Database Develop

Knock-off Chargers

I am hesitant to buy something like this since I have read that the USB Micro on the NC is non-standard.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Barnes-and-...?pt=US_Tablet_Accessories&hash=item19c71f2149

You're smart to worry about these. This one is a simple microUSB cable, not the Nook Color compatible cable which has a longer tip. It will still allow you to transfer data and trickle charge but because of the shorter tip it will not allow a quick charge.
The part that is also important is the plug/brick you plug this cable into. You have to make sure it outputs 1.9 amps so that it is capable of quick charging your Nook Color if you have the correct cable to use. Most usb plug/bricks (like the ones for your phones) will only output about a quarter or maybe half of that. Some Apple iPad/iPhone usb plug/bricks will put out more though.

sjmoreno is right, be wary on these. It shows it is shipping from the inside the United States, but that doesn't mean much as they buy these in bulk from China at a lower price and raise it a bit here. I have ordered a few of these micro USB cables from china eBay listings with varying luck. Some will actually fit, and others won't - some charge REALLY slow and I actually had one that melted on me because it was pulling too much current.

Hey,
If you are still under warrantly, you can call B&N or chat with them on the website and get a new cable, adaptor or a power kit with little or no trouble. Just tell them your current one is not working. You can also go to a Barnes and Noble store and speak to one of the nook guys and you can get a free one there too.

sjmoreno said:
You're smart to worry about these. This one is a simple microUSB cable, not the Nook Color compatible cable which has a longer tip. It will still allow you to transfer data and trickle charge but because of the shorter tip it will not allow a quick charge.
The part that is also important is the plug/brick you plug this cable into. You have to make sure it outputs 1.9 amps so that it is capable of quick charging your Nook Color if you have the correct cable to use. Most usb plug/bricks (like the ones for your phones) will only output about a quarter or maybe half of that. Some Apple iPad/iPhone usb plug/bricks will put out more though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chargers (wall or vehicle) made for Apple products will only charge at the slower rate. The NC looks at the resistance on the USB data lines to see if it should charge at the fast rate. The resistance set on chargers for Apple products is different than for the NC. The only chargers I've come across for the NC that charge at the higher rate are those made by B&N. Other chargers can be modified to work, but that's a different topic.

wrong...
mrmark93 said:
Chargers (wall or vehicle) made for Apple products will only charge at the slower rate. The NC looks at the resistance on the USB data lines to see if it should charge at the fast rate. The resistance set on chargers for Apple products is different than for the NC. The only chargers I've come across for the NC that charge at the higher rate are those made by B&N. Other chargers can be modified to work, but that's a different topic.
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Click to collapse
Wow, you actually sound like you know what you're talking about. (I kid... I kid...)
Here's a photo of my Apple USB plug which I've highlighted puts out 2.1A. I could use this plug with the official B&N Nook Color cable and it will get the quick charge since the extra length of the tip on the B&N NC cable will allow it to reach the 12 pins that are further inside the Nook's outlet. Although I wouldn't do it since it could (maybe, might, don't want to chance it) send too much current to the battery and possibly damage it or over-heat it.
I also have a Motorola usb plug for my Droid X and Atrix phones but that only puts out 850 mA (.85 Amps) which could trickle charge regardless of the cable I use.
Hope this explained it well enough.

