Database Develop

Charging Safety Issues

Is it safe to charge the Nook Color from a PC USB port? I tried using a iphone charger and I think it melted XD
So....I'd rather not melt my USB ports. :/ Or Blow up the nook!
Anyone have information for this?

I charged mine on an ungrounded extension card cinnected to a possibly unregulated outlet, and it broke the charger plug permanently. Burning smell and high heat and all that stuff.
Probably not my best idea. But I am not gonna say I think it happens to anything but the nook charger. That setup hasn't damaged anything else before or since.

Locklear308 said:
Is it safe to charge the Nook Color from a PC USB port? I tried using a iphone charger and I think it melted XD
So....I'd rather not melt my USB ports. :/ Or Blow up the nook!
Anyone have information for this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When connected to a PC USB port the Nook will only detect that it is data USB connection and not a pure charger and will only try to draw 500mA which is the standard USB current limit. Under these conditions the Nook will only charge very slowly particularly if it is active with the screen lit.
When connected to a real charger like the Nook charger that has the data lines shorted to indicate it is a pure high power charger then the Nook will attempt to draw up to 2000mA. Any charger worth its salt will supply whatever it can and protect itself against overheating. Cheap and nasty chargers could potentially have overheating problems.
I have successfully used other chargers in place of the standard one. E.g a HP Touchpad charger and a car 2A USB charger.

Avoid this compatibility problem by using a standard micro USB cable when charging with a charger other than the standard NC charger. I charge my NC all the time with one of my numerous HTC plug-in chargers and a standard micro USB cable.

mr72 said:
Avoid this compatibility problem by using a standard micro USB cable when charging with a charger other than the standard NC charger. I charge my NC all the time with one of my numerous HTC plug-in chargers and a standard micro USB cable.
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Click to collapse
So using a regular micro usb cable will allow safe charging?

Locklear308 said:
So using a regular micro usb cable will allow safe charging?
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Click to collapse
Here is how I think it works.
Nook will only request up to 500mA charge rate if it detects that the cable is plugged into a regular USB port like on a PC with data connections. This is irrespective of whether you use the B&N cable or an alternative microUSB cable. There is almost 0 risk in this arrangement.
If the Nook is connected via a standard microUSB cable to a charger that signals it is a high power charger by having shorted data lines then it can get up to around 1000mA of charge from it.
If the Nook is connected via the B&N cable to a charger that signals it is a high power charger by having shorted data lines then it can get up to around 2000mA of charge from it. This is just because the B&N cable has extra voltage supply pins at the microUSB end and tries to spread the load to avoid stressing the individual pins with two much current. Without these extra pins it will not request the extra current through them.
In both the second and third case it is possible that a poorly designed charger could signal the ability to supply the higher current and then suffer because it did not have the overload / over-heating mechanisms to deal with it. One could argue that evolution should kick in at this point and destine this type of charger to the well-deserved scrap heap

bobtidey said:
Here is how I think it works.
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Click to collapse
Well, that's sort of close.
But the NC doesn't "sense" anything about the charger. The stock NC charging cable with the light-up horseshoe has the pins shorted and is also a slightly different connector type such that it cannot be plugged into a normal micro-USB on a device besides a NC. So if you plug THIS CABLE into the NC, then it will draw 2A from whatever is plugged into the other end of the cable. If the thing on the other end of the cable is the NC charger, you are in good shape, since it can safely deliver 2A of current. If you plug the other end of the NC stock cable into an iPhone wall charger or a computer USB port, some other generic wall charger, then it will likely draw more current than the charger or port can safely deliver and may damage the charger or cause a fire.
If you use a standard micro-USB cable, regardless of what charger you use (including the stock B&N charger), it will only draw about 500mA of current and charge the NC more slowly, but it will work safely with pretty much any generic USB port either on a computer or a run of the mill USB wall charger such as those that come with nearly every Android phone on the market, or a charge dock, USB cigarette lighter adapter for your car, etc.
So the key is: use the B&N stock NC CABLE ONLY with the stock B&N wall charger. Use a generic micro-USB cable with any charger including the B&N wall charger. It's all about the cable.

