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So I was getting a bit frustrated with buying single and dual USB car chargers that were rated at 1Amp/Port and still having the EVO showing USB charging. I have five chargers now and they all show USB Charging while in spare parts. So being frustrated, I wanted to figure out and solve the problem. After a lot of surfing and digging, I came across the answer. If you check out this wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Power
You'll find the answer in the Battery Charging Specification of the link:
"In Battery Charging Specification,[31] new powering modes are added to the USB specification. A host or hub Charging Downstream Port can supply a maximum of 1.5 A when communicating at low-bandwidth or full-bandwidth, a maximum of 900 mA when communicating at high-bandwidth, and as much current as the connector will safely handle when no communication is taking place; USB 2.0 standard-A connectors are rated at 1500 mA by default. A Dedicated Charging Port can supply a maximum of 1.8 A of current at 5.25 V. A portable device can draw up to 1.8 A from a Dedicated Charging Port. The Dedicated Charging Port shorts the D+ and D- pins with a resistance of at most 200Ω. The short disables data transfer, but allows devices to detect the Dedicated Charging Port and allows very simple, high current chargers to be manufactured. The increased current (faster, 9 W charging) will occur once both the host/hub and devices support the new charging specification."
The key here is shorting the D+ and D- pins. Looking up the USB pinout can be found here:
http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml
So, taking my cheapest charger that I bought from Walmart for $5.99 that had dual ports that said it was rated at 1A/Port, I opened it up and soldered pins 2 and 3 together for each port and put it back together.
So now with my modified cheapo USB car charger I went to the car and plugged it in and plugged in the EVO. Low and behold, it now says it's "AC Charging" and now it will pull the full 1 Amp.
So with the result to my satisfaction, I opened up my other chargers, ranging from three different Scosche chargers and one single port Belkin 1 Amp charger, soldered pins 2 and 3 together, and now all of my chargers are showing "AC Charging" using the "Spare Parts" app.
Once you take the charger apart, it's fairly obvious which pins are 2 and 3. I guess I should have taken pictures of each one as I had it apart so you could see it.
I hope this helps others with getting the full charging capacity out of their 1 Amp car chargers. Because running Google Navigation or apps such as Pandora/Subsonic will really suck down the juice.
Wow.. great info! Thanks for posting that!
What gives you the impression that it's not drawing 1A when on an actual USB port...or vice versa, what guarantees you the 1A after this trick? ...(yes, I'm just trying to see your logic)...
RavenII said:
What gives you the impression that it's not drawing 1A when on an actual USB port...or vice versa, what guarantees you the 1A after this trick? ...(yes, I'm just trying to see your logic)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to everything that I've read on how the EVO and other phones charge, unless it can detect that the charger is a dedicated charger and not connected to a computer, the phone will only draw a max of 500 milliamps at 5 volts. Most of the time, it will only draw 400 milliamps at 5 volts.
There are a lot of threads here on trying to get chargers rated at 1 amp to actually have the EVO charge at 1 amp. The secret is that the 2 and 3 pins must be shorted before the EVO will even attempt to draw more amperage then a normal USB port.
Though you should only do this mod if the charger is truly rated at 1 amp at 5 volts.
So, if I bridge pins 2 and 3, and ground pin 4...I should be able to get it to pull 1 amp and launch into car mode right?
scl23enn4m3 said:
So, if I bridge pins 2 and 3, and ground pin 4...I should be able to get it to pull 1 amp and launch into car mode right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just bridge pins 2 and 3. Leave pin 4 alone. You could also mod a cable to do this, but make sure you never plug it into a computer!
The EVO will now see the charger as a dedicated charger and attempt to draw 1 amp. Though, based on what I have been reading, it wil more than likely draw 800 milliamps instead of 1000 milliamps. Same goes for USB charging at 400 milliamps instead of 500.
How did you get the belkin apart??
Can someone describe to me specifically what it looks like on 1A AC vs a 500mA?
I've tried plugging mine into a couple of 1A wall chargers that I have (including the HTC included charger) as well as my car and house 5mA chargers, and don't see the difference on screen.
ntron1 said:
How did you get the belkin apart??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had to use my pocket knife to slip it in between the spring loaded metal ground part and the plastic case. Make sure you identify which side will lift off. The top part is attached to one of the halves and you don't want to pry against that side. Just put a bit of pressure on each side until you can crack it apart. When putting it back together, I had to use some super glue on each side of the case after I had pressed it together. Just a couple of drops on each side and it looks none the worse for wear. Except it now charges at a a full amp (probably 800 milliamps)
Just to verify, this is the Belkin charger in question:
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Micro-...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1283093014&sr=8-3
Andy S said:
Can someone describe to me specifically what it looks like on 1A AC vs a 500mA?
I've tried plugging mine into a couple of 1A wall chargers that I have (including the HTC included charger) as well as my car and house 5mA chargers, and don't see the difference on screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download spare parts from the market. Under battery information it will tell you which mode it's charging in. Either USB or AC.
ChrisDos said:
Download spare parts from the market. Under battery information it will tell you which mode it's charging in. Either USB or AC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I knew I was missing something.
Battery droid will also tell you USB vs. A/C charging.
Andy S said:
Can someone describe to me specifically what it looks like on 1A AC vs a 500mA?
