Related
In light of the EOL status of the Bionic, this method may no longer be the most cost effective, as the HD dock is now $24 on Amazon, before shipping. Still, this is a cheap way to use usb devices away from a tv or monitor. Please keep all of this in mind before considering this option.
Many Bionic users have wondered if they could somehow use USB host without having to buy an expensive dock. Well, I have just finished testing a method that works. Now please note it's not the sleekest or most portable of methods. Still, it works.
Test Build - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0056.jpg
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. In my testing, I have come to the conclusion that Motorola intentionally crippled the phone's OTG functions. It appears that the host mode only works when TWO priorities are met. First, the phone MUST be receiving power. Second, a hub MUST be used. If either of these is not met, the OTG mode stays offline.
Because this method requires extra power, you have to have a powered USB port nearby. Some USB power packs may put out enough power, but it's still uncertain. However, since my Scosche solar battery pack worked both for the Bionic alone and for this build, it could be possible that anything that works for the Bionic will work for the build as well. Also, I have no way of testing this in a car at the moment.
Action Shot - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0052-1.jpg
In the action shot, I am testing a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer. I did run other tests and usb keyboards and mice will work. I used a wireless Targus mouse, as well as a wireless HP mouse and keyboard. They all worked. Sadly, that is the extent of my current HID tech at the moment.
One thing I have observed in my tests is that you should have all of your rig connected before hooking it up to your phone. That includes external power. Not doing so could cause your hub to be recognized much more slowly, or not at all.
I would also like to note that although many hubs allow for AC/DC power adapters to be used, most hubs won't send power through the host port. That is why the Y cable is necessary. But don't worry! I believe that if you attach the power connector of the Y cable to one of the ports of your powered hub, this should give you all the power you need for the phone to charge and activate the OTG mode.
Here's what you need.
USB hub with mini USB port for connecting to host device($5-$20)
Y USB cable($4)
USB Type A Female-USB Micro Male adapter($1-2)
Build subtotal-$10-$26, before tax or shipping. Depending on what you already own, this could still be cheaper than an HD Dock.
All hubs with a mini usb host port should work for this build. But if there are any that don't, please give me the make and model info so I can add them to the list below.
Hubs Confirmed Unusable
None so far
Thank you for looking this through. I hope it helps.
Update 11/7/12- Still works on the 246 OTA.
silversonic1 said:
Many Bionic users have wondered if they could somehow use USB host without having to buy an expensive dock. Well, I have just finished testing a method that works.
Now please note it's not the sleakest or most portable of methods. At this writing, I am still waiting on USB OTG connectors that are known to work for other devices. However, I didn't want to hold back a successful result while waiting on an unknown.
Test Build - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0056.jpg
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. Put simply, it gives the power needed to charge the phone and to power the hub. EXTERNAL POWER IS NECESSARY. Because this method requires extra power, you have to have a powered USB port nearby. Some USB power packs may put out enough power, but it's still uncertain. However, since my Scosche solar battery pack worked both for the Bionic alone and for this build, it could be possible that other packs that work for the Bionic will work as well.
Action Shot - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0052-1.jpg
In the action shot, I am testing a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer. I did run other tests and usb keyboards and mice will work. I used a wireless Targus mouse, as well as a wireless HP mouse and keyboard. They all worked. Sadly, that is the extent of my current HID tech at the moment.
One thing I have observed in my tests is that you should have all of your rig connected before hooking up your phone. That includes external power. Not doing so could cause your hub to be recognized much more slowly, or not at all.
Here's a list of the parts used. (Will update specifics if requested.)
USB hub with USB-mini interface for host device($5-$20)
Y USB cable($4)
USB Type A Female-USB Micro Male adapter($1-2)
Build subtotal-$10-$26, before tax or shipping. That's a lot cheaper than $55-$100 on an HD dock.
Thank you for looking this through. I hope it helps.
(Also, if this thread is in the wrong place, I'm sorry. I didn't think this was necessarily an accessory thing, but rather a way to utilize a built-in feature.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats freaking awesome dude
iNsAnEmOd said:
thats freaking awesome dude
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad you see it that way. It's my hope that this works for any Motorola device that is built with a lapdock mode.
