't see why this would be as these adapters are all supposed to be built to a standard. Sony has something different in theirs I think. I believe it is non-standard.
(There is no USB port on the tablet so clearly this is not what I meant!!)
3rd Party Charger
ice9111 said:
Anyone that owns the tablet will understand what I am saying. The charger cable comes in a 2 piece. A usb to proprietary connector lead and an A/C adapter. You connect the proprietary end of the cable to the tablet. You connect the full USB connector end of the the cable to the adapter. You plug the adapter into the mains and it charges your tablet.
What I am saying is that if I use an alternate A/C adapter (i.e. one that accepts a USB connection and is rated for 1.5 amps and 5V) it does not charge the tablet correctly. I can't see why this would be as these adapters are all supposed to be built to a standard. Sony has something different in theirs I think. I believe it is non-standard.
(There is no USB port on the tablet so clearly this is not what I meant!!)
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From what I understand we should be able to use a 3rd party charger if it can supply at least 1.5 amps of current at 5VDC. The only limitations that I have seen is some of the 3rd party iPad chargers (USB plugs) won't work with some android devices so the USB standard must not be as standard as one would tend to think. If your charger is blinking and intermittently charging there is a good chance that it can't sustain the current that the tablet is trying to draw.