Power for Touchpad - TouchPad Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

My touchpad charger is starting to smell like smoke and make loud crackling sounds. Probably not a good thing.
The interesting thing is that I once read this super-in-depth technical comparison of the touchpad charger with a bunch of other chargers, and the touchpad charger was leagues beyond them in quality. Yet it is the only charger I've ever owned that has developed obvious problems.
The wireless charger is too expensive for me, although it is tempting.
Does anyone know if it is fine to power the touchpad with a more generic wired power supply?
I bought this on sale for $12.99: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-2-outlet-surge-protector/5741111.p
But I'm afraid to plug in the touchpad to its USB port (using the original touchpad USB cable) because it is 5V / 2.1 Amp and the touchpad original wired charger is 5.3V / 2.0 Amp.
My amazing math skills tell me that is not enough V and too much A. If that matters, I dunno. All I know is I don't want anything catching on fire or anything breaking. Also since the touchpad battery is not really removable, I don't want to do anything that will reduce its lifespan.
Whaddaya think?

rockpaperlizard said:
My touchpad charger is starting to smell like smoke and make loud crackling sounds. Probably not a good thing.
The interesting thing is that I once read this super-in-depth technical comparison of the touchpad charger with a bunch of other chargers, and the touchpad charger was leagues beyond them in quality. Yet it is the only charger I've ever owned that has developed obvious problems.
The wireless charger is too expensive for me, although it is tempting.
Does anyone know if it is fine to power the touchpad with a more generic wired power supply?
I bought this on sale for $12.99: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-2-outlet-surge-protector/5741111.p
But I'm afraid to plug in the touchpad to its USB port (using the original touchpad USB cable) because it is 5V / 2.1 Amp and the touchpad original wired charger is 5.3V / 2.0 Amp.
My amazing math skills tell me that is not enough V and too much A. If that matters, I dunno. All I know is I don't want anything catching on fire or anything breaking. Also since the touchpad battery is not really removable, I don't want to do anything that will reduce its lifespan.
Whaddaya think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use a generic charger similar to what you describe without a problem. Expect it to take longer to charge, however.

The Volts and Amps are no problem, the issue is how fussy the touchpad is, it's seriously picky and complains at most chargers.

You never want to go over on volts, so a little under is fine. Amps, the device will only use what it is spec'd for so you are good there but you really want at least 2. The Touchpad can be picky. People will spout the "Only stock chargers will work" myth until their faces turn blue. Then you use TPChargeTest to show them it is working and they will blow it off saying that it anomalous or some other nonsense.
Download the app I linked and run it while charging. You currentnow and currentlimit will tell you how the device is charging on the charger you are testing. Ideally the currentnow when charging will say 2000ma which means you are charging at full capacity and the currentlimit will show a positive number. If I remember correctly it has to show at least 1200ma to actually charge the TP, while on, and it will be slow. Any time the currentlimit shows a negative the unit is draining, not charging.

I've successfully charged the Touchpad with a Nexus 7 charger and my HTC phone charger. Just make sure that the charger is from a reputable source (i.e not ebay).

Related

Charger Behaviour for Nexus 7 on Griffin Dual USB PowerJolt

I have this Griffin Dual USB PowerJolt Car Charger and its been working perfectly on all my devices, Playbook, Blackberry 9900, Samsung Galaxy S3, iPhone 3G, iPad 2 and many others but for some reason, this charger just don't want to work with my Nexus 7. I don't know why its so picky and wondering if you guys could help me identify the problem and preferably with a good working solution.
I tried opening it up and follow the advice from http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-m...m_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0&isremote=0. Both pins are already been soldered together but the Nexus still isn't charging!!
This makes me wonder where's the USB standard? How are some device / chargers so picky? What did the manufacturers do to prevent charging on other devices or charging through a non compatible charger?
- Charles
You may get flamed for this question because chargers have been discussed a LOT in this particular forum. It seems that none of the discussions show up on the first page at the moment.
Do some searching here for chargers but let me refer you to one of the better threads: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1791717
short/y said:
You may get flamed for this question because chargers have been discussed a LOT in this particular forum. It seems that none of the discussions show up on the first page at the moment.
Do some searching here for chargers but let me refer you to one of the better threads: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1791717
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot. I did read up all the posting regarding the USB charging issue on the N7 but I still can't find the answers. I read about people having the Griffin PowerJolt and not able to charge their device.
After downloading the Battery Monitor Widget and plugging to my Griffin PowerJolt (short D+, D-), the device is charging (estimate: 384mA) but still not showing as charging. It shows Discharging and Unplugged. I don't think its the USB cable since the cable works on my PC.
So what causes this issue?
- Charles
Your answer is here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29983624#post29983624
It doesn't matter why, just that your Griffin does not do a good job of charging. If you want more either buy oem or any charger designed to work with Samsung, those devices should work better.
Troute said:
Your answer is here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29983624#post29983624
It doesn't matter why, just that your Griffin does not do a good job of charging. If you want more either buy oem or any charger designed to work with Samsung, those devices should work better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I still blame on the N7 for being so "picky" since the Griffin USB charger charges ALL devices, including iPad, Playbook, Samsung S3, iPhone and Blackberry but just not N7.
- Charles
chaddeus said:
I guess I still blame on the N7 for being so "picky" since the Griffin USB charger charges ALL devices, including iPad, Playbook, Samsung S3, iPhone and Blackberry but just not N7.
- Charles
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, the Nexus 7 is picky. No question about it. But your chargert *does* charge your Nexus 7, the Nexus just doesn't indicate it's charging.
Personally, I bought two KMASHI chargers from Amazon. It's a 5V 2A charger and it works great. Charges at greater than 1Ah and the N7 indicates it's charging. Won't charge an iPad but it works for me. The one I bought is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008XQYH1G but it shows as unavailable now. I suspect the other KMASHI chargers will work the same, though.
short/y said:
Yep, the Nexus 7 is picky. No question about it. But your chargert *does* charge your Nexus 7, the Nexus just doesn't indicate it's charging.
Personally, I bought two KMASHI chargers from Amazon. It's a 5V 2A charger and it works great. Charges at greater than 1Ah and the N7 indicates it's charging. Won't charge an iPad but it works for me. The one I bought is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008XQYH1G but it shows as unavailable now. I suspect the other KMASHI chargers will work the same, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It charges it but its slow. Being rated at 1A, its can only charge at 300mA+ so its rather disappointing plus the charging isn't consistent. Sometimes when I plug in, it will charge, sometimes not so its another disappointment. But I guess I quickly adapt it and don't bother too much now.
I can still use my in car Head Unit with a build in USB port. At least I am getting 400mA+ and it shows as charging so I am ok
- Charles
Ive been recommending this Sprint 2A dual usb charger to everyone. Its a OEM charger so you can expect a high quality product that works as it should and it puts out the required juice to rapidly charge the N7. It also has the added benefit of doubling as a wall charger. Ive had mines for about a week so I can confirm it does indeed work! http://www.ebay.com/itm/130712043019?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_1459wt_1399
Hey All.. I looked forever to find a solution. The Targus 2A car charger has a small (3") adapter cable that comes with it purportedly for Galaxy Tab. That little cable with the data wires shorted on the device end allows the N7 to be charged from ANY 2A car charger. I'm using the adapter with a Scosche dual 2.1 Amp Car Charger
Adapter picture
Targus Charger
Edit: I just built a usb cable with the data wires shorted on the Nexus end (cut, strip, short micro usb end green and white, remake connections red to red and black to black, insulate splices individually, wrap all in electrical tape or heat shrink for strength and beauty) and it works with all chargers. Took about 20 minutes.

