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Hi Folks
After digging through mounds of tech docs, I was able to verify that the G-Tab uses the TI TPS658621A power management processor for charging.
Good news - you can plug just about anything into it from 9V up to 18V and it should charge it. Theoretically, it should also support step up charging from USB (trickle charge) but I've yet to prove that. (The power management processor supports it, but it might not be in the hardware.)
Bad news - it's just out of reach for a standard laptop charger (19V) so we still need a converter.
So, if you find a connector that fits it, plug it in. Don't worry about the current draw - as long as it's 1A or GREATER it should work fine (the device won't pull more than an 1A, even though our chargers are spec'd for 2)
Technical specs are available here - http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tps658621d.html
This is awesome info! That means for the car all we need is a fused line to the right plug (center positive of course.)
This is great news, this means that the iGO tip that sends out 19v is safe to be used on the GTab.
Thanks for sharing.
sunglint said:
This is awesome info! That means for the car all we need is a fused line to the right plug (center positive of course.)
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While you might be able to do that, I don't recommend it. If you do it anyway, do yourself a favor and NEVER EVER EVER leave it plugged in while you are starting the car.
From Wikipedia:
A second problem is that nominally "Twelve-Volt" power in cars fluctuates widely. The actual voltage will be approximately 12.5 volts when dormant, (less when cold) approximately 14.5 volts when the engine and the alternator/generator are operating, (more when cold) and may briefly drop as low as 5-6 volts during engine start.[7] DC/DC converters will usually compensate for these small fluctuations.[citation needed]
Rarely, more extreme cases of voltage fluctuation can occur when the car battery is disconnected while the engine is running, or when the car receives a jump start. When the battery is disconnected, a load dump transient can produce very high voltages. A car receiving a jump start from a truck will be subject to its 24 V electrical system.[8] A "double battery jump-start" is performed by some tow truck drivers in cold climates.[9]
Design wise one has to take into account intermittent contact, and voltages outside the nominal 12 V DC like top voltage 9-16 V continuously, top voltage at 20 V during 1 hour, 24 V during 1 minute, 40 V during 400 ms.[10] Protection component tolerance example ratings are +50 to -60 V DC[11] Besides this there's also varying temperatures between -40 till +85 °C to contend with that can affect humidity and condensation.[10] Equipment connected this way must tolerate large variations in electrical- and climate environment.
For more, look at table 20-1 in http://www.fordemc.com/docs/download/EMC_CS_2009rev1.pdf which is reference [10] in the Wikipedia article. Granted, that's very conservative, but a 1A 12V low drop out regulator is cheap insurance for a piece of kit like our tablets.
Interesting. If you plug in tablet and that part number into Google you get lots of familiar looking pictures:
http://www.kitarm.com/news/205-cortex-a9-nvidia-tegra2-tablet-pc-with-10.html (and the photos are marked with this site: http://www.okpbw.com/).
bnovak said:
Hi Folks
After digging through mounds of tech docs, I was able to verify that the G-Tab uses the TI TPS658621A power management processor for charging.
Bad news - it's just out of reach for a standard laptop charger (19V) so we still need a converter.
Technical specs are available here - http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tps658621d.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aasoror said:
This is great news, this means that the iGO tip that sends out 19v is safe to be used on the GTab.
Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read the same post I did? His suggestion is that 19V is too high and still needs to be converted.
wd5gnr said:
While you might be able to do that, I don't recommend it. If you do it anyway, do yourself a favor and NEVER EVER EVER leave it plugged in while you are starting the car.
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Click to collapse
I agree, and thanks for the info. I do ham radio and already know to not plug things in until the car is running, actually learned that from xda years back from cell phone charging. I also use Anderson Powerpoles for the connections, very highly recommend these. This does mean that given the same precautions I already follow I can make up a nice charging cable pretty easily. And I'll certainly look in to the low voltage protection, just in case.
edit:just saw the call sign, 73s!
well unfortunately I can say that this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003MYLLCC
doesnt work
actually it might
it just doenst fit......
sigh
My husband just remembered that we bought a power converter years ago to charge a laptop while traveling in Europe.
Would this work without any problems with the Gtab?
Found the model here: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-jg9JaV...er-Pocket-Inverter-175.html?tab=detailed_info
You mean by plugging in the AC charger to it? Should work fine. The output of the stock charger is about 24W so even if it is grossly inefficient, a 140W power inverter should be fine.
Naturally, I assume no risk, yada yada yada, your mileage may vary, void where prohibited by law.
Hey, if it helps anyone at all, I bought this car adapter from the radio shack and it works well. None of the included tips worked with my Gtab, so I cut the tip off my included wall charger and using two of the adapt-a-plug connectors also available at the shack, I made it so I can use the tip on either my wall charger or my car charger. Just gotta remember to take it with me, and of course get the polarity right. Its a regulated 12 volt charger, so it reduces some of the spikes and drops from the car battery, the amperage is correct, and the on/off switch means you can wait to turn it on until after the car is started. Reduces the amount of plugging and unplugging nicely.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3889594
I have a power inverter that also has a USB outlet on it for the car. I have also seen an auto adapter that had just 2 USB outlets on it at dollar store. Are these tpes safe to charge the gTab?
