Hello,
I'd like to build an AA-battery pack for loading my diamond on the go. (I know there are LiIo-packages on the market with high capacity, but I prefer standard AA-cells)
I've built one for my Loox 720 a few years ago but had the problem, that loading was terminated after the voltage of the package dropped slightly below 5V. It is not so easy to build a package with a standard voltage-converter because of voltage-dropping with too few cells or heat-production with too much cells.
But perhaps the diamond continues loading, even when the voltage drops by - for example 1V, so this would not be an issue anymore.
Sadly, I'am not a specialist on this things and even if the Diamond can handle lower voltage I'am not sure if it can probably do harm to the LiIon-Battery or the electronics within the diamond - don't know, if this is possible with too low voltages.
Perhaps somenone can help - I think a working AA-package for the diamond could be of interrest for other users.
Many thanks in advance!
Regards:
Token42
Take a look at the USB Charging Spec - available here - it clearly defines the operating limits that devices (and chargers) should comply with.
In your case your device would be acting as a dedicated charger (you should put a 200ohmn resistor across the data lines to tell the Diamond that's what you are) and so you should aim for >4.75v for charging currents <0.5A and >2.0v for currents >0.5A. The Diamond will control the current draw and given you're using a battery you have no control over the stability of the minimum voltage - the voltage/capacity curve will be dependent on the type of battery.
Assuming the Diamond is compliant with this spec then it be happy working within the above tolerances. Indeed, in practice you may find it will work beyond them (the charging is controlled within the device hence it can refuse to charge if it is out of spec).
Mathew
MJNewton said:
Take a look at the USB Charging Spec - available here - it clearly defines the operating limits that devices (and chargers) should comply with.
In your case your device would be acting as a dedicated charger (you should put a 200ohmn resistor across the data lines to tell the Diamond that's what you are) and so you should aim for >4.75v for charging currents <0.5A and >2.0v for currents >0.5A. The Diamond will control the current draw and given you're using a battery you have no control over the stability of the minimum voltage - the voltage/capacity curve will be dependent on the type of battery.
Assuming the Diamond is compliant with this spec then it be happy working within the above tolerances. Indeed, in practice you may find it will work beyond them (the charging is controlled within the device hence it can refuse to charge if it is out of spec).
Mathew
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks Mathew! This sounds good - if I've understood you correctly I can use lower voltage with batteries able to output high currents. Even "normal" AA-cells should be able to output much more than 0,5A - this seems to be only relevant for USB-ports, so I should be able to go as low as 2V and I'am out of problems. In this case I even not have to build an adapter by myself but can use any cheap "emergency-loader" from shops. (If the resistor should be neccessary, I can add it to the package)
Do you mean, the shop-packages have this resistor built in allready, and can it be dangerous for the device without it?
p.s.: Sorry - I've allways said "loader" - I mean "charger", of course.
Token42 said:
Many thanks Mathew! This sounds good - if I've understood you correctly I can use lower voltage with batteries able to output high currents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory, yes, at least to stay within spec. However, the Diamond might not be as tolerant as the spec demands/allows so it's more a case of suck it and see.
Even "normal" AA-cells should be able to output much more than 0,5v
- this seems to be only relevant for USB-ports, so I should be able to go as low as 2V and I'am out of problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the spec, yes (although I'm not sure what you mean about USB ports - you are one as far as the Diamond is concerned) however the Diamond battery is 3.7v and, assuming no DC-DC converter, you'll have to stay above that to get any decent rate of charge.
If you are using alkaline batteries then you pay the price with a sloping discharge curve - the voltage drops almost linearly with consumption. This is why lithium batteries are being used in such charger packs because their voltage remains relatively flat and they have a high capacity. Rechargeable NiMH cells would also be a good choice, particularly at higher charging currents.
Edit: They say a picture speaks a thousand words - here are some discharge curves so you can see for yourself.
In this case I even not have to build an adapter by myself but can use any cheap "emergency-loader" from shops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest I'd just buy a ready-made one anyway! Ideally one with a voltage regulator inside it so you can load it with practically any batteries you like.
Mathew
MJNewton said:
To be honest I'd just buy a ready-made one anyway!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes of course - in this case it is the wisest thing to do - particulary for me.
The reason for me to build my own one for the loox was, that the stock one did not work, (or only for a few minutes, because the loox seems to be very pedantic with the voltage). I have to admit that my own one did not worked too, cause of to much heat-production of the converter.
Seems to be a lot easier with the diamond.
Thanks again!
Why not strip down a car charger and add a few AA cells, all the electronics are already there, I'm pretty sure you could use a variety of old phone car chargers, why not check your drawers.
uniqueboy said:
Why not strip down a car charger and add a few AA cells, all the electronics are already there, I'm pretty sure you could use a variety of old phone car chargers, why not check your drawers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the diamond really accepts voltages between 3,6 and 5V a car-charger is not neccessary and very ineffective. A pack with 4*AA NIMH would be enough.
Regarding my Loox: I would need at least 10*AA, about 6 of them only to feed the charger. And the problem with voltage-drop is not solved.
How efficient is the charging process? I mean if you charge a 900mah lion battery with a 1.5ah nimh battery will it do it, I thought about 90% of the energy you put in is lost in the internal chemistry, which wouldn't give you more than about a 15% charge.
uniqueboy said:
How efficient is the charging process? I mean if you charge a 900mah lion battery with a 1.5ah nimh battery will it do it, I thought about 90% of the energy you put in is lost in the internal chemistry, which wouldn't give you more than about a 15% charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good NIMH-batteries have 2000mAh or more. If you use a LiIon-charger you have the same probs with internal chemistry. If one would loose 90%, no one would by any type of external charger. If you mean the chemistry of the AA's, no one would buy AA's anymore.
With a 2000mAh AA-pack, I think you get about the same charging-result as with a 2000mAh LiIon-charger. But you can put into the AA-pack batterys out of any supermarket in the world.
Token42 said:
Good NIMH-batteries have 2000mAh or more. If you use a LiIon-charger you have the same probs with internal chemistry. If one would loose 90%, no one would by any type of external charger. If you mean the chemistry of the AA's, no one would buy AA's anymore.
With a 2000mAh AA-pack, I think you get about the same charging-result as with a 2000mAh LiIon-charger. But you can put into the AA-pack batterys out of any supermarket in the world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And get what charge% from 0 could you get?, I'm suggesting you would need heavier duty D cells or more to get a full charge, you don't get out anywhere near what you put in.
uniqueboy said:
And get what charge% from 0 could you get?, I'm suggesting you would need heavier duty D cells or more to get a full charge, you don't get out anywhere near what you put in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Youre right, of course - it's not very effective, but not (or not much) less effective than a same size LiIon-package. Probably its only a personal habbit of me to prefere AA-cells. My first PDA was a Psion 3c, the second a Palm-derivate. I liked it very much, to be able to put any AA-cells into this devices.
