Database Develop

[Q] Faster USB Charging?

Just reading up on USB chargers, and I found somewhere in a thread here about phones defaulting to smaller ma when charging via USB if the connector didn't have the data pins shorted or something.
So, I was wondering a couple of things:
1) If the default charger supplies 700ma, do you think that is the most the Nexus S can draw? Does anyone have one of these shorted USB chargers? Does it charge the NS faster?
2) If it does charge faster, how hard would it be to do something similar to shorting the data connections? I have a generic AC-USB cable which I currently use for my iPod touch.
3) Is there a way to check if it is already shorted out? The USB charging port looks similar to ones on my computer, but I'm not sure what to look for.
Thanks for any help! Maybe if we can sort out this stuff, we can provide a solution for those looking for faster charging!

it does work safely, i'm using a 1000 mAh charger at home, and a 2000 mAh charger in the car both are from aftermarket eBay/DealExtreme charges.
no overheating
and charges faster than stock

AllGamer said:
it does work safely, i'm using a 1000 mAh charger at home, and a 2000 mAh charger in the car both are from aftermarket eBay/DealExtreme charges.
no overheating
and charges faster than stock
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Click to collapse
Ok thankyou for that AllGamer, I'll think of possible ways I could mod the charger now

The only reason it is slow is because of the USB charging brick instead of just a charger.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I know it's a wrong thread, but anyone has any pointers as to how to short a regular USB cable to make the phone think it's a power adapter cable?

XBOHDPuKC said:
I know it's a wrong thread, but anyone has any pointers as to how to short a regular USB cable to make the phone think it's a power adapter cable?
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Nah it's not the wrong thread that was one of my questions! I'm not sure exactly where you would do it, but maybe if you skinned the wire, then cut the data lines it would work?
Not sure which end you would do it on however, but that may not matter. Any other ideas?

The two center pins in the USB carry the data. If you pull them out, the cable won't be able to connect to the computer.
Sent from my Nexus S

Wow - you don't need to do this and you wouldn't want to in a computer anyway.
The USB specification says that 500ma (@ 5v) of current should be available from a computer's USB port. Of course, the actual wires can carry much more than this, so manufacturers can tell their phones to takes as much current as is offered.
Almost all computers limit their USB power output accordingly - this is why some opld usb-powered external hard drives needed 2 USB plugs to get enough power. The only computers that I am SURE emit significantly more than 500ma on their USB ports are first and second generation MacBook Airs.
Some phones, the N1 and every other HTC specifically, look for a specially shorted cable to "know if they are plugged into the wall adaptor" as opposed to a computer USB port. In reality, this is just a way to make you specifically buy HTC chargers as opposed to third-party off-brands, because plugging one of these phones into an off brand charger will limit the current draw to about 450ma.
If you want to know if your Android phone thinks that it is in "USB" mode or in "AC" mode, just plug the phone in, open the dialer, enter *#*#4636#*#* and then select battery info. If your phone is one that cares (not all do), it will say USB if it thinks it should be in USB charging mode, or AC if it thinks it should be in AC charging mode.
I would not try shorting out the middle pins in a cable and then plugging it into the computer. First, most will probably just disable the USB port completely, shutting off even power you could draw. Second, if it doesn't shut down, you run the risk that a badly-built USB port might not properly limit the current to 500ma - and since they are not designed to furnish more current than that, you might melt something expensive or start a fire. third, if you make a mistake, you risk shorting out either your phone or your computer, which might ruin your day, week or month, depending on your financial means to replace the system that cooks itself.
I would just run out to your local store, pay 15 bucks for a 2A third-party usb charger brick, and go to town. That will work perfectly - this is what I use, and it probably cuts the charge time by 30-40%. Obviously, this indicates that the NS is not capable of drawing a full 2A - I have not put a meter on it, but I would bet that it limits itself to somewhere just under an amp in.

I have recently bought both a 2A wall charger and car charger and my phone does not recognise either of these as anything more than a 500mA source.
Is it really just a case of opening the car charger up and shorting out pins 2 & 3? they are currently not connected to anything in the charger.

If it's indeed a matter of shorting the data lines, then I think you can skin the wire as suggested by others, but then cut the data lines, short the end that leads to the phone, leave the end to the computer open. I think it's the phone that tries to determine whether the data lines are shorted.
Edit: Can someone measure the continuity between the data pins with the stock charger? I wonder if they are shorted. I'm still waiting for my Nexus S to arrive, so can't test it.