LoganFive said:
I have a power inverter that also has a USB outlet on it for the car. I have also seen an auto adapter that had just 2 USB outlets on it at dollar store. Are these tpes safe to charge the gTab?
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GTab can't be charged via USB
Power Brick
So I apologize for what I'm sure is a dumb question but I don't know squat about electricity.
Will this or will this NOT work with a Igo charger. Deals.woot (today only) has a 90W slimline charger that apparently outputs about 19V. The first post would lead me to believe this will not work while a subsequent one indicates it would.
I'm inclined to believe this WILL NOT work but wanted to check.
greymane98 said:
So I apologize for what I'm sure is a dumb question but I don't know squat about electricity.
Will this or will this NOT work with a Igo charger. Deals.woot (today only) has a 90W slimline charger that apparently outputs about 19V. The first post would lead me to believe this will not work while a subsequent one indicates it would.
I'm inclined to believe this WILL NOT work but wanted to check.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another member reported earlier that he has researched the power management chip on the GTab and it will apparently run up 18v, this justify why many has been using the iGO Asus netbook tip successfully for so long.
Now for the woot deal, I wouldn't bother with a "refurbished" item when you can get the tried and working travel adapter for $18 (shipped) and $20 (for the version with the auto and airplane adapter) there is a confirmed tip that fits the gtab included.
http://www.buy.com/listing/sellerlistings.asp?sku=211343528&buy=0
http://www.buy.com/prod/-igo-40w-un...usb-4-power-tips-for/q/loc/101/219613586.html
Best of luck,
The first post says the top end is 18V by the data sheet. Where have you seen someone quote 20V?
I've been using an iGo netbook charger for 3 weeks without any problem. I found it on sale at Office Depot for $8 the week before they dropped the GTab price to $300. Three weeks is probably only 7 or 8 charge cycles, but I've paid attention looking for hot spots, etc. and haven't noticed anything. I don't love the stiffness of the cable, but it was $8. I'm not complaining.
My only charging "problem" is that the silly thing wakes up when it hits 100% (VEGAn-TAB Ginger). Having the screen come on at full brightness just when I'm falling asleep was funny the first time, but it's getting annoying that I keep forgetting to power it off.
Dan
wd5gnr said:
The first post says the top end is 18V by the data sheet. Where have you seen someone quote 20V?
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Click to collapse
My mistake, I stand corrected, its 18v.
my power adapter plug receiver (male end) on gtablet is bent/broke. is there another option to power?
hopbros said:
my power adapter plug receiver (male end) on gtablet is bent/broke. is there another option to power?
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Click to collapse
the end in the tablet itself, or the end with the wire that goes to the wall?
if it's the wire end, you can get new plugs at radioshack. But requires some soldering skill to get them on there.
or you can get a universal 12-18V / 1amp charger with multiple tips.
Greetings Devs.
I found this software which promises to charge i products faster. So why not the nook? I know it works with the ipad/iphone/itouch, but not the NC (or anything else for that matter). I was looking in the ini file and managed to match up the class id of each product, and then I found the id for the NC and added this line:
HKLM, System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{3f966bd9-fa04-4ec5-991c-d326973b5128}, LowerFilters, %REG_MULTI_SZ_APPEND%, AiCharger
To both the install and uninstall filter. However, I cannot tell if it pushes extra power to just the ipad, or if it does to all of them.
Ideas? Tried digging around the sys file in hex, but nothing found. I think it would be nice if we could boost output a bit
USB Standard is 500mAh. If you somehow force your port to deliver more power you could fry it.
khaytsus said:
USB Standard is 500mAh. If you somehow force your port to deliver more power you could fry it.
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Click to collapse
Well yeah, but no one is at least curious if this could help out at all? Maybe hardware manufactures cap it @ 5V, .5A and they override it? Maybe it provides a steadier draw somehow? Maybe they draw more power from the rails for powered-usb slots?
ace7196 said:
Well yeah, but no one is at least curious if this could help out at all? Maybe hardware manufactures cap it @ 5V, .5A and they override it? Maybe it provides a steadier draw somehow? Maybe they draw more power from the rails for powered-usb slots?
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Click to collapse
Charging more than 500ma through the USB hardware is bad.
Lithium batteries charge at full amperage over the entire charge cycle, and just turn off the charge when they hit a certain voltage (~3.6v per cell on lipo IIRC?)
I don't think there is anything you can do from the computer side unless it tells the device itself to pull the full 500ma when it would try to pull less (for fear of overloading a USB interface, as there are usually 2 ports per USB port on a computer (IIRC.)
IMO, just use a powered USB hub?
Winmo custom roms had a quick-charge feature built in to a lot of them.
I don't think anyone fried anything.
This thread belongs in QnA though unless the op is actually developing something.
Did any naysayers even bother to look at the link? It is for Asus brand mobos only. And only certain ones are supported. Surely Asus isn't going to release an app that would fry the port...
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
lafester said:
Winmo custom roms had a quick-charge feature built in to a lot of them.
I don't think anyone fried anything.
This thread belongs in QnA though unless the op is actually developing something.