Most effective way is to swap the device-battery - its my oppinion too. But as long as you can't find LiIon-packs in differnt standard-formats for every device everywhere and they are not building wall-plugs into trees, I find it somewhat nice to have the ability to use AA's or A's.
LiIon have better charging/dicharging-capabilitys and are lighter and smaller, but this does not mean normal standard-cells are totaly crap in comparison, they have developed too.
I would recommend it, when not every device on the market would use LiIon-Batts, perhaps even not swappable - not every device has to be ultra light and ultra small, for me it does not matter so much, if an external charger is somewhat bigger and heavier, if it gives me much more flexibility and is cheaper in long-term usage.
Related
I have the ambition to build a home made external battery pack for my HD2 . I'm not a electrical engineer, my knowledge on this is very basic. But, if I start to think, wouldn't it be just as easy as mounting 3 or 4 AA batteries in series, because USB is 5V? But then is the is the amperage enough?
Please give me some thoughts!
http://www.boxwave.com/products/batteryadapter/batteryadapterforminisync.htm
http://www.boxwave.com/products/batteryadapter/index.htm
I have the first one, but modded it so that the USB port is directly attached to the case (like the second one).
Haven't failed me yet; however it won't charge an iPod due to its unique USB circuitry
Yup, 4 AA rechargeable batteries would do it, I wouldn't try alkaline ones as that would give a good 6V.
Alright thanks after all. I think I'm not going to make it myself, because taking the risk of blowing my HD2 is one step too far now .
the biggest problem with external packs vs AC adaptor is that
1) most AA battery packs outputs to HD2 @ around 100ma reason being the voltage is too low.
2) i have tried that sanyo 5000ma USB battery pack which does around 400ma, it charges faster but it's actual power output is around 4v
the key is the higher the voltage, the faster it charges.
I have seen most 4AA battery packs are conected as 2x serial, 2x parrallel, which means if you are using 2500mah batteries, it's only [email protected]
http://www.boxwave.com/products/batteryadapter/batteryadapterforminisync.htm
this device is connected as such as i have it also.
I tried using sanyo eneloops, hd2 recharges @ 140ma
i tried 2800mah powerex, HD2 charges @ 110ma
i tried diposalble lithium, hd2 charges @ 350ma (measured at 3.3v )
4AA all connected in serial would be the most ideal. but it only stores very little power. 1.3v x4=5.2v but if your battery is 2500mah, then it's only [email protected]
the higher the voltage the faster it charges.
I am actually thinking of building a 8AA battery, to make it a [email protected] but 8AA batts aint light. but am sure it will charge the phone as fast as AC adaptor.
AC adaptor does around 5v -/+ 0.3v 850ma
I am thinking out making my own battery pack also. one that does 5.2v @ 2000ma so that it can charge the battery as fast as AC adaptor.
but the problem is li-ion chemistry dont really allow high discharge unless it's A123 batteries.
2nd is that nimh batts are capable of high discharge but they dont really store alot of power in terms of weight to power ratio.
nimh states 1.2v but is 1.3v at full charged. highest i have seen from my batts are 1.35v
li-ion states it's 3.7v but at full charge it's 4.1v, highest i have seen from my batts are 4.25v
the key is building a circuitry that ups the voltage to 5v and acts as a voltage stabilizer aka mosfet and capacitor. but P=IV and considering the power loss from voltage conversion.
sigh.... why cant anyone build a extended battery the size of iphone's external battery slot-in. i dont mind if the phone is thicker. but rather than a hump in the middle of the phone, they can always make the battery the size of the phone. kind of like battery+case type.
the thing about battery ratings are,
eg, rechargeable batteries states 1.2v, that is actually the MINIMAL voltage.
same goes for akaline. 1.5v @ minimal.
li-ion 3.7v MINIMAL.
lithium 1.6V minimal , i have one batt at measures as high as 1.77v !
all devices have a wide range input. for reasons
1) AC adaptor rates @ 5v but it need tolerance cuz it fluctrates from 4.6-5.4v
2) batteries start high, ends low, but voltage curve is very stable.
There are more than enough commercial, regulated packs either for AA batteries or with integrated li-ion batteries, for many budgets, to lose time making one yourself IMO.
Thanks for your story .
Please keep me posted if you are going to try for yourself!
purezerg said:
the biggest problem with external packs vs AC adaptor is that
1) most AA battery packs outputs to HD2 @ around 100ma reason being the voltage is too low.
2) i have tried that sanyo 5000ma USB battery pack which does around 400ma, it charges faster but it's actual power output is around 4v
the key is the higher the voltage, the faster it charges.
I have seen most 4AA battery packs are conected as 2x serial, 2x parrallel, which means if you are using 2500mah batteries, it's only [email protected]
http://www.boxwave.com/products/batteryadapter/batteryadapterforminisync.htm
this device is connected as such as i have it also.
I tried using sanyo eneloops, hd2 recharges @ 140ma
i tried 2800mah powerex, HD2 charges @ 110ma
i tried diposalble lithium, hd2 charges @ 350ma (measured at 3.3v )
4AA all connected in serial would be the most ideal. but it only stores very little power. 1.3v x4=5.2v but if your battery is 2500mah, then it's only [email protected]
the higher the voltage the faster it charges.
I am actually thinking of building a 8AA battery, to make it a [email protected] but 8AA batts aint light. but am sure it will charge the phone as fast as AC adaptor.
AC adaptor does around 5v -/+ 0.3v 850ma
I am thinking out making my own battery pack also. one that does 5.2v @ 2000ma so that it can charge the battery as fast as AC adaptor.
but the problem is li-ion chemistry dont really allow high discharge unless it's A123 batteries.
2nd is that nimh batts are capable of high discharge but they dont really store alot of power in terms of weight to power ratio.
nimh states 1.2v but is 1.3v at full charged. highest i have seen from my batts are 1.35v
li-ion states it's 3.7v but at full charge it's 4.1v, highest i have seen from my batts are 4.25v
the key is building a circuitry that ups the voltage to 5v and acts as a voltage stabilizer aka mosfet and capacitor. but P=IV and considering the power loss from voltage conversion.
sigh.... why cant anyone build a extended battery the size of iphone's external battery slot-in. i dont mind if the phone is thicker. but rather than a hump in the middle of the phone, they can always make the battery the size of the phone. kind of like battery+case type.
the thing about battery ratings are,
eg, rechargeable batteries states 1.2v, that is actually the MINIMAL voltage.
same goes for akaline. 1.5v @ minimal.
li-ion 3.7v MINIMAL.
lithium 1.6V minimal , i have one batt at measures as high as 1.77v !
all devices have a wide range input. for reasons
1) AC adaptor rates @ 5v but it need tolerance cuz it fluctrates from 4.6-5.4v
2) batteries start high, ends low, but voltage curve is very stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not only a matter of saving time, it's just nice to make your own. It gives pleasure . And some excitement for the risk of blowing an expensive phone .
kilrah said:
There are more than enough commercial, regulated packs either for AA batteries or with integrated li-ion batteries, for many budgets, to lose time making one yourself IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GeitjeG said:
It's not only a matter of saving time, it's just nice to make your own. It gives pleasure . And some excitement for the risk of blowing an expensive phone .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If youre into making it yourself,
there's this site:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
there are detailed instructions and design schematics
+ the parts list.