Yup, the data lines in the stock Nexus S charger ARE shorted.
I just modified a cheap 1A car charger by popping it open, soldering the 2 data lines together and putting it back.
The report on the Nexus S before I did this (*#*#4636#*#*) said "USB", and afterwards it now says "AC".
I will report back after I make a road trip if this improves the GPS + Pandora + Screen in car situation. I suspect it will.
----------------
Yup, the car charger seemed to actually maintain and increase the battery this time. Seems good.

The NS supports chargers output to a max of 1000mA, as it says on the back of it, where the battery resides.

[Q] Droid 4 charging standards

I'm trying to make a fast charging cable for use in the car. The current charger I use seems to work fine, but the coiled cable annoys me. When I use a standard USB cable the charging reverts to slow mode which means the GPS and screen drain the battery faster than the cable can charge it.
The charging cable that works has a resistor between ground and the unused pin 4, but what I want to know, is this the only USB charging standard that the Droid4 supports, for example does it support the one where you put a resistor between the two data pins, or the one where you just join the data pins together?
If it supports either of those, then this project just got a lot easier as I can just chop the Type A connector off my USB cable and do all the work without having to solder a Micro USB connector.

Could you de-solder the coiled cord and solder in a micro USB cord or even a female USB cord for removal of OEM usb... or is that what you mean in the last paragraph... If you want I could give it a try as I have three rapid car chargers and several USB cables...

Lum_UK said:
I'm trying to make a fast charging cable for use in the car. The current charger I use seems to work fine, but the coiled cable annoys me. When I use a standard USB cable the charging reverts to slow mode which means the GPS and screen drain the battery faster than the cable can charge it.
The charging cable that works has a resistor between ground and the unused pin 4, but what I want to know, is this the only USB charging standard that the Droid4 supports, for example does it support the one where you put a resistor between the two data pins, or the one where you just join the data pins together?
If it supports either of those, then this project just got a lot easier as I can just chop the Type A connector off my USB cable and do all the work without having to solder a Micro USB connector.
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I'm not sure if this has anything to do with your question but try an ipad or tablet charger (2.1 Amp) which i use on my droid 4 and charges it fast.
Regular chargers use 0.7 to 1.0 Amp. I know tablet chargers are bulky but they tend to charge your device faster.
Also maybe this thread will work for you: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1984838

I'm using a 2amp car charger with a USB socket at the moment and I assure you it isn't charging at that speed. The other charger with the coiled cord does charge at the higher speed, but it also has the odd wiring.
That thread is interesting, is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about, but I'm looking for confirmation that it will actually work with the Droid 4 before I start hacking up cables. The Droid 4 seems to be fussy about which chargers it will work with, my 2amp charger worked fine with the HTC Desire Z, for example.
Another part of my reason for doing this is I want to use the right-angled USB plug that is on my USB lead, but that Micro USB connector is sealed and unmodifiable.

Lum_UK said:
I'm using a 2amp car charger with a USB socket at the moment and I assure you it isn't charging at that speed. The other charger with the coiled cord does charge at the higher speed, but it also has the odd wiring.
That thread is interesting, is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about, but I'm looking for confirmation that it will actually work with the Droid 4 before I start hacking up cables. The Droid 4 seems to be fussy about which chargers it will work with, my 2amp charger worked fine with the HTC Desire Z, for example.
Another part of my reason for doing this is I want to use the right-angled USB plug that is on my USB lead, but that Micro USB connector is sealed and unmodifiable.
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I'm not sure but there is a radio called ihome ic50 (Google it) i own it and it has a special switch which the manual says if the device has a proprietary charging protocol flip the switch. I made a quick test and it charges in both ways. I'm pretty sure your idea will work as long you know what you are doing. BTW the ihome ic50 is pretty cool for any android device.

[Q] Does you phone charge directly from your car USB port?

By "directly" I mean using regular USB data cable (most likely USB->Micro USB) and NOT special charge only cable that has data pin shortened to draw higher current.
The reason for this post is that I found that my new phone (Moto X) doesn't charge when connected directly via regular data USB cable even though charging indicator is on. When idle it still loses several %/ hour, when running Google maps - much more.
After Googling I found that if the phone is connected as USB media device it draws less power from USB and it may not be sufficient to charge phones with high capacity batteries. Workarounds include using charge-only USB cables that have data pins shorted, cigarette lighter chargers or AC charger if your car is equipped with AC socket (mine is, but what a pain to have to use it for this!).
Here is my situation on '11 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 430N (2 USB ports, Android phones are recognized as media device on both):
Old phone (Droid Incredible, 1300 mAh battery) charged fine when idle via regular data cable even though it was in media player mode. I haven't really used it when running Google Maps much so can't comment on that.
New phone (Moto X, 2200 mAh battery) doesn't charge via regular data cable (even though indicator shows phone charging). When idle it still loses several %/ hour, when running Google maps - much more. I tried 500 mA cigarette lighter charger and it charges it fine in idle, haven't tried while running Google Maps yet.