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Click to collapse
Thinking of developing the software for it...
Syco54645 said:
Did any naysayers even bother to look at the link? It is for Asus brand mobos only. And only certain ones are supported. Surely Asus isn't going to release an app that would fry the port...
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
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Click to collapse
As pointed out here, this is not JUST simply software. This is the software portion of a hardware feature on Asus motherboards. The boards have a separate controller in them that allows more amperage to specific USB ports for the purpose of charging particular, high amperage items (ipad, iphone) only. As also stated here, the USB standard is a fixed 5V .5A and this isn't something that can simply be modified via software as the controllers themselves would have problems managing higher draws (not really the physical ports).
The only application this would have would be to users with those specific boards IF the software can be hacked to allow that amperage on the Nook. It may also be worth mentioning that the Nook's internal connector is different and the higher power provided by the wall charger is not over the standard USB VCC pins on the connector. I'm not familiar enough with the wiring inside the device to say for certain, but the standard charge connections from USB may be a different path than the wall charger on a charge controller.
Quick Edit: This actually doesn't appear to be the same as their hardware specific version, which most likely makes it even less useful. It looks like this enables charging in multiple standby modes and most likely forces the port to full amperage; which is typically only done after the device negotiates with the system, initial port power is much lower. My device manager shows the Nook pulling it's full 500mA already, so unless you're trying to do a lot of charging while your computer is in standby, this isn't gonna be of much use.
Edit 2: Quick bounce around the internet shows this app as causing a bit of instability and BSODs. May not be everyone, so if you're still testing this let us know if you're stable.
Infraded said:
As pointed out here, this is not JUST simply software. This is the software portion of a hardware feature on Asus motherboards. The boards have a separate controller in them that allows more amperage to specific USB ports for the purpose of charging particular, high amperage items (ipad, iphone) only. As also stated here, the USB standard is a fixed 5V .5A and this isn't something that can simply be modified via software as the controllers themselves would have problems managing higher draws (not really the physical ports).
The only application this would have would be to users with those specific boards IF the software can be hacked to allow that amperage on the Nook. It may also be worth mentioning that the Nook's internal connector is different and the higher power provided by the wall charger is not over the standard USB VCC pins on the connector. I'm not familiar enough with the wiring inside the device to say for certain, but the standard charge connections from USB may be a different path than the wall charger on a charge controller.
Quick Edit: This actually doesn't appear to be the same as their hardware specific version, which most likely makes it even less useful. It looks like this enables charging in multiple standby modes and most likely forces the port to full amperage; which is typically only done after the device negotiates with the system, initial port power is much lower. My device manager shows the Nook pulling it's full 500mA already, so unless you're trying to do a lot of charging while your computer is in standby, this isn't gonna be of much use.
Edit 2: Quick bounce around the internet shows this app as causing a bit of instability and BSODs. May not be everyone, so if you're still testing this let us know if you're stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to use the nook's cable to quick charge. I believe it's the same on the USB side but different on the NC side.
Thanks Infraded for the helpful reply. I did a quick search and it seemed it caused more trouble than it's worth (BSOD, etc). I'll dig deeper.
I had the same issues with my iPad. If your motherboard vendor supports it, they have a BIOS update that adjusts the USB ports to charge things like the Nook and iPad.
khaytsus said:
USB Standard is 500mAh. If you somehow force your port to deliver more power you could fry it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some dell laptops (my 5400 has it) have an option in bios for USB Power Share, where they allow USB devices which know if they are connected to to wall chargers or USB plugs to charge as if they were on wall chargers.
Its epic win.
In the NC teardown, didn't they discover that the Nook Color actually uses a custom micro USB connector which is backwards compatible with the standard? It goes on to say that the NC charges only through a pair of 12V pins on the USB cable that is provided with it out of the box, and in fact when you connect your NC to your computer it is *not charging at all* even if your ROM says it is. This is consistent with my experience where the battery only goes down when plugged into my PC.
Needless to say you would need some pretty serious hardware hacks to get your PC pumping 12 volts to the USB cable.
mthe0ry said:
In the NC teardown, didn't they discover that the Nook Color actually uses a custom micro USB connector which is backwards compatible with the standard? It goes on to say that the NC charges only through a pair of 12V pins on the USB cable that is provided with it out of the box, and in fact when you connect your NC to your computer it is *not charging at all* even if your ROM says it is. This is consistent with my experience where the battery only goes down when plugged into my PC.
Needless to say you would need some pretty serious hardware hacks to get your PC pumping 12 volts to the USB cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, no. The wall charger puts out 5 volts @ 1.9 Amps. Take a close look at the bottom of your own charger...specs are right there. Supposedly, the nook will only charge when the amperage is at least 1.9 amps. In practice it will charge as much as can minus the current it is drawing...usually more than a standard port can put out(.5A).
ie standard port = .5A
Nook draw is ~ .45A
total for charging is .05A....barely noticeable or in worst case not even enough to keep up.
Not to mention that many ports shut down entirely if they think they are sending out to much current.
send 12 volts into your nook and you will have found one of the few ways to brick it
edit: what these"hacks" for the usb ports do is raise the limiting on them to higher values..say 5 volts @ 1A or rarely 1.5A
Two of SMSC's family of transceivers supports up to 1.5A from dedicated charger ports.