Criteria for charging amps

Hi,
Does anyone know why it is such a god damn crapshoot for charging speeds on the galaxy note 2 (or any samsung device for that matter).'
You buy a charger rated for 2amps and you never know what it will give you.
You buy a USB micro cable and get anywhere between 0.4amps and 1.6amps.
What is the criteria that the phone is using to determine how many amps to pull from the charger? How does it even know what gauge of wire it is? Is there some sort of resistance check?
I have a Galaxy Note 10.1 and that is even more particular than the GN2. With most aftermarket chargers, it absolutely refuses to charge. I've had so much trouble finding a charger for it I've just stopped using the tablet since I only have one working charger for it.
It really sucks spending anywhere between $2-$30 dollars on a charger and not knowing if it will work. My success rate has been less than 10%.
I try to do forum and google searches, but all I seem to find are comments like "I bought this charger. Seems to work." With no detailed information on what performance they are getting out of it.
This is really turning me off samsung products. I don't have this problem with my HTC or LG android devices.
I don't know why you have problems, I have 2 samsung devices (phones) and I chare them with their original chargers, charger from Nexus 7 and my old charger from Desire HD and all work just fine... ofcourse, the original one is the fastest, since it is 2A, HTC one is 750mA and Ativ S one is 500mA, N7 one is 1A....
dalanik said:
I don't know why you have problems,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You kind of answer this for yourself, as follows:
dalanik said:
I have 2 samsung devices (phones) and I chare them with their original chargers, charger from Nexus 7 and my old charger from Desire HD and all work just fine... ofcourse, the original one is the fastest, since it is 2A, HTC one is 750mA and Ativ S one is 500mA, N7 one is 1A....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your stock charger is 2A. (about 1.5-2 hours to charge)
Your HTC charger is 750mA (about 4-5 hours to charge)
Your ATV charger is 500mA (no better than a computer port. 6-8 hours to charge)
This was my point. This IS my problem. Obviously the stock charger works at 2A, but with any other charger it is anyones guess as to what speeds you're going to get out of it. Even when they are specified to work at 2A, you are likely not going to get 2A out of it. The phone is so bloody fickle.
If there was some benchmark or specific set of criteria I could use when I purchase a new charger to know for certain if it will charge at 2A, then that would mitigate some of the problem at least. But right now, there is none as far as I can tell. When I purchase a charger, I literally have no idea if it will run at 2A with this phone.
I'm glad that you're not bothered by the slow charging speeds and are happy with <1A. I'm sure this works well for most people. It doesn't for me. I push my phone to the max (as I have every right to) and need a charger that can keep up.
Well, charging slowly is different to what you say i.e. "refusing to charge at all" etc. And of course I don't use Ativ's charger to charge N2 often, it would take ages But I use HTC's charger that is 750mA and it charges within 2 hours which is OK.
Anyways, the only solution for you is to buy BRANDED charger from a company you can trust not some cheap chinese, t should work just fine whether it gives 2A or 1.9A is really no big difference.
dalanik said:
Well, charging slowly is different to what you say i.e. "refusing to charge at all" etc. And of course I don't use Ativ's charger to charge N2 often, it would take ages But I use HTC's charger that is 750mA and it charges within 2 hours which is OK.
Anyways, the only solution for you is to buy BRANDED charger from a company you can trust not some cheap chinese, t should work just fine whether it gives 2A or 1.9A is really no big difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, there are chargers that refuse to work. Especially with the Galaxy Note 10.1.
Cheap ebay chargers are a crapshoot, that much goes without saying. But there are many brand-name chargers that don't work at full speed, despite being rated for 2A.
Its not so much a charger thing as a samsung thing. While I'm not able to find specific criteria as to how/why the phone decides to charge at the speed it does (which is really the only question I had with this thread), I can tell you that there are many brand name products (monoprice, anker, ngear, etc) that are rated for 2A, but will not run at 2A with the samsung. They will usually run at 2A with other products though.
The more research I do, the more I highly suspect that this is a case of Samsung propriety. It looks like that they are deliberately throttling aftermarket chargers to force you to buy their overpriced samsung chargers. As I understand it, it has something to do with creating a voltage divider between two of the contacts, but every diagram I find shows a different wiring scheme. This would indicate that no one really knows for sure.
The one and ONLY question I have with this thread is to find out what criteria the N7100 uses to determine how much amperage to draw. I remain confident that no one will answer this question because it seems no one knows.
For the Note 2: there is a way to get a simple measurement of how much current is being pulled. Refer to this thread for the apk and more info.
alpha-niner64 said:
For the Note 2: there is a way to get a simple measurement of how much current is being pulled. Refer to this thread for the apk and more info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting this. I suppose I should have mentioned that I have this app already and it is incredibly useful. I also have this, which with only a few bizarre exceptions, reports the same as the app.
The more people who are aware of this app, the better. People who think that their aftermarket charger "works fine for me" are probably unaware of how much those chargers are under-performing.
I don't have the education to explain your situation your situation well. But it boils down the electrical engineering the the physics of electricity.