It would be more complex than using a simple 4 AA battery case connected to a usb plug, but considering that without a voltage regulator wou would be limited to rechargable batteries (since 4 regular AAs would give too high voltage), and considering saving the weight and size of 2 more AAs . . .
Anyway -
give it a look.
(PS - I found this site some time ago, I do not own it, and do not have any connection to it)
Som30ne said:
If youre into making it yourself,
there's this site:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
there are detailed instructions and design schematics
+ the parts list.
It would be more complex than using a simple 4 AA battery case connected to a usb plug, but considering that without a voltage regulator wou would be limited to rechargable batteries (since 4 regular AAs would give too high voltage), and considering saving the weight and size of 2 more AAs . . .
Anyway -
give it a look.
(PS - I found this site some time ago, I do not own it, and do not have any connection to it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using 4NiMh rechargeables giving 2800mAh in a clear AA case with USB soldered onto the case terminals with a flying lead and its fine.
"Turns out some devices don't like being charged with a battery pack, usually devices that require special drivers to charge. "
I just cross checked with my electrical enginner friend
he said that different devices hvae different tolerance.
eg, some devices only accept 4.95-5.05v
there is a circuit in all USB devices to stablise the voltage. to suppress/reduce if it's too high, but nothing if it's too low.
purezerg said:
"Turns out some devices don't like being charged with a battery pack, usually devices that require special drivers to charge. "
I just cross checked with my electrical enginner friend
he said that different devices hvae different tolerance.
eg, some devices only accept 4.95-5.05v
there is a circuit in all USB devices to stablise the voltage. to suppress/reduce if it's too high, but nothing if it's too low.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard no such thing.
I did see a courious behaviour in some devices,
that needed some voltage on one of the data pins as well in order to start charging.
Connecting these devices to a power supply that fed the power wires only, and didnt put anything on any of the data wires did not charge the devices.
hi mates
why dont you just use 10 recharg.batteries and the circuitry of the original HTC HD2 car charger ? it works like butter&honey for me : )
Right guys, thanks for the input.
After I think it's not worth the risk to build a pack completely myself.
The 3 best options that sound easy and safe to me are:
- Using the car charger circuitry with 10 eek rechargable battteries.
- Buying a cheap one on internet
- Building one using a tried tutorial
GeitjeG said:
Right guys, thanks for the input.
After I think it's not worth the risk to build a pack completely myself.
The 3 best options that sound easy and safe to me are:
- Using the car charger circuitry with 10 eek rechargable battteries.
- Buying a cheap one on internet
- Building one using a tried tutorial
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Choice #1 is obivously undesirable.
Choice #2: Internet ones usually don't have voltage and current protection. For example, the boxwave one I linked to is just a simple charge circuit with no built-in resistors and such.
Choice #3: I would suggest using Mintyboost: http://www.instructables.com/id/MintyBoost!---Small-battery-powered-USB-charger/
purezerg said:
...4AA all connected in serial would be the most ideal. but it only stores very little power. 1.3v x4=5.2v but if your battery is 2500mah, then it's only [email protected]
the higher the voltage the faster it charges. ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK, the charging speed of the device is a function of current, not voltage. A source that outputs at a maximum of 500mA will charge a device twice as slow as a source that outputs at a maximum of 1A, if it is assumed that the device can take in charge at a current of 1A
This tutorial looks really nice and seems well thought out...!
...
felixdd said:
Choice #3: I would suggest using Mintyboost: http://www.instructables.com/id/MintyBoost!---Small-battery-powered-USB-charger/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...
This is for kernel devs only. The patch itself is useless to those who do not/can not compile their own kernel.
This patch allows one to force AC or USB charging for any charger. It also provides additional security when connecting to public charging stations because with either force AC or force USB mode on, USB transfers are disabled, protecting your data.
Fast charge can be toggled by issuing:
echo 1 > /sys/kernel/fast_charge/force_charge_mode
Slow charge:
echo 2 > /sys/kernel/fast_charge/force_charge_mode
and off:
echo 0 > /sys/kernel/fast_charge/force_charge_mode
Plug your phone into the charger AFTER toggling the desired mode.
In addition I have created a toggle fast charge widget that may be used to toggle fast/slow charge on and off right from your home screen:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.incredicontrol.fastchargewidget
I have not yet implemented the three way toggle into incredicontrol (free), but I will be. I have to change it to support slow charge also and haven't yet gotten the chance to. I will be implementing it when I get the chance though so you guys have a convenient free way to toggle also.
For the widget (or any fast/slow charge toggle) to work, you MUST be running a kernel that has this patch implemented.
As a good gesture to support a fellow dev, I ask that if you implement the patch into your kernel, please link to my widget as one means to toggle it. You are of course free to provide other ways to toggle it as well if you so desire.
Kernel devs, if you would like to test the widget yourself to confirm its working, and for convenience of testing, please contact me and I will provide you with a copy. You must show that you are a kernel dev though (i.e. link me to your kernel post so I can match your username).
Good luck have fun!
http://www.incredikernel.com/wp-con...r/download.php?id=o2x_force_fast_charge.patch
Here is the neoblaze kernel (stock froyo/gb, not AOSP) patched with the mod so that you guys can test. I will not be supporting anything regarding this kernel except the charging mod itself!
http://chad0989.dyndns.org/mirror/o2x_fastcharge_test_neoblaze2.zip
Sounds interesting even though i dont own a car!
langhaardack said:
Sounds interesting even though i dont own a car!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not necessarily just for car chargers, that's just the easiest example. It can be used with any charger that is detected as USB. Some powered hubs for example can easily put out 1A but would still be limited to 500mA by the phone. The patch will allow you to toggle force AC mode on/off via an app or widget.
Ya i got that but the only usb-charger besides the outlet that i use is my laptop, and i use it only for transferring files. still a great idea!
In other words. If you will be using USB port and cable as current source, The specification asks for Data + and - to be shortcut. And normally phone detects it and also the fifth sense pin and then high current charging must kick in. (although our LG phone uses also it to enter download mode)
If you use the widget and enable high current charging, you'll fry out your motherboards USB port probably...
Another warning. If someone has read about Lithium Cell charging methods AVR based documentation for example. Such high current charging decreases your battery cycle life. So consider those facts first of all!