Furthermore, I'm charging my nook color from my netbook right now with a standard non-OEM usb cable. So I don't think you need the standard one
Some basic info here:
http://www.smsc.com/media/Downloads/Product_Brochures/usb333x_334xfs.pdf
ace7196 said:
Two of SMSC's family of transceivers supports up to 1.5A from dedicated charger ports.
Furthermore, I'm charging my nook color from my netbook right now with a standard non-OEM usb cable. So I don't think you need the standard one
Some basic info here:
http://www.smsc.com/media/Downloads/Product_Brochures/usb333x_334xfs.pdf
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm thinking that the extra pins in the stock cable are mostly for the led in there. Going back to work monday and ordering a spare for teardown purposes with my first check. I'll let you all know exactly what I find out.
mthe0ry said:
In the NC teardown, didn't they discover that the Nook Color actually uses a custom micro USB connector which is backwards compatible with the standard? It goes on to say that the NC charges only through a pair of 12V pins on the USB cable that is provided with it out of the box, and in fact when you connect your NC to your computer it is *not charging at all* even if your ROM says it is. This is consistent with my experience where the battery only goes down when plugged into my PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except that it does charge on ANY source. If the NC is running and active it uses MORE CURRENT THAN 500mAh, so it won't charge any, but it's still getting 500mAh of juice.
If you turn off the screen, it'll slowly charge.... Around 10%/hr.
And I suspect that the 1.9A from the stock charger+cable comes from all 3 pairs, the standard pair + the two extra in the B&N cable, but it's possible that the stock cable only charges the extra two pairs. Regardless, it does charge from a standard cable on any USB port. The B&N ROM does not show charging unless it's charging at 1.9A.
ace7196 said:
Two of SMSC's family of transceivers supports up to 1.5A from dedicated charger ports.
Furthermore, I'm charging my nook color from my netbook right now with a standard non-OEM usb cable. So I don't think you need the standard one
Some basic info here:
http://www.smsc.com/media/Downloads/Product_Brochures/usb333x_334xfs.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can also confirm nook will charge off a standard USB (at least while I've got CM7), using the stock BN cable, and definitely faster than 10%/hour. Have been doing so off my work computer for a while now. I recall that this did NOT work while the NC was virgin unrooted, however, although occasionally there'd be this weird "bump" in batt level to 100% when first connecting. Have not seen that effect since going to CM7.
last night as a test I let my nook go to 10% remaining. Then I used my daughters LG Ally cable on the stock charger for 1 hour. It charged to 24%. Then I drained back to 10% and used the stock cable for 1 hour...result?....44%. There IS something special with the stock cable. I don't think there is any magic to the charger other than the amperage.
deadbot1 said:
last night as a test I let my nook go to 10% remaining. Then I used my daughters LG Ally cable on the stock charger for 1 hour. It charged to 24%. Then I drained back to 10% and used the stock cable for 1 hour...result?....44%. There IS something special with the stock cable. I don't think there is any magic to the charger other than the amperage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh.. Yeah. As said a hundred times, the cable has 4 extra pins for charging on the MicroUSB side.
Does anyone have a 3rd party charger and/or cable that will work with the TF?
I am also interested in finding that question out. I move around alot, and would like to have an extra charging cable.
Would the cable for the iphone/ipad work?
bhagiratha said:
I am also interested in finding that question out. I move around alot, and would like to have an extra charging cable.
Would the cable for the iphone/ipad work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow!
just wow.
bhagiratha said:
I am also interested in finding that question out. I move around alot, and would like to have an extra charging cable.
Would the cable for the iphone/ipad work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Apple cable will work on this device. The Transformer has a proprietary charger interface, so the cable would have to be made specifically for this device.
Similarly, all Apple product chargers use their own proprietary interfaces, so chargers made for iPhones or iPads will only be made to work with iPhones or iPads, not other devices.
And the funny part is that someone responded...
bhagiratha said:
Would the cable for the iphone/ipad work?
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Click to collapse
Haha, no iPhone cable would not work with Asus. Last I checked, Asus cable was proprietary as well.
Wait a little, soon someone's gonna dismantle one and they will be anywhere (monoprice, ebay)... (i guess(hope), the apple cable actually is everywhere even if it is proprietary...)
bhagiratha said:
I am also interested in finding that question out. I move around alot, and would like to have an extra charging cable.
Would the cable for the iphone/ipad work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cable no, but the ipad charger itself is 5v 2A. Has anyone tried one, if it works may provide an easy solution for car charger.
I would love an additional cable. I'm going on a trip and I could just see me losing the one and only way to charge the Transformer. Stupid proprietary cables. I still love my Asus Transformer, but we need uniformity.
seib said:
cable no, but the ipad charger itself is 5v 2A. Has anyone tried one, if it works may provide an easy solution for car charger.
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Click to collapse
It is a different size entirely. If you would like me to post a picture I suppose I could, but unless you're going to take a crow bar to your TF to wedge it in and hope the pins magically match, you're SOL. Sorry.
