In light of the EOL status of the Bionic, this method may no longer be the most cost effective, as the HD dock is now $24 on Amazon, before shipping. Still, this is a cheap way to use usb devices away from a tv or monitor. Please keep all of this in mind before considering this option.
Many Bionic users have wondered if they could somehow use USB host without having to buy an expensive dock. Well, I have just finished testing a method that works. Now please note it's not the sleekest or most portable of methods. Still, it works.
Test Build - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0056.jpg
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. In my testing, I have come to the conclusion that Motorola intentionally crippled the phone's OTG functions. It appears that the host mode only works when TWO priorities are met. First, the phone MUST be receiving power. Second, a hub MUST be used. If either of these is not met, the OTG mode stays offline.
Because this method requires extra power, you have to have a powered USB port nearby. Some USB power packs may put out enough power, but it's still uncertain. However, since my Scosche solar battery pack worked both for the Bionic alone and for this build, it could be possible that anything that works for the Bionic will work for the build as well. Also, I have no way of testing this in a car at the moment.
Action Shot - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0052-1.jpg
In the action shot, I am testing a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer. I did run other tests and usb keyboards and mice will work. I used a wireless Targus mouse, as well as a wireless HP mouse and keyboard. They all worked. Sadly, that is the extent of my current HID tech at the moment.
One thing I have observed in my tests is that you should have all of your rig connected before hooking it up to your phone. That includes external power. Not doing so could cause your hub to be recognized much more slowly, or not at all.
I would also like to note that although many hubs allow for AC/DC power adapters to be used, most hubs won't send power through the host port. That is why the Y cable is necessary. But don't worry! I believe that if you attach the power connector of the Y cable to one of the ports of your powered hub, this should give you all the power you need for the phone to charge and activate the OTG mode.
Here's what you need.
USB hub with mini USB port for connecting to host device($5-$20)
Y USB cable($4)
USB Type A Female-USB Micro Male adapter($1-2)
Build subtotal-$10-$26, before tax or shipping. Depending on what you already own, this could still be cheaper than an HD Dock.
All hubs with a mini usb host port should work for this build. But if there are any that don't, please give me the make and model info so I can add them to the list below.
Hubs Confirmed Unusable
None so far
Thank you for looking this through. I hope it helps.
Update 11/7/12- Still works on the 246 OTA.
silversonic1 said:
Many Bionic users have wondered if they could somehow use USB host without having to buy an expensive dock. Well, I have just finished testing a method that works.
Now please note it's not the sleakest or most portable of methods. At this writing, I am still waiting on USB OTG connectors that are known to work for other devices. However, I didn't want to hold back a successful result while waiting on an unknown.
Test Build - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0056.jpg
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. Put simply, it gives the power needed to charge the phone and to power the hub. EXTERNAL POWER IS NECESSARY. Because this method requires extra power, you have to have a powered USB port nearby. Some USB power packs may put out enough power, but it's still uncertain. However, since my Scosche solar battery pack worked both for the Bionic alone and for this build, it could be possible that other packs that work for the Bionic will work as well.
Action Shot - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0052-1.jpg
In the action shot, I am testing a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer. I did run other tests and usb keyboards and mice will work. I used a wireless Targus mouse, as well as a wireless HP mouse and keyboard. They all worked. Sadly, that is the extent of my current HID tech at the moment.
One thing I have observed in my tests is that you should have all of your rig connected before hooking up your phone. That includes external power. Not doing so could cause your hub to be recognized much more slowly, or not at all.
Here's a list of the parts used. (Will update specifics if requested.)
USB hub with USB-mini interface for host device($5-$20)
Y USB cable($4)
USB Type A Female-USB Micro Male adapter($1-2)
Build subtotal-$10-$26, before tax or shipping. That's a lot cheaper than $55-$100 on an HD dock.
Thank you for looking this through. I hope it helps.
(Also, if this thread is in the wrong place, I'm sorry. I didn't think this was necessarily an accessory thing, but rather a way to utilize a built-in feature.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats freaking awesome dude
iNsAnEmOd said:
thats freaking awesome dude
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad you see it that way. It's my hope that this works for any Motorola device that is built with a lapdock mode.
I'm hoping someone makes an app that allows me to use my tablet for a keyboard and mousepad for the webtop. I'm not a fan of hanging out within 6 feet of my tv when using the webtop.