The USB power in my truck is provided by one of these:
http://daqstuff.com/400116_5volt_switching_power_supply.htm
The only mod I made was to short pins 2 and 3 on the USB ports, which is required for full current charging with a Nexus 7. Dunno if the Moto X is the same, but it charges just fine when plugged into it.

My Moto X does not charge from the USB port in my Acura. I use a USB adapter in the cigarette lighter if I need to charge it.
Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

Solutions Etcetera said:
The USB power in my truck is provided by one of these:
http://daqstuff.com/400116_5volt_switching_power_supply.htm
The only mod I made was to short pins 2 and 3 on the USB ports, which is required for full current charging with a Nexus 7. Dunno if the Moto X is the same, but it charges just fine when plugged into it.
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Wow 2 amps. At home my iPhone is good for something! Its 2 amp wort charges the x fast!

Yes all phones charge in my Hyundai but very slowly since its only a regular USB port not a charging port. I use a Griffin dual USB charger instead.
Sent from my Sero 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Moto X does not charge in my Honda or Volkswagen via car's USB port. All my previous phones including nexus 5 did. For Moto X I have to use car charger.
From my Moto X, in your face!

My wife's X does not charge via her aftermarket stereo in her Subaru. I have not tried it in my F-150 though.

Standard USB ports in a PC supply 5V and 550mA which is not enough to charge current smart phones. If you are using apps, 550mA is not enough to maintain the charge level (i..e if you have 90% charge, plug into a standard USB port, and use Google Maps or stream a movie from the internet, your battery's charge will slowly drain. Not as fast as when unplugged, but it will drain).
The X ships with a 1150A adapter. I've used 850mA to slowly charge the phone.
I've not metered the voltage and current coming out of my car's USB port.
I use a dual port USB charger that outputs 2.1A per port. (its either Griffin or Kensington)

I stumbled across this issue when I tried to charge my X in the car. I have an old nokia car charger (had nice thick writes and curly cord) that I cut the plug off and soldered a micro usb plug and a resistor between pin 5 and ground for activating car mode on my SGS2 (i9100). I plugged in the X, nothing. I did some research and found that shorting D+ and D- puts it into AC fast charge mode. Charges fine with the screen on. Luckily the old nokia charger has enough grunt to cope.
swyped from my JB GT-N8000 with TapatalkPRO

Yep
Interesting. Mine does charge via the USB cable on my aftermarket head unit, but it is fairly slow. All I care is that it doesn't drain the battery at all for 4 hours car trips while streaming music and running Google Maps with the screen on the entire time.

mine slowly/medium charges with MyLog and CarHome Ultra or Nav.
I have a magnet and SkipDot in my car dock to auto unlock and trigger car mode which launches CarHome Ultra. I use Llama to further trigger and enable bluetooth and gps as well as disable WiFi. bluetooth connecting to my JVC head unit triggers My Log and automatically logs journeys for tax. Llama cleans up and turns of gps/bt which causes MyLog to finish too.
swyped from my MOTO XT1053 with tapatalkPRO

N6 won't charge via vehicle usb

It only shows up as a USB connection for media instead of charging. Is there anything I have to change on my N6 settings? My old iPhone charged fine.

Maybe it requires a higher ampere charger?

lude219 said:
Maybe it requires a higher ampere charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I find out?

dinosaur1 said:
It only shows up as a USB connection for media instead of charging. Is there anything I have to change on my N6 settings? My old iPhone charged fine.
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I have never had an Android phone that would charge from car's USB. Never knew whether it was the phone or the car. I can play music from USB thumb drives or some phones through the car's USB port. Always have to use the 12v charger. If your i Phone did, you might see if a "Charge Only " cable would work. That cable is a good thing to have, regardless.

wtherrell said:
I have never had an Android phone that would charge from car's USB. Never knew whether it was the phone or the car. I can play music from USB thumb drives or some phones through the car's USB port. Always have to use the 12v charger. If your i Phone did, you might see if a "Charge Only " cable would work. That cable is a good thing to have, regardless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you send a link ? I wouldn't mind buying one.