I think he meant the wall charger (the one you plug the usb ipod cable in...)
A Naked Emo said:
It is a different size entirely. If you would like me to post a picture I suppose I could, but unless you're going to take a crow bar to your TF to wedge it in and hope the pins magically match, you're SOL. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A Naked Emo said:
It is a different size entirely. If you would like me to post a picture I suppose I could, but unless you're going to take a crow bar to your TF to wedge it in and hope the pins magically match, you're SOL. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe they're just referring to the charger itself not the apple sync cable. And no that isn't likely to work as the ASUS charger gives out 15V/1.2A on one of the pins unique to USB3
The 6ft USB 3 Male/Female extension cable is now back in stock on monoprice. For those that haven't been reading up, this is essentially an extension to charge your Transformer since the extra pins in USB 3 are used for power.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10303&cs_id=1030309&p_id=6506&seq=1&format=2
Any car charger in the market? Off topic but optimumwifi is getting 6mbps down, 10mbps up on this baby.
Bumping this thread. I find it hard to believe (or at least surprising) that this has been out 3 months now and I still can't find any third party replacement cables and/or 15v chargers. Paying $25 for a factory one is simply not something I can do, it just makes me sick to my stomach.
The most important thing I would like to find is the cable. I did buy a monoprice USB extension cable, which at least makes using the device while charging possible - but it is no solution in the case of this factory cable breaking in any way. I always like to have an extra charging cable on hand, and usually pay $1.99 or less for such things for my other phones and tablets.
need cables
@brunes
I agree with you. This reminds me too much of the original asus eee pc. There were no additional chargers nor expansion ssd (mini pcie) available for months. People were coming up with all sorts of work around ideas. Argh.
The idea of not having a replacement cable and charger does make me very uncomfortable. This is really unacceptable, and I hope Asus fixes it immediately.
I have to think about a post I read: just buy a second one and immediately return it with the bad charger if yours goes bad. This seems to screw the retailer, but hopefully Asus covers their cost in these cases.
In any case, it is a bad problem. I wrote my newegg review to exactly highlight this problem.
Not having a replacement cable is not a very comfortable feeling.
Anyway, an iPad charger does work for the tablet. I don't have a dock so no way to test it.
However, I noticed that using an iPad charger, theTF does not chnage the battery icon to charging and it charges a bit slower.
Q.Entity said:
However, I noticed that using an iPad charger, theTF does not chnage the battery icon to charging and it charges a bit slower.
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Click to collapse
It is charging at 5V. I assume using diodes to charge the cells in parallel instead of series without causing a short. Only other explanation is ASUS put DC-DC regulator in to ramp up the 5V. Only works while off or asleep and is sloooooowww...took me 8 hrs to get 22% charge on 5V USB.
a rabbit just chewed up my new transformer's cable
i emailed asus, but from my googling it looks like i'll have to spend about $40 ordering a replacement cable from a random retailer. sucks!
Check the DIY charger thread link in my signature. With 2 off the shelf parts you can have another charger for under $15.
Hey all, I was looking into getting a car power adapter for hte G-Tab. I looked on Electroniccrap.com, but everything is usually "out of stock." He sells the iGo systems, which Radio Shack also sells. So, I went to my local RS to see what I could find. They didn't have the iGo stuff, but did have enercell converters/adapters, etc.
As I was browsing, I found 2 12VDC car chargers (if you were curious, the "B" plug fits in the G-Tab). But then I noticed a "150W power inverter." It's a car plug that has 3 AC outlets and 1 USB outlet on it. This is ideal for me becuase I usually charge more than one thing when on long trips, GPS, Zune, NDSi, DVD player, and now the G-Tablet. The issue I'm having is that the back of the package said that it's output was 5VDC, typical of most car adapters. I asked the girl that was working if my AC adapter for hte G-Tablet would do it's own conversion, making it's output 12VDC. She said that it would, and said that each device's AC adapter will convert as needed.
Now, my question, is this true? The charger device does have a fuse on it, and some reviews I read (after purchasing, I know) said that it's worked fine for laptops, DVD players, etc. The main complaint is the hum of the cooling fan that's built in.
I briefly tested it today, with my G-Tablet. The battery indicator said it was 100% charged (but we all know that isn't reliable) I didn't take it out of it's case ot see what color the charge light was, but the charge indicator idn't have the lightning bolt in it, indicating a charge.
Does anyone know if she was telling the truth, perhaps? It's a pretty sweet setup, being able ot use AC adapters for all of my devices in the car, if it works as advertised, anyway. I just couldn't imagine why they would create a charger that has 3 5VDC AC outlets on it...
TJEvans said:
I asked the girl that was working if my AC adapter for hte G-Tablet would do it's own conversion, making it's output 12VDC. She said that it would, and said that each device's AC adapter will convert as needed.
Now, my question, is this true?
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of course not, how can someone who works in an electronics shop says so ?!
The 5VDC on the package is most probably the output of the USB port on the inverter.
The inverter should output 110 (or 220v) AC @ 50/60 hz, else you wont be able to use your wall plug adapters.
True the GTab adapter will output the proper voltage (12v DC 2A), but its input must be 110v (220v) AC.