There are quite a few variables that all effect the charging of devices. First thing is what does the device require for charge input, which is both amps and voltage. For whatever reason, quite a few tablets require 15 volts versus 5, which is what most mobile phones need. I have this same issue with my ASUS Transformer Infinity pad. It requires 2.0amps with 15 volts. I have a Galaxy Note II with needs 2.0amps with 5 volts. Unfortunately, when I use my phone charger with the tablet, it puts out enough to trigger a charger is plugged in (turns on tablet if it is off), but not enough to trigger there is actual charging. It does charge it, but it's a trickle charge; basically if it using while plugged in, it only slows the battery depletion rate.
As for the charge output, now you're getting into build quality, resistance of the components of the charger itself and the USB cable being used.
And then depending the device, the pins used on the USB cable can have an effect too. This mostly occurs with tablets or proprietary cables because the pins may tell the hardware what kind of charger is being used, which may have built in limits for charging.
Hopefully that helps some.
lovekeiiy said:
I don't have the education to explain your situation your situation well. But it boils down the electrical engineering the the physics of electricity.
There are quite a few variables that all effect the charging of devices. First thing is what does the device require for charge input, which is both amps and voltage. For whatever reason, quite a few tablets require 15 volts versus 5, which is what most mobile phones need. I have this same issue with my ASUS Transformer Infinity pad. It requires 2.0amps with 15 volts. I have a Galaxy Note II with needs 2.0amps with 5 volts. Unfortunately, when I use my phone charger with the tablet, it puts out enough to trigger a charger is plugged in (turns on tablet if it is off), but not enough to trigger there is actual charging. It does charge it, but it's a trickle charge; basically if it using while plugged in, it only slows the battery depletion rate.
As for the charge output, now you're getting into build quality, resistance of the components of the charger itself and the USB cable being used.
And then depending the device, the pins used on the USB cable can have an effect too. This mostly occurs with tablets or proprietary cables because the pins may tell the hardware what kind of charger is being used, which may have built in limits for charging.
Hopefully that helps some.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That last part is correct. I actually know enough about electrical circuits to be pretty sure it is the phone deciding how much power to pull.
Ohms law states that the amperage of a circuit is the voltage of the circuit devided by the resistance (in ohms).
USB circuits are almost universally 5 volts. I remember reading somewhere that a phone has a potentiometer that protects it from circuits of incorrect voltage, up to a certain amount. This is probably why you can get away with sticking a 15V charger onto your phone and not blowing it up. You cannot depend on this however. Generally, you do not want to stick a charger into your device that is a different voltage rating than what the charger is rated for.
The charger decides the voltage, using an internal device that changes AC voltage (120VAC if youre american) to 5VDC (USB) or whatever your device needs. This device is called a rectifier.
As stated above, the charger decides the voltage. The battery determines the resistance*, therefore the amperage is the natural result of deviding the voltage by the resistance.
*Resistance is added to the circuit by the wire and the charger itself, but is usually inconsequential.
When a charger says that it is rated for a certain amperage, that means that it is the maximum amount of current that thr internal components can handle safely, without running the risk of earth-shattering kabooms (fire). If the circuit you have connected to your charger contains too little resistance, you will increase the amperage (ohms law, as stated above), and you may end up with a piece of charcoal where your charger used to be.
Thr fact that the samaung phones can change the amperage of a charging circuit so fickly must mean the phone is capable of changing its resistance. So the question becomes, what criteria is it using to determine when to change the resistancr and to what?
-PW
This may be the longest thing ive ever typed on my phone.
I'm not disagreeing since, as you said, the mobile device manufactures have build in some safe guards so we don't fry them from incorrect chargers or over charging.
But there are charges that are 15v. I've have one that came with my ASUS Transformer Infinity Pad. I think many Samsung tablets are in the same boat. I don't recall using that charger on any of my smartphones; if I have, it's only been once or twice, but good possibility I may never have. But as stated earlier, I have used my phone chargers on the tablet, but only does a trickle charge. That tablet has some wide input plug at the end of the USB cord. I'm thinking one of the pins must not get enough power to trigger the full charge. Yet, if I use my Anker external battery, set it to 15v, and a few adapters, it triggers the normal charge cycle.
Don't forget,phones such as Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3, use 11pin microUSB ports versus the standard 5. I have no idea what all pins do or trigger, My assumption, part of your answer why the charge output varies lies with how they're use the other pins. I know quite a few tablets have more than 5 pins since the USB port is some wide thing; the ASUS does because it carries data and power for the separate keyboard that can be attached to be a suedo-laptop that has USB ports, battery and full 104 key keyboard; I don't recall what other ports the attachment may have.
I still hold that part of charge difference is also the USB cord itself since difference materials have difference resistance. It may not be as significant as the charger itself, but I've seen significant differences in charging times or depletion rates (around 10% battery per hour) using MHL adapters purely on the USB cables.
Yes, typing out long replies on the phone's virtual keyboard blows monkey chunks. Thus, I use a blue tooth keyboard instead for those situations. I also have a blue tooth mouse, LOL.