mr72 said:
Well, that's sort of close.
But the NC doesn't "sense" anything about the charger. The stock NC charging cable with the light-up horseshoe has the pins shorted and is also a slightly different connector type such that it cannot be plugged into a normal micro-USB on a device besides a NC. So if you plug THIS CABLE into the NC, then it will draw 2A from whatever is plugged into the other end of the cable. If the thing on the other end of the cable is the NC charger, you are in good shape, since it can safely deliver 2A of current. If you plug the other end of the NC stock cable into an iPhone wall charger or a computer USB port, some other generic wall charger, then it will likely draw more current than the charger or port can safely deliver and may damage the charger or cause a fire.
If you use a standard micro-USB cable, regardless of what charger you use (including the stock B&N charger), it will only draw about 500mA of current and charge the NC more slowly, but it will work safely with pretty much any generic USB port either on a computer or a run of the mill USB wall charger such as those that come with nearly every Android phone on the market, or a charge dock, USB cigarette lighter adapter for your car, etc.
So the key is: use the B&N stock NC CABLE ONLY with the stock B&N wall charger. Use a generic micro-USB cable with any charger including the B&N wall charger. It's all about the cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry. That's not true.
The B&N cable behaves like a standard USB data cable. It does not have the data pins shorted. You can use it to plug the Nook into a PC and transfer files. This would not be possible if the pins were shorted in the cable anywhere. The only difference between the B&N cable and a standard one is that is has extra power pins on the microUSB end in a deeper connector that are just used for spreading the charging current.
The B&N charger like other high power USB chargers does have the data lines shorted in it and that is what the Nook sees and causes it to switch into high current charging mode.
You can see all this in operation with a Battery monitor App like "Battery Monitor". When the Nook is connected to a data port via the B&N or other cable then the charging mode is USB and will draw up to 500mA. When it is connected via a standard cable to a charger like the B&N then it will say AC charging mode but will only draw around 1000mA (not limited to 500mA). When it is connected to the charger via the B&N cable it will also say AC charging mode but will now draw up to 2000mA as the extra pins are available.
Note that these currents are the maximum drawn in these modes. The actual value drawn depends on the state of the battery. Also they are what the Nook attempts to draw from the charger. It can't force the charger to supply 2A and any decent charger (which is most in my experience) will only supply what they can safely or will shut down if they experience overheating.
I safely use the B&N cable with a variety of chargers. I also use it to connect to PCs for data transfer and background charging (at 500mA). I also use other USB cables with both the B&N charger and with other chargers. You only get full 2A charging by using the B&N cable with a charger with data lines shorted that can supply 2A OK.

bobtidey said:
Sorry. That's not true.
The B&N cable behaves like a standard USB data cable. It does not have the data pins shorted. You can use it to plug the Nook into a PC and transfer files. This would not be possible if the pins were shorted in the cable anywhere. The only difference between the B&N cable and a standard one is that is has extra power pins on the microUSB end in a deeper connector that are just used for spreading the charging current.
The B&N charger like other high power USB chargers does have the data lines shorted in it and that is what the Nook sees and causes it to switch into high current charging mode.
You can see all this in operation with a Battery monitor App like "Battery Monitor". When the Nook is connected to a data port via the B&N or other cable then the charging mode is USB and will draw up to 500mA. When it is connected via a standard cable to a charger like the B&N then it will say AC charging mode but will only draw around 1000mA (not limited to 500mA). When it is connected to the charger via the B&N cable it will also say AC charging mode but will now draw up to 2000mA as the extra pins are available.
Note that these currents are the maximum drawn in these modes. The actual value drawn depends on the state of the battery. Also they are what the Nook attempts to draw from the charger. It can't force the charger to supply 2A and any decent charger (which is most in my experience) will only supply what they can safely or will shut down if they experience overheating.
I safely use the B&N cable with a variety of chargers. I also use it to connect to PCs for data transfer and background charging (at 500mA). I also use other USB cables with both the B&N charger and with other chargers. You only get full 2A charging by using the B&N cable with a charger with data lines shorted that can supply 2A OK.
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Click to collapse
Well I can say that using an ipod/iphone charger is a BAD idea haha. I shall stick to the normal charger :]