I've tried plugging mine into a couple of 1A wall chargers that I have (including the HTC included charger) as well as my car and house 5mA chargers, and don't see the difference on screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go into Settings, About Phone, Battery... It will say under Battery Status (just in case you don't want to download a new app)
SteelH said:
Battery droid will also tell you USB vs. A/C charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JKGoodrich said:
Go into Settings, About Phone, Battery... It will say under Battery Status (just in case you don't want to download a new app)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks all.
Now if I could find my soldering iron, I'll attempt this on my 1A wall charger from a time circa Rio Carbon
ChrisDos said:
I had to use my pocket knife to slip it in between the spring loaded metal ground part and the plastic case. Make sure you identify which side will lift off. The top part is attached to one of the halves and you don't want to pry against that side. Just put a bit of pressure on each side until you can crack it apart. When putting it back together, I had to use some super glue on each side of the case after I had pressed it together. Just a couple of drops on each side and it looks none the worse for wear. Except it now charges at a a full amp (probably 800 milliamps)
Just to verify, this is the Belkin charger in question:
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Micro-...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1283093014&sr=8-3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, 5 minutes and worked like a champ.
Ten minutes of looking for a lost soldering iron, and the Rio Carbon's charger now shows AC. Cool.
Thanks. I'm planning a hardwired mod to make a physical mount (out of a $5 ebay belt clip that I'm going to saw the clip off of...) in the empty Nav hole on my car. Have been trying to find a cheap donar USB plug charger to wire straight into the fuse box, and this will make that search easier.
scl23enn4m3 said:
So, if I bridge pins 2 and 3, and ground pin 4...I should be able to get it to pull 1 amp and launch into car mode right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back to this one about grounding pin 4. I know that in another thread someone mentioned hacking a cable on the mini USB end to bridge pins 4 and 5 (the "X" on the diagrams on the second page linked in the first post) to automatically put the car in "car dock" mode. Any ideas how we could accomplish this at the regular USB plug end, since there are only 4 contacts on that side?
Andy S said:
Ten minutes of looking for a lost soldering iron, and the Rio Carbon's charger now shows AC. Cool.
Back to this one about grounding pin 4. I know that in another thread someone mentioned hacking a cable on the mini USB end to bridge pins 4 and 5 (the "X" on the diagrams on the second page linked in the first post) to automatically put the car in "car dock" mode. Any ideas how we could accomplish this at the regular USB plug end, since there are only 4 contacts on that side?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to see that the modified charger is showing AC. Afraid I don't know about the car dock mode. Haven't researched that yet.
Thanks again OP. Just modified one and it worked perfectly.
ChrisDos said:
Just bridge pins 2 and 3. Leave pin 4 alone. You could also mod a cable to do this, but make sure you never plug it into a computer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you understood my question...Grounding 4 (same as bridging it to 5) should kick the phone into dock mod. So if I can pull an amp and get it into dock mod in my car, it'd be perfect.
Andy S said:
Back to this one about grounding pin 4. I know that in another thread someone mentioned hacking a cable on the mini USB end to bridge pins 4 and 5 (the "X" on the diagrams on the second page linked in the first post) to automatically put the car in "car dock" mode. Any ideas how we could accomplish this at the regular USB plug end, since there are only 4 contacts on that side?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe pin 4 doesn't get used so it's the one missing on the regular USB side...Based on that it would make sense for a wire from pin 4 to not extend all the way. You might just be stuck with with opening it towards the micro usb end.
My htc wall charger shows AC charging. So does my motorola car charger. Do I need to modify anything??
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I have been on the hunt for a charger for my car and home that shows up as an AC charger so that I can get a faster charge. After a bit of tinkering I have found that all you need to do to get ANY charger to show up as a AC charger is to have 5V on the standard USB + & - leads and simply connect the two data wires together. This will tell the phone that this is an AC adaptor.
I actually bought a cheapo 1A USB car charger from DealExtreme and it was supposed to show up as an AC adaptor but it didn't. So I carefully opened it up and de-soldered the resistors that were connected to the data pins on the PCB and verified that there were no more connections going to the two data pins on the USB connector (the two middle pins) and then put a small dab of solder across them. I plugged my MonoPrice USB cable into it and went to my car. Lo and behold it shows up as an AC adaptor AND actually charges at the full 1 AMP capacity!
Just wanted to share this with you guys. If people want to send me their chargers I would be happy to mod them for you (just pay shipping). I was also thinking about picking up a bunch of the USB 1A car chargers from DealExtreme, modding them, and then re-selling them. Would anyone be interested?
houseofbugs said:
I have been on the hunt for a charger for my car and home that shows up as an AC charger so that I can get a faster charge. After a bit of tinkering I have found that all you need to do to get ANY charger to show up as a AC charger is to have 5V on the standard USB + & - leads and simply connect the two data wires together. This will tell the phone that this is an AC adaptor.
I actually bought a cheapo 1A USB car charger from DealExtreme and it was supposed to show up as an AC adaptor but it didn't. So I carefully opened it up and de-soldered the resistors that were connected to the data pins on the PCB and verified that there were no more connections going to the two data pins on the USB connector (the two middle pins) and then put a small dab of solder across them. I plugged my MonoPrice USB cable into it and went to my car. Lo and behold it shows up as an AC adaptor AND actually charges at the full 1 AMP capacity!
