I got a digitraveler gps unit for my XDA from a kind US member on the board,
I would be interested to know if anyone has sucessfully powered the unit from a car cigarette lighter ?
How would this be done without too much hassle ? The only problem is that here in the UK there is no radioshack so I can't buy the proper cable.. can the XDA car charger be modified to power the digitraveler aswell ?
I don't mind doing some wiring etc.. as long as its not too complicated.
Cheers
Neil
I use a standard Ipaq car charger/power cord to power the digi, but I also make sure batteries are present as well because it seems to get a much quicker fix that way. I use mine with xda and I get a fix in Tomtom within 10 - 15 seconds now although the first time took a lot longer.
Ahh right, thanks again for helping me out
I've just had a scan through the manual for the digitraveler and it says the power source needed is 6v 100ma. If I nipped down to maplin tomorrow and got one of these http://www.maplin.co.uk/products/module.asp?CartID=031114221402201&moduleno=29132&Products=1 would it work? As it says @ 6V the output is 500ma, or does the unit only take the required amount of power ?
Cheers
Neil
That will be fine.
Cheers mate
PS Just noticed where ur from, i'm from Cheltenham... small world eh? :lol:
Just did it on power supply for XDA and GPS....
I posted the original IPAQ cable mod for the Digitraveler.
Dave
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=5180&highlight=digitraveler
Lapdock+Wii == Gametrix
So I have a spare Nintendo Wii and a lapdock (hopefully pick some more up if there are still any at Radioshack) and I am going to disassemble the Wii, reconfigure it to fit on the back "panel" of the Lapdock, and get the needed cords to create a Gametrix[/]
My initial goal is to connect a Nintendo Wii to my Atrix Lapdock by... (with modifications)
1) a. Having the Lapdock’s Male Mini-HDMI plugged into a Female Mini-HDMI TO M / F Fullsized-HDMI converter. Thus allowing a direct HDMI connection from there.
This takes care of ½ of connections for both the Lapdock and the Wii.
2) a. Ideally I am looking to hook the Wii’s power supply directly to the Lapdock’s Male Micro-USB port, via a Female Micro-USB TO M / F Fullsized-USB. From there I’d need a USB to Female Wall Outlet (3 prong?) this would entail finding(unlikely...) / building one.
This takes care of power needs, (if it works) leaving only the unlikely usability of the Lapdocks built in keyboard and mouse / USB ports.
2) b. if number 2 section a (above) doesn’t work because of lack of volts traveling through the USB to the Wii, then I’d be left with connecting an external battery to the Wii and just taking advantage of the screen.
Hopefully if I have to result to section b then I’d at least be able to use the keyboard and mouse?
I will update with a Diagram of my plan “a” and “b” tomorrow after school.
Here are average power draw for the Wii. @17 Watts http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/02/next-gen_console_power_lg.jpg
And here for Gamecube. @23 Watts http://www.tpcdb.com/product.php?id=1615
Lapdock voltage output. ??? I think I'd have to replace the battery because it's only supposed to charge a phone/run an OS...
Lapdock insternal battery mAh ???
Please guys I know it's a lot but any input is great input
sounds fun. good luck dude.
Use a wii its better and supports a HDMI converter.
The gamecube already has a battery pack accessory and a screen accessory so its easy been done
Sent from Moto Atrix 4g on Neutrino 2.91
I have decided to go with the Wii, I am trying to find info on how many amps the Wii draws and if the Lapdock is capable of powering it...
I think I would try seeing how they both look on the screen before diving in much further, but it does sound like it could be a fun project.
Other thoughts:
how useful the project will be specifically to you? For many of us, due to the limited availability of the lapdocks, there's a limited number of people that will be able to try this themselves.
do you plan on strictly playing games, or are you going a bit further by using Linux on the device? I imagine there is a way you could use the keyboard as some type of input device, although you may have to create some translator device from a programmable Microcontroller.
is the screen big enough for enjoying using the device or is it more of a challenge than it's worth. The screen may be plenty big enough for a handheld device, but for something like using a Wii controller where you are at a distance from the screen, is it big enough?
Budget This is something we all overlook far to often. Something starts off small and simple, but before you know it, you end up spending way more than you had anticipated.
I have 2 Wii's and a Lapdock, so budget is covered.
I'm not going to use the motion bar, just gamecube games.
My main concern is if the Lapdock can power it.
jeffreygtab said:
I have 2 Wii's and a Lapdock, so budget is covered.
I'm not going to use the motion bar, just gamecube games.
My main concern is if the Lapdock can power it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Power will probably be an issue through USB as USB does have a specification for max current of 500–900 mA (general); 5 A (charging devices). After that the port should shutdown to prevent burning out the controller.
Edit: I was looking at your figures above, did some digging, and I think you have a couple hurdles.
To start with, for power consumption, you want to look more at peak then you do at min and give yourself a bit of cushion, mainly because running at max power all the time will tax components. Second, and this is a big one, the Wii power pack apparently is 12V 3.7A (44.4W). USB is only 5 volts, and at 900mA you're peaking at 4.5W. However, if you could somehow manage to trick it into charge mode, you might be able to squeeze 25W. That's if it works like a standard USB port. If you can do that, you can step up the voltage with a charge pump, but I'm not quite sure how close to max that will put you due to efficiency losses. You may be able to go the other way and use the Wii to power the lapdock, or you may have to power them independently.
