Develop Bugs

Change your charger from USB to AC

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?
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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
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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.
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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

[Q] Slow USB Charging in AC outlet

Whenever I plug my Desire in an AC outlet, it charges ridiculously slow. I check the battery status and it says "Charging (USB)" (not AC) and USB Debugging pops up. My wall adapter says it has an output of 1000ma. Is the chord bottle-necking the charging speed or is it the adapter? I am using the chord that came with my phone but I bought a new adapter to fit my countries outlets.

Same problem. I would like a resolution to this also.

There is allready a thread concerning this issue and it has the solution your looking for.

mercianary said:
There is allready a thread concerning this issue and it has the solution your looking for.
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I have looked on the forums and it should seem like I should get regular AC charging on my Desire. I have a 1000mah charger and I am using the USB cable that came with my phone. I am wondering why I do not. I looked at my USB (fat side) pins and they are shortened. I have included an image of my charger.

if the adaptor says it supports iPhone etc then that is why the USB debugging symbol is coming up.
because that symbol is up it will only charge at 500mA max (the phone thinks it is in a PC, it doesn't wnat toburn out the USB port).
if it is a cheap adaptor, the voltage regulator may be limited to 100mA. thats what happened with me.
either way, in my eyes you have 3 choices.
1. buy a new adaptor
2. put a new voltage regulator in the adaptor (a friend did this for me)
3. use a converter so the adaptor you have will work in your wall.

nzdcoy said:
if the adaptor says it supports iPhone etc then that is why the USB debugging symbol is coming up.
because that symbol is up it will only charge at 500mA max (the phone thinks it is in a PC, it doesn't wnat toburn out the USB port).
if it is a cheap adaptor, the voltage regulator may be limited to 100mA. thats what happened with me.
either way, in my eyes you have 3 choices.
1. buy a new adaptor
2. put a new voltage regulator in the adaptor (a friend did this for me)
3. use a converter so the adaptor you have will work in your wall.
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Click to collapse
O I didn't realize if it was branded to work with iPhone it would charge slowly. Thank you for your help. Next time I'll watch out for a "Works for the iPhoney."

Bump
I would like to know how it ended?
I have a same problem, the only difference is that i have stock HTC AC charger with separate USB cable (stock too). When plugged to AC it shows "charging(USB)". Tried different cables, same result. Tried two different AC adapters, but both were from NOKIA, same result...

This might help your slow charging issue
If the wall charger is causing your phone to charge in a USB state, the charge time will be very long compared to a normal AC charging state which I'm sure you are aware of. A cable called QuickCharge might help. It will enhance USB charging to AC charging. You can find it on Amazon by searching for 'QuickCharge'. It's the 2nd or 3rd item down.

Quick Charging USB Adapter... Any thoughts?

I am considering buying this usb charging adapter cable to help speed up my charging rate at work where I don't have an AC adapter and my work computer's usb ports are conveniently placed. From what I have read, normal usb charging maxes out at 500ma, but can be increased if your usb port has more juice if you short the data wires, which will tell the phone to grab more power because it thinks it is plugged into an AC adapter.
I have found this adapter http://www.dealextreme.com/p/usb-data-charging-extension-cable-for-samsung-p1000-black-91141
it is meant for a galaxy tab, but From what I see is that it has a switch that either allows data / slow charge or allows quick charging. I have purchased a few of these already because I'm assuming it will still work with my galaxy s2.
I'll let everyone know how it goes, but does anybody see a problem with this or think I'm going to fry my phone for any reason?
Thanks.

very interesting, heck it's only $3 bucks, might as well just buy it and find out
yes, charging via USB port sucks, it's too slow at 500 mAh
if that does the magic trick, by shorting it and making it believe it's an AC then it'll be nice, and it can pull around 1000 mAh off the USB port (depending on your computer mainboard)