Just wanted to share this with you guys. If people want to send me their chargers I would be happy to mod them for you (just pay shipping). I was also thinking about picking up a bunch of the USB 1A car chargers from DealExtreme, modding them, and then re-selling them. Would anyone be interested?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the post! I just wanted to add to it a link which includes some more information about performing this "mod." I haven't done mine yet, but I intend to soon.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=767961
Sb22 said:
Thanks for the post! I just wanted to add to it a link which includes some more information about performing this "mod." I haven't done mine yet, but I intend to soon.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=767961
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that link! I didn't know if anyone else tried this yet. But I can verify that it works perfectly! The best part is that my car charger looks stock as I used 2-part epoxy to glue it back together.
i have said it before and i will say it agai , fast full 1amp charges a bad for your battery and do not allow proper charges this you get **** for battery life.
nice mods but not good for battery life
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
v_lestat said:
i have said it before and i will say it again , fast full 1amp charges are bad for your battery and do not allow proper charges. you get **** for battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i heard you say that before, and i thought you were full of crap. after trying it for several charge cycles, it is plain as day. your battery charge WILL last longer from a slow usb half amp charge. seriously.
sometimes, however, it isn't worth waiting for. in a "non-primary" charging location such as a car, I can see the benefit in catching a quicker "top-off" charge.
I know your post is old, but THANK YOU MAN !!, i was having trouble obtaining only 100mAh from a AA-battery portable charger, modded a cable and now it's working so fine !!
Hmm, I could probably modify one of my short USB extension cables and cut off the data pins and keep that cable somewhere for cases where i'd prefer the turbo charge... Just snap on this usb extension cable (or maybe even an adapter) and boom you're getting the 1A charge
PS: my old WinXP box actually complains and shuts off the usb port if it sucks more than usual 500 mA, you would need to solder two usb connectors in parallel to fix that
I know this is mostly common knowledge but I still see many questions regarding this come up, so instead of explaining this over and over I can now link to this and flame away.
anyway...
When you charge your phone using an original HTC wall charger you phone gets all the power it needs to run itself and charge (up to 1000ma).
When you charge from any (most) other devices (this includes car chargers,non HTC wall chargers or any USB port) your phone will draw up to 500ma (the USB standard) REGARDLESS of the devices output.
The reason why the phone only draws 500ma on USB is so it does not damage any equipment by drawing more power than it can output safely (by design anything with a USB port can safely output 500ma).
The trouble is pretty much all equipment can safely output more than the USB standard of 500ma and safely charge your phone at full speed.
The phone distinguishes between an original HTC charger and other devices by whether or not the data wires are shorted (connected to each other).
How to do the charger mod.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anything that may happen as a result of doing this, by following these instructions you will be pushing any device you charge your phone from beyond the USB specifications, results of this may be, but not limited to your motherboard bursting into flames, you car exploding, the inventor/s of USB knocking on your door and slapping you in the face, but most probably faster charging and not a lot else.
Get yourself a short USB extender wire, male at one end, female at the other.
Cut the wire in half.
Connect the red and black wires up as they were before (or don't cut them in step 1).
On the Female side of the wire connect the green and white wires together.
On the Male side of the wire simply leave the green and white wires connected to nothing.
Insulate the ends of all of the wires with insulating tape.
Tie a knot in the wire so if the wire is pulled the knot is pulled and not the connection you made, it doesn't look pretty but the wire will last a lifetime this way.
All done, now use this wire in between your desire and whatever you want to charge from and get a full speed charge. You will lose data connectivity when using this wire.
There are other ways of doing this, for example.
Soldering together the data pins (middle 2) on the device you wish to charge from. Don't do this on your laptop...this method is intended for car chargers, wall plugs, and external USB battery packs.
Soldering together a male and female USB port and plug directly with no wire in between, this can look really good if you know what your doing.
Great guide! Just a quick question I have a 3rd party USB cable but an official htc wall plug. Will my desire still get 1000mA? Or will it only get 500 because of the 3rd party charger?
ste1164 said:
Great guide! Just a quick question I have a 3rd party USB cable but an official htc wall plug. Will my desire still get 1000mA? Or will it only get 500 because of the 3rd party charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 3rd party changer and I did this mod and it's working really great it's charging really fast
ste1164 said:
Great guide! Just a quick question I have a 3rd party USB cable but an official htc wall plug. Will my desire still get 1000mA? Or will it only get 500 because of the 3rd party charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The original charger shorts the data pins so it doesn't matter what cable you use.
Hi,
just wanted to say thank you for the idea. For me this is really usefull in some situations at work, where I have no access to a socket, but a pc.
It charges not as fast as the AC charger, but MUCH faster, than the usual 500mah USB method.
And so does it look like:
fileden.com/files/2006/9/25/238757/charger2.jpg
fileden.com/files/2006/9/25/238757/charger1.jpg
TrTech said:
just wanted to say thank you for the idea. For me this is really usefull in some situations at work, where I have no access to a socket, but a pc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And next time, use your brain first, please.
Do you have an idea why the HTC Desire does limit the current to 500mA if it's not connected to a dedicated charger which shorts the two data pins? Ever thought about it? Ever?
Umm... yes. But please feel free to enlight me.
TrTech said:
Umm... yes. But please feel free to enlight me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
umm, and I thought the post starter already answered this question:
The reason why the phone only draws 500ma on USB is so it does not damage any equipment by drawing more power than it can output safely (by design anything with a USB port can safely output 500ma).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So in other words:
Any laptop or computer can output max. 500mA by USB specifications.
So this means:
You can have luck and your computer doesn't get damaged if more current gets requested, it just limits the current to something around 500mA.