Locklear308 said:
Well I can say that using an ipod/iphone charger is a BAD idea haha. I shall stick to the normal charger :]
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Click to collapse
I agree it is good to stick to the B&N charger with B&N cable for best fast charging. The only reason not to is to reduce the number of chargers one is carrying or to provide alternatives like charging in a car.
I was pointing out that the issue is primarily around the chargers not around the cable. Your original question was about charging from a PC USB port and that is safe no matter what cable you use.
The case where the cable might make a difference is where a non B&N charger has the data lines shorted and will allow AC charging mode but is OK with < 1000mA (non B&N cable) but could blow up if it tries to deliver 2000mA (B&N cable). So, it is less risky if you use a non B&N cable when using a non B&N charger. Still a poor charger design if that is the case.

Charging and chargers

Hey, after some time with my D4 I decided to sum up and ask about my charging problems
The first issue I ran into was unresponsive/randomly misbehaving touchscreeen after plugging into generic USB charger through my data cable. I blame the charger's voltage - I measured 5.45V on it, it was supposed to be 5V/1A... It was just a $3 charger though so no big deal. It works fine with OEM Sony Ericsson charger giving out 4.95V and (per sticker) 750mA.
What I found out later is that it does not charge from a laptop that is off but with USB powered (Lenovo R500). I double checked it gives the juice out by charging my BT hands-free. I guess it measures the current (as standard USB gives out 500mA) and tests the data connection for low currents. It still charges pretty slow from the computer though. I can have the computer turned on, but my old solar charger with battery has the same issue which is really inconvenient :-/
I would greatly welcome any tested mod to the cable, maybe soldering pins 4 and 5 on the micro USB end, as it worked for my old E-TEN X800?

For the voltage issue:
How did you measure the 5.45V? With nothing connected?
Those low-quality power adaptor does not have good voltage regulators, and the voltage will drop when you are charging. Therefore the zero loading voltage is slightly higher.
For the charging issue, it's nothing related to your notebook, but Android itself.
When android detected it is a USB connection, it limits the charging current to avoid damage of the USB port of the computer. If you solder a USB cable with only power pins connected but not data pins, you will get much faster charging rate.
Moreover, AOKP ROM have a "Fast Charge" option (Settings --> ROM Control --> Performance --> "Other Settings" Page), which simply disable USB functionality to force the phone charges as using a power adaptor

KinChungE said:
For the voltage issue:
How did you measure the 5.45V? With nothing connected?
Those low-quality power adaptor does not have good voltage regulators, and the voltage will drop when you are charging. Therefore the zero loading voltage is slightly higher.
For the charging issue, it's nothing related to your notebook, but Android itself.
When android detected it is a USB connection, it limits the charging current to avoid damage of the USB port of the computer. If you solder a USB cable with only power pins connected but not data pins, you will get much faster charging rate.
Moreover, AOKP ROM have a "Fast Charge" option (Settings --> ROM Control --> Performance --> "Other Settings" Page), which simply disable USB functionality to force the phone charges as using a power adaptor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried a couple of the "power only" USB cables that presumably don't have the data pins connected, but my Droid 4 fails to recognise when they are connected (even if you try it with a power supply, rather than a computer's USB port). I'm not sure whether one of the data pins needs to be connected to ground or something to make it realise it's connected?
Cheers,
Steve.

[Q] USB 3.0 Charge Time

Has anybody noticed a difference in the charge time using the 3.0 USB cord? I've tried charging with a 2.0 and a 3.0 but I haven't noticed much difference. Obviously haven't had the device long enough to really test it out over a period of time.

agent929 said:
Has anybody noticed a difference in the charge time using the 3.0 USB cord? I've tried charging with a 2.0 and a 3.0 but I haven't noticed much difference. Obviously haven't had the device long enough to really test it out over a period of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read somewhere on the net that the 3.0 usb cord is only for data transfer. Not for charging purposes. Correct me if I'm wrong. I still haven't got a note 3. Just patiently waiting till I'm up for an upgrade.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app