I'm hoping someone makes an app that allows me to use my tablet for a keyboard and mousepad for the webtop. I'm not a fan of hanging out within 6 feet of my tv when using the webtop.
Sent from the Evil Empire
smokedkill said:
I'm hoping someone makes an app that allows me to use my tablet for a keyboard and mousepad for the webtop. I'm not a fan of hanging out within 6 feet of my tv when using the webtop.
Sent from the Evil Empire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this rig works with wireless keyboards and mice. True, not the same as a tablet, but it'll get you further from the tv.
As for what you are suggesting, I thought I had heard some people were working on something similar. I'll PM you if I find it.
xda premium is insane! ... In a good way.
What Components
What is the amperage output of the power source your using? Also what is the model number of the usb hub your using? i tried a usb hub i had but it didnt work. Also did you have to bridge the pin 4 to ground on the micro plug in essence creating a otg cable?
codenamefly21 said:
What is the amperage output of the power source your using? Also what is the model number of the usb hub your using? i tried a usb hub i had but it didnt work. Also did you have to bridge the pin 4 to ground on the micro plug in essence creating a otg cable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. One thing a a time.
Power.
In the action shot, I used my laptop. However, the charger that comes with the phone works as well. That's 5.1volts, 850mA
Model of hub.
I have tested 2 different hubs at this point. At the moment, the one from the photos is unavailable, so I can't get the model info from it now. However, the other I tested is a Manhattan 4-port USB hub, model 160612.
Connector.
I made no modifications to the connectors that I have used. They were, however, already being marketed as OTG adapters. I ordered the one from the pictures on dealextreme. I recently bought newer ones from ebay that are angled up the side of the phone. The new ones work as well.
I suggest that you make sure all of your connectors are secure. A proper connection will have the phone charging while the hub receives power. If it fails to connect to a device after 1 minute when you make your first connection, disconnect the phone and than reconnect.
If you still have trouble after, please post what you're using along with a pic of your setup. With any luck, we'll get it all sorted out.
Working portable prototype
I have a working portable prototype using a 9v battery as the power source. I think the problem with the initial test is that i wasnt waiting long enough for the phone to detect the usb hub and the memory card. Now i have it working fully. I have tried 2 different usb hubs and both worked. 1 was the micro innovations usb204n it worked but was a bit bulky. The second was one i bought from a store local to my home called biglots its an E Source brand 4port usb 2.0 $7. Its nice and slim with an extra ac port on the side. The setup ill be creating is i will wire a 9v battery to a 7805 voltage regulator (with an inline power switch of course) soldered directly to the pins of the ac port. Then i will desolder the usb plug and solder in my homemade otg cable. So all you will have to do is plug it directly to the phone plug in the usb drive and then flip the power switch. i dont wanna post pictures of the ugly prototype so ill have pictures of the final product this weekend. I will say that i found out a usb hub is not needed to use a mouse but the otg cable is. Thank you silversonic for your help
codenamefly21 said:
I have a working portable prototype using a 9v battery as the power source. I think the problem with the initial test is that i wasnt waiting long enough for the phone to detect the usb hub and the memory card. Now i have it working fully. I have tried 2 different usb hubs and both worked. 1 was the micro innovations usb204n it worked but was a bit bulky. The second was one i bought from a store local to my home called biglots its an E Source brand 4port usb 2.0 $7. Its nice and slim with an extra ac port on the side. The setup ill be creating is i will wire a 9v battery to a 7805 voltage regulator (with an inline power switch of course) soldered directly to the pins of the ac port. Then i will desolder the usb plug and solder in my homemade otg cable. So all you will have to do is plug it directly to the phone plug in the usb drive and then flip the power switch. i dont wanna post pictures of the ugly prototype so ill have pictures of the final product this weekend. I will say that i found out a usb hub is not needed to use a mouse but the otg cable is. Thank you silversonic for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am certainly looking forward to seeing what all you have come up with. Just take your time. After all, I'm sure there are those who are willing to build a more stylish solution than I have up top.