You can have luck and your computer just shuts down the USB port and Windows reports you that a malfunction device got connected.
You can have bad luck, most often the case, especially on cheap notebooks, netbooks, computers, a fuse will prevent bigger damage and the USB port remains dead until the rest of it's computer live.
So the limit got wisely chosen. So if you want to use your USB ports in the future, too, then only use this 'trick' on wall adapters which support an output current equal or larger than 1A (1000mA), or use it only in combination with USB ports which support that high currents (most often advertised as being able to charge the Apple IPad), most often found on external USB hubs.
UpSpin said:
umm, and I thought the post starter already answered this question
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too. Its all written in the first post and I'm doing it on my own risk. Still wondering about your raging post.
I will update this, as soon as the first pc was fried.
TrTech said:
Me too. Its all written in the first post and I'm doing it on my own risk. Still wondering about your raging post.
I will update this, as soon as the first pc was fried.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was that 'unfriendly' because other people will do the same, because person xy said that it works. Then they fry their mainboard or notebook and complain.
I also don't understand why anyone risks damaging intentionally its computer or parts of it, especially if there's absolutely no need for it, e.g. just let it charge in USB mode, or take a small charger with you, or at least use two USB ports to separate the load.
But well, maybe some people don't have to take care of their computer.
This is an interesting thread. I have a Pebble charger and it literally takes four hours to charge my 1400mAh from ~0% to 100%, now my question is, will this damage my Pebble charger shorting the two wires to draw a greater current from the unit?
Overheating, melting and explosions are something I am looking to avoid.
I have yet to find a device that has been damaged doing this. I have personally tried this on a ps3, Xbox wii, 4 laptops 2 desktops, car radio,car charger and a sky+ box.
Kalavere said:
This is an interesting thread. I have a Pebble charger and it literally takes four hours to charge my 1400mAh from ~0% to 100%, now my question is, will this damage my Pebble charger shorting the two wires to draw a greater current from the unit?
Overheating, melting and explosions are something I am looking to avoid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try this? I too have a Pebble and would be interested to know if I have just 30 minutes to plug it in, can I charge quicker.
Also, did the guys PC blow up? He said he would come back!?!? Maybe it did and he's in hospital still Dangerous things USB ports...
thanks for this ! I go to try this
MM i have an interesting one (which i still dont get)
i have a pebble charger
with OEM HTC Micro USB charger cable
and Pebble charger
plug phone into OEM micro USB charger to phone (phone says Power AC) yeh thats right
OEM Micro USB to computer (chargin USB)
So far so good
Pebble charger OEM USB to phone (chargin USB)
Pebble Cable charger to phone ( Power AC)
why are the OEM and Pebble charger cables different?
Sorry if i am posting in the wrong area but the topics seem pretty similar to me =P
to put my 2pence in, i've just done this but slightly different than the OP method..
i bought the belkin car charger, gives 1amp, but is detected as 'USB', not 'AC' charging mode, so my phone only charges upto 500ma which isnt enough (in reality it doesnt charge when i have GPS & max screen brightness).
instead of modding a USB cable (unable to use for data) or buying extra kit (money/ordering/going out) i pulled a strand of wire from a spare mains cable i had, threaded it through the 2 center pins on the belkin charger and then twisted the wire together.
USB cable is slightly tighter in the socket now, but still removable and keeps everything nice and tidy.... and more to the point; cheap!
poor shown from belkin; 'USB charger' mode in a car! like it would ever have data connection to the 12v socket.
hope that helps someone!
USB cable to quick-charge an HTC smartphone
Check http://winhlp.com/node/855 for some more details and photos of a USB cable modification.
Does this mod change the detection of car mode
Hi,
I have just started flashing a couple of roms and noticed that when using my desire with my car charger (1amp rated) it does not charge when doing navigation. looking on battery widget I get a max 289mw on car charge and it is showing as a USB charge. Flashed back to stock and now the car charger shows up as ac connected rather than USB. This does solve the discharging on navigation issue but I would like to run Gingerbread.
my question is...
Will this mod stop the Desire detecting and automatically entering car mode when it is plugged in? Anyone done it to their car charger?
Ta
Yes
The cable modification (shorting the data lines 2 and 3, instructions at http://winhlp.com/node/855 ) will switch any HTC smartphone into AC charging mode.
But I am totally stumped as to why you can achieve AC charging mode without this mod. I know of no other way the HTC phone could detect a car USB charger. I'm tempted to ask you to repeat the test.
If anybody here has any idea, please respond. To the best of my knowledge no USB device is allowed to pull more than 0.5 A from USB power, lest the power source switch off according to the USB specification. The only exception is that the device gets positive information that it is connected to a charger that can deliver a higher current, and for HTC devices that is signalled by a shortcut between the two data lines.
Thank you. I would rather not check again I did look for a while. Reverted back to stock for now.
It is a Huawei curly lead car charger with a 1a rating. The strangest thing is that with my stock Vodafone rom it detects as AC power on battery widget but on both leedroid and RCMix it shows up as a USB charge and I get the power issue. On all three roms it detects car mode correctly (Which is good!).
I was just wondering if the mod would also break the car mode detection?
I can't find anything on how car mode is detected!
THE PURPOSE OF THIS THREAD:
I think it's about time that we collect all the Car Charger info into one database so it's easy to find and I'm willing to do the work if you folks are willing to supply the following information about your chargers by posting it in this thread:
Brand
Model number, SKU, or description.