Possible unable to charge fix??

Just experiencing the drain of death...
Backstory:
Bought this tablet at a pawnshop and battery was dead for 10$.
Came home and recently had pulled a pile of USB chargers out of the dumpster.
Plugged it into random charger.
Let sit for couple hours, got battery ? sign.
Left over night, battery with critical red sign.
Left another day and almost 35% charged and then was able to turn on.
Corrupted android install and rescue.
Few days of searching, found all the webdoctor files, update script, restored, upgraded to latest webos.
Added PAC-ROM 4.4.4, ran great.
Upgraded to 5.1? Ran like crap and then horrible battery drain.
Left it alone for a few days and died all the way.
The fun part:
Wouldn't charge. Tried 5 different USB chargers, all 2A. No sign of life at all.
Start to think back over the steps and realized...I hadn't tried the first charger I used!
Pulled it off my raspberry Pi cause I knew it was a 2Amp.
Plugged in the tablet. INSTANT BUTTON LIGHT!!!
Left overnight. Hard Reset gets me ? battery logo. Still charging and waiting.....
Differences:
Samsung Galaxy USB Charger - 2Amp 5.3V!
Reports online say some put out as much as 5.6. Most agree the battery charge circuit will regulate the excessive voltage down on 95% of devices.
You can find them online for 5$. Someone else try a 5.3v charger and confirm this.
Explains why my Raspberry was running hot as well..
Haha my sister just asked if she could use my HP touchpad, couldn't find the charger, my Samsung Note 3 charger will get it going, but once it dies dies and I plug it in, it will need a solid 20 minutes before I can get it to hit 0 percent and turn on. I just ended up buying some chargers and cables based on TheWireCutter website that has a ton of information about both chargers and cables... seriously I ended up spending probably nearly an hour looking at just different micro usb cables (they are not all made equal) obviously length of the cable and gauge can affect the max amp it can put through... ended up buying EZOPower Extra Long 6ft Black Micro-USB. Even though they didn't have the highest rating in terms of consistent amp the only better ones were 3 foot long cables, and I really wanted the 6ft. For charger I got Anker 24W 4.8A 5V charger with 2 usb, which makes each one output 2.4A 5V and 12W with a high reliability. So I'll see if 5V will make it haha.
The stock HP charger than comes with the Touchpad is 5.3v...
I find that for the BEST and fastest charge, you need to hit that sweet spot of 5.3V. Anything that puts out less will take practically an eternity or not charge at all really.
darranwil said:
...[-SNIP-]... Samsung Galaxy USB Charger - 2Amp 5.3V!
Reports online say some put out as much as 5.6. Most agree the battery charge circuit will regulate the excessive voltage down on 95% of devices.
You can find them online for 5$. Someone else try a 5.3v charger and confirm this. ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
theronkinator said:
The stock HP charger than comes with the Touchpad is 5.3v...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, theronkinator is correct about the voltage ratings.
My perception is that the TouchPad is a picky eater when it comes to chargers and USB cables -- even more-so in webOS than Android. I suspect webOS is coded to fight, resist, or flat-out refuse connection with any charger that doesn't precisely match the current and voltage specs of the HP charger. Apple seems to be the same way.
Keep in mind that the USB cable can play an equally-important role in the charging circuit. Some of the cheap USB cables are wired for charging only. I recall reading something years back that the original HP TP cable was wired differently from standard USB cables. I think it had something to do with resistance across certain pins, but I'm not sure.
It's a sad fact of e-waste that more than a few HP TPs and iPads have found their way into land fills, just because the owner used the wrong charger and/or USB cable and then blamed the tablet for not charging.
---------- Post added at 06:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:53 PM ----------
As I said in the above post, there is a physical difference in the HP TP USB cable. Details, courtesy mpgrimm2, can be found here.

Can I use my S6's Fast Charger with my N6?