Battery powered usb hub
Ok so i finished the battery powered usb hub that connects to any micro usb phone but it was to bulky using the 9v battery. So i came up with another design using an old cell phone battery. So it is rechargeable as soon as i add the on off switch it will be finished.
---------- Post added at 09:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 PM ----------
The usb hub was just too bulky using the 9v battery
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Rechargeable battery powered usb hub with otg cable
Here is the finished hardware. I took pictures before i seal it all up so yall could see what all i did. The usb hub has a otg cable that plugs into your phone. It has a 950mah cell phone battery and the circuitry from an emergency charger that converts 2 aa batteries (3v) to 5v. Also on the circuitry was an led flashlight so i decided to keep it in there just in case . The only problem was that the off switch that was on the circuit wouldn't shut off the power to the hub for some reason so i put a secondary switch on the power wire to the hub. I had a problem with the charger charging the battery because it charges the battery based on voltage and the capacitors were screwing that up so i put a diode on the power going into the up-scaling circuit board but not as to break the connection with the charger to battery wires.
That is certainly the most mobile solution to USB host so far. Kudos!
problem
I was having a problem soon after I put everything together. Anytime I plugged the phone in the circuit would shut down because to much amperage was being pulled from the battery and as a safety thing lithium batteries will shut down so they wont over heat I finally realized all I had to do was put an 8ohm resistor on the power wire going from the usb hub to the phone. 8ohm only because that was what I had. I tried a 1/2ohm resistor and it worked but the less amperage being pulled from the battery the longer it lasts and the circuit doesn't get as hot.
hey man, thanks a lot for your research! i hopped on this thread and about 30 seconds later i had my wireless (unifying usb receiver) logitech keyboard and mouse working
had a male->male usb cable, usb hub, and micro usb male -> full female lying around. plugged everything in and presto!
the touchscreen monitor doesn't work though for webtop
More than likely because touch screen drivers aren't as generic as mice or keyboards. But it was a good thing to try out. Mind sharing the make and model info? It will be helpful to others to know what to expect.
Mine works, cheapo Micro Center hub
I actually spoke with the OP this weekend, and before I read his reply, I was up and running. Sadly, I bought a Manhattan hub based on his findings, which was a bit pricey given the current price of normal USB hubs. I paid $15 on ebay for one, and when I got it, it didn't work. I then bought a usb Y cable from ebay as well, and that was the culprit, that cable was necessary for any hub, regardless if it uses an AC power adapter or not.
On a good note, that means that there's a good chance cheaper (and easier to find) USB hubs may work. The one I'm currently using is Gear Head brand, was $9 at Micro Center. That hub without using the included power cable, and just using the Y usb cable bought separately and the OTG adapter on ebay got me up and running.
Hmmm...now that I look, it seems the hub I got for $9 went up to $15 anyway, but here's what I used incase you have a MC closeby and don't feel like waiting for shipping. Search for SKU 280750 on Microcenter's site. I'm new here so it won't let me post URL's.
Bad news is you'll be paying a total of around $20 for this project, the good news is that may be the maximum you'd be paying, and that's if you buy a $15 usb hub. Honestly, I'd say just look around local stores for one cheaper that has a mini USB port to connect it to the phone + external power usb port (i.e. a laptop next to the phone), and if it doesn't work, return it as long as you can box it up without it looking demolished. Best of luck to everyone, but I hope my verification shows there may be more hope since the Manhattan model is fairly hard to find at a cheap price.
silversonic1 said:
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. In my testing, I have come to the conclusion that Motorola intentionally crippled the phone's OTG functions. It appears that the host mode only works when TWO priorities are met. First, the phone MUST be receiving power. Second, a hub MUST be used. If either of these is not met, the OTG mode stays offline.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd imagine they didn't want both the phone and Lapdock trying to send power over USB simultaneously.
Thanks for the guide, it was useful
mossadacity said:
I'd imagine they didn't want both the phone and Lapdock trying to send power over USB simultaneously.
Thanks for the guide, it was useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. I have updated to the ICS leak, so I will have to test again, just to be sure that nothing has changed.
3d printed docking station
silversonic1 said:
More than likely because touch screen drivers aren't as generic as mice or keyboards. But it was a good thing to try out. Mind sharing the make and model info? It will be helpful to others to know what to expect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delayed reply.