Rated output per the info on the charger.
Does it charge in AC or USB mode (see below)?
Does it have an attached cord or "Type-A" USB socket?
Who sells it?
Do you like it?
And for the USB mode chargers:
Can it be modified to charge in AC mode (see below)
CHECKING HOW THE PHONE RECOGNIZES THE CHARGER:
Plug the phone into the charger (light must be yellow and the phone must be charging)
Tap Menu > Settings > About Phone > Battery.
The top line will say "Battery status" followed by:
Charging (AC)
Charging (USB)
NOTE: If it says "Full" then your battery is fully charged and you'll need to run it down until the light turns from green to yellow. If it says "Not charging" then your charger is not supplying power or it's not properly connected to the phone.
AC? USB? WTF??:
USB ports were originally designed for data communications with and to supply power to computer peripherals. The maximum power specification for the USB 1.x and 2.0 data devices is 500mA so a "typical" USB port in most computers and hubs is only designed to supply 500mA. But consumer electronics manufacturers have adoped the USB connector as a means to charge their devices and they didn't want to be limited to 500mA, so some changes to the USB Standard were necessary to prevent "typical" 500mA USB ports from being damaged when subjected to loads which exceed their maximum output.
In a nutshell, now modern consumer electronics devices test the status of the USB data pair (D+ & D-) when you plug a cable into them. If the data pair is shorted (less than 200 ohms) then it will assume that the cable is connected to a charger and draw as much current as the charging circuit in the device calls for. If the data pair is not shorted then the device will assume that it's connected to a data port and it will draw no more than 500mA. Unfortunately, it seems that most auto charger manufacturers (and some AC chargers) just don't get it and they're selling high-powered (1 - 1.25A typical) chargers without the data pair shorted. Consequently a device like the Evo thinks it's connected to a data port and won't even try to draw more than 500mA regardless of what the charger is capable of supplying.
MODIFYING A CHARGER SO IT'S RECOGNIZED AS AN AC CHARGER:
This will explain what you need to do but not necessarily how to do it. Brands and models are different so there are no universal instructions, however I'll post links to your detailed instructions if you post 'em and I find them (feel free to post 'em in this thread).
The bottom line is you need to open up your charger and short the D+ & D- pair. For chargers with a USB Type-A receptical you can bridge (short) pins 2&3. For chargers with an attached cord with a Micro-B plug on it you'll need to find which wires go to pins 2&3 on the plug and bridge them:
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It's important to note that the pinouts in the diagram above are for plugs. In the case of the Type-A plug a receptical will have an identical pinout, but in the case of the Micro-B plug the pinout for the receptical will be mirrored (reversed). As an added bonus, here are the complete pinouts for both plugs: Type A: 1= +5V, 2= D-, 3= D+, 4= Ground. Micro-B: 1= +5V, 2= D-, 3= D+, 4= ID, 5=Ground. The specified wire colors for USB cables are Red = +5, White= D-, Green= D+, None= ID, and Black= Ground; but some manufacturers seem to be standard-challenged so you can't always assume this will be correct.
Pete
Charger Database
CHARGERS WHICH CHARGE IN AC MODE (UNMODIFIED):
Monoprice.com Car Charger (Cigarette Lighter to USB Female Converter) #6766, 1000mA
Motorola P513 Car Charger (Micro USB), 975mA
Seidio Micro-USB High Output Car Charger, 1000mA
CHARGERS WHICH CHARGE IN USB MODE (UNMODIFIED):
Belkin MicroCharge Part # F8Z445ttP, 1000mA (**Modification Instructions)
Sprint USB Vehicle Charger - Item # PVX9501R, 850mA. (**Modification Instructions)
I strongly suggest not buying this charger if you're buying it to modify because it's a pain in the butt to get apart and it's only rated at 850mA, but I already had one and I was determined to either modify it or destroy it trying and I'm glad to say that I ultimately succeed in modifying it.
First I pried off the head. There are little indents that you can see from the back and what I did was work little screwdrivers into two of 'em at once (one on each side of a corner) and pry the corner up. Then, while holding that corner from snapping shut again, I popped the other two sides loose and the head just lifted off.
Then I stuck a fairly large-blade screwdriver in behind one of the grounding springs and pried the body halves apart far enough to get a smaller screwdriver into the seam and I basically just "worried" the seam apart working from the large end to the small. Then I repeated the process for the seam on the other side of the body.
Once the case was apart I carefully examined how everything fit into the body and lifted it all out. The chrome grounding springs come out separately and it helps if you remove them first. Once I had the guts out I found where the #2 and #3 terminal tabs poke through the circuit board and bridged them with a small bead of solder. This takes a needle-point soldering tip and a great deal of care lest you also bridge to the tiny little surface-mount resistor which is right next to the terminals. You've been warned!
Then it was a simple matter of putting the guts back into the body, snapping it back together, wicking a small amount of thin CA (super glue) into the seam to hold the halves of the body together, debonding my fingers from the case (just kidding ), and snapping the head back on.
The bottom line is it's doable, but the net result is an 850mA charger with ugly pry marks all over it, although the pry marks will end up inside the cigarette lighter where they can't be seen. I would have preferred to include photos, but my camera that does macro is at work and I didn't feel ambitious enough to go get it.
Pete
Monoprice Car Charger (Cigarette Lighter) to USB Female Converter - White
1 Amp USB charger, works properly in AC mode so no modification is needed. USB Port
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10826&cs_id=1082602&p_id=6766&seq=1&format=2
Price 1.16 each comes in white or black.