Also can I use the S6 cable with the dash charge brick? Thanks in advance!
I'm careless with the chargers I use - slow charging with my N6, fast charging with my N5/N10 - and never have any problems. It looks as if each device draws the charge it needs. Perhaps an electrical engineer could enlighten us both on the risks, if any?
I'm no electrical engineer, but @dahawthorne is correct. The phones only draw the amperage they actually need. It is possible to mix and match phones and chargers so long as the charger meets the amperage requirements. For example, I keep my N6 charger near my bed. If for some reason I need to charge up the N6 at my desk, I use my Galaxy S4 charger, which outputs 2 amps and is thus sufficient for the N6.
Where you would run into a problem though is if the charger you used didn't output sufficient amperage for the phone that was connected to it. For example, if instead of using my S4 charger I plugged in my Dell Streak charger which only outputs 1 amp. In that case, the charger would begin to heat up as it tried to compensate for the increased demand from the phone. After an unknown period of time in this state, the charger will either burn out, or cause a fire.
"the charger will either burn out, or cause a fire"
Now you're worrying me...
You should be. There is a reason why manufacturers don't recommend doing what we're discussing.
dahawthorne said:
"the charger will either burn out, or cause a fire"
Now you're worrying me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In EU chargers must have an overheat protection.
There have been publications that cheap chargers from China does not have such protection.
Mostly it concerns the 'smaller' type chargers.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Where you would run into a problem though is if the charger you used didn't output sufficient amperage for the phone that was connected to it. For example, if instead of using my S4 charger I plugged in my Dell Streak charger which only outputs 1 amp. In that case, the charger would begin to heat up as it tried to compensate for the increased demand from the phone. After an unknown period of time in this state, the charger will either burn out, or cause a fire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that's the case. If the charger is rated to supply 1A, it will supply 1A or less. I've used a 1A charger with my LG G2 and it never burned out or something. Unless that "uknown period of time" is a reaaally long time lol
Back to his question, my LG G2 charger supposedly supports Quick Charge 2.0 but my Nexus 6 only charges a 1.5A with it,same with my car charger with supplies up to 2.4A on each port. Then with the Motorola turbo charger, it goes up to like 2.3A. :'(
About the cable, of the cable worked at high amperage with the S6 charger, then it should as well with Nexus 6's charger
As I understand it with the n6, if you use a regular charger, the phone will only charge at the standard USB current, 500ma I believe. If using the turbo charger, or another Qualcomm 2.0 certified charger. Then you get the high wattage charging.
When I plug the phone into the laptop, it says charging very slowly. Leads me to believe there is some communication between the battery and charger...
I keep forgetting that smartphones are smarter than the other hand-held electronics I've dealt with since I was a kid. With normal electronics, they don't have a processor that can dynamically adjust to the amperage levels coming in from the charger. So, you connect an AC adapter to a device whose amperage requirements are greater than the maximum amperage of the adapter and, at best you end up with an overheated adapter and a device which may not function correctly. At worst, you end up with a house fire as the charger melts down.
However, while we all mix our devices and adapters, keep in mind that there are reasons why you shouldn't be doing this, according to the manufacturers. Damage to the device is one of those reasons, and damage to your home is another. If you're going to do it, you need to be careful, and you need to be aware of the potential pitfalls.
If you want to learn more, this article may be of help. If you don't want to read it, he summarizes his points at the end of the article, those points being as follows.
Make sure that the voltage matches as closely as possible.
Make sure that the new supply is rated to provide the same amperage or more.
Make sure that the connectors match, both in physical form and in polarity.
The last one doesn't apply as much to smartphones.