And those with car chargers... especially cheap ones... in most of these devices are SMD LM317 or LM7805 etc family inside... it will dissipate [email protected]=7W so these sticks will fry out and also blow up despite it can deliver 1.5A - the catch is with proper heat sink.
So So So... dear coders... consult your hardware guys before acting for the good deeds... the cons are more than the gain.
Ferrum Master said:
In other words. If you will be using USB port and cable as current source, The specification asks for Data + and - to be shortcut. And normally phone detects it and also the fifth sense pin and then high current charging must kick in. (although our LG phone uses also it to enter download mode)
If you use the widget and enable high current charging, you'll fry out your motherboards USB port probably...
Another warning. If someone has read about Lithium Cell charging methods AVR based documentation for example. Such high current charging decreases your battery cycle life. So consider those facts first of all!
And those with car chargers... especially cheap ones... in most of these devices are SMD LM317 or LM7805 etc family inside... it will dissipate [email protected]=7W so these sticks will fry out and also blow up despite it can deliver 1.5A - the catch is with proper heat sink.
So So So... dear coders... consult your hardware guys before acting for the good deeds... the cons are more than the gain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely not. It would have no negative effects on your battery at all as the current isn't increased beyond what it is for AC charging.
Also you notice nowhere that my recommendations were for using it to charge from a motherboard. Despite that, the current pulled from the board is ultimately limited to the fuse at the port. Even if a device successfully tries to pull more than the board can provide (which the board won't put out anyway), the PPTC will cut off power to the device.
So So dear hardware guys, please read before jumping all over someone.
chad0989 said:
Absolutely not. It would have no negative effects on your battery at all as the current isn't increased beyond what it is for AC charging.
Also you notice nowhere that my recommendations were for using it to charge from a motherboard. Despite that, the current pulled from the board is ultimately limited to the fuse at the port. Even if a device successfully tries to pull more than the board can provide (which the board won't put out anyway), the PPTC will cut off power to the device.
So hardware guy, how about you read before jumping all over something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then please why I have to repair broken motherboards that Ipad2 have fried a lot? Why? Because they are cheap mate, and fuse is the last resort. And No current limitations aren't implemented there...
I said once again. This 0.5A setting is the most green one, as many manufacturer use as a law!
The fact that some make a PR and tell our device charges faster doesn't overthrow simple chemistry and physics. Ok it will work. Charging the cell with higher current, raises temps and other chemical emissions and it deteriorates faster! So the philosophy is simple for them, the user will kill its battery faster in order to buy a new phone eh? Nice!
Ferrum Master said:
Then please why I have to repair broken motherboards that Ipad2 have fried a lot? Why? Because they are cheap mate, and fuse is the last resort. And No current limitations aren't implemented there...
I said once again. This 0.5A setting is the most green one, as many manufacturer use as a law!
The fact that some make a PR and tell our device charges faster doesn't overthrow simple chemistry and physics. Ok it will work. Charging the cell with higher current, raises temps and other chemical emissions and it deteriorates faster! So the philosophy is simple for them, the user will kill its battery faster in order to buy a new phone eh? Nice!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you that it shouldn't be used to charge from a motherboard, although many have taken the risk without issues.
Essentially it is a software version of the charging cables with bridged data lines ("charge only") that many buy and have no issues with. I'm just bridging the data lines in software so to speak. The current draw is never increased beyond the phone's spec. The most important thing is that the end user knows the source they are drawing from is capable of providing the current.
I do appreciate your concern for the community and desire to educate everyone. We need more people like you around.
So with that, each individual can make an informed decision on their own. If anyone is still interested in the mod, shoot me a PM if you want to test.
Yup, there isn't much math to be done here.
Higher current means higher temps, and O2X already has trouble with temps as it is.
However, to each his own, and as long as people are aware of what they're doing there is no such thing as too many options... although me personally I would stay away from this one.
EDIT: Wait... so you're saying that O2X charges at 1A when connected to a wall charger and at 0.5A when connected with USB? I get the point now. So you only risk damaging the motherboard, and not the phone.
I'm guessing it would be more interesting for O2X users to do the opposite! A 'Force USB charging' because from what I see a lot of people get SoD while charging their phones overnight and this might fix it
What do you say Chad? Would you be interested in implementing this feature? I think I would use it!
chad0989 said:
I agree with you that it shouldn't be used to charge from a motherboard, although many have taken the risk without issues.
Essentially it is a software version of the charging cables with bridged data lines ("charge only") that many buy and have no issues with. I'm just bridging the data lines in software so to speak. The current draw is never increased beyond the phone's spec. The most important thing is that the end user knows the source they are drawing from is capable of providing the current.
I do appreciate your concern for the community and desire to educate everyone. We need more people like you around.
So with that, I guess each individual can make an informed decision on their own. If anyone is still interested in the mod, shoot me a PM if you want to try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you have to set up proper warnings! Because there are always American(no offense) like users who will try to dry their own cat in microwave, because it wasn't prohibited in instructions . They will accuse you with headlines - you didn't say... etc - I know it from my personal work.
This is also usefull for my USB 3.0 ports am i right =D??
Sent from my MI-ONE plus using xda premium
LarsPT said:
I'm guessing it would be more interesting for O2X users to do the opposite! A 'Force USB charging' because from what I see a lot of people get SoD while charging their phones overnight and this might fix it
What do you say Chad? Would you be interested in implementing this feature? I think I would use it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for force 500mA mode of this would fix the overnight crashing and massive overheat that follows. I don't know if the problem is related to the current level during charging though.
owain94 said:
This is also usefull for my USB 3.0 ports am i right =D??
Sent from my MI-ONE plus using xda premium
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Your are now showing off?
Ferrum Master said:
Your are now showing off?
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Shhhtt :$
Nah just asking
LarsPT said:
I'm guessing it would be more interesting for O2X users to do the opposite! A 'Force USB charging' because from what I see a lot of people get SoD while charging their phones overnight and this might fix it
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Click to collapse
Vadonka and spica come here right now!!
OTF pack idea!
Sent from my LG-P990 using xda premium
forcing usb charge mode sounds like a really good idea
Verstuurd van mijn LG-P990 met Tapatalk
For so many years of using rechargeable batteries, I haven't been a fan of post-purchase "fast charging". But then again, I live in a tropical countries so non-air-conditioned room temperatures come quite warm (especially since we're entering summer now).
I must say that I love the "force USB charging" idea though. I rarely get those, but, it's another troubleshooting possibility for the many users encountering charging/overheating BSODs.
salisbury_steak said:
For so many years of using rechargeable batteries, I haven't been a fan of post-purchase "fast charging". But then again, I live in a tropical countries so non-air-conditioned room temperatures come quite warm (especially since we're entering summer now).