sjmoreno said:
Wow, you actually sound like you know what you're talking about. (I kid... I kid...)
Here's a photo of my Apple USB plug which I've highlighted puts out 2.1A. I could use this plug with the official B&N Nook Color cable and it will get the quick charge since the extra length of the tip on the B&N NC cable will allow it to reach the 12 pins that are further inside the Nook's outlet. Although I wouldn't do it since it could (maybe, might, don't want to chance it) send too much current to the battery and possibly damage it or over-heat it.
I also have a Motorola usb plug for my Droid X and Atrix phones but that only puts out 850 mA (.85 Amps) which could trickle charge regardless of the cable I use.
Hope this explained it well enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
right back at ya!
Your Apple unit is rated at 2.1A, but will only 'put out' whatever the NC draws from it, up to a theoretical 2.1A (I never measured over ~1850mA during any of my testing). Have you measured the charge rate on your NC? How? Did you load the battery monitor widget, does it report 'AC Charge' with the Apple charger? Are you using the Nook Tweeks app and forcing the fast charge mode? Just curious.
You made some other comments that are misleading, so I'll say my 'opinion' on those:
You could hook your NC to a 5V, 10,000+Amp power supply and not hurt it. The NC regulates the rate of charge with an on-board charge controller, and even if it didn't, it still wouldn't harm the battery. USB is 5V by specification. Apply 5V to a battery currently holding a charge of less than 5V and it will be charged to 5V. When you first start charging, it will charge at the highest rate available (by supply restraint, charge controller, wire size, connector conductivity) and as the battery becomes more & more charged, the charge rate (current flow) will drop, and when fully charged, the current drops to zero (0). The chargers are rated at what they can safely supply, 1A, 500mA, 2.1A, 850mA, etc without damaging the charger itself-some chargers are smart and limit the current, others will supply what they can and suffer damage if more current is drawn than the charger is rated for (ex: Harbor Freight unit with shorted data pins put out 1.1A (rated 0.5A) and started melting parts before I shut it off). I tested an 'Apple compatible' charger rated at 2.1A and it would only charge at around 600mA unless I shorted the data pins, then it put out whatever the NC would draw, up to a measured max of ~1850mA.

Oh, Snap!
mrmark93 said:
right back at ya!
Your Apple unit is rated at 2.1A, but will only 'put out' whatever the NC draws from it, up to a theoretical 2.1A (I never measured over ~1850mA during any of my testing). Have you measured the charge rate on your NC? How? Did you load the battery monitor widget, does it report 'AC Charge' with the Apple charger? Are you using the Nook Tweeks app and forcing the fast charge mode? Just curious.
You made some other comments that are misleading, so I'll say my 'opinion' on those:
You could hook your NC to a 5V, 10,000+Amp power supply and not hurt it. The NC regulates the rate of charge with an on-board charge controller, and even if it didn't, it still wouldn't harm the battery. USB is 5V by specification. Apply 5V to a battery currently holding a charge of less than 5V and it will be charged to 5V. When you first start charging, it will charge at the highest rate available (by supply restraint, charge controller, wire size, connector conductivity) and as the battery becomes more & more charged, the charge rate (current flow) will drop, and when fully charged, the current drops to zero (0). The chargers are rated at what they can safely supply, 1A, 500mA, 2.1A, 850mA, etc without damaging the charger itself-some chargers are smart and limit the current, others will supply what they can and suffer damage if more current is drawn than the charger is rated for (ex: Harbor Freight unit with shorted data pins put out 1.1A (rated 0.5A) and started melting parts before I shut it off). I tested an 'Apple compatible' charger rated at 2.1A and it would only charge at around 600mA unless I shorted the data pins, then it put out whatever the NC would draw, up to a measured max of ~1850mA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sound more invested in this. I'll go sulk in a corner now...

sjmoreno said:
You sound more invested in this. I'll go sulk in a corner now...
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Click to collapse
Just trying to be helpful
Mess of technical crap from the 'car charger' thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=16505252&postcount=47
I spent half a day measuring crap to satisfy my curiosity. the reuslt: B&N should have standardized with normal (i-device) charging standards

Fast charge hack

I bought what i thought were a couple higher quality universal chargers. They charge my razr fast but won't charge my nexus 7 at all. I have one of the chargers pulled apart but before I do any soldering I want to make sure -- if I cross the 2 data points will it work?

Well I couldn't wait 10 minutes so I tried. Answer: no. Wtf?

Can anyone tell me how to hack these chargers to make them work? Is there a resistor I need to remove?

Isn't it more likely to be a software thing?
With my samsung Tab 7.7 i couldn't charge it using my ipad charger until a Dev modded the software on the tablet.

are they 2Amp chargers? most universal chargers are only 1Amp

Well whatever the problem is, I want to charge my tablet in more than one place, I want to charge it faster than the 16 hours generic chargers are taking, and I don't want to pay $30 for OEM chargers.