Sent from the Evil Empire
smokedkill said:
I'm hoping someone makes an app that allows me to use my tablet for a keyboard and mousepad for the webtop. I'm not a fan of hanging out within 6 feet of my tv when using the webtop.
Sent from the Evil Empire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this rig works with wireless keyboards and mice. True, not the same as a tablet, but it'll get you further from the tv.
As for what you are suggesting, I thought I had heard some people were working on something similar. I'll PM you if I find it.
xda premium is insane! ... In a good way.
What Components
What is the amperage output of the power source your using? Also what is the model number of the usb hub your using? i tried a usb hub i had but it didnt work. Also did you have to bridge the pin 4 to ground on the micro plug in essence creating a otg cable?
codenamefly21 said:
What is the amperage output of the power source your using? Also what is the model number of the usb hub your using? i tried a usb hub i had but it didnt work. Also did you have to bridge the pin 4 to ground on the micro plug in essence creating a otg cable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. One thing a a time.
Power.
In the action shot, I used my laptop. However, the charger that comes with the phone works as well. That's 5.1volts, 850mA
Model of hub.
I have tested 2 different hubs at this point. At the moment, the one from the photos is unavailable, so I can't get the model info from it now. However, the other I tested is a Manhattan 4-port USB hub, model 160612.
Connector.
I made no modifications to the connectors that I have used. They were, however, already being marketed as OTG adapters. I ordered the one from the pictures on dealextreme. I recently bought newer ones from ebay that are angled up the side of the phone. The new ones work as well.
I suggest that you make sure all of your connectors are secure. A proper connection will have the phone charging while the hub receives power. If it fails to connect to a device after 1 minute when you make your first connection, disconnect the phone and than reconnect.
If you still have trouble after, please post what you're using along with a pic of your setup. With any luck, we'll get it all sorted out.
Working portable prototype
I have a working portable prototype using a 9v battery as the power source. I think the problem with the initial test is that i wasnt waiting long enough for the phone to detect the usb hub and the memory card. Now i have it working fully. I have tried 2 different usb hubs and both worked. 1 was the micro innovations usb204n it worked but was a bit bulky. The second was one i bought from a store local to my home called biglots its an E Source brand 4port usb 2.0 $7. Its nice and slim with an extra ac port on the side. The setup ill be creating is i will wire a 9v battery to a 7805 voltage regulator (with an inline power switch of course) soldered directly to the pins of the ac port. Then i will desolder the usb plug and solder in my homemade otg cable. So all you will have to do is plug it directly to the phone plug in the usb drive and then flip the power switch. i dont wanna post pictures of the ugly prototype so ill have pictures of the final product this weekend. I will say that i found out a usb hub is not needed to use a mouse but the otg cable is. Thank you silversonic for your help
codenamefly21 said:
I have a working portable prototype using a 9v battery as the power source. I think the problem with the initial test is that i wasnt waiting long enough for the phone to detect the usb hub and the memory card. Now i have it working fully. I have tried 2 different usb hubs and both worked. 1 was the micro innovations usb204n it worked but was a bit bulky. The second was one i bought from a store local to my home called biglots its an E Source brand 4port usb 2.0 $7. Its nice and slim with an extra ac port on the side. The setup ill be creating is i will wire a 9v battery to a 7805 voltage regulator (with an inline power switch of course) soldered directly to the pins of the ac port. Then i will desolder the usb plug and solder in my homemade otg cable. So all you will have to do is plug it directly to the phone plug in the usb drive and then flip the power switch. i dont wanna post pictures of the ugly prototype so ill have pictures of the final product this weekend. I will say that i found out a usb hub is not needed to use a mouse but the otg cable is. Thank you silversonic for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am certainly looking forward to seeing what all you have come up with. Just take your time. After all, I'm sure there are those who are willing to build a more stylish solution than I have up top.
Battery powered usb hub
Ok so i finished the battery powered usb hub that connects to any micro usb phone but it was to bulky using the 9v battery. So i came up with another design using an old cell phone battery. So it is rechargeable as soon as i add the on off switch it will be finished.