I must say that I love the "force USB charging" idea though. I rarely get those, but, it's another troubleshooting possibility for the many users encountering charging/overheating BSODs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also if you charge the battery faster the battery life will be worse then if you charge it slow
so fast and a bit worse battery life
or fast it slow and a bit better life
you can really feel those difference if you live in a country where it is quite hot
you can try it yourself
charge one day using wall charger and charge next day using computer usb you will feel the difference
owain94 said:
also if you charge the battery faster the battery life will be worse then if you charge it slow
so fast and a bit worse battery life
or fast it slow and a bit better life
you can really feel those difference if you live in a country where it is quite hot
you can try it yourself
charge one day using wall charger and charge next day using computer usb you will feel the difference
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Click to collapse
Jep Owain is right... I remember old times at my work 6 years ago Nokia 8800 (RM-13), it had a tiny battery and it was the time when chargers changed from impulse type from transformer core types... so with the older slow charger the battery held for 15-30% more. (I suppose the battery is hot, and then the voltage is also artificially higher and in reality it isn't charged to its maximum).
But as I said, don't overdose with it especially with car chargers and motherboards. The phone will be fine. Battery should be changed after a year anyway... it costs for me $10 anyway...
Ferrum Master said:
But as I said, don't overdose with it especially with car chargers and motherboards. The phone will be fine. Battery should be changed after a year anyway... it costs for me $10 anyway...
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Lucky guy. The O2X battery costs roughly US$ 30 here.
So you guys are saying you get an SoD if you charge overnight on AC, but not on USB?
Reading through the battery driver it looks to me that if the battery gets too hot, it swiches to USB charge current, if it continues to be too hot, the charger turns off so I wonder if your issue is somewhere else. Anyone try to record a log (cat /proc/kmsg > /sdcard/kmsg) overnight and see if you get any messages along the lines of:
[OVERHEAT]: Change Charger setting to USB mode
or
[OVERHEAT]: Deactive Charger
Hey all,
I've been experimenting with the rear 4-pin connector on the back of the droid 4 (pogo-pins for the inductive charging rear door)
Connected a current limited power supply to Gnd and Vin on the back of my Droid 4 (pin lower right = gnd, pin lower left = Vin) at 5.0V and I had charging occurring at a nice speedy rate. Screen showed charging, amperage was around 1500mA to start scaling down to 1300mA-1100mA as it reached full charge. It seems to pass through the Lithium Ion battery management circuity so appears to be a safe way to dump in lots of power. Obviously these pins are designed to pick up power from the rear inductive charging cover that Motorola produced, but I wanted to try just pure 5.0V power. It appears that it is not bypassing or defeating the battery temp/overcharging safety circuit but of course test at your own will in a safe environment. I personally noted that if the battery was 'warm' the charge rate was reduced to avoid overtemp. Also it would scale down as the on-screen-indicator showed it was reaching full charge.
I’m thinking of grabbing some extra rear covers and making up some drop-in charging stations or alternative inputs (like solar/etc.)
Nice to get away from having to charge on the USB Micro connector which appears to limit charging current and cause wear-and-tear.
This seems like a VERY good thing if someone was building an external battery pack that fit onto the phone (like the one for the iPhone)…you could power it on, charge via this connector, and shut it down whenever you liked. The power draw on the phone drops off massively once it is charged so if you started with a full charge, it could float the battery all the way to empty.
Time to experiment! My first build will likely be a drop-in docking station.
Again, for reference:
Bottom right (when viewing back, camera at the top):
Gnd is Lower Right – Nearest the microUSB connector
Vin is Lower Left – Opposite side from Gnd on the bottom row
Don’t hit it with too much voltage! I limited myself to about 4.8V and 1700mA max. I'd expect over-voltage on these pins could damage the battery management circuity and fry the phone. I was using a good regulated supply with meters.
Cheers,
This is awesome, thanks for this! Might have to play with a cover and done batteries at some point... Please let us all know how your experiments go!
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda app-developers app
I like the idea of an expanded battery very useful.
I have a small solar cell + battery to charge my phone by USB already.
That is bad ass. Post some pics of your first prototype
Sent from my DROID4 using xda premium
Great news, thanks for your time, man.
Just wondering but do you know what the other 2 pins are for?
I got one with a broken usb port for parts and am now wondering if I could use this to build a fix.
Most any (not all) Li-ion battery is rated for at least a 1C charge rate. So with a 1785 mAh Li-ion battery you should be able to safely charge at 1785 mA. The trade off is the faster you charge it the more you reduce overall battery life. For example (not real numbers) if the expected life of the battery is 500 charges (a charge is the amount of current to charge the battery from it's nominal voltage to fully charged and has no correlation to how many times you plug it into a charger) then charging it at 0.75C might increase it's life significantly to 750 to 1000 charges.
Note: the stock wall wart is speced at 850 mA at 5.1 V output (very odd that voltage...).
Brandon314159 said:
Nice to get away from having to charge on the USB Micro connector which appears to limit charging current and cause wear-and-tear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More likely it's the power supply. Most all PC usb ports put out 500 mA at 5.0 V. Most (USB) wall warts are rated at 1000 mA at 5.0 V.
What has me worried is that the phone appears to overcharge the battery to something like 4.317 V or even 4.351 V... I'm hoping this is just an error in the phone/app voltage reporting, but then again it could just be the way they get that 1785 mAh capacity from the battery. Overcharging the battery in this way could well be safe and would have the effect of increasing it's capacity, but it will significantly reduce it's life as well. You would not expect a Li-ion battery to be charged over 4.2 V and preferably something like 4.17 V
Can you use those pins to directly measure the battery voltage? I was going to measure mine directly to compare with Battery Monitor Widget reporting but decided I didn't want to remove the sticker from the back of the battery and I couldn't get a reading from the push pin contacts.
Quick7135 said:
What has me worried is that the phone appears to overcharge the battery to something like 4.317 V or even 4.351 V... I'm hoping this is just an error in the phone/app voltage reporting, but then again it could just be the way they get that 1785 mAh capacity from the battery. Overcharging the battery in this way could well be safe and would have the effect of increasing it's capacity, but it will significantly reduce it's life as well. You would not expect a Li-ion battery to be charged over 4.2 V and preferably something like 4.17 V
Can you use those pins to directly measure the battery voltage? I was going to measure mine directly to compare with Battery Monitor Widget reporting but decided I didn't want to remove the sticker from the back of the battery and I couldn't get a reading from the push pin contacts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- You cannot use those pins to measure battery voltage as they are an input to the charger... IE they do not tie directly to the battery. You would have to watch the battery voltage at the screws for the battery flex-cable mount.
- There are lots of notes about the battery voltage being 'high' by peoples viewpoints. If you search around, someone explains the difference in chemistry that the Droid 4 is using and that it does have a higher Vmax during bulk/absorption charge levels. I believe the summary was that it is a non-issue. They aren't trying to 'cheat' the battery into higher voltage for more cap...it's just simply how that chemistry wants to be charged. You'll have to google around to find it.