So far I have watched a number of benchmark videos, and done as much research as possible (not literally):
- USB 3.0 will increase USB charging rates and USB charging speeds compared to its USB 2.0 counterpart
- USB 3.0 will NOT increase charging through a 2 Amp or 1 Amp charger compared to its USB 2.0 counterpart
- Biggest charging factor will be whether you are using a 1 or 2 Amp wall charger
---------- Post added at 04:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------
"There are a few factors that come into play here, so let’s start with “power loads.” USB 2.0 is restricted to five loads, while USB 3.0 ups that to six. OK, so that’s a 20 percent increase in how many loads a USB port can supply, but there’s more to it. Each load in USB 2.0 is 100mA of current. Simple math confirms the 500mA power supply for today’s USB interfaces — five loads at 100mA equals the 500mA that USB 2.0 can supply a device.
The specification for USB 3.0, however raises the not only the number of loads, but the current per load as well — 150mA, which is 50 percent more per load. Combining the six loads of USB 3.0 and its higher 150mA current per load nets you 900 mA for power supply with the new specification."
Here is the link for this article: http://gigaom.com/2010/01/12/usb-3-0-faster-data-faster-device-charging/

So if i have a wall charger that support 3amps will it charge faster?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4

Battery charging is limited by a few things:
First and foremost the PCM (protection circuit module), it controls how fast the battery charges and discharges...
The PCM limits the Note 3 to Max 900mA (I haven't personally verified, don't have a Note 3 yet)
In the past, USB 2.0 devices for Samsung, the wall warts shorted out the data pins on the USB cable, which allowed the phone to charge at full speed over the usb 2.0 interface. The wall wart needed to be atleast 1A
The USB 2.0 ports are limited to 500mA output
The USB 3.0 ports are currently designed for 900mA output, although the spec can go to 5A or 5,000mA
So the advantage is you can now charge your Note 3 at the same speeds via a USB 3.0 on your PC as you can on the wall wart.
Now if you hack a usb cable and short the data wires and plug a usb 2 phone into a 1 amp usb port, you can get the full charging speed, but this took some effort.

I have noticed that the charging when plugged into my PC is much faster with the USB 3.0 cable, while charging on my 2 amp stock charger seems indistinguishable between 2.0 and 3.0 cables

ImSteevin said:
I have noticed that the charging when plugged into my PC is much faster with the USB 3.0 cable, while charging on my 2 amp stock charger seems indistinguishable between 2.0 and 3.0 cables
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct. Only makes a difference when using the 3.0 cable when plugged up to a USB 3.0 port on your pc. Doesn't make a difference which cable is used when charging from a wall outlet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4

americasteam said:
ImSteevin said:
I have noticed that the charging when plugged into my PC is much faster with the USB 3.0 cable, while charging on my 2 amp stock charger seems indistinguishable between 2.0 and 3.0 cables
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct. Only makes a difference when using the 3.0 cable when plugged up to a USB 3.0 port on your pc. Doesn't make a difference which cable is used when charging from a wall outlet.
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Click to collapse
I'm not sure whether this is entirely correct...
When I plugged my phone to a USB 3.0 port on my Retina MacBook Pro Mid 2012, it's registered as (according to System Report), a USB 2.0 device. At least, it's charging at 500mah. Fyi, using the same cable/port, my USB 3.0 external hard drive is registered as a USB 3.0 device.

My m17x alienware(2012) reads it as a USB 3 device
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

ruebarb said:
Battery charging is limited by a few things:
First and foremost the PCM (protection circuit module), it controls how fast the battery charges and discharges...
The PCM limits the Note 3 to Max 900mA (I haven't personally verified, don't have a Note 3 yet)
In the past, USB 2.0 devices for Samsung, the wall warts shorted out the data pins on the USB cable, which allowed the phone to charge at full speed over the usb 2.0 interface. The wall wart needed to be atleast 1A
The USB 2.0 ports are limited to 500mA output
The USB 3.0 ports are currently designed for 900mA output, although the spec can go to 5A or 5,000mA
So the advantage is you can now charge your Note 3 at the same speeds via a USB 3.0 on your PC as you can on the wall wart.
Now if you hack a usb cable and short the data wires and plug a usb 2 phone into a 1 amp usb port, you can get the full charging speed, but this took some effort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adding to this post, the note 3 charges at 1.5Amps. I built my own usb charger and can verify the Amps, it charges at 1.5A on usb 2.0 cable, hacked usb 2.0 cable and USB 3.0. cable.
I can not verify how fast it charges on the Samsung charger or standard PC Usb.
We can assume it charges at 1.5 Amps on the Samsung charger as it is rating for 2.0 Amps
Build you own USB Charging Station