3ft USB cable with micro usb head 1.00
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10303&cs_id=1030307&p_id=4867&seq=1&format=2
I had to call Seidio today about an unrelated item and I asked about their Seidio Micro-USB High Output Car Charger while I had them on the phone. The gal in Customer Support didn't really grasp what I was asking about, but a guy in tech support called me back to report that he had tested the charger with an Evo and it definitely charges in AC mode.
So I added it to the appropriate list in post #2.
Pete
Would it be possible to just modify a USB cable to do this or would I have to get nitty gritty with the Kensington PowerBolt Micro bend its will?
goodboynyc said:
Would it be possible to just modify a USB cable to do this .... ?
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Click to collapse
Sure. All the Evo needs to see is a short between the D+ and D- (#2 and #3) pins to charge in AC mode and it doesn't care whether that short is in the cable, in one of the connectors, or in the charger. Remember that you're not telling the charger what to do .. You're telling the phone.
I've never actually owned one myself, but I've seen plenty of references to "charge-only" cables which I assume have the pins shorted. A example is the Seidio Micro USB Charging Cable (5FT) which says "This cable is for charging only, and cannot be used for data synchronization" in the product description. But I need to reiterate once again that I'm assuming that this cable has the D+ and D- conductors shorted because I can't imagine any other reason to make a charge only cable.
Pete
I was easily able to take apart the powerbolt but im unsure where to lay the solder.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
* Brand: PointMobl Retractable Wall/Travel Power Adapter
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4050265
* Model number: 23-1119
* Rated output per the info on the charger:
Built in retractable cable connector: 5VDC, 1.0A
Secondary USB Port: 5VDC, 0.5A
* Does it charge in AC or USB mode: AC with built in cable connector
* Does it have an attached cord or "Type-A" USB socket:
Built in retractable micro usb cable
Secondary Type-A USB socket for charging a second device
* Who sells it: Radio Shack
* Do you like it: Yes. it charges the phone fast and full.
Edit: Sorry I just realized this isn't a car charger, but a good charger nevertheless.
goodboynyc said:
I was easily able to take apart the powerbolt but im unsure where to lay the solder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to bridge the two pins in the red box:
Pete
Thanks. I figured thats what i needed to bridge. Ill probably do it tonight and give it a test followed by a proper write up.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Brand: Kensington
Model: PowerBolt Micro
Rated output: 2.1 Amps
Does it charge in AC or USB mode (see below)? USB
Does it have an attached cord or "Type-A" USB socket? No
Who sells it? Amazon, Newegg, etc.
Do you like it? Hell yes.
I had to short pins 2 and 3 so that my Evo could pull more than 300mA. To open the charger i just pried off the bottom half, the side without the LED, and pulled out the circuit board. I dabbed some solder on it and was off on my way.
According to current widget, the Evo now pulls ~700mA and up to 810mA which was the most I've seen so far.
cheap Ipad charger from ebay
I got this cheap Ipad charger off ebay, then I super glued this connector on the middle pins works so far. Only got about 900 mA out of the 2.1mA, but i didnt expect much out of it anyway.
First post on XDA
WELL I tried to post pictures but it wouldn't let me....
I've had this Blackberry charger for 2 years plus and it still works great. It charges in AC mode and does .95 amps. It doesn't get real hot like some I've used. I originally used it with my Tour and have been using it with the EVO since the day one launch. BTW my EVO has never had a problem in the year or so since the launch. I love the phone and will be sorry to let it go...when the SII is released.
Amazon Link $6.85 now, but when I bought it was less.
mrpickem said:
I've had this Blackberry charger for 2 years plus and it still works great. It charges in AC mode and does .95 amps. It doesn't get real hot like some I've used. I originally used it with my Tour and have been using it with the EVO since the day one launch. BTW my EVO has never had a problem in the year or so since the launch. I love the phone and will be sorry to let it go...when the SII is released.
Amazon Link $6.85 now, but when I bought it was less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
prob gonna be buying this one
Looks cool...
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I recently purchased a Kensington K33497US PowerBolt Duo car charger. One USB port is rated at 2.1A for iPads and the other port is rated at 1A. Plugging my EVO 3D into either port results in "USB charging" mode. Following the advice here and in other threads, I pried open the charger and soldered a connection between pins 2 and 3 (this is on the side with the 1A port). Tested the 1A port and I now see "AC charging" on my EVO 3D. I haven't tested the actual current yet but hopefully will soon. Thanks to all who have posted their experiences.
quagman said:
I recently purchased a Kensington K33497US PowerBolt Duo car charger. One USB port is rated at 2.1A for iPads and the other port is rated at 1A. Plugging my EVO 3D into either port results in "USB charging" mode. Following the advice here and in other threads, I pried open the charger and soldered a connection between pins 2 and 3 (this is on the side with the 1A port). Tested the 1A port and I now see "AC charging" on my EVO 3D. I haven't tested the actual current yet but hopefully will soon. Thanks to all who have posted their experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested the modified Kensington Powerbolt Duo today with my Evo 3D. The battery was at 69% and I turned on Google Navigation and took a 15 minute drive. During that time the phone was reading "AC charging" and stayed at 69% during the drive. Then on the way home I plugged in a cheap car charger I bought from eBay. My phone again said "AC charging" and in the first ten minutes of my drive the battery went from 68% to 73% with Navigation running. The phone and charger also were warm. I had turned on Current Widget for the ride home and it peaked at 720 mA with the cheap charger. I then switched back to the modified Kensington and monitored the current for around five minutes with Navigation on. The battery charge stayed at 73%. According to the Current Widget log though, the current was reading negative values up to -253 mA. Not really sure what this means.
mrpickem said:
I've had this Blackberry charger for 2 years plus and it still works great. It charges in AC mode and does .95 amps. It doesn't get real hot like some I've used. I originally used it with my Tour and have been using it with the EVO since the day one launch. BTW my EVO has never had a problem in the year or so since the launch. I love the phone and will be sorry to let it go...when the SII is released.