Id be curious to see if this actually works but i see no fault in trying it

cbutters said:
I am considering buying this usb charging adapter cable to help speed up my charging rate at work where I don't have an AC adapter and my work computer's usb ports are conveniently placed. From what I have read, normal usb charging maxes out at 500ma, but can be increased if your usb port has more juice if you short the data wires, which will tell the phone to grab more power because it thinks it is plugged into an AC adapter.
I have found this adapter http://www.dealextreme.com/p/usb-data-charging-extension-cable-for-samsung-p1000-black-91141
it is meant for a galaxy tab, but From what I see is that it has a switch that either allows data / slow charge or allows quick charging. I have purchased a few of these already because I'm assuming it will still work with my galaxy s2.
I'll let everyone know how it goes, but does anybody see a problem with this or think I'm going to fry my phone for any reason?
Thanks.
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Click to collapse
Only the Galaxy Tablets have this limitation (they cannot be charged at all via computer usb only via their "special" wall adapter) so the adapter won't do anything for a phone. The adapter works on the tablet because what the adapter is doing is shorting 2 pins on the USB cable to fool the TABLET into thinking it is on the AC adapter "specially made" for it.
As long as you plug the phone it into a self-powered usb port (ie: a hub with a power brick) you will get max current the phone allows. The adapter will make no difference on the phone because the phone CAN charge off the PC port while the tablet cannot. It won't hurt the phone but it won't help it either.

MisterEdF said:
The adapter will make no difference on the phone because the phone CAN charge off the PC port while the tablet cannot. It won't hurt the phone but it won't help it either.
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Thanks for the info on the galaxy tab, however I disagree with you in your opinion that an adapter that shorts the data wires will not help the phone to charge quicker.
It seems either the devices or android system itself limits charging to 500ma so it does not damage the computer, the phone itself knows that it is connected via usb, and will state "Charging: USB Plugged"
If you let the phone think it is connected to an AC adapter, it will allow the battery to accept whatever amperage you throw at it, and you will see that the system states "Charging: AC Plugged"
Obviously there are two modes of charging going on here.
See this thread:
see here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=844284

Has anyone tried this yet?

I have found that using the Galaxy Tab chargers works the same way. They have a 2amp output vs the .5 amps that most blackberry chargers and USB use... It shortens the charge time significantly.
TMO SGS2, Darkside 3v8, Kernel Venom 3#5, UVLC8

Charger considerations
Hi,
I need advise for the following:
Charger A (Li-polymer battery) output : 5V, 1A
Charger B (Li-polymer battery) output : 5V, 500mA
Device input: 5V, 750mAH (Li-ion / Li-polymer)
When using Charger A, some people comment that it will limit the current of 750mAH for the device and the device's battery should be fine since both the charger and device are at 5V. However, some people comment that this will shorten the battery life of the device since it will perform a 'quick charge' using 1A.
When using Charger B, some people comment that the device will draw more current than it can deliver and causes it to heat up and reduces the charger's life. However, some people comment that Charger B will extend the battery life of the device since it performs a 'slow charge'.
I also read that USB pins on the charger denotes if the charger is a PC or a dedicated charger. If it is a PC, the device will limit the drawing current. If it is a dedicated charger, the device will draw more current to charge itself.
I am confused as to who is right and which charger should i be using.
Can someone enlighten me ?
Thank you very much.

[Q] GT-N7100 : Picky about charger/cable.

Hello,
I just changed my nexus one to a galaxy note 2 and I noticed that the note seem to be much more picky about chargers and microUSB cables, even over USB.
Here is what I did :
1 - Nexus one charger (1A) : went to about 30% charge then it started doing charge/discharge cycles. Like if I plugged and unplugged the charger every second.
2 - Original charger / original cable : no problem, fast
3 - Original charger / Nexus one cable : no problem, fast
4 - Original charger / cheap long cable from eBay : charge level couldn't exceed 40%.
5 - USB port / Nexus one cable : no problem
6 - USB port / cheap long cable from eBay : phone said "charging" but didn't charge
7 - USB port / cheap short cable from eBay : phone said "charging" but didn't charge
8 - DIY charger (made by soldering a micro USB plug to a 2A/5V wall wart) : no problem, fast
Did any one of you experienced the same problem ? Never had any problem with the Nexus One.
Well, I think that the obvious conclusion should be "don't use cheap knockoff cables and use a correctly rated charger", but I still want to understand the problem. Are there differences between cables ? And if it is just a power rating, why is USB (slow) charging a problem ?
Thank you.