I buy generic cables from meritline.com, so there is no brand on them :good:
I think I'm the first person on Thingiverse to create an accessory for the droid bionic, what do you guys think of it:
That was iteration #1, to get the dimensions correct. From here, I can go anywhere. Do folks have any dock dreams they'd like to see come to fruition?
For a while now I've wanted to be able to use my waterproof camera to take pictures, and use my phone to upload them to the web without needing to fire up a computer to do a transfer from the SD card to the phone. This thread inspired me to finally take the leap to work up an OTG adapter. I went on Amazon to buy the Y-cable and the little adapters, but found something better.
This (board won't let me post a link because I'm new) is a USB hub that connects a phone to one of the four downstream ports with a built-in micro USB connector cable. I ordered one up, suspecting that I could mod it to be an OTG adapter. I was right.
To do the mod, the first step is to pry the endcap off the micro USB connector and slide the cover back. This exposes the soldered wire connections. One side of the connector has three wires.
The other side has one wire and an empty solder pad.
Solder a jumper wire from the empty pad to the black wire on the other side.
Then slide the connector cover back over the connector, and press the endcap back into place. If necessary, you can secure the end cap with a drop of super glue.
Next, open the case of the hub. Mine pulled right open with only finger pressure. Use a small screwdriver to remove the circuit board. It is not held by anything other than a light press fit.
This is the back side of the circuit board.
This is the chip that runs the USB hub.
I googled the chip number and downloaded the data sheet, just to be sure there were no gotchas. There weren't any. The only modification is swapping the regular and the micro USB cables. It goes without saying that this requires a very fine soldering iron and a steady hand. Desolder both cables and reattach the micro USB cable on the Host end of the circuit board.
This lets your phone control the hub. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, the Droid Bionic won't power the hub, so you need to hook up the other USB cable to the device side of the circuit board to provide power. Only hook up the power wires. Just cut the data wires short.
Then reinstall the circuit board into the case.
And press the cover back on.
It would be easy to wire a battery to the hub either by connecting to the USB port cable, through the 5VDC power input jack, or by removing the jack and hard wiring directly to the circuit board.
To use the adapter, I plug my SD card reader into the hub, plug the power USB connector into my wall adapter (or car adapter), and plug the micro USB cable into the phone (in that order). The phone immediately loads the card as an attached storage device.
Enjoy,
Todd F.
Hi, before I start, yes I've seen y cables and moded usb hubs but,
I need to know before I vandalize my charging dock... If I have a charger connected to the pins on the outside of the phone, would it interfere with the usb otg? Has anyone tried this before?
Long story, I need to mount my phone and use it as a dashcam, I have 2 apps for this(one for road use, recording to sd card, don't need otg, short trips that gets deleted after a day or so) the other(for off road use, usually recording for hours at a time, so this will go to usb storage, but recording several hours does get power hungry) and therefore I need a charging dock with access to usb otg and the camera. Can it be done?
Another problem with this phone is the hdmi that also uses the same port, but I'll keep that till later.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
P.s. Accessories are hard to find for this phone where I live(the shops only keep for Samsung) so I'll build mostly myself.
Hi all,
I'm having two problems that I believe are related.
1) I bought the official MHL 3.0 sony cable and my tv intermitently sees the hdmi source. Off and on every second and my phone screen never displays onto the screen. Also the phone alternates saying its being charged and not being charged.
2) With some power sources, charging by micro USB alternates being charge and not being charged off and on just like the above case. But some micro USB cables/sources work just fine. As well my magnetic dock connector charges my phone fine as well. USB hosting is fine too.
Anyone has tried MHL or have had similar problems? Should I contact clove? I'm in Canada and sending it back there seems quite the pain. And if i just can't use MHL or certain cables maybe i should bite my tongue and keep the phone as is. I love it otherwise and haven't phone any faults until trying the MHL cable...
old mhl adapter works
My old mhl adapter, which requires its own power source through micro USB does work and I can mirror my screen to the TV. I just think that mhl 3.0 with power from the HDMI is not enough to drive/consistently power my phone. Same for the micro USB connectors that don't seem to keep a consistent charge on my phone. Anyone see anything similar?