Amazon Link $6.85 now, but when I bought it was less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry but this charger is probably not even that good, it charges blackberrys which means its probably under 300mAH look on dealextreme for like ones that are 500mAH + under that sucks because say you use navi or somthing, it will eat more battery than it will charge. there are pretty awesome ones on DX for like 5 bucks but the thing is it takes 14 days for shipping, pretty long time. or check monoprice which is located in orange county and is a GREAT site i get my things in 2 days with them and there SUPER cheap like DX hope this helped
Brand: Schosche
Model: reVIVE II Dual USB Car Charger for iPad
Rated output: 2.1A
AC or USB Mode: USB
Cord: USB A Plug
Who sells it: ht tp://w ww.amazon.com/Scosche-reVIVE-Dual-Charger-iPad/dp/B003N7NO4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311527021&sr=8-1
Do you like it? Yes
I just found this thread. I bought this charger over 6 months ago. I thought surely that the 2.1A capability would mean this would charge as fast as the wall charger. While that has not been the case, and thanks to this thread I now know why, it at least keeps it charged while using the GPS which all of the other chargers I tried before did not.
After seeing this thread this morning I went out to my car and plugged the phone in to see what mode it was charging in. To my surprise, it said USB.
So, my question is this. Could I not simply plant a bead of solder between pins 2 and 3 of a USB cable and get the same result as modifying the charger?
I couldn't find a mount for my otterbox. I built a car mount and painted it black. I ended up making it from the belt clip on my otterbox and an old garmin window-mounted GPS. Here's some pictures of the build process.
My first attempt was to try to fiberglass the outside of the otterbox to make a mount....
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This ended up being too much work and I came up with a better idea.
1 remove belt clip portion from otterbox
2. Saw down Otterbox beltclip so that the unit can be slid into place with USB cable
3. slide phone into otterbox case and insert USB.
4. first superglue USB in proper position, then epoxy for extra hard durability
5. saw back part off of old window mounted unit
6. superglue back plate in place
7. epoxy backplate in place
Ok... so now for power... I used a USB port and a regulator... This was an epic failure because pins 2 and 3 on the USB port should have been pulled HIGH to represent this is a charging device. I left them open and the unit appeared to go into USB Powered device mode where my phone was supplying 5V to the charger..... Anyways... this would have worked if I had read up on USB standards first but I ended up going with a 12V adapter stuck into a 12V socket in my ceiling.
Circuit made (should have added a resistor from 5V to the middle two pins)
Covered with non-conductive, flexible glue to keep everything in place and make sure it would not be able to short circuit.
Finally I painted the entire thing black. It looks great now. Everything is wonderful. After 3 days of drying it was able to be used.
I forgot to add finished photos.
The unit separates so the suction cup mount can be adjusted easily.
You can see on the back, it's not too bad once it's painted
This large cutout allows the otterbox cable cover to be opened and just slide right in.
Now, if I had this to do over again, I would have applied a 619Kohm resistor between pins 4 and 5 on the mini-usb. This would have enabled car mode. Car mode automatically brings up car home. As it is, this is simply a car-charger circuit.
Overall, this project is awesome!. This allows me to have my phone mounted above eye-level which is great for GPS
http://cgi.ebay.com/SlipGrip-Car-Ho...658168?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item5d2cdd48f8
please dont spam that ebay crap. this is a homemade-how-to!
That thing is big, and has no charging capability.
If you took the belt clip off and put on suction cup instead, that's what you get from that Ebay link. There's no charging capability there. Mine has about 2-3 inches of exposed cable. The rest is tucked neatly into the headboards of the car.
TRusselo said:
please dont spam that ebay crap. this is a homemade-how-to!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm im not spamming anything. He stated that he couldn't find a car mount for the outterbox case. Was just posting it for reference. Just giving my 2cent's or w/e they call them up north. No need to get nasty.
I appreciate what he's done and for the walkthru. Everyone has their own opinions and if someone happens upon this post in the future and in interested in a carmount for a otterbox they can follow OP's wonderful how-to and they will have more options...
Just trying to be helpful to be honest.
How easily does the phone slide in and connect with the usb? I've been thinking of how to make a dock that you slide in similar to yours, but been worried how quickly/simply it works (i often have a difficult time plugging it in even after owning it for half a year!).
I also kinda wanted to make the usb mount adjustable in case I took the phone's case off or used a different case all together. Any ideas on that, or is the permanent epoxy mount the way to go?
Nice job and thanks for posting it!
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I slides in easy. The phone must just be against the back of the dock and slid into place. It's one hand operation unlike using a USB cable.
Just super glue the connector in place and let it dry. Once it dries, it will always be in the right position. Then you can remove the phone and apply epoxy to really strengthen the connector.
I don't know how you'd make the mount adjustable. I really just made this because there's no car dock available for the Otter Box.