---------- Post added at 09:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 PM ----------
The usb hub was just too bulky using the 9v battery
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Rechargeable battery powered usb hub with otg cable
Here is the finished hardware. I took pictures before i seal it all up so yall could see what all i did. The usb hub has a otg cable that plugs into your phone. It has a 950mah cell phone battery and the circuitry from an emergency charger that converts 2 aa batteries (3v) to 5v. Also on the circuitry was an led flashlight so i decided to keep it in there just in case . The only problem was that the off switch that was on the circuit wouldn't shut off the power to the hub for some reason so i put a secondary switch on the power wire to the hub. I had a problem with the charger charging the battery because it charges the battery based on voltage and the capacitors were screwing that up so i put a diode on the power going into the up-scaling circuit board but not as to break the connection with the charger to battery wires.
That is certainly the most mobile solution to USB host so far. Kudos!
problem
I was having a problem soon after I put everything together. Anytime I plugged the phone in the circuit would shut down because to much amperage was being pulled from the battery and as a safety thing lithium batteries will shut down so they wont over heat I finally realized all I had to do was put an 8ohm resistor on the power wire going from the usb hub to the phone. 8ohm only because that was what I had. I tried a 1/2ohm resistor and it worked but the less amperage being pulled from the battery the longer it lasts and the circuit doesn't get as hot.
hey man, thanks a lot for your research! i hopped on this thread and about 30 seconds later i had my wireless (unifying usb receiver) logitech keyboard and mouse working
had a male->male usb cable, usb hub, and micro usb male -> full female lying around. plugged everything in and presto!
the touchscreen monitor doesn't work though for webtop
More than likely because touch screen drivers aren't as generic as mice or keyboards. But it was a good thing to try out. Mind sharing the make and model info? It will be helpful to others to know what to expect.
Mine works, cheapo Micro Center hub
I actually spoke with the OP this weekend, and before I read his reply, I was up and running. Sadly, I bought a Manhattan hub based on his findings, which was a bit pricey given the current price of normal USB hubs. I paid $15 on ebay for one, and when I got it, it didn't work. I then bought a usb Y cable from ebay as well, and that was the culprit, that cable was necessary for any hub, regardless if it uses an AC power adapter or not.
On a good note, that means that there's a good chance cheaper (and easier to find) USB hubs may work. The one I'm currently using is Gear Head brand, was $9 at Micro Center. That hub without using the included power cable, and just using the Y usb cable bought separately and the OTG adapter on ebay got me up and running.
Hmmm...now that I look, it seems the hub I got for $9 went up to $15 anyway, but here's what I used incase you have a MC closeby and don't feel like waiting for shipping. Search for SKU 280750 on Microcenter's site. I'm new here so it won't let me post URL's.
Bad news is you'll be paying a total of around $20 for this project, the good news is that may be the maximum you'd be paying, and that's if you buy a $15 usb hub. Honestly, I'd say just look around local stores for one cheaper that has a mini USB port to connect it to the phone + external power usb port (i.e. a laptop next to the phone), and if it doesn't work, return it as long as you can box it up without it looking demolished. Best of luck to everyone, but I hope my verification shows there may be more hope since the Manhattan model is fairly hard to find at a cheap price.
silversonic1 said:
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. In my testing, I have come to the conclusion that Motorola intentionally crippled the phone's OTG functions. It appears that the host mode only works when TWO priorities are met. First, the phone MUST be receiving power. Second, a hub MUST be used. If either of these is not met, the OTG mode stays offline.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd imagine they didn't want both the phone and Lapdock trying to send power over USB simultaneously.
Thanks for the guide, it was useful
mossadacity said:
I'd imagine they didn't want both the phone and Lapdock trying to send power over USB simultaneously.
Thanks for the guide, it was useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. I have updated to the ICS leak, so I will have to test again, just to be sure that nothing has changed.
3d printed docking station
silversonic1 said:
More than likely because touch screen drivers aren't as generic as mice or keyboards. But it was a good thing to try out. Mind sharing the make and model info? It will be helpful to others to know what to expect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delayed reply.
I buy generic cables from meritline.com, so there is no brand on them :good:
I think I'm the first person on Thingiverse to create an accessory for the droid bionic, what do you guys think of it:
That was iteration #1, to get the dimensions correct. From here, I can go anywhere. Do folks have any dock dreams they'd like to see come to fruition?
For a while now I've wanted to be able to use my waterproof camera to take pictures, and use my phone to upload them to the web without needing to fire up a computer to do a transfer from the SD card to the phone. This thread inspired me to finally take the leap to work up an OTG adapter. I went on Amazon to buy the Y-cable and the little adapters, but found something better.