No problems here with an HTC Desire charger and cable, works well with full recharge.

The phone just cannot get enough current from a cheap cable. It only gets maybe about 300mA, which is barely enough to keep the device alive.
This means it's 'charging' while at the same time the battery juice decreases.
This also means the battery sometimes cannot get a full charge.
Nothing picky about this.
So what you have to do is: Use a 2amp charger with a good quality cable which can handle 2amp.

I also use HTC Desire charger + cable. The charger is rated at 1A but it can charge my N7105 at around 1.5A, though the charger is a bit warm. I use the htc charger all the time at home and no problem at all.
Some USB cables are inferior to others for charging, even though they transfer data with no speed loss. I have a cheap USB cable which can only charge my N7105 at ~450ma with the original samsung charger (2A output) and barely charge at all when plugged into a PC.

Where do you find a quality USB cable that's able to charge the note sufficiently

Mine charges only when I stick it directly to the wall. Never tested another charger, though.

My Note I charging cartridge and chips got damaged i was told because the charger I was using from Best Buy's (2.1) extended end to it was too long. Actually the whole charging mechanism got screwed up... Whole device wouldnt get or hold a charge worth crap despite fixing the charging 'cartridge'...forget what its called.
So actually charging cables sure are NOT universal.
GNote2's extended end is moderate in length, not long etc. Im temptedto buy another one from Sammy and only use it.

gub said:
Hello,
I just changed my nexus one to a galaxy note 2 and I noticed that the note seem to be much more picky about chargers and microUSB cables, even over USB.
Did any one of you experienced the same problem ? Never had any problem with the Nexus One.
Well, I think that the obvious conclusion should be "don't use cheap knockoff cables and use a correctly rated charger", but I still want to understand the problem. Are there differences between cables ? And if it is just a power rating, why is USB (slow) charging a problem ?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've have this issue with loads of cables, not all USB cables are equal cheaper and longer the cable the more interference and other crappyness you will get. Same reason you should ideally use the sammy cable rather than a cheap one while flashing roms. much less likely to fail.
---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 PM ----------
rockky said:
My Note I charging cartridge and chips got damaged i was told because the charger I was using from Best Buy's (2.1) extended end to it was too long. Actually the whole charging mechanism got screwed up... Whole device wouldnt get or hold a charge worth crap despite fixing the charging 'cartridge'...forget what its called.
So actually charging cables sure are NOT universal.
GNote2's extended end is moderate in length, not long etc. Im temptedto buy another one from Sammy and only use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the longer the cable the more phase is introduced which can short the charging circuits, but I'm not an electrical engineer so don't take my word for that I just remember a grey beard telling me about it many years ago.

Charging Problem Solved "I Think"

I have been having problems charging my LG V20. When driving and streaming music with Waze I notice that I'm loosing charge capacity, so I have to only use Waze when absolutely necessary, during traffic jams or finding a restaurant or store etc. I keep getting intermittent "Slow Charging" or "Use OEM Charger & Cable" messages. I don't have the OEM charger or cable so I have been purchasing chargers & cables. I bought a 4 port 12V charger with QC 3.0 expecting that to solve my problem. The charger didn't change anything. So I bought a few USB 3.0 cables and just one time I got a "Fast Charging" session. I read a review about a charger like mine and the review rated the charger as poor. So I bought another QC 3.0 charger and went out to the car with the new charger and all my C type cables. Went through all 5 of my 3 ft cables and once again I keep getting intermittent "Slow Charging" or "Use OEM Charger & Cable" messages with the new charger. Bummer. I also have two short 25cm cables that I tried in desperation and Wow, both of these short cables produce consistent "Fast Charging" sessions. With both chargers! The 25cm cables are too short to reach where I mount my phone so I just ordered a 50cm Ugreen USB C Cable 5A Super Charge Cable. I'm hoping a short (less resistance) high quality cable will solve my problem. Any suggestions on another brand 50cm cable I should order as a backup?