My advice is not to use inverters for small hand helds : GTab, GPS, MP3 players .. etc.
Instead, use compatible car adapters, if you need more than one, get a splitter for your socket.
By the way, here is a compatible (and cheap) car adapter for the GTab: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Car-Charger-Koda...ccessories&hash=item51998a1f04#ht_1399wt_1341
Things may be different in Canada, but here in Pittsburgh, PA, just because somebody works at a certain store, doesn't necessarily mean that they know anything about the items they carry.
we actually have a car power splitter, it worked fine in our Honda Element (that the wife hit a deer with) but the Scion XB we have doesn't have much room between the outlet and the shifter lever, so the splitter doesn't quite fit that well. It is adjustable, but we haven't been able to find a position that works.
In fact, we have a car to double USB port adapter right now, that we are powering the GPS and Zune with, even with just the 2 USB cables plugged into it, it's tight.
aasoror said:
of course not, how can someone who works in an electronics shop says so ?!
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Thanks for the tip - bought one!
FWIW, I'm pretty sure the 'girl in the shop' was simply saying that if you plug your 115/220VAC adapter into the inverter, the adapter will produce whatever it produces when plugged into a wall receptacle, which indeed it should so long as the inverter can produce 24W - and she was just following standard retail practice: 'sell what ya got', and the store *had* an inverter.
Seems like an overly complex way to get 12VDC out of a (nominally) 12VDC system when all you probably need is a regulator.
Another option:
http://www.amazon.com/charger-adapt...OQLG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307712365&sr=8-1
Only one review, but it's a positive one.
TJEvans said:
Things may be different in Canada, but here in Pittsburgh, PA, just because somebody works at a certain store, doesn't necessarily mean that they know anything about the items they carry.
we actually have a car power splitter, it worked fine in our Honda Element (that the wife hit a deer with) but the Scion XB we have doesn't have much room between the outlet and the shifter lever, so the splitter doesn't quite fit that well. It is adjustable, but we haven't been able to find a position that works.
In fact, we have a car to double USB port adapter right now, that we are powering the GPS and Zune with, even with just the 2 USB cables plugged into it, it's tight.
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When I had my Scion xA, there were two power ports. One as part of the dash, the other was between the two front seats... the xB doesn't have this?
5V won't work. The power management chip is designed to handle 9 to 18V, but any car charger that is 12V out and fits will be fine.
Go to Radio Shack and buy the coiled Universal Accessory Charger. Its regulated 12V dc @ 2Mah.
Mine has been working excellent for months, although i can hear a high pitched sqeel in my audio system when the charger is on with no audio playing. I attribute this to a ground issue, not the charger...
Sent from my G Harmony v2.4 using XDA Premium App
Seems the OP answered his question but I think pointing out a couple of things may be helpful to others.
Haven't met anyone working RS that I thought was stupid but almost none know anything about the electronic components I buy. To think they have vast knowledge of and experience with electrictronics isn't logical.
Most things work with inverters but not all. I have some kind of a power supply, don't recall what, that says not to use it with an inverter. It's true you get 110(110,115,117,120) depending on how it's measured(min,avg,rms or max)) volts out of your home receptical but it's a sine wave. The ouput of a consumer inverter is a square wave.Square waves can cause noise or even overheating in some devices.
The other thing is that to get 110 volts the inverter draws 10X the output current to convert it. With a 20 amp fuse on you cars outlet that means your limited to ~2 amps for your devices.The vehicles system is ~13.5V so that's 27W. If you look at big inverters you'll notice they have battery clamps. 3 AC outlets from a cigarette lighter outlet is way optomistic.
An inverter may be a good choice for occasional use but probably better to keep everthing DC otherwise.
Make sure the inverter shuts itself off if the cars vehicle voltage gets low(i.e.when it isn't running). You could end up with a dead battery or even a damaged one.
rbrainard said:
Mine has been working excellent for months, although i can hear a high pitched sqeel in my audio system when the charger is on with no audio playing. I attribute this to a ground issue, not the charger...
Kind of nitpicking but cars are not grounded. Ground is literally the electrical potential of the Earth. A bad connection on the power or common(chassis) can cause noise but a sqeal is unlikely. The squeal is almost definately the inverter.
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h3llphyre said:
When I had my Scion xA, there were two power ports. One as part of the dash, the other was between the two front seats... the xB doesn't have this?
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It's an earlier XB (2006) and only has the one outlet. When the car is in park, the shifter handle is literally about 5 inches away from the outlet. Having the double outlet plugged in, and angled up (adjustable) will allow some room, but then you are unable to grab the shifter.
I'll be driving to DC next Thursday, and wanted a way to power the GPS, G-Tab, e-cig battery charger, and whatever else my son decides to bring with us (NDSi, DVD player, his iPod touch, etc.)