If your tablet is taking 16 hours to fully charge, return it. I can drain mine after heavy use of the day and its still fully charged in under 6 hours.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

@soldeus: There's nothing wrong with my tablet. The OEM charger works fine and some of my generic chargers work, they just don't have the current. (See below)
@vivan: They are 1A chargers, but they should still work. They don't charge at all. The 500ma Blackberry charger I'm using here at work will charge it in about 8 hours.
Ironically the move to almost-universal micro usb chargers has made the market for them even worse. Now, instead of having to buy a new charger every time you buy a new phone, you have to buy a dozen different chargers till you find one that actually works. Like I said, I didn't try to cheap out. I got a high quality charger.

qoncept said:
@soldeus: There's nothing wrong with my tablet. The OEM charger works fine and some of my generic chargers work, they just don't have the current. (See below)
@vivan: They are 1A chargers, but they should still work. They don't charge at all. The 500ma Blackberry charger I'm using here at work will charge it in about 8 hours.
Ironically the move to almost-universal micro usb chargers has made the market for them even worse. Now, instead of having to buy a new charger every time you buy a new phone, you have to buy a dozen different chargers till you find one that actually works. Like I said, I didn't try to cheap out. I got a high quality charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OEM charger is 2A for a reason. Because the tablet uses more power, it needs more current to charge at a fast pace.
Your generic 1A chargers are probably just enough to keep the tablet powered on, without draining (or charging) the battery.
If you can find a 2A universal charger, it should work just like the OEM one.

reiji said:
The OEM charger is 2A for a reason. Because the tablet uses more power, it needs more current to charge at a fast pace.
Your generic 1A chargers are probably just enough to keep the tablet powered on, without draining (or charging) the battery.
If you can find a 2A universal charger, it should work just like the OEM one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, my 1A chargers are doing NOTHING at all. I plug it in and the charging icon doesn't come on. Reviews have tested these chargers at about 950ma and as I said, my 500ma Blackberry charger isn't too bad.. It's not lack of power, it's something else.
My guess is it has whatever resistor it needs to make it an "ipad" charger. And the vast majority of 2A chargers will, too.
So.. back to my original question: what do I need to do to make this charger charge my tablet? I KNOW it's possible. I just need to find the guy who can tell me how.

I also need a charger for my car, my usb power adapter in the car does not work, need to know what car charger will work as this tablet is supposed to be my car stereo replacement, sucks having to bring your stereo in to charge it and hope it lasts till you get done work

I bought the Scosche dual 10 Watt car charger, isn't here yet though. It does say it wont charge the Samsung tablets, maybe due to the proprietary cord because apparently there is a cord that works with them. It's not a specific ipad charger and does say it works with Android devices and tablets.
On a side note, what's the best way to determine what your N7 is actually charging at?

Both of my generic chargers won't work either, a 2.1A generic iPad charger, and a 1A standard USB charger. Considering it WILL charge off a 500ma USB port, it's not a current/amperage issue, it's a software/proprietary hardware issue.

b22ri22an said:
I also need a charger for my car, my usb power adapter in the car does not work, need to know what car charger will work as this tablet is supposed to be my car stereo replacement, sucks having to bring your stereo in to charge it and hope it lasts till you get done work
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Click to collapse
I use a verizon branded car charger to charge my N7 but I think they charge $30 for it at the vzw store.