Use Chromecast, the phone has a dedicated cast screen option
Yes I have used chromecast and it works great. I just wonder if anyone has tried mhl 3.0 Sony cable or has had the same chagrging experience as me.
Were you able to solve this? Im thinking about getting an MHL 3.0 cable but not sure whether my monitor will be able to handle it
Hi to everyone. Sorry if I will not be brief, but this problem makes me going crazy.
My previous phone died prematurely, so I bought a shiny Oneplus 3T and I'm very satisfied with it. Problem is, that this new piece of technology has an USB-C connector instead of the good old microUSB one.
In my car (Opel) I put an USB extension cable from the Android Auto unit (Intellilink r4.0) to the inside of the center arm, and since now I used that cable to connect my previous phone to the unit. Cable is 1.8 m long (about 5 ft for English people) and worked very well.
Now there goes the trouble: to connect my new OnePlus, I bought a simple microUSB to C adapter... it works very well at home with my PC but... Android Auto unit doesn't recognize the phone.
It says "connect the USB cable". At the same time, phone is charging, so power is connected to it.
Ok, maybe there are inconsistencies with the USB converter, I thought.
So I purchased a USB A to C cable, 1.8 m long (just like my previous normal microUSB one).
No way. Unit insists to not recognize the connection!?
Now, to cut this long thing out... I tried any combination of things, extenders, adapters... the only way to make things work is to use max a 1 m (3,3 ft) long USB A to C cable. No longer than that. Neither with a short extension cable.
But with 1 m I can't reach the center arm! I need at least 1.2/1.4 m (4-4.5 ft) cable lenght.
So, this is it. Who can be the culprit? AA head unit? Or perhaps Oneplus 3T has a "weak" USB?
I wonder if anyone has experienced issues like this... and if there are workarounds. :fingers-crossed:
jonsat said:
Hi to everyone. Sorry if I will not be brief, but this problem makes me going crazy.
My previous phone died prematurely, so I bought a shiny Oneplus 3T and I'm very satisfied with it. Problem is, that this new piece of technology has an USB-C connector instead of the good old microUSB one.
In my car (Opel) I put an USB extension cable from the Android Auto unit (Intellilink r4.0) to the inside of the center arm, and since now I used that cable to connect my previous phone to the unit. Cable is 1.8 m long (about 5 ft for English people) and worked very well.
Now there goes the trouble: to connect my new OnePlus, I bought a simple microUSB to C adapter... it works very well at home with my PC but... Android Auto unit doesn't recognize the phone.
It says "connect the USB cable". At the same time, phone is charging, so power is connected to it.
Ok, maybe there are inconsistencies with the USB converter, I thought.
So I purchased a USB A to C cable, 1.8 m long (just like my previous normal microUSB one).
No way. Unit insists to not recognize the connection!?
Now, to cut this long thing out... I tried any combination of things, extenders, adapters... the only way to make things work is to use max a 1 m (3,3 ft) long USB A to C cable. No longer than that. Neither with a short extension cable.
But with 1 m I can't reach the center arm! I need at least 1.2/1.4 m (4-4.5 ft) cable lenght.
So, this is it. Who can be the culprit? AA head unit? Or perhaps Oneplus 3T has a "weak" USB?
I wonder if anyone has experienced issues like this... and if there are workarounds. :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some of the specs for USB-C cables are less than 1m, depending on what the other connection/adapter is. I guess your PC & car outlets are different specs.
See
http://www.cypress.com/knowledge-ba...ngth-cables-usb-type-c-applications-kba204034
Or maybe your cable is not certified so may be more sensitive to outside interference eg from ignition system.
Uhmmm... very interesting information. I'll try to borrow a "certified" cable. Since now, I tried with normal cables (4 different sizes and brand) to no avail (more than 1 m lenght).
Thanks!
jonsat said:
Uhmmm... very interesting information. I'll try to borrow a "certified" cable. Since now, I tried with normal cables (4 different sizes and brand) to no avail (more than 1 m lenght).
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check what is the spec of your USB outlets on car and PC, are they different? Then cable may not make any difference to your result.