To JJJustmee: The device does shut off when the car is off, so I'm good there. Also, the inverter itself has a fuse on it, so I assume that if overloaded, then the fuse will give on it, before it effects anything on the car. I don't necessarily plan on running all devices at the same time, more like, run the G-Tablet unplugged until the battery decides to start draining really low. The GPS will be running the entire time. Everything else may be charged for a bit, while other devices are no plugged in. I liked the design of this, becuase the car lighter plug is rather short, since there is a 3 foot wire leading to the AC/USB outlets, like a surge protector. It takes up very little room near the car outlet area. The other options that people posted will not work becuase of the space limitations. I could, and have (in the element) use the outlet splitter, then one double USB outlet, to be able ot handle 3 devices at once, but then we're talking about at least 7-8 inches of plastic pluggs sticking out, and into my shift lever...
JJJustMee said:
Seems the OP answered his question but I think pointing out a couple of things may be helpful to others.
Haven't met anyone working RS that I thought was stupid but almost none know anything about the electronic components I buy. To think they have vast knowledge of and experience with electrictronics isn't logical.
Most things work with inverters but not all. I have some kind of a power supply, don't recall what, that says not to use it with an inverter. It's true you get 110(110,115,117,120) depending on how it's measured(min,avg,rms or max)) volts out of your home receptical but it's a sine wave. The ouput of a consumer inverter is a square wave.Square waves can cause noise or even overheating in some devices.
The other thing is that to get 110 volts the inverter draws 10X the output current to convert it. With a 20 amp fuse on you cars outlet that means your limited to ~2 amps for your devices.The vehicles system is ~13.5V so that's 27W. If you look at big inverters you'll notice they have battery clamps. 3 AC outlets from a cigarette lighter outlet is way optomistic.
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What you're saying isn't quite true. Min, Avg, RMS, or Max are not accurate figures that you can toss out without testing. The Max voltage of a 120v system is 177v, The Root means square (RMS) would be the nominal voltage or 120v. Regardless, when you say it draws 27w you're doing the conversion incorrectly. The only way to change from one nominal voltage to another is via the resistance. So you max can draw 20A at 12v (240w), or 2A at 120V (or 240w ish) via and inverter (assuming your inverter is sized accordingly).
baenap said:
What you're saying isn't quite true. Min, Avg, RMS, or Max are not accurate figures that you can toss out without testing. The Max voltage of a 120v system is 177v, The Root means square (RMS) would be the nominal voltage or 120v. Regardless, when you say it draws 27w you're doing the conversion incorrectly. The only way to change from one nominal voltage to another is via the resistance. So you max can draw 20A at 12v (240w), or 2A at 120V (or 240w ish) via and inverter (assuming your inverter is sized accordingly).
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Said it for me.
If it turns off as soon as you turn the key off it means the outlet is switched. Will protect the battery but also means it can't be used for anythihng while the car is off. Good or bad depending on usage. What I was talking about is the device being able to shut off when battery voltage goes below, say, 11.6v. Fuse and circuit breakers only protect from too high of an amperage draw. If your system wasn't switched it could still dran the battery. Like if the inverter was left on overnight/weekend.
Sounds like what you're talking about could be ok for a trip. Use the USB as much as possible. Lots more effeceint than the inverter. If you actually mean fuse, get extra. If it's a circuit breaker you'll be good to see what does and doesn't work.
Found one on ebay
Found one here
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320690673489#ht_4544wt_937
Just ordered it about $12:00 US delivered. I will let you know how it goeswhen I get in about two weeks.
Igo told me a week ago, that they don't yet have a tip for the Gtab/Zpad but expect to do so by the end of the month
Spec
Here you are some pics of Malata official Car adapter. Maybe you can find some thing to help.
Car charger
Just ordered this from Amazon. (can't link yet - crap) so "30W DC/DC Regulated Adaptor for DVD" do your own search
13.34 shipped. Many more bucks directly from batteryspace
Will post again after I test it.
more info: it comes with two tips, neither of which fit the gtab. I had a proper size tip in our tool box so will check voltages tomorrow.
This has better 12V DC regulation than the oem ac charger.
Guys
YOU DO NOT NEED AN INVERTER TO CHARGE YOUR G_TAB IN THE CAR.
ANY 12VDC (output) charger will work. They are a dime a dozen if you know where to look. Just make sure the tip fits, and is tip positive (symbol will look something like this)
12VDC @1A
(-)-C-(+) with a dot INSIDE the "C" that is connected to the (+)
The power supply controller will work down to 9V and up to 18, which is fine for the 10 to 14V you'll get from a car adapter. Just make sure it isn't a step down.
They should be like $5. You might have to bust out the soldering skills though if you can't find the right tip.
I just bought two sets of SONICable,The World's Most Advanced Charging Cable, for $49.00. Supposedly, they will increase you charging speed by 2x. It's a crowdfund project, and the cables will supposedly be delivered in March 2015.
I'm not affiliated with the project. I only think it sounds like an exciting product and decided informing the community about it.
Does it work on the same principle as this video for doubling your WiFi speed?
Code:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG5cEik2ABY
Well while surely there are better and worse cables, doesn't charging speed depends on the output of the wall piece and the charging circuitry?
On bad cables i get at most 1 Amp to charge the tablet, but with the original samsung cable i do get around 2 amps which is the designed output of the wall piece.
Maybe it works like the "Fast Charge" mode on custom kernels.