I suggest you read this page as it may have some info to help you modify your charger:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/icharge.html

neilrl79 said:
I use a verizon branded car charger to charge my N7 but I think they charge $30 for it at the vzw store.
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Click to collapse
the cost isn't so much the issue, its the actually working part. do they have one with an angled micro usb so i can mount the tablet in the car properly or preferably a usb adapter one where i can use my own cord

For $30 you could order a handful of different ones on ebay or monoprice and find something that works. But I want a dual charger.

grim82 said:
I suggest you read this page as it may have some info to help you modify your charger:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/icharge.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does that mean a usb adapter that is certified to work with an ipad will work for my n7

b22ri22an said:
does that mean a usb adapter that is certified to work with an ipad will work for my n7
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Click to collapse
I won't say 100% but I would bet the probability is very high. For the 1A charging they all seemed to play the same game with the voltage on the data lines. Not sure you'll get 2A but you'll at least get 1A.
Edit... maybe not, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1781680

I have a philips as351 audio dock that pushes 2A out of the micro-usb charger and the usb port on the back and neither will charge the N7. Bummer because it looks so nice on the dock to

Car Charger For Nexus6

Hello,
I have the following charger in my car. Can I use it to charge my Nexus6 ?
It has 10 Watts per port, 2 X 2.1A, 5V (voltage not sure).
http://www.belkin.com/my/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=652450
Please suggest.
Thanks.

Why do you think you couldn't use it?
Sent from my Nexus 6

imnuts said:
Why do you think you couldn't use it?
Sent from my Nexus 6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought of checking with you, if the output of that belkin (current, voltage etc.) matches with the Nexus6. I understand that the phone will draw only the current that it needs (1.6A) from the charger. But not sure about the Voltage. It doesn't show the voltage in the specs also. So is the Nexus6 support all ranges of voltage - 5V, 9V and 12V ?
Please suggest.
Thanks.

Well if it is a standard USB connection on the charger and works with other devices, you can bet that it is 5v.

graydiggy said:
Well if it is a standard USB connection on the charger and works with other devices, you can bet that it is 5v.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, mostly. I have this charger with me and don't want to buy another one, and I have 2 phones to charge while travelling in the car.
One question: Whether the Nexus6 support all ranges of voltage - 5V, 9V and 12V ? I have seen them printed on the inner side of the Turbo Charger. But want to know more about how it works.
Thanks.

The 9V/12V on the standard charger are for Qualcomm's Quick Charge. The phone will charge from a standard computer USB port outputting 5V/500mA (albeit very slowly) if you wanted to. The phone will draw as much power as the charger can output for a given voltage, up to the limits programmed into the kernel for the charging chip. Either the charger or the phone could be the rate limiter, but any charger that you can have a microUSB connection to plug into the phone should work.

A Google Engineer is reviewing USB Type C Cables for adherence to the USB Spec

Google Plus Link:
https://plus.google.com/+BensonLeung/posts/LH4PPgVrKVN
Amazon link to reviews
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member...isplay=public&page=1&sort_by=MostRecentReview
This could be a great reference tool to make sure you get a properly working, up to spec cable.
I got a value priced USB-C <-> USB A cable, but fortunately I'm just using it for quick data syncs to a laptop. I think I'll hold off on getting another one that I'd use with a charger until more of his reviews come out.

Good info in there, spotted this doing the rounds earlier.
Also worth noting that he is essentially saying that USB A to C cables should never charge at 3A, but only from 0.5A to 2.4A via "Default USB Power".
So, people looking for A->C cables specifically for 3A could be risking the health of their charger&/device.

Its not the device thats in any danger just to clear this up, its only the charger and a ton of other fail safes would have to fail as well. The likely hood of anything happening is practically nill! You can also pretty much thank OnePlus for this as all the cables that aren't in compliance basically copied the OnePlus 2's USB-C cable as it was the first one out and unfortunately the OP cable doesn't meet the standard lol I have been using the Orzly multipack with my OnePlus 2 for months and since last week on my Nexus 6P no issues. Personally i think its all been blown out of the water!

PhoenixTank said:
Also worth noting that he is essentially saying that USB A to C cables should never charge at 3A, but only from 0.5A to 2.4A via "Default USB Power".
So, people looking for A->C cables specifically for 3A could be risking the health of their charger&/device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was the biggest takeaway for me as well. I didn't know 3A wasn't possible with Type A to C. Good to know.