The Definitive Answer on Charging a HP Touchpad

Hello,
First time poster long time reader.
I have read 20 billion forums where people continually say that "everything charges a touchpad" and "nothing charges a touchpad but original charger"
we are 5 years after launch and crash. Judging by forum activity people still have and use their touchpads.
what charges a HP touchpad? Do you need a special cable? Do you need a special charger? can some one after all this time give the definitive answer?
I have read through many posts on this forum and multiple others and it seems this question has not be clearly answered.
im looking for a "only a hp charger" or "500v and 90a will do it" or "connect nipples to car battery and furiously tongue the charging port".
to understand why I am asking this question. I dont have my original charger and i dont want to pay $40 for an american charger ( I dont live in America) I use a 5v 2.1a phone charger and it gives me the "to reliably charge" screen.
YesApples said:
Hello,
First time poster long time reader.
I have read 20 billion forums where people continually say that "everything charges a touchpad" and "nothing charges a touchpad but original charger"
we are 5 years after launch and crash. Judging by forum activity people still have and use their touchpads.
what charges a HP touchpad? Do you need a special cable? Do you need a special charger? can some one after all this time give the definitive answer?
I have read through many posts on this forum and multiple others and it seems this question has not be clearly answered.
im looking for a "only a hp charger" or "500v and 90a will do it" or "connect nipples to car battery and furiously tongue the charging port".
to understand why I am asking this question. I dont have my original charger and i dont want to pay $40 for an american charger ( I dont live in America) I use a 5v 2.1a phone charger and it gives me the "to reliably charge" screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some are more picky than others, but I charge mine with any 5v, 2a charger. Time to fully charge varies, and if you use it while charging, it will not store much in the battery. Put it to sleep and let it charge until full.
So its more picky,
I am currently using a Belkin wallcharger that outputs 12w 2.4A. I have left my tablet plugged in and off for the last 24 hours and it wont turn on other then to tell me that to reliably charge I need the original charger. I have KK 4.4.4. Is this a typical charge time for these in other users experiances? how do we get it to charge with out an original cable or wallcharger?
I too would like to get to the bottom of this. I use the original charger and cable and from a dead battery takes a goot 15hrs before it boots up. The only indication its charging is the home button LED that flashed back and forth. I've tried 3rd party chargers and none work. I've tried 3rd party cables and none work.
theraque said:
I too would like to get to the bottom of this. I use the original charger and cable and from a dead battery takes a goot 15hrs before it boots up. The only indication its charging is the home button LED that flashed back and forth. I've tried 3rd party chargers and none work. I've tried 3rd party cables and none work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a well-known fact that allowing the battery to fully discharge is problematic at best, disastrous at worst. None of the chargers are reliable when this occurs. The simple answer is don't let the battery go below about 10% before recharging, or you may not recover your tablet without having to debrick it.
This has been my experience:
Any old charger and cable will charge a Touchpad so long as the battery isn't completely dead. If the battery is completely dead, then there is a way to get enough power to turn it on without needing the original charger or cable. You simply plug it into the USB port of any computer and let it sit. Let it sit for a long time. I let mine sit for a day before trying to power it back on.
YMMV, but I've had success with that method.
YesApples said:
Hello,
First time poster long time reader.
I have read 20 billion forums where people continually say that "everything charges a touchpad" and "nothing charges a touchpad but original charger"
we are 5 years after launch and crash. Judging by forum activity people still have and use their touchpads.
what charges a HP touchpad? Do you need a special cable? Do you need a special charger? can some one after all this time give the definitive answer?
I have read through many posts on this forum and multiple others and it seems this question has not be clearly answered.
im looking for a "only a hp charger" or "500v and 90a will do it" or "connect nipples to car battery and furiously tongue the charging port".
to understand why I am asking this question. I dont have my original charger and i dont want to pay $40 for an american charger ( I dont live in America) I use a 5v 2.1a phone charger and it gives me the "to reliably charge" screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right about the many discussions about what chargers work with the TouchPad and which ones don't. I have sat in on many of them as well as done some testing of my own. The rule of thumb is it is best to use the official HP TouchPad charger. HP for some reason made the charging circuits proprietary on the TouchPad so that if you use a third party charger rated the same as the official one, it will charge but only at the lowest rate of 500mA. You can also charge the TP from a PC usb port, but again it is rated at 500mA. The catch is the TP uses more than 500mA when awake, so to use one of these methods, the TP has to be put to sleep or be turned off and will charge very slowly. That being said, you may find a third party charger that will charge the TP at the higher rate, but they are rare. At one time I was aware of a user who was modifying USB cords so that you could use a third party charger. He used to have a thread on RootzWiki forum, but that that forum was pretty much destroyed by spammers and his thread was lost. He had instructions with pictures and parts lists. Also, keep in mind, any good USB cable will work with the original HP charger. It's the modification that he was making to the cable that tricked the TP into thinking it is connected to a real HP charger.
However, I did find this post from a fellow that knows the mod one needs to make to get a third party charger to work with a TP:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22990010&postcount=16
NT
PS. Here is a link to the entire thread if you want to read the whole thing, 4 pages: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1475537
nevertells2 said:
You are right about the many discussions about what chargers work with the TouchPad and which ones don't. I have sat in on many of them as well as done some testing of my own. The rule of thumb is it is best to use the official HP TouchPad charger. HP for some reason made the charging circuits proprietary on the TouchPad so that if you use a third party charger rated the same as the official one, it will charge but only at the lowest rate of 500mA. You can also charge the TP from a PC usb port, but again it is rated at 500mA. The catch is the TP uses more than 500mA when awake, so to use one of these methods, the TP has to be put to sleep or be turned off and will charge very slowly. That being said, you may find a third party charger that will charge the TP at the higher rate, but they are rare. At one time I was aware of a user who was modifying USB cords so that you could use a third party charger. He used to have a thread on RootzWiki forum, but that that forum was pretty much destroyed by spammers and his thread was lost. He had instructions with pictures and parts lists. Also, keep in mind, any good USB cable will work with the original HP charger. It's the modification that he was making to the cable that tricked the TP into thinking it is connected to a real HP charger.