I am curious to see what sort of 'external' packs I can come up with and likely would limit my charging rate to 1200mA or so just to keep things 'happy'. I got slapped pretty hard over at droidforums by an admin and my post removed for this same info...glad to see the community here is more accepting of my discoveries. :cyclops:
-Also, the other two pins are data lines...not sure if In/out compatible but one is Batt Temp and the other is Communication (for determining battery type). The phone doesn't like having these pins futzed with (can cause reboots/lockups) so there is clearly something on the other end...but sounds like the protection is weak regarding input into the processor/etc.
Once I have my phone near a camera, I will photo my connection method/mods (no direct soldering in-case I have to warranty the phone for other issues). That gave me 6" pigtails of wire that I have hiding behind my cheap-o case right now waiting for proper connections (I exited through the speaker hole on the stock back cover).
Brandon314159 said:
I am curious to see what sort of 'external' packs I can come up with and likely would limit my charging rate to 1200mA or so just to keep things 'happy'. I got slapped pretty hard over at droidforums by an admin and my post removed for this same info...glad to see the community here is more accepting of my discoveries. :cyclops:
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Click to collapse
which mod did this to u? what reason did he give to do that to u? just want to know... cuz that sounds really uncool
myfishbear said:
which mod did this to u? what reason did he give to do that to u? just want to know... cuz that sounds really uncool
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Click to collapse
I don't wanna get anyone in trouble or piss peeps off. PM me if ya want more details.
It was pretty uncool, all things considered.
Oh well, happier here already!
you know what u should add is a resistor and a on/off toggle for safety
Brandon314159 said:
- You cannot use those pins to measure battery voltage as they are an input to the charger... IE they do not tie directly to the battery. You would have to watch the battery voltage at the screws for the battery flex-cable mount.
- There are lots of notes about the battery voltage being 'high' by peoples viewpoints. If you search around, someone explains the difference in chemistry that the Droid 4 is using and that it does have a higher Vmax during bulk/absorption charge levels. I believe the summary was that it is a non-issue. They aren't trying to 'cheat' the battery into higher voltage for more cap...it's just simply how that chemistry wants to be charged. You'll have to google around to find it.
I am curious to see what sort of 'external' packs I can come up with and likely would limit my charging rate to 1200mA or so just to keep things 'happy'. I got slapped pretty hard over at droidforums by an admin and my post removed for this same info...glad to see the community here is more accepting of my discoveries. :cyclops:
-Also, the other two pins are data lines...not sure if In/out compatible but one is Batt Temp and the other is Communication (for determining battery type). The phone doesn't like having these pins futzed with (can cause reboots/lockups) so there is clearly something on the other end...but sounds like the protection is weak regarding input into the processor/etc.
Once I have my phone near a camera, I will photo my connection method/mods (no direct soldering in-case I have to warranty the phone for other issues). That gave me 6" pigtails of wire that I have hiding behind my cheap-o case right now waiting for proper connections (I exited through the speaker hole on the stock back cover).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very excited to see those photos. I can't imagine your post getting removed for that sort of information, that is a shame... Hardware mods are just as much fun as software mods, imho! Plus, they have the added bonus that there is a slight risk of explosion, something I err, enjoy
Brandon314159 said:
- You would have to watch the battery voltage at the screws for the battery flex-cable mount.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Drat. I really didn't want to peal off the sticker... heh, maybe I could just punch through it with the needle probes and only leave 2 tiny holes .
There are lots of notes about the battery voltage being 'high' by peoples viewpoints. If you search around, someone explains the difference in chemistry that the Droid 4 is using and that it does have a higher Vmax during bulk/absorption charge levels. I believe the summary was that it is a non-issue. They aren't trying to 'cheat' the battery into higher voltage for more cap...it's just simply how that chemistry wants to be charged. You'll have to google around to find it.
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Click to collapse
I have done a lot of googling and failed. I'm skeptical that I can't find any "new Li-ion chemistry". The only thing I did find was a pointer to an Anandtech article where the writer said he "heard" they were using a "new Li-ion chemistry" ... with no references or cites. In any event I agree it is mostly a non-issue for most everyone else. I figure they have it all designed for some target duty cycle -- probably about 1 year? maybe 2? Thing is, I plan to keep my phone for 4 or more years like all my past smart phones. The difference this time is that the battery is non-removeable (yes, I know it can be done with tools and some risk). I was hoping to find an app that would interface with the battery management and allow a configurable threshold for the "fully charged" cutoff. With a charging cutoff at about 90% I should be able to triple the life of my battery.
sigh... sorry for the hijack (but there isn't much on the actually battery operation, even around here).
Quick7135 said:
I was hoping to find an app that would interface with the battery management and allow a configurable threshold for the "fully charged" cutoff. With a charging cutoff at about 90% I should be able to triple the life of my battery.
sigh... sorry for the hijack (but there isn't much on the actually battery operation, even around here).
Click to expand...
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drain the phone and charge it up in charging mode with the stock charger. this will calibrate your battery so it will charge to 100%
myfishbear said:
drain the phone and charge it up in charging mode with the stock charger. this will calibrate your battery so it will charge to 100%
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Click to collapse
He wants to make it so it ONLY takes charges to 90%, to extend the duty cycle of the battery. Honestly, I would just not worry about it, and replace the battery as necessary.
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire using xda app-developers app
I put my reply over on this thread that you created, which seems to be more on-topic:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1856514
Cheers!
podspi said:
He wants to make it so it ONLY takes charges to 90%, to extend the duty cycle of the battery. Honestly, I would just not worry about it, and replace the battery as necessary.
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You're probably right but I'm not clear on the risks of damage to the hardware when prying out the non-replaceable battery.
Brandon314159 said:
I put my reply over on this thread that you created, which seems to be more on-topic:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1856514
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Thanks. and I do apologize (again) for the interruption here. It won't happen again.
Quick7135 said:
You're probably right but I'm not clear on the risks of damage to the hardware when prying out the non-replaceable battery.
Thanks. and I do apologize (again) for the interruption here. It won't happen again.
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I'd think you'd be at higher risk of damage playing with the software/firmware interface that controls battery charging than doing an actual battery swap.
It appears to be pretty easy: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Motorola-Droid-4-Teardown/7759/1
No worries on cross posting...just figured better to keep it all over there where there is already a few replies on-topic.
Cheers,
BTW noticed today that the phone says "Charging - Connected to an inductive charging mat" when you connect up power to the back.
I will try to get a shot of the connection when I get home.
My USB port broke... would you think this would charge a completely dead battery.. thank you kindly for your time...
update this will charge a completely dead battery... took an OEM charger cut it open used the red and black... worked perfectly...
why do they call it common sense when only a few people have it...