rredmed said:
I have been having problems charging my LG V20. When driving and streaming music with Waze I notice that I'm loosing charge capacity, so I have to only use Waze when absolutely necessary, during traffic jams or finding a restaurant or store etc. I keep getting intermittent "Slow Charging" or "Use OEM Charger & Cable" messages. I don't have the OEM charger or cable so I have been purchasing chargers & cables. I bought a 4 port 12V charger with QC 3.0 expecting that to solve my problem. The charger didn't change anything. So I bought a few USB 3.0 cables and just one time I got a "Fast Charging" session. I read a review about a charger like mine and the review rated the charger as poor. So I bought another QC 3.0 charger and went out to the car with the new charger and all my C type cables. Went through all 5 of my 3 ft cables and once again I keep getting intermittent "Slow Charging" or "Use OEM Charger & Cable" messages with the new charger. Bummer. I also have two short 25cm cables that I tried in desperation and Wow, both of these short cables produce consistent "Fast Charging" sessions. With both chargers! The 25cm cables are too short to reach where I mount my phone so I just ordered a 50cm Ugreen USB C Cable 5A Super Charge Cable. I'm hoping a short (less resistance) high quality cable will solve my problem. Any suggestions on another brand 50cm cable I should order as a backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to check the voltage and amperage of your charger and then see if you can find some specs about your device and look for what voltage and amperage charger it is supposed to have. The power output of the charger is more relevant to charge capacity than the length of the cable being used.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven said:
You need to check the voltage and amperage of your charger and then see if you can find some specs about your device and look for what voltage and amperage charger it is supposed to have. The power output of the charger is more relevant to charge capacity than the length of the cable being used.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
How do you explain multiple charges working in quick charge mode only with the short cables I have and not with any of the other cables, other than a problem with the cables?

rredmed said:
How do you explain multiple charges working in quick charge mode only with the short cables I have and not with any of the other cables, other than a problem with the cables?
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Click to collapse
Did you do any investigating to determine what voltage and amperage charger is required by your specific device? Did you compare that to the chargers that you have in order to verify whether the chargers you have are correctly rated for your device? That is a more important detail than you realize.
Yeah, I know what you're probably thinking, "I've never had a problem using a different charger to charge other devices that I have used/owned, how can it be an issue now?"
The answer to that is, not all devices are equal.
Maybe the charger is rated lower than is required by the device and when used with the longer, higher resistance cords, it can't provide enough power, but when using the short cord it's lower resistance might be enough to make up the difference. I've had this issue on a Kindle tablet, the charger for my phone would not charge the device quickly enough unless the device was turned off, it would even give the "may not charge" message when I would plug it in, but when I bought the proper charger for it, VIOLA!!, it charged correctly. Well what do you know, the correct charger and cord actually charges it correctly, imagine that, who would have ever thought that using the correct hardware would get the correct results. I'm being sarcastic, but you get my point.
It has more to do with how much the charger itself can provide than it does the length of the cord.
For example, if you had the original charger and the original cord, it would provide the correct amount of charge, but if you were to use a 10ft cord with the stock charger instead of the 3-6 foot that comes with the device, you would see a reduction in how much power it supplies, even more so if the charger is plugged into a drop cord/extension cord at the same time. I've had this exact issue on a couple of devices.
Another example is if you have a charger that is rated below what the device requires and you used the 3-6 ft stock cord, it could decrease the amount of power supplied by the charger block because the charger can't supply enough power to overcome the resistance of the stock cord, but when using the shorter, lower resistance cord with the lower rated charger, the cord's resistance could be low enough that it allows enough power to be supplied.
I'm not saying that it is 100% the issue that you are having, I'm saying that it is something to look into because it is more likely to be your issue because it is common for devices to charge faster, slower or not at all when using a charger that has a different rating than required by the device. Other possibilities are a damaged USB port on the device or the software has become corrupted, you would probably need to flash the stock firmware to fix the corrupted software.
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