However, I did find this post from a fellow that knows the mod one needs to make to get a third party charger to work with a TP:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22990010&postcount=16
NT
PS. Here is a link to the entire thread if you want to read the whole thing, 4 pages: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1475537
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have confirmed all that you have said and now know this to be the definitive answer, since OP I have purchased 12 chargers advertising different automatic charge regulation features such as belkin "smart" chargers, none would charge over 500ma which of course as we now know is not sufficient to use the TP and takes days to charge, not what i would call functional.
I made a messy hack job charger.. im definitively not great at that and between an accident prone wife and 2 small children, my end result wasnt good enough to let charge alone next to the couch or something.
Finally, while i did all this I had a HP charger on order with an American wall plug ( i live in western Australia so different plug and long postage time) this charger works as expected and in my research was the only functional way to charge the TP
THANKS TEAM. we got there in the end.
YesApples said:
I have confirmed all that you have said and now know this to be the definitive answer, since OP I have purchased 12 chargers advertising different automatic charge regulation features such as belkin "smart" chargers, none would charge over 500ma which of course as we now know is not sufficient to use the TP and takes days to charge, not what i would call functional.
I made a messy hack job charger.. im definitively not great at that and between an accident prone wife and 2 small children, my end result wasnt good enough to let charge alone next to the couch or something.
Finally, while i did all this I had a HP charger on order with an American wall plug ( i live in western Australia so different plug and long postage time) this charger works as expected and in my research was the only functional way to charge the TP
THANKS TEAM. we got there in the end.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
12 chargers! Holy Cow!!!! :laugh: I do remember that the guy who was building these cables purchased a USB connector and used surface mount resistors what he could fit inside the metal shell of the connector.
NT
Definitive answer... maybe...? 5.3+ volts and 2.0+ amps...?
YesApples said:
can some one after all this time give the definitive answer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In seeking the same answer as you I seem to have stumbled upon a couple options that explain the answer...
Here I wanted to post a "Screenshot of HP forum answer regarding HP Tablet charger reqs" but the forum bots won't allow it...
So the screenshot the i wanted to include above will not post properly, i'll explain... the screenshot showed a h30434.www3.hp com/t5/Tablets-and-Mobile-Devices-Archive-Read-Only/Need-a-charger-for-my-HP-10-2101-Tablet/td-p/5962461" post on the HP support forum of someone asking basically the same question... specifically about the HP 10 2101 Tablet... forum user "Wyrenut" (has over 16,000 posts on the HP support forum) states confidently;
You can find one at pretty much any computer/electronics store, or online at amazon com​It just needs to be rated for a tablet - providing at least 2.0 amps of DC current and at least 5.3 volts, and a micro-USB port on the tablet end.​"
This seems to check out thus far in this quest for tablet power because I was able to find in my adapter bin a 5.1 volts DC @ 2.4 amp charger with a micro-USB end and after hours of being plugged in, and that has failed to charge an HP TouchPad 32GB I recently acquired without a charger. So I am currently seeking an adapter that will satisfy "Wyrenut's" stated requirements for an HP Tablet charger and once I get my hands on one, we will have the definitive answer and I will followup on this thread as well.
Useful infos to include in the definitive answer...?
www makeuseof com/tag/hp-touchpad-probably-not-bricked/" HP TouchPad Not Charging? Don’t Worry, It’s Probably Not Bricked!
HUGE thead...
forums.webosnation com/hp-touchpad/311591-hp-touchpad-won-t-turn-charge-5.html" HP TouchPad won't turn on or charge
Along discussion regarding TouchPad charging problems though I don't think it resolves anything.. it's lot of opine... a lot...
forums.webosnation com/hp-touchpad/311491-how-i-revived-my-dead-touchpad-6.html"How I revived my dead TouchPad
and another...
forums.webosnation com/hp-touchpad/296106-touchpad-won-t-charge.html" Touchpad won't charge?
I'll try to remember to follow up on this when I finally find a charger that is 5.3+ volts and 2.0+ amps to report my findings...
Good luck...
You Must Be of my Ilk!
I like posting to moldy old Touchpad Threads too!
Would love to see what you find out if they actually go to 2 AMPS although I have 8 actual TP chargers and 6 docks.....the chargers have been known to fail after a time.
Lip Lip Lip
[email protected] said:
You Must Be of my Ilk!
I like posting to moldy old Touchpad Threads too!
Would love to see what you find out if they actually go to 2 AMPS although I have 8 actual TP chargers and 6 docks.....the chargers have been known to fail after a time.
Lip Lip Lip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know where I could obtain a TouchPad original charger? What charger exactly am I looking for? (I have never seen a real TP charger IRL)
Maybe you have some tips for what keywords I should search for on eBay?
Sanras said:
Do you know where I could obtain a TouchPad original charger? What charger exactly am I looking for? (I have never seen a real TP charger IRL)
Maybe you have some tips for what keywords I should search for on eBay?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.amazon.com/North-Americ...prefix=hp+touchpad+usb+charger,aps,136&sr=8-3
Wireless charger:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154667142566?epid=1234774932&hash=item2402e14da6:g:yzsAAOSw64Jhb6y5
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304026565204?epid=1234774932&hash=item46c9653a54:g:FiYAAOSwP4RgwFqE
https://www.ebay.com/itm/194688668828?epid=1234774932&hash=item2d5459549c:g:cR0AAOSwv2phhf6x
HP_TOUCHPAD said:
https://www.amazon.com/North-American-Power-Charger-TouchPad/dp/B0055QYJJM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=48DGI4WUGP7Z&keywords=hp+touchpad+usb+charger&qid=1641357732&sprefix=hp+touchpad+usb+charger,aps,136&sr=8-3
Wireless charger:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154667142566?epid=1234774932&hash=item2402e14da6:g:yzsAAOSw64Jhb6y5
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304026565204?epid=1234774932&hash=item46c9653a54:g:FiYAAOSwP4RgwFqE
https://www.ebay.com/itm/194688668828?epid=1234774932&hash=item2d5459549c:g:cR0AAOSwv2phhf6x
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I found the Touchstone charger as well. I think that's probably the best choice, because not only is it pretty cheap and gets me a stand, but it also comes with the original barrel charger required for the proprietary HP charging circuit to use the full 2 Amps. (So I assume I could then use that barrel charger with a micro usb cable as a wired charger if I didn't want to use the wireless stand)