This one was given to me to test and review. It has a stated max of 2.1A which falls under the correct spec as described for type-C to type-A.
http://www.amazon.com/TechMatte%C2%AE-Charging-Google-OnePlus-Zenpad/dp/B01706YAXY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
I was able to get it to report up to a max of 2.2A with a 2.4A charger in the Ampere app which goes over its rated max spec. Not sure if that is perfectly accurate though.

I have the one plus cable. Is my device at risk? I couldn't care less about the crappy old 1.5v Samsung wall adapter it is attached to.
Is the only thing at risk is my old, useless wall adapter? If that's the case I will probably keep using the one plus cable.
Sent from my Nexus 5X

_jordan_ said:
I have the one plus cable. Is my device at risk? I couldn't care less about the crappy old 1.5v Samsung wall adapter it is attached to.
Is the only thing at risk is my old, useless wall adapter? If that's the case I will probably keep using the one plus cable.
Sent from my Nexus 5X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds as if the charger, hub, USB ports, etc are what's at risk. Not the phone. Apparently the phone tries to pull 3 amps and if the device on the other end isn't rated to do so, then it can get damaged.

Hmm. I thought the usb type A connection couldn't do 3 amps. Even if the charger were rated for three amps, would the cable be able to transmit that much?
Also, can anyone else confirm if the phone is at risk, or just the cable and wall adapter/pc port?
Sent from my Nexus 5X

From an electrical standpoint the phone is not at risk. Everything else in the chain is potentially at risk of failure or even fire.

Darkknight512 said:
From an electrical standpoint the phone is not at risk. Everything else in the chain is potentially at risk of failure or even fire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep - I'm scared of these cables flaunting faulty USB standards. Nothing worse than burning your place down!

minnemike said:
This one was given to me to test and review. It has a stated max of 2.1A which falls under the correct spec as described for type-C to type-A.
http://www.amazon.com/TechMatte%C2%AE-Charging-Google-OnePlus-Zenpad/dp/B01706YAXY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
I was able to get it to report up to a max of 2.2A with a 2.4A charger in the Ampere app which goes over its rated max spec. Not sure if that is perfectly accurate though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering the techmatte usb converter failed the test, I'd expect the cables do as well.

dg4prez said:
Considering the techmatte usb converter failed the test, I'd expect the cables do as well.
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Click to collapse
IF you look at the specs, they state the cable max is 2.1A not 3A... so for whatever reason, my advanced smart charger had some sort of pullup and wasnt tricked with its connection into a 3A draw. Would be nice if it were tested though. From all my tests, I could never get it to go as high as 2.4A with a 2.4A chrager... Ampere only reported 2.2A which is within range of its stated max of 2.1a give or take for Ampere reporting error.
All that said, Benson stated that this is only likely an issue for anyone using these cables to charge from an older source, like a PC or old charger and that newer chargers all likely have brownout safety that simply shuts the charger down until it cools off, in which case you should see Ampere report the charger starting and stopping continually during the charge cycle.

Does this mean I should stop using my techmatte adapters?
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Ugh, got the OnePlus cable and power adapter (wall charger). Any recommendations for a proper power adapter or would it not matter?

DustinDep said:
Its not the device thats in any danger just to clear this up, its only the charger and a ton of other fail safes would have to fail as well. The likely hood of anything happening is practically nill! You can also pretty much thank OnePlus for this as all the cables that aren't in compliance basically copied the OnePlus 2's USB-C cable as it was the first one out and unfortunately the OP cable doesn't meet the standard lol I have been using the Orzly multipack with my OnePlus 2 for months and since last week on my Nexus 6P no issues. Personally i think its all been blown out of the water!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's nothing being blown out of the water here. Non SPEC cables should not be used in non quick charge USB hubs. And the likelihood of something happening is way above nil. There are already people reporting that their charging hubs are failing from using out of spec cables to charge their devices.
If you have an out of spec cable, its safe to use in a quick charge hub. It's not wise to use it in an old galaxy S3 charger..

danthepan124 said:
Does this mean I should stop using my techmatte adapters?
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the charger and what sort of performance you are experiencing, but for sure DO NOT use with a standard USB port on a PC or any older chargers.
IF I were you, I would get the Ampere app running and see if the charging cycle drops off and then restarts frequently and then also check to see how hot the charger is getting. IF you have a smart(er) charger, it will likely sense the amp overage and shut itself down until cooling off.

misscz said:
Ugh, got the OnePlus cable and power adapter (wall charger). Any recommendations for a proper power adapter or would it not matter?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your fine with that combo OnePlus designed them to go together!