on my note 3, with either the usb 3.0 cable or 2.0 cable from my note 2, it charges at 1.2A...on my note 2, using the 2.0 cable, it charged at 1.8A...i got the current numbers from the Galaxy Charging Current app...

sinichi21 said:
So if i have a wall charger that support 3amps will it charge faster?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YES. I have a 1.5MAh car charger and a 3Amp car charger (the little cigarette lighter socket ones that fit kinda flush to the socket and the higher Amp one charges MUCH quicker than the single amp (or MAh etc. not sure what it's called but the higher one does charge noticeably faster.

Usb 3.0
ok i'm trying to use my usb 3.0 but the phone always times out before it will finish a long transfer usually times out around 5 min or so any advice or something I haven't changed because 5 min is not long enough to send movies or mass music

Jacson2 said:
ok i'm trying to use my usb 3.0 but the phone always times out before it will finish a long transfer usually times out around 5 min or so any advice or something I haven't changed because 5 min is not long enough to send movies or mass music
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's typical with some USB hubs. Try going directly to the compter's port.

Rukbat said:
That's typical with some USB hubs. Try going directly to the compter's port.
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Click to collapse
No, clearly NO.
Its a ROM issue.
Some ROMs have USB3 charging enabled and the phone charges all the time with max current.
ECHOE ROM is that one i know.
Omega ROM is the opposite part, charging over USB3 lasts forever.
Its my own experince, imstalled both ROMs, with same PC and same USB3 cable.
I am watching my IP cameras on the phone, on my desk, and with connected USB3 cable the Omega ROM drains battery only from watching.
With Echoe ROM, same phone, same cable, same PC, same cameras, the battery is charging very fast, during watching.
Other custom ROMs i installed have similar issue.
So ask your ROM cook to solve this problem.

USB-C Rapid Charging w/ AA?

I've been searching around, and haven't really found an answer to this. I'm in the process of purchasing a car that has OEM AA, but unfortunately only one USB port, which apparently provides less than 1A of output. There is a 12V outlet in close proximity to the USB port. Are there any solutions out there for using AA while also providing higher amperage charging? Was thinking about trying a small hub/adapter (similar to what you would attach to a USB-C Macbook) but I wasn't sure if that would pass-through power as well. Using a stock Pixel 2.

Probably its not easy to achieve, but usually this is not a problem, you can still buy a different charger for rapid charging which works via the 12v outlet, and when its full or nearly full switch to the AA port, since even if its lower than 1A it will be enough to charge the phone ( or better: to not let it discharge) since the display is off during AA session

I use a USB Y Cable (https://www.startech.com/Cables/USB...xternal-Hard-Drive-USB-A-to-mini-B~USB2HABMY3) with a USB Mini to USB-C adapter.
I don't get the "Charging Rapidly" notification on the lock screen, but it does charge noticeably faster than before.

USB Power Delivery Cable

Looking at this article it seems like an upgraded cable could charge a device faster. If the phone shows "Fast charging" can that be improved upon? Could a USB PD cable charge faster? Is the cable that came with the phone the best?

It is true that the cable intervenes with the charge the battery receives, but, in the end, there is a limit in the charge the charger itself can supply

I have used a couple of different USB Type-C cables that are said to be suppose to offer much faster charging speeds than the bundled stock Samsung Type-C cable. Honestly I don't notice a difference in charging speeds.

The real proof is always testing with a USB wattmeter and a phone that has less than 80% charge (screen-off).
The most I get out of a stock charging brick and a Anker Type-C cable is 18 Watts. Stock cable gives me 16 Watts under the above conditions