This (board won't let me post a link because I'm new) is a USB hub that connects a phone to one of the four downstream ports with a built-in micro USB connector cable. I ordered one up, suspecting that I could mod it to be an OTG adapter. I was right.
To do the mod, the first step is to pry the endcap off the micro USB connector and slide the cover back. This exposes the soldered wire connections. One side of the connector has three wires.
The other side has one wire and an empty solder pad.
Solder a jumper wire from the empty pad to the black wire on the other side.
Then slide the connector cover back over the connector, and press the endcap back into place. If necessary, you can secure the end cap with a drop of super glue.
Next, open the case of the hub. Mine pulled right open with only finger pressure. Use a small screwdriver to remove the circuit board. It is not held by anything other than a light press fit.
This is the back side of the circuit board.
This is the chip that runs the USB hub.
I googled the chip number and downloaded the data sheet, just to be sure there were no gotchas. There weren't any. The only modification is swapping the regular and the micro USB cables. It goes without saying that this requires a very fine soldering iron and a steady hand. Desolder both cables and reattach the micro USB cable on the Host end of the circuit board.
This lets your phone control the hub. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, the Droid Bionic won't power the hub, so you need to hook up the other USB cable to the device side of the circuit board to provide power. Only hook up the power wires. Just cut the data wires short.
Then reinstall the circuit board into the case.
And press the cover back on.
It would be easy to wire a battery to the hub either by connecting to the USB port cable, through the 5VDC power input jack, or by removing the jack and hard wiring directly to the circuit board.
To use the adapter, I plug my SD card reader into the hub, plug the power USB connector into my wall adapter (or car adapter), and plug the micro USB cable into the phone (in that order). The phone immediately loads the card as an attached storage device.
Enjoy,
Todd F.
i recently bought a cheap USB On-The-Go cable for the Razr hoping to be able to use my droid 4 with the DSLR controller app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.dslrcontroller&hl=en but i am having no luck. i'm on stock w/ root, recently did the 219 update with no change. problem is i have no solid means of troubleshooting. i have a touchpad with cm9, droid 1, droid 2, and my droid 4, but i cannot get the cable to work with any of them even for mounting a usb drive. but i'm also having trouble finding solid info on if it should work with any of them.
has anyone had any luck using usb otg with the D4?
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA
I've gotten it working with a cheap Staples USB hub, a USB Y cable (2 male USB one end, 1 male microUSB on the other end for the hub), and a USB charging brick, the USB OTG cable itself. From what I've put together, it's sensitive to where it gets power from. That's why I had trouble with it at first.
Long story short, USB OTG does work on the D4 stock rom, updated and bone stock
bohhad said:
I've gotten it working with a cheap Staples USB hub, a USB Y cable (2 male USB one end, 1 male microUSB on the other end for the hub), and a USB charging brick, the USB OTG cable itself. From what I've put together, it's sensitive to where it gets power from. That's why I had trouble with it at first.
Long story short, USB OTG does work on the D4 stock rom, updated and bone stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. i actually was fooling around with my touchpad last night and found out it needs external power as well. so with a y-cable from a seagate portable harddrive, i was able to test that the OTG cable i have is indeed working. however, i could not get my D4 to work using extra power from my PC, but I picked up a kodak power brick today and its charging, so here's hoping that works.
actually nevermind, after playing around with a hub and a usb stick, it decided to work with my PC supplying extra power. after that, DSLR controller worked as long as there was extra power supplied. i imagine the battery pack i picked up should work quite nicely. now to go take HDR photos of the entire world! bwhahaha
Glad you got it working. From my reading, the thing to do is get power on the +5v rail of the micro-usb 'input' port, that will allow power to flow from the USB hubs power brick, thru the hub, up to the phone. Can't help you with that however, it's a bit beyond me.
Okay, So I have a project that I have been working on, and it currently runs off of a laptop that I carry around with me because it needs a camera and a projector to run. I am wondering if I get (or make) a splitter for the micro-usb port, and use a full usb female to micro-usb male adapter, can i get the camera to input into the touchpad?
If the above answer is no, then that's not a big deal as the touchpad has a camera. however, Can the micro-usb port be used as an mhl port? or is there any other adapter that can be used to output the display.