I'd think that if you have a will known brand cable it would be certified. The "full feature" cables have a chip inside that the device reads, it then sends data etc to that spec. I'm not really up to date with this stuff anymore.....
By the way, my new phone is a Oneplus 3T and I discovered that has many problems with AA in general. And (perhaps) even an USB-C port not completely complying to the standard.
Still, I will try other brands of cables in search of the good one.
Thanks again
Hi,
I had exactly the same issue as you but with the One Plus 3. Had a couple of aftermarket cables (USB - A to C). Sometimes, it connected for about 1-2 minutes but then i had to disconnect and reconnect the cable. Not fun when you are driving.
Also have an Opel (2017 Astra Sports Tourer K) with the Navi900. The only way i found out to solve this issue was to use the original, red cable that comes with the phone. Since i didn't want to lose the Dash charging or, everytime carry the cable with me, i bought a second cable (1,0m) from Oneplus store.
After i did that, i never had disconnections or problems recognizing the phone. 2 weeks driving with various amount of driving time and so far, zero issues.
Also helps if you are using any battery saving apps like greenify or droid optimizer, that you whitelist the android auto app from the auto closing ( i know there's a better name for it).
Hope it helps.
Thanks for your contribution, inccubbus. I think I read a post from you in Oneplus forum, perhaps.
Fact is that 1 mt cable to me is short, I was using 2 mt with my previous phone (LG with microusb port) and no problems at all! Perhaps I may try with the new 1,5 mt red cable from Oneplus store.
But all of this is just ridicolous. Adapters won't work... in example I tried a 20 cm microusb cable with adapter to usb-c and (guess what) no connection!? I start to think that Oneplus is the culprit.
No problem mate. Sorry to hear that you need a longer cable. Before I bought the OnePlus "official" cable, I bought a total of 4 cables from different brands and lengths. 50cm, 1m, 1,8m and 2m. Total of about 60€ to find out that I needed the one cable I already had.
This is borderline ridiculous. Never tried the original because... No fast charge in the car. Duh.
Hope that the official cable works for you. Fingers crossed!
I must add that, even with a short cable, connection drops every now and then with AA freezing.
Another known Oneplus 3T issue...
One thing that occurred to me: do you also have turned on the "automatically connect with Bluetooth" option? I did a test with that option on and the cable connected and, almost like clockwork, every 3-4 minutes I'd lose the connection. Turned that option off and everything came back to"normal".
Did some research and that option is only for cars that don't have a display/Android auto compatibility so the phone screen is the interface.
Sorry if I am writing something that all knew but, in the options doesn't say anything. I was under the impression that I could "cast" the phone to the display without needing the cable. Like Chromecast
@inccubbus, I noticed that issue... but nevertheless I have trouble of disconnections even without checking "automatically connect with BT". However, I have also a BT headset, and if that BT setting is enabled it will disconnects the headset too every few minutes. AA software is very rough.
@jonsat @inccubbus
Just come across this browsing, interesting
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/02/cheap-usb-c-cables-could-kill-your-phone-or-laptop/
Not sure if this will be applicable to anyone else, but just in case. I started to get connection issues between my Nexus 6p and Pioneer stereo via the cable. Tried multiple cables, but all had the same issue to differing degrees. Then realised there was some lint in the phone USB c port, so cleaned it out with a tooth pick. That seems to have fixed it.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers Legacy app
IronRoo said:
@jonsat @inccubbus
Just come across this browsing, interesting
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/02/cheap-usb-c-cables-could-kill-your-phone-or-laptop/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, very interesting although not directly related to topic. Thanks anyway.
Very interesting indeed. Even though the prices of the "aftermarket" cables I purchased were even more expensive than the OnePlus originals, I see what the article mean. Most people think they are just cables but, capacitance, impedance, amperage... All of these things usually are not "copied" from the original and can cause serious damage, since they need to be "universal" and suit different brands/models with different needs.
Thanks for sharing the article! I almost see the link with the issue discussed here.
Btw, I had one random disconnection on Sunday in the final 5 minutes of a 1 hour drive.