Hi Guys,
Anyone tried Solar Powered Battery Chargers?
Looking at this one here :
source : 6000 mAh Solar Powered Mobile Power Extended Emergency Battery - Obostore
I'm looking fior the same. I bought recantly GOAL ZERO Nomad -7. Instead of charging it drains the power of my Note-2. I guess it is because of the non-standard pin-out (11 pins), so this is the one I would definitely not recommend.
Arthur
SINGAPOREAN said:
Hi Guys,
Anyone tried Solar Powered Battery Chargers?
Looking at this one here :
source : 6000 mAh Solar Powered Mobile Power Extended Emergency Battery - Obostore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't seen any positive reviews about any solar powered chargers. The problem is that you need to apply voltage (bias it) in order for it to work. Like those solar power panels on the roof of people - if you loose a power to the house, they will not work So they might be draining instead of charging lol!!!
Don't know for sure how it works and if it works and how efficiently. So if anybody has any real life experience, please chime in. Most of the big name external battery vendors don't want to carry this product. I only seen it on ebay and Aliexpress.
I personally haven't tried one. From what I've seen about them, they're very fast, and can be nick-picky about the angle to the sun. On top of it, you'll probably need to check what's the output versus what the phone needs to change.
I think you're probably better off finding some kind of crank mechanism and use that to change the phone. Plus, you'll get a little work out too; you'll live longer to enjoy your phone, 8)
I have a voltaic that I use when camping or on extended hikes. It comes with a 3000mah battery. I haven't used it on the Note2 yet, but used it a lot with my Fascinate. The battery works fine as backup power, though it charges slowly and the phone pretty much has to be off for it to be effective. It takes most of a day of full sun to recharge the contained battery. It's ok if you're going to be away from power for a week, but for less than that I think just an extra battery or two fully charged would work better.
I think we just need to find or build one that supports 2.1 amps (ideally) but anything over 1amp should do something.
willfck4beer said:
I think we just need to find or build one that supports 2.1 amps (ideally) but anything over 1amp should do something.
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Click to collapse
I have one I found at Best Buy a couple years ago. It's a single amp box, so charges my Note II very slowly. I've used it on my bike when I'm out on rides. I have a mount for it and my phone. While riding, I use bluetooth headphones. It does work, but like someone else said, there needs to be one with 2.1 amps.
I as well have a Nomad 7, but mine charges my note without issue, although I will admit, it is impractically slow.
I bought this couple of months ago, charging the phone is a wii bit slow but it works like a champ!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Opteka-4000...iPad-iPod-Android-Phone-Charger-/370665663271
I wouldn't mind if the solar power was a "backup" to a regular external battery, but if all it did was solar I wouldn't be interested.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
WICKED... just stumbled across this on ebay. If you are a roll your own DIY type and want to charge a rapid charge device like Note2 or a tablet or something, this might be a great thing to look at.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-DC-5V-36...018?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c700c47c2
I, personally, don't like the mini-usb connector... seems kind of goofy. I'd prefer just two wire terminals to connect solar panels to.
But yeah, if you've got high voltage solar setup... e.g. anything between 5V and 36V and want to have a clean, regulated 5V usb compliant output, this would likely be your guy. I'd also want to make sure it really does work with note2 - in terms of negotiation of currents higher than 100ma. YMMV FWIW
AND if you don't need note2/tablet 2A...
this guy seems like about the right fit.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-DC-12V-2...965?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d0c738c65
Got it from eBay.
Charges faster in phone...while using!
If battery is around 40% it being be charged overnight.
Anyone else experience this?
could be the amp? maybe below 1 amp? Samsung charger has 2amps om it. check your charger and look for the amp. btw. the lower the amp the better for your battery..
Buy an OEM charger. The Samsung one is $50 from Samsung website but you can get the Asus charger from Google play store for $25. Both are two ampbi believe. Or you can get the 1a for $25 from samsung. Getting OEM directly from an OEM or authorized reseller or a storefront lime Google is key. Getting cheap chargers is gonna bite you in the ass one day or think about it like this. Why keep wasting time buying cheap chargers again and again when you can put up proper money and get quality in one go and have peace of mind for a few years. I even stopped buying chargers from amazon because they're just cheap knockoffs too. Phi hong makes good chargers and power supplies but they are harder to source. Phi hong came with my nexus one andy galaxy nexus OEM Home dock.
Anyways, aside from that part of the reason for slow charging is you probably have an unsafe charger that is not rated what it really is and is made of poor materials. Getting a quality 1a or higher, preferably 2a in this case and your gnote2 should charge @ 1.8a. In other words, you can charge from zero to full in ~2-2.5 hours. Or from partially full to 100% in less than 2 easily.
Sent from my GT-N7100
Unless I am mistaken, OP is referring to battery chargers, not usb chargers. That's how I charge mine, too. I have spare batteries, and they all get charged directly. When my battery is low, I just swap. I hate having my phone attached to a cord, even at night.
Yes, all the battery chargers I've had for every device (including this one) have been lower amp than the usb chargers supplied with the phone. It is especially slow for this huge battery for the Note 2. While it bothers me in concept, it's never actually been an issue for me, so I haven't done anything about it. I don't know if higher amp battery chargers are available, but I don't feel like spending extra money on one.
As far as battery health goes, charging at a lower amperage certainly isn't hurting the battery. If anything, it's actually better for it.
Yes...charging just the battery with wall charger.
@ 40% it will not be charged at 6am when I wake!!!
Are there better wall chargers?
Why do you hate having your phone attached to a Cord overnight. I heard that's fine and do it every night.!
dan_tm said:
Unless I am mistaken, OP is referring to battery chargers, not usb chargers. That's how I charge mine, too. I have spare batteries, and they all get charged directly. When my battery is low, I just swap. I hate having my phone attached to a cord, even at night.
Yes, all the battery chargers I've had for every device (including this one) have been lower amp than the usb chargers supplied with the phone. It is especially slow for this huge battery for the Note 2. While it bothers me in concept, it's never actually been an issue for me, so I haven't done anything about it. I don't know if higher amp battery chargers are available, but I don't feel like spending extra money on one.
As far as battery health goes, charging at a lower amperage certainly isn't hurting the battery. If anything, it's actually better for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rockky said:
Why do you hate having your phone attached to a Cord overnight. I heard that's fine and do it every night.!
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Click to collapse
Not for the phone, for me. It just bothers me having a wireless device locked to a wall. There's no reason for it. And I frequently get up in the night for various reasons (kids, work, insomnia, etc), and it bugs me unplugging in the middle of a charge cycle.
Incidentally, a non-removable battery was a deal breaker, and one of the reasons I didn't get a Nexus 4. I got used to never plugging in my last phone, and I don't want to go back. It was torture the first week or two with the N2 before my spare batteries arrived.