Again, for full dock capability, use a 619Kohm resistor on the back side of the micro usb connection, between pins 4 and 5.
Thanks for the help
AdamOutler said:
Ok... so now for power... I used a USB port and a regulator... This was an epic failure because pins 2 and 3 on the USB port should have been pulled HIGH to represent this is a charging device. I left them open and the unit appeared to go into USB Powered device mode where my phone was supplying 5V to the charger..... Anyways... this would have worked if I had read up on USB standards first but I ended up going with a 12V adapter stuck into a 12V socket in my ceiling.
Circuit made (should have added a resistor from 5V to the middle two pins)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pins on usb should have been "pulled high"? care to clearify, ive never heard of that term..
with the middle 2 pins open wouldn;t it be the same as powering by USB thru aftermarket charger? I modded my aftermarket charger, pins 2-3 were open, i closed them ( no resistor ) and now it thinks its AC (oem charger).
why would yours output 5v to the cable?
just asking not criticizing...
TRusselo said:
pins on usb should have been "pulled high"? care to clearify, ive never heard of that term..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I do electronics for a living, I use jargon without explaining alot and it looses people.
Pulling a pin high means to apply 5V behind a resistor. It's a digital logic term. Digital logic has only 2 states, high and low (sometimes a 3rd state is Open). In order to maintain a high state on a pin, you use a pull-up resistor. If you've got voltage without current flow, then ohms law does not apply and 5V behind a resistor will be 5V on the other side of the resistor. The reason for the resistor is because if for some reason the pin is pulled low (ground is applied) then there is not a short between 5V and ground.
with the middle 2 pins open wouldn;t it be the same as powering by USB thru aftermarket charger? I modded my aftermarket charger, pins 2-3 were open, i closed them ( no resistor ) and now it thinks its AC (oem charger).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's an excerpt from a good page on USB. http://www.beyondlogic.org/usbnutshell/usb2.shtml
A USB device must indicate its speed by pulling either the D+ or D- line high to 3.3 volts. A full speed device, pictured below will use a pull up resistor attached to D+ to specify itself as a full speed device. These pull up resistors at the device end will also be used by the host or hub to detect the presence of a device connected to its port. Without a pull up resistor, USB assumes there is nothing connected to the bus. Some devices have this resistor built into its silicon, which can be turned on and off under firmware control, others require an external resistor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why would yours output 5v to the cable?
just asking not criticizing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really couldn't tell you. I just know I did a search and found out that my charger violated USB standards. Also, when unplugged from wall power, I was receiving 5V on the charger which was illuminating an LED. Don't just leave those pins open. Pull them high.
why would you have to set device speed for a charging circuit?
the usb standards seemed to be assuming a data device (whether it be a mouse or hdd), not just something charging...
and why not close the pins, and enable (poorly worded) "AC" charging mode, for rapid charging?
or add the resistor between the 2 to enable car dock mode automatically?
In Battery Charging Specification, [40] new powering modes are added to the USB specification. A host or hub Charging Downstream Port can supply a maximum of 1.5 A when communicating at low-bandwidth or full-bandwidth, a maximum of 900 mA when communicating at high-bandwidth, and as much current as the connector will safely handle when no communication is taking place; USB 2.0 standard-A connectors are rated at 1500 mA by default. A Dedicated Charging Port can supply a maximum of 1.8 A of current at 5.25 V. A portable device can draw up to 1.8 A from a Dedicated Charging Port. The Dedicated Charging Port shorts the D+ and D- pins with a resistance of at most 200 Ω. The short disables data transfer, but allows devices to detect the Dedicated Charging Port and allows very simple, high current chargers to be manufactured. The increased current (faster, 9 W charging) will occur once both the host/hub and devices support the new charging specification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus
I've personally done this to all manner of chargers, including external batteries, car chargers, wall chargers, even made a small make to female dongle that shorts the data pins. All that matters is that the pins being shorted indicates to the phone that it may draw > 500ma, I believe the most this particular device will draw is around 750ma. Note that if this is done, the phone will always indicate ac charging, even if the actual charger is supplying less current.
Also, the desk/car mode resistor goes between pins 4 and 5, not 3 and 4 for those who are wondering
Forgot to mention, nice mod. I have some spare otterbox holsters (they sent me three when my clip broke) so I've got some plans for them, including a car dock.
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TRusselo said:
why would you have to set device speed for a charging circuit?
the usb standards seemed to be assuming a data device (whether it be a mouse or hdd), not just something charging...
and why not close the pins, and enable (poorly worded) "AC" charging mode, for rapid charging?
or add the resistor between the 2 to enable car dock mode automatically?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep. makes sense.
The 6 to 24V regulator would handle a maximum of 1A, which is what you can expect out of most wall chargers and well above the expected input of the device. I just trashed my regulator/USB project when it started powering my 12V bench power supply LED for fear it may damage the phone. If anyone wants to recreate this, the 5V regulator is available at Radio Shack and you'll have to either tear apart a charger/computer/other device or order a USB port. I installed a 12V port near the sunroof in the headliner of my car, then I installed a generic USB car charger and ran a USB cable out of it to my dock.
Cool project. Good to seem someone else using torque. Have you had any success in the 0-60 timing? If i don't dog it, I can get a reading. Once the tires slip, tc kicks in, it is a nogo. (Noticed some updates to the program and t was a complaint on his forum, so I should try again to be fair.)