Disconnected the cable, reconnected it and, since then, 2 hours of driving with zero disconnections. I really can't find a pattern for these things.
jonsat said:
Hi to everyone. Sorry if I will not be brief, but this problem makes me going crazy.
My previous phone died prematurely, so I bought a shiny Oneplus 3T and I'm very satisfied with it. Problem is, that this new piece of technology has an USB-C connector instead of the good old microUSB one.
In my car (Opel) I put an USB extension cable from the Android Auto unit (Intellilink r4.0) to the inside of the center arm, and since now I used that cable to connect my previous phone to the unit. Cable is 1.8 m long (about 5 ft for English people) and worked very well.
Now there goes the trouble: to connect my new OnePlus, I bought a simple microUSB to C adapter... it works very well at home with my PC but... Android Auto unit doesn't recognize the phone.
It says "connect the USB cable". At the same time, phone is charging, so power is connected to it.
Ok, maybe there are inconsistencies with the USB converter, I thought.
So I purchased a USB A to C cable, 1.8 m long (just like my previous normal microUSB one).
No way. Unit insists to not recognize the connection!?
Now, to cut this long thing out... I tried any combination of things, extenders, adapters... the only way to make things work is to use max a 1 m (3,3 ft) long USB A to C cable. No longer than that. Neither with a short extension cable.
But with 1 m I can't reach the center arm! I need at least 1.2/1.4 m (4-4.5 ft) cable lenght.
So, this is it. Who can be the culprit? AA head unit? Or perhaps Oneplus 3T has a "weak" USB?
I wonder if anyone has experienced issues like this... and if there are workarounds. :fingers-crossed:
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I don't have a OnePlus 3T, but my phone has a USB C connection (I have a ZTE ZMax Pro) and I haven't had any issues with the connections to AA (other than USB C is harder to plug in and unplug than before). I have a couple different USB C cables - one about 3-5 feet long, and the other about one foot - and both work fine. I'd guess your cables were the culprit. Hope this worked out for you!
EDIT: Oops, didn't read the replies so I see that my post was absolutely non-helpful. Sorry!
Looking to find a USB hub for my phone. I see a ton of them online, and some of them even kinda say they work with phones. But I know not all of them do. Looking for one that can output HDMI and has at least one USB-A input (two would be nice, but not a deal breaker). I do realize it'll probably require PD input, that's not a problem. [email protected] would be my preference too as a minimum. The goal is to use my phone as a portable gaming device, so I'm hoping to have low input lag for the wired controller.
My hope is somebody has found a decent one that they've tried with this phone and works. Would also accept testimony from people who have tried it on the V30, or any other flagship USB-C Android phone that isn't Samsung (they use DeX, I need no feedback on that).
So... Anybody got any personal experience to share on this topic? Realize it's kind of a tall order, but I'm hoping somebody has found one that works and is reasonably priced.
I too would like to know this if anyone has some info on it. At the moment i have tried 2 different docks, the Alogic USB-C Dock Plus which is just plain **** to say the least, if you connect the charger and HDMI it will eventually crash the systemui freezing you completely. The other dock i have tried is a Satechi Slim Multi_Port Adapter which works to HDMI but does'nt charge the device at all even though it has a charger slot for it & chargers my other phones fine plugged in via the same cable.
MS Display Dock
I have used a Microsoft Display Dock, has 2 USB A-Ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, & charges simultaneously. The Razer Phone work fine with it (TESTED), but honestly the phone seems to be capable of being compatible with any Hub save the ones for the Nintendo Switch. Being that the Microsoft Display Dock is discontinued & old, you can probably find good bargains from 30$ or more. While it is name brand and, from personal experience, its a well built piece of tech, you might want to consider how you plan to listen to your device, and think about adapters with Aux-out if you plan to used wired headphones.
I was goofing around at work and we have these USB c travel adapters that have a USB, HDMI, Ethernet, and vga out, but can't charge at the came time. Upon further goofing around I plugged in Dell WD15 dock, bingo, full output on everything. Comes with a charger so it charges, Ethernet, display port, vga, USB ports. They run about 130 on Amazon right now. Plugged in our projector to it, then some external speakers, Bluetooth my gamepad to it. Loaded my some emulators and I was playing Mario kart while taking some support calls.