The charger should have its output printed on it, I've had a look at the pics on ebay and the first two I found that I could read were 500mA and 350mA, the original charger is 2A or 2000mA. Samsung make there own battery charger http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/...es/EB-H1J9VNEGSTD?subsubtype=other-multimedia the output is 1.7A so much closer to the original usb charger.
I'd be worried about my back cover getting loose doing what you do. I had three batteries for my old phone, but I did not swap them on a daily basis, just when travelling or away from power for an extended time. I've ordered some wireless chargers so I can have one by my bed and another downstairs. I know they only output 500mA too, but for an overnight charge thats fine for me. I dont think there is any issue with interrupting the charge cycle, the two main enemies of lithium batteries are heat and being totally/almost discharged on a regular basis. Its best to keep them topped up.
scote said:
The charger should have its output printed on it, I've had a look at the pics on ebay and the first two I found that I could read were 500mA and 350mA, the original charger is 2A or 2000mA. Samsung make there own battery charger http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/...es/EB-H1J9VNEGSTD?subsubtype=other-multimedia the output is 1.7A so much closer to the original usb charger.
I'd be worried about my back cover getting loose doing what you do. I had three batteries for my old phone, but I did not swap them on a daily basis, just when travelling or away from power for an extended time. I've ordered some wireless chargers so I can have one by my bed and another downstairs. I know they only output 500mA too, but for an overnight charge thats fine for me. I dont think there is any issue with interrupting the charge cycle, the two main enemies of lithium batteries are heat and being totally/almost discharged on a regular basis. Its best to keep them topped up.
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Click to collapse
It looks like the OEM battery charger is available on ebay for around $15. That's good to know in case mine ever crap out on me. These cheapies that I get tend to.
As far as the back cover getting loose, after 3 months, it is a little bit looser than when it was new. 1.5 years with my G2x didn't loosen it at all, but the build quality on that thing was fantastic. I keep this in a case anyway, so it being a little looser goes unnoticed. If it gets bad, back cover replacements are cheap.
If one of the devs can make the kernel capable of fastcharge, it would not take but half the time to charge. Yank who is working with Faux on his kernel, helped make the kernel fast charge capable.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
UnixSlayer said:
If one of the devs can make the kernel capable of fastcharge, it would not take but half the time to charge. Yank who is working with Faux on his kernel, helped make the kernel fast charge capable.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But what is the point of having it charge fast, when all it is is going to drain faster?
I charge mine overnight with a charger rated at 750mah I believe and it last me a whole day. As oppose to using a 2.1 am charger I have, where the battery percentage would start dropping by the first hour.
Correct me if I am wrong here, but this is what I've notice with my last few phones.
The Perseus kernel with stweaks has the ability to change the charging parameters.
With it overclocked/undervolted I am getting better life than I did on stock.
Not for sure what you mean as it depleting the charge faster on a higher amperage charger. Kind of sounds like you may have had failing batteries, etc.
There seem to be a few misunderstandings here regarding batteries and chargers.
1) The charge rate, when the battery is in the phone, is controlled BY the phone. The charger itself just supplies regulated power to the phone. How much current is put into the battery at any given time is up to the phone, which is why kernels can do things like fast charge, it's controlled by the kernel. Now, the reason the battery charges faster when using the stock charger vs. something lower current or a computer is simple. The phone can detect what it's connected to within some limitations. It sounds like our phone can also sense the incoming voltage levels and back off if the supply becomes unstable.
2) Using the stock 2A charger is "harder" on the battery than a lower current charger. Not true, at least not within any margin of error you will be able to detect without specialized equipment. Lipo batteries are generally built to charge/discharge at 1C. C in this case stands for capacity. So our 3100mah batteries can charge at 3.1Amp and be within safety margin. So the 2Amp charger the phone comes with is perfectly fine for the battery. Without seeing a datasheet for the battery from Samsung, that's a good guess. And again, the phone controls the charge current based on a number of parameters. You could connect the phone to a 5V supply capable of 100Amp and it will still only use what it needs.
3) The percentage readout on the phone screen is a GUESS. Don't pay it too much attention. For this same reason, evaluating 3rd party batteries based on phone runtime etc is not useful. To validate the battery capacity with any accuracy requires a test setup discharging the battery through a known load and measuring how long it takes to get to a cutoff voltage. I've done some of these tests myself on stock and 3rd party batteries. In general, the OEM batteries are always at or above spec, the 3rd party battery manufacturers lie. Often by upward of 20%. Even the high $ batteries. Keep that in mind when shopping if you want extras or extended batteries.
4) Interrupting the charge cycle is bad. Nope. It's fine. On this same line of thought, full cycles ARE bad. Don't do it. Don't think too much about it either though. Just plug it in when convenient. Or set it on the wireless charger if you've installed one. Generally speaking, they actually don't like to be charged to 100% either. Keeping it at 20%-80% is actually best for the longevity of the battery cell itself. In practice, you will probably have a new phone before any of this is actually noticeable.
The OP sounds like they are talking about a stand-alone charger, where the battery is not in the phone. Those will vary wildly in quality and capability, particularly from ebay. They are probably cheap POS devices. Not that that's really a bad thing, just know about it. It's probably a very low charge rate device, perhaps even down to 100ma or so. That would take forever to charge our larger batteries. As for if there is a better one, probably. If Samsung makes one, it will probably charge faster than the phone with the provided charger plug as there would be no load from the phone using power. Of course, it will cost a lot more as well. Look for devices that at least claim they will charge at 2Amp or so. In practice, they will probably be a lot lower, but your chances are improved. Not many people will break out an ammeter and check, after all.
UnixSlayer said:
If one of the devs can make the kernel capable of fastcharge, it would not take but half the time to charge. Yank who is working with Faux on his kernel, helped make the kernel fast charge capable.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
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Perseus kernal has fast charging settings.
What ttabbal wrote is mostly correct. But the problem lies within some input voltage protection logic tied to the charger chip of the phone which is extremely (and too much so) sensitive.
rsalan said:
Perseus kernal has fast charging settings.
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Can people stop calling it fast-charge, it's an idiotic term which technically means nothing. While most kernels have some sort of charging speed configuration options, they're all useless in regard to this problem as the current in the end is decided by a different logic. You'll have to disable unstable power detection and that's the only way to make it work and fix the problem, unless you go hunting down high quality cables and chargers.
Personally I also encountered the problem as my stock S3 charger, as many others here have reported, has deteriorated and it would only charge at an effective 300mA. I disabled unstable power detection and now it charges at the full given current limits, without any issues.
rockky said:
Got it from eBay.
Charges faster in phone...while using!
If battery is around 40% it being be charged overnight.
Anyone else experience this?
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You have to make sure it's "2a" charger capacity. It happened to me once. Go to monoprice.com and search for a universal 2a charger... pretty cheap