I have the spigen C to A cables. They're hit or miss when plugged into my 2.1 A car charger, Sometimes it works sometimes nothing.

minnemike said:
Depends on the charger and what sort of performance you are experiencing, but for sure DO NOT use with a standard USB port on a PC or any older chargers.
IF I were you, I would get the Ampere app running and see if the charging cycle drops off and then restarts frequently and then also check to see how hot the charger is getting. IF you have a smart(er) charger, it will likely sense the amp overage and shut itself down until cooling off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would assume no matter what adapter you use and as long as you don't care charge time, as long as phone is showing "charging slowly", we should be safe from issues right?
Since the current would be so low and should stay within most chargers' range.
It's only when phone shows "charging rapidly", we should be concerned if phone is drawing more current than adapter was designed to do.

ubcjack said:
I would assume no matter what adapter you use and as long as you don't care charge time, as long as phone is showing "charging slowly", we should be safe from issues right?
Since the current would be so low and should stay within most chargers' range.
It's only when phone shows "charging rapidly", we should be concerned if phone is drawing more current than adapter was designed to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't confirm if the messaging reliably tells you what is happening with your charger. IF your charger is in process of melting and catching fire, I suppose it could report as "charging slowly" at the same time for a while. I guess it is also possible that messaging means it has negotiated a default basic low amp USB handshake. An app like Ampere might be abkle to show you if it is steady and low vs overheating and shutting down, cooling and then trying to start again.

Samsung charger vs Nexus 5X, need a little help/advice!

Hello guys. I use a standard 5V 2.0A charger at work with the original Samsung micro USB cable, I also have a Xiaomi type-C converter. Most of the times my Nexus 5X says charging rapidly! So my question is, is it safe to use? Can it harm my device? Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

It won't hurt it, in fact it'll charge slower. So should create less heat and be better for it. Use ampere to check actual rates. The Nexus 5x c to c charger is rated higher than that. Slower is rarely ever bad, faster can be the issue
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

No it won't but stock charger is more powerful (2.0 A vs 3.0 A)

I use a Samsung charger with a Type A to type C cable for overnight charging as I don't need it to charge rapidly while I'm sleeping. My cable is certified to comply with the standards though. Don't know if that Xiaomi type-C converter is or needs to be.

As said by @ideaman924, if it says Charging Rapidly, there's problem. Phone thinks it's connected to full-fledged USB Type-C cable which can handle more current than your microUSB cable with converter on the end (3A vs 2A).
AFAIK, it means there's bad/missing resistor in converter and thus it is NOT safe to use. And definitely not safe to charge with all night.
Example: For overnight charging I use Samsung's 5V 1A charger with Anker' a USB A to USB Type-C cable and phone says only Charging. However, when connected to stock Type-C to Type-C charger, it says "Charging Rapidly". That's how it should work.
So, head over to Amazon and buy ONLY Benson Leung certified cable. If you don't know him, Google his name -- he tests USB Type-C cables and made spreadsheet.

Where did you get that Samsung charger from? I had that same issue but it was with a 2.0a Samsung charger that came from Amazon that ended up being a fake, as with almost all the "genuine OEM" chargers sold on eBay/amazon. On a regular tablet it would output just under 2a. (I measured it once something like 1.88 or something IIRC) However, once connected to a co-workers 5X though it said charging rapidly and got very hot very quickly. It got binned after that. I don't use cheap chargers anymore.
Dont know if yours is a fake or not, but if you didn't get it with a new phone, I'd be suspect of it.

I prefer using the original one since boot loop issues
if your phone explode don't blame the LG