Yes, you can use the USB port for OTG (hooking up external devices). You need a micro-to-female adapter, a USB-Y cable as well as a source of power for the device in question. There are a few posts in here and in the General talking about the various OTG capabilities, so you can do that.
Touchpad USB OTG Compatability List
HOW TO: $15 stand alone powered USB dongle for touchpad
There's two threads that should help you out.
I wouldn't suggest you try using the camera on CM9 or CM10 - it just doesn't work. WebOS does, but I have no idea how OTG works within it (if at all).
Thanks! I'll take a look a little later today.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2
FYI - The Y cable is just a 5V supply splice to the +5 and Ground lines of the USB port. If you don't want to wait on a Y-cable you can just cut a USB extension and splice a stable 5V power supply (or the power lines of another USB cord) and it will work great.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717
Hello,
I have a USB OTG cable and dell keyboard that I have tested and work in OTG mode on a Nexus 7, however i cannot get them to function with my HP Touchpad 32gb, running CM9 2.6.35, built on Sun Oct 28.
The device recognizes when I plug in anything via USB, but only as a generic Linux USB hub, and not as any particular device. Are there any steps to take to debug this? Has anyone had experience with this type of an issue?
Thanks for your help,
Cory
I don't know if this is the issue, but I know the touchpad doesn't support OTG like the the Nexus does. I think you need a Y-adapter + OTG to provide power since the micro usb port doesn't give any power to the device you connect. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though.
Apparently even a powered USB requires a powered Y cable to be properly recognized. I hacked together a quick Y cable manually, by splicing in another USB cable's power and ground (Red and black) to the respective locations on a female USB cable. Works as expected.
I am now communicating with an Arduino over Serial
Thanks!
Read this thread, should give you all the info you need:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1582771
Basically the Touchpad has OTG but it provides no power.
wcdolphin said:
Apparently even a powered USB requires a powered Y cable to be properly recognized. I hacked together a quick Y cable manually, by splicing in another USB cable's power and ground (Red and black) to the respective locations on a female USB cable. Works as expected.
I am now communicating with an Arduino over Serial
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm curious if you are able to charge with this cable hack while using usb devices?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
ZedZardoz said:
I'm curious if you are able to charge with this cable hack while using usb devices?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if so , he is the first of the many many many who has used this cable..HPTP just is not set up for charge + usb data at the same time
amkaos said:
if so , he is the first of the many many many who has used this cable..HPTP just is not set up for charge + usb data at the same time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I think people just are not stating reality regarding the ability to charge and use OTG Hosting to USB devices at the same time.
My goal here has been to attach a flash drive with video/audio media and play & charge on long flights. It looks like play, charge are mutually exclusive on my beloved TouchPad.
I've asked for the specific confirmation of this from this YouTube but have never had the poster reply:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p10LgZFIawo&feature=BFa&list=PLCED27D4A23068E04&index=7
There are devices out there that have very advanced micro USB device implementations. Sadly the HP is only superficially supportive.
I for one cannot wait to get my SGN2 smart dock which offers:
Charging
OTG (x3 USB)
Audio out
HML HDMI out
Docked Profile
Hi all,
I recently bought a female to female usb adapter hoping to use it along with the original charging/data cable to get USB host on my phone. It doesn't appear to be working. I have tried several peripherals (flash drive, keyboard etc.).
Is the data cable for the Atrix HD physically different from the OTG cable? I had heard that was the case for another device.
Edit: Sorry, I didn't mean to post this in general. Could a mod please move this to Q&A.
Please keep questions to the Q&A section
Sorry, I meant to post this in Q&A. Could a mod please move this. Thanks!
Micro USB plugs actually have 5 pins whereas the standard has 4. So pin 4 (called the ID pin) is left floating on your normal data cable. However, on an otg cable or adapter, pin 4 is shorted to pin 5 (ground) before everything goes to the rest of the cable. When the phone detects the short on the ID pin, it activates the host function.
You can find cheap adapters that short the pins for you or you can modify your own cable by hacking off the housing on the micro side and soldering a jumper between the pins. Also, for accessories to work, you'll likely need a powered USB hub since the phone won't supply the power for them (at least that's the way in my experience).
Hope this helps. Otherwise, let me know if you have more questions. If you google USB host or USB otg, you'll probably find some good stuff.
Sent from my MB865 using xda app-developers app
Thanks a lot! That totally answers my question. I'm just going to buy an OTG cable.