All android phones determine whether a charger is a wall charger or a computer by whether or not the two center USB pins are shorted. If they are, then it's a wall charger, and will show "Charging (AC)" in the battery screen. Wall chargers designed for iOS devices work differently, and as such most of them will only charge Android devices at 500mA, which is the the same as a computer's USB ports, regardless of the marked amperage. In other words, a 2A charger designed for iOS will still charge Android devices at 500mA.
"Charge Only" cables are also an issue. Many of them don't actually have center pins at all. Android considers this an "open." In a "short," the resistance is zero Ohms. In an "open," the resistance is infinity Ohms. (Infinity, being the exact opposite of zero.) So, a lot of charge only cables will cause your android device to charge at 500mA.
The solution is to ensure that your charger is designed for Android. Or, buy a charge only cable designed for android. Or, buy an adapter that turns any cable into a charge only cable designed for android.
Yes, I know that's all really confusing. Here's the real deal. Find a charger and cable that works for sure (oh, I don't know... like, the one that came with the device!). Plug it in, and go to the battery screen. Ensure it says "Charging (AC)". Once that's a given, replace the cable with any other cable that you want to use. If it still says "Charging (AC)," then it's a good charging cable. If it says "Charging (USB)," then it's not a good charging cable. If you ever plug a known good charging cable into a charger, and get the dreaded "Charging (USB)," then you know your charger isn't Android compatible, making it a bad charger.
So, the TL;DR of it all: Use the original charger to test cables. Use the cables that pass that test to test chargers. Other than that, it's a crapshoot.

jt3 said:
All android phones determine whether a charger is a wall charger or a computer by whether or not the two center USB pins are shorted. If they are, then it's a wall charger, and will show "Charging (AC)" in the battery screen. Wall chargers designed for iOS devices work differently, and as such most of them will only charge Android devices at 500mA, which is the the same as a computer's USB ports, regardless of the marked amperage. In other words, a 2A charger designed for iOS will still charge Android devices at 500mA.
"Charge Only" cables are also an issue. Many of them don't actually have center pins at all. Android considers this an "open." In a "short," the resistance is zero Ohms. In an "open," the resistance is infinity Ohms. (Infinity, being the exact opposite of zero.) So, a lot of charge only cables will cause your android device to charge at 500mA.
The solution is to ensure that your charger is designed for Android. Or, buy a charge only cable designed for android. Or, buy an adapter that turns any cable into a charge only cable designed for android.
Yes, I know that's all really confusing. Here's the real deal. Find a charger and cable that works for sure (oh, I don't know... like, the one that came with the device!). Plug it in, and go to the battery screen. Ensure it says "Charging (AC)". Once that's a given, replace the cable with any other cable that you want to use. If it still says "Charging (AC)," then it's a good charging cable. If it says "Charging (USB)," then it's not a good charging cable. If you ever plug a known good charging cable into a charger, and get the dreaded "Charging (USB)," then you know your charger isn't Android compatible, making it a bad charger.
So, the TL;DR of it all: Use the original charger to test cables. Use the cables that pass that test to test chargers. Other than that, it's a crapshoot.
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Yes I'm using the cable that came with my N6 to plug it into the built in USB port. I have a 2014 4Runner with the Entune system.

dinosaur1 said:
Yes I'm using the cable that came with my N6 to plug it into the built in USB port. I have a 2014 4Runner with the Entune system.
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Most "built in" car USB ports are 500mA, so will show as USB chargers (not AC chargers). Those that are higher (1A or 2A), tend to be designed for iOS devices (so will STILL show as USB chargers, unless you get a cable or adapter that has the two center pins shorted). I've yet to see a built-in car USB slot that will charge an Android device in AC mode.

jt3 said:
Most "built in" car USB ports are 500mA, so will show as USB chargers. Those that are higher, tend to be designed for iOS devices. I've yet to see a built-in car USB slot that will charge an Android device in AC mode.
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That's what I thought. Could you recommend what charger I could use to plug in to using the cable that came with the N6?

dinosaur1 said:
That's what I thought. Could you recommend what charger I could use to plug in to using the cable that came with the N6?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a very hard question to answer. Chargers tend to advertise iOS compatibility, but do NOT tend to advertise Android compatibility. However, they often do advertise a specific android device. So, for example, you might find a car charger that advertises compatibility with the Samsung S5. As long as it's advertising compatibility with any Android device, it should work with YOUR Android device. Just be aware that most manufacturers don't understand the whole AC vs USB thing, so even if they advertise compatibility, it's not ensured. Just be sure to buy chargers where you can take them back for a refund if they end up not showing up as working in AC mode for your device.

jt3 said:
That's a very hard question to answer. Chargers tend to advertise iOS compatibility, but do NOT tend to advertise Android compatibility. However, they often do advertise a specific android device. So, for example, you might find a car charger that advertises compatibility with the Samsung S5. As long as it's advertising compatibility with any Android device, it should work with YOUR Android device. Just be aware that most manufacturers don't understand the whole AC vs USB thing, so even if they advertise compatibility, it's not ensured. Just be sure to buy chargers where you can take them back for a refund if they end up not working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like I need to search for chargers for my N6 to plug in my 12v.