Still, I'm impressed a 2011 device has wireless charging. If I do buy that Touchstone, I'll probably just use the wireless charging for convenience.
Anyway, I first need to get this thing to boot. I have the (seemingly) common dead battery issue. I received this tablet from a friend for free, he said it was barely ever used and then put away in storage. The tablet is in like-new condition, so I believe him on that.
I've plugged it into a 5V 2A (10W) USB charger from a Moto G Pure, and it's currently alternating between two lights on the home button. (And has been doing so for the last 8 hours or so). I'll leave it overnight as well.
At that point, I assume I should start trying power vol and home button combos to try to turn it on? Do you have any suggestions on what I should do to get this tablet to boot?
Once I can get it to turn on, I'll probably look into getting the original charger (that Touchstone). Until it works though, I don't really want to invest $12 to $16 into this thing and then be left with a useless wireless charging stand.
I assume using a non original charger for now shouldn't be much of a problem apart from the charging being slow. It'll still charge, after all, even if at 500mA.
Sanras said:
Yeah, I found the Touchstone charger as well. I think that's probably the best choice, because not only is it pretty cheap and gets me a stand, but it also comes with the original barrel charger required for the proprietary HP charging circuit to use the full 2 Amps. (So I assume I could then use that barrel charger with a micro usb cable as a wired charger if I didn't want to use the wireless stand)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the barrel charger from the wireless charger (Touchstone) can be use with any other USB cable and be use that way.
Sanras said:
Still, I'm impressed a 2011 device has wireless charging. If I do buy that Touchstone, I'll probably just use the wireless charging for convenience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HP Touchpad in 2011 had features not even available in devices at this moment in 2022.
Sanras said:
Anyway, I first need to get this thing to boot. I have the (seemingly) common dead battery issue. I received this tablet from a friend for free, he said it was barely ever used and then put away in storage. The tablet is in like-new condition, so I believe him on that.
I've plugged it into a 5V 2A (10W) USB charger from a Moto G Pure, and it's currently alternating between two lights on the home button. (And has been doing so for the last 8 hours or so). I'll leave it overnight as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any charger providing exactly an output of 5.3 volts 2.0 amps will work, it does not need to be the original HP charger but with the same specs.
Sanras said:
At that point, I assume I should start trying power vol and home button combos to try to turn it on? Do you have any suggestions on what I should do to get this tablet to boot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no special trick, just charge it in a warm room temperature above 80F with the right charger. Lithium batteries does not charge well in cold.
Sanras said:
Once I can get it to turn on, I'll probably look into getting the original charger (that Touchstone). Until it works though, I don't really want to invest $12 to $16 into this thing and then be left with a useless wireless charging stand.
I assume using a non original charger for now shouldn't be much of a problem apart from the charging being slow. It'll still charge, after all, even if at 500mA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After it boots and is 100% charge the Tablet can be charge with any charger, but always keep it plug in ( charging ), never let it discharge.
HP_TOUCHPAD said:
Yes the barrel charger from the wireless charger (Touchstone) can be use with any other USB cable and be use that way.
The HP Touchpad in 2011 had features not even available in devices at this moment in 2022.
Any charger providing exactly an output of 5.3 volts 2.0 amps will work, it does not need to be the original HP charger but with the same specs.
There is no special trick, just charge it in a warm room temperature above 80F with the right charger. Lithium batteries does not charge well in cold.
After it boots and is 100% charge the Tablet can be charge with any charger, but always keep it plug in ( charging ), never let it discharge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, well, I don't have anything at 5.3 exactly, only 5.0V. I guess I'll go and buy a touchstone charger so I get the stand and barrel charger, so that it has the correct output. I really didn't think 0.3V would make much of a difference though.
Anyway, once I plug it into the original charger, how do I know when it is ready to turn on? Will it just turn on by itself, show a charging icon, or something else?
Sanras said:
Ok, well, I don't have anything at 5.3 exactly, only 5.0V. I guess I'll go and buy a touchstone charger so I get the stand and barrel charger, so that it has the correct output. I really didn't think 0.3V would make much of a difference though.
Anyway, once I plug it into the original charger, how do I know when it is ready to turn on? Will it just turn on by itself, show a charging icon, or something else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could probably work, give it a try.
1. LED light blink from side to side. ( The tablet's battery is depleted, but taking charge ( awake ). Leave it until it boots, it could take a week.
2. Second stage ( a battery sign with a red line under it ) will show on the screen.
3. It will boot.
Look at this guide for the info.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/hp-touchpad-novacom-repair-android.3960435/
HP_TOUCHPAD said:
It could probably work, give it a try.
1. LED light blink from side to side. ( The tablet's battery is depleted, but taking charge ( awake ). Leave it until it boots, it could take a week.
2. Second stage ( a battery sign with a red line under it ) will show on the screen.
3. It will boot.
Look at this guide for the info.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/hp-touchpad-novacom-repair-android.3960435/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright. Mine is blinking left/right, so I'll leave it until I see anything on the screen. (I shouldn't need to touch any buttons, right?)
HP_TOUCHPAD said:
It could probably work, give it a try.
1. LED light blink from side to side. ( The tablet's battery is depleted, but taking charge ( awake ). Leave it until it boots, it could take a week.
2. Second stage ( a battery sign with a red line under it ) will show on the screen.
3. It will boot.
Look at this guide for the info.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/hp-touchpad-novacom-repair-android.3960435/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welp, I just bought a TouchStone. The eBay seller was surprisingly fast at replying to my offer, so now I have an in-box TouchStone charger arriving in a week for $13 and free shipping . Not bad.
Sanras said:
Welp, I just bought a TouchStone. The eBay seller was surprisingly fast at replying to my offer, so now I have an in-box TouchStone charger arriving in a week for $13 and free shipping . Not bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great !
The TouchStone for some reason charge faster and better that USB.
Always keep the Tablet charging, never let the battery drain.
Have FUN!

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