Charging is limited by 3 factors
1. Stock charger 5 Volts, then most importantly is the Amps - 2A for typical Samsung charger so going faster then this is unlikely with the stock charger, and tablets can already charge at 1890mA so probably 90% of its rated current.
2. Cable quality and length most Samsung cables are already high-quality and have copper wires with two bigger wires for the 5v and Ground line and they are short length (3-6ft) so they can easily handle 2A output (probably higher).
3. Probably the most important is the phone / tablet, usually they have several circuitry and software (kernel) protections to limit the charging speed for several reasons since lithium-ion / poly are extremely dangerous if they are overcharged or overheated or otherwise improperly charged (you can see videos of people overcharging lithium battery's then tapping them causing a huge fireball )
So it is very unlikely for a cable to achieve better charging speed, it probably just has the Data + - pins shorted to tell the charger / phone to charge at full speed (though this is unnecessary nowadays since most chargers already do this, but it could be beneficial for older phones / tablets)
arcadia2uk said:
I just bought two sets of SONICable,The World's Most Advanced Charging Cable, for $49.00. Supposedly, they will increase you charging speed by 2x. It's a crowdfund project, and the cables will supposedly be delivered in March 2015.
I'm not affiliated with the project. I only think it sounds like an exciting product and decided informing the community about it.
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You seriously spent $49 on a usb lead
From the link you supplied:
'When the switch is ON: All of the power is focused on charging, sync/data is disabled'
What, like using a mains charger where there is no sync connection (or buying a cheap charging cable where the data pins aren't connected)
Hes either a bot or someone paid to advertise that "product". It did remind me of "double your network speed" video from youtube where dude wraps one ethernet cable with another one and doubles his internet speed.
I saw this post a while back, and it was immediately clear to me that it was a scam. I can't BELIEVE that they actually raised over $400k on this thing. Indiegogo seems like it's becoming a scammer's conduit to gullible/uninformed buyers.
When did commercial posts get so frequent in here?
ssmr2t said:
When did commercial posts get so frequent in here?
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Apparently, there's a difference between buying a sd-card on amazon, or a glass protector on amazon compared with a pair of cables on Indiegogo. Although, I can't really see the difference.
Anyway, if and when I receive the cables I will let you know how it worked out.
Did you get your cables yet? Your OP says they were due in March 2015
Edit: I like this better http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...9QNSmGzx8GP_qMGpQ&sig2=O-5lUKoBFozTFf-A2spM6A
ssmr2t said:
Did you get your cables yet? Your OP says they were due in March 2015
Edit: I like this better http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...9QNSmGzx8GP_qMGpQ&sig2=O-5lUKoBFozTFf-A2spM6A
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No news as of yet, who knows maybe it is as suggested a hoax. But, as I'm enjoying gadgets I'll take the risk.
arcadia2uk said:
No news as of yet, who knows maybe it is as suggested a hoax. But, as I'm enjoying gadgets I'll take the risk.
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Keep us posted! Im interested in the results.
I'll probably buy when the price goes down.
Seems like an interesting concept. I'd like to see the cable in real-world action. Assuming they actually make it to market, i'll buy when the price goes down.
Believe it, or not, but I actually received my cables last week. The charging speed is substantially improved, but definitely not 2x. However, I still haven't tried charging by connecting over the PC, where this might show up. Anyway, as a fan of gadgets I still satisfied with my purchase.
I'm glad your happy with your purchase.
Charging speed is limited by the circuitry in the tablet itself. There's a limit in the amount of amps it can pull from anything (charger/computer or any USB port). I have an extremely powerful charger so I'm sure I hit the max charging rate of my devices. This cable will not improve that. I'm also sure that it's actually charging faster and drawing more power than my original chargers as some devices act a bit weird when charged fast.
The "twice as fast" charging rate will be the exact same charging rate as you get from a "charge only" cable if (and only if) you connect it to a computer or another device that syncs data. In every other scenario you'll get the exact same charging rate.
Note that your computer typically has a USB port for charging that's capable of drawing more power than the standard 500 mA that USB 1 and 2 offer. (USB3 can draw 900 mA, up to 1500 mA if it's a charging port)
Keep in mind that the stock charger output is 5.3 volts.
Lower impedance cable helps.
Samsung stock cable is good enough, and PNY cable also does a good job.
You can have the same thing on eBay for $6 ...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-smart-c...-Apple-Android-With-V-A-display-/141342314642
A charge only cable so you get maximum charge speed starts at only £5
http://www.portablepowersupplies.co.uk/portapow-fast-charge-micro-usb-cable/
An choice of USB Charging adapter, but do you really need these?
http://www.portablepowersupplies.co.uk/portapow-fast-charge-data-block-usb-adaptor/
John.
If you have 5 port 8 amp IQ charger, you can charge T520 faster.
ssmr2t said:
Did you get your cables yet? Your OP says they were due in March 2015
Edit: I like this better http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...9QNSmGzx8GP_qMGpQ&sig2=O-5lUKoBFozTFf-A2spM6A
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Click to collapse
Yes I got my cable, and the 2x works if you charge through your computers USB, as what the cable does is cutting off the communication to charge only. I saw a post at XDA that explain how to do this by yourself in about 5-10 min.