Someone just posted this in another thread. It's a car charger that supposedly supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, so it'd be the equivalent of the Moto Turbo Charger for a car. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P9UILUM/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_0fvAub0VPYE9B
Since that's an Android thing, it'd almost be certain to work for all Android devices.

jt3 said:
Someone just posted this in another thread. It's a car charger that supposedly supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, so it'd be the equivalent of the Moto Turbo Charger for a car. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P9UILUM/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_0fvAub0VPYE9B
Since that's an Android thing, it'd almost be certain to work for all Android devices.
Click to expand...
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Should I even attempt to try an adapter first?

dinosaur1 said:
Should I even attempt to try an adapter first?
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Normally, I'd say yes, but in this case, since you have an N6, nothing is going to compare to having a Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 compatible charger.

jt3 said:
Normally, I'd say yes, but in this case, since you have an N6, nothing is going to compare to having a Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 compatible charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll definitely have to buy one asap.

jt3 said:
Normally, I'd say yes, but in this case, since you have an N6, nothing is going to compare to having a Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 compatible charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stay away from a charge only cable as well?

dinosaur1 said:
Stay away from a charge only cable as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another hard question. There are two types of "charge only" cables. One that has the middle two (data) pins shorted together, and one where they're just missing (even though the pins themselves may be there... they're not connected). The former would work fine. The latter wouldn't (or more specifically, it would work, but only show up as "Charging (USB)" in the battery monitor).
Determining which is which before purchase is virtually impossible. The only way to really tell is to try it with a known good (1A or higher) charger.

jt3 said:
Another hard question. There are two types of "charge only" cables. One that has the middle two (data) pins shorted, and one where they're just missing (even though the pins themselves may be there... they're not connected). The former would work fine. The latter wouldn't (or more specifically, they'd work, but only show up as "Charging (USB)" in the battery monitor).
Determining which is which before purchase is virtually impossible. The only way to really tell is to try it with a known good (1A or higher) charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll stick with the Qualcomm car charger. By the way can it harm the phones battery over time if I constantly use the turbo charger at home and at work and the turbo charger in my car?

dinosaur1 said:
I'll stick with the Qualcomm car charger. By the way can it harm the phones battery over time if I constantly use the turbo charger at home and at work and the turbo charger in my car?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. They're designed to use that type of charger. Technically, rapid charging may decrease battery life, but you'll probably long since have moved on to a new phone by the time you'd have to worry about that. The only caveat is that you should NEVER start your car while the phone is plugged in (on ANY car charger). When you're starting your car, the 12V electrical system in your car can experience quite a large power surge, and that can transmit through the adapter and hurt your phone. The electrical system in your car is built to withstand that. Your phone isn't. Most (quality) car chargers will have a similar warning somewhere, since it's a pretty standard warning.

jt3 said:
Nope. They're designed to use that type of charger. Technically, rapid charging may decrease battery life, but you'll probably long since have moved on to a new phone by the time you'd have to worry about that. The only caveat is that you should NEVER start your car while the phone is plugged in (on ANY car charger). When you're starting your car, the 12V electrical system in your car can experience quite a large power surge, and that can transmit through the adapter and hurt your phone. The electrical system in your car is built to withstand that. Your phone isn't. Most (quality) car chargers will have a similar warning somewhere, since it's a pretty standard warning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally would you go with the charger you listed above? Amazon also lists USB cables that my N6 came with which is model skn5004a. Should I stick with that type of USB cables for extra cables I carry while traveling, work and auto?

charging only cable and SCOSCHE USBC242M

is there actually a difference between charge only and charge/sync cable, or is that sales pitch?
If so, what is a good one?
anyone using the SCOSCHE USBC242M ?
I need the low profile.
Any issues with it?
Does it have the gas needed for charging while using GPS, LTE and BT all together?
Does it charge nearly as fast as the LG wall charger that comes with the phone?

There's no difference when you plug it to AC adapter or charger, but if you plug it to computer, data cable charges slower.

thanks.

Yeah, I've had my fair share of data cables and charge only cables. Sucks keeping track of which one is which.

Charge only cables WILL NOT allow data transfer, FYI.