All that said, I think it's still important to just try to see what it looks like on the screen before digging in too far.
I plan on charging it through the Micro USB which you said supplies up to 23W+ Which is apparently plenty for the Wii. I'm going to order the necessary cords to attempt this, this weekend. So next week I'll know how much, if any, I have to modify to power it.....
I'll continue to research, and thanks for your help!
EDIT: screen size isn't an issue, as I'm have it right in from of me like a laptop, Playing Super Smash Bros Melee and the like.
BIG Message to everyone who's reading this. THIS IS MY FIRST HARDWARE MOD (as if that wasn't obvious?)
Anyways I'm gonna pick up a soldering iron as well, because I'm not finding a way to charge the Wii (assuming the Lapdock is capable...) There are no real ways to convert the micro usb to the 3 prong standard outlet that the Wii uses... So I may need to make my own? Will this work? http://www.sybausa.com/productInfo.php?iid=1274 Although I can't find where to buy it.
jeffreygtab said:
BIG Message to everyone who's reading this. THIS IS MY FIRST HARDWARE MOD (as if that wasn't obvious?)
Anyways I'm gonna pick up a soldering iron as well, because I'm not finding a way to charge the Wii (assuming the Lapdock is capable...) There are no real ways to convert the micro usb to the 3 prong standard outlet that the Wii uses... So I may need to make my own? Will this work? http://www.sybausa.com/productInfo.php?iid=1274 Although I can't find where to buy it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean you want to convert 5V DC to 120V AC and then downconvert to 12V? Better to just go from 5V to 12V, but the reality is that it's much easier to go down than up. What does the lapdock itself have for a power supply?
Edit: Looks like the Wii has some type of USB keyboard support. Not sure if you want to try getting that to work, but it might come in handy.
I know but isn't the Wii's power cord a standard 120v 3 prong wall charger? I'd have to convert the 3 prong format to a Micro USB.
The lapdocks power supply is the battery if that's what you were asking...
Thanks for helping on my first project btw.
Check out about halfway down the page on this link if you want to see what the Wii looks like on the lapdock screen:
http://www.robpol86.com/index.php/Atrix_Lapdock_Other_Uses
jeffreygtab said:
I know but isn't the Wii's power cord a standard 120v 3 prong wall charger? I'd have to convert the 3 prong format to a Micro USB.
The lapdocks power supply is the battery if that's what you were asking...
Thanks for helping on my first project btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad to share my limited knowledge. Anyway, Really, I'm unsure if you can pull 25W out of the USB or not, but even if you could, you'd lose a good chunk of that in going from 5V to 125V AC, because at this point, a charge pump is no longer an option but instead you would need a power inverter, and since most of the commercially available ones are designed to go from 12V DC to 120V AC, you would likely end up building one yourself. The charge pump (buck–boost converter) is much easier to build, but I'm not sure about how much power you can get out of it.
Here's one I built from modifying a schematic I found online somewhere:
I hate to be the party pooper here, but I think no USB port will ever be able to deliver that much power. We're talking about several ampers here. Neither the USB port nor a great majority of USB cords are built to withstand that. Most USB hardware is designed to carry at most 1A. And then, even if you manage to get sufficient power flowing and power the contraption up, I wouldn't expect too much autonomy out of it since it is after all battery-powered. I would expect a lot of heat from the batteries too.
ravilov said:
I hate yo be the party pooper here, but I think no USB port will ever be able to deliver that much power. We're talking about several ampers here. Neither the USB port nor a great majority of USB cords are built to withstand that. Most USB hardware is designed to carry at most 1A. And then, even if you manage to get sufficient power flowing and power the contraption up, I wouldn't expect too much autonomy out of it since it is after all battery-powered. I would expect a lot of heat from the batteries too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery Charging Specification 1.2:[14] Released in December 2010.
Several changes and increasing limits including allowing 1.5A on charging ports for unconfigured devices, allowing High Speed communication while having a current up to 1.5A and allowing a maximum current of 5A.
But as I said, I don't know if you can get that much power out of this particular device. 20W @12V is 1.6A, but in order to power that from 5V, you would need at least 4 Amps, which puts it close to max, but not over it. The actual port connector is rated much higher than that.
Edit: I do have to agree on one point though, running on battery power will be pretty limiting, especially when you consider what the batteries were intended for in the first place.
So you're saying that there's basically no way to power the Wii with the Lapdock's setup? Ughhh I assumed this would be a major issue but decided I'd leave the verdict to those more knowledgeable than myself... So you're sure there's no way? Well anyways I hope at the very least to connect an external Battery (recommendations?) and hopefully get the Wii to recognize the trackpad and keyboard esp. for linux use... I'll keep researching and keep you guys posted.
edit:
ravilov said:
I hate yo be the party pooper here, but I think no USB port will ever be able to deliver that much power. We're talking about several ampers here. Neither the USB port nor a great majority of USB cords are built to withstand that. Most USB hardware is designed to carry at most 1A. And then, even if you manage to get sufficient power flowing and power the contraption up, I wouldn't expect too much autonomy out of it since it is after all battery-powered. I would expect a lot of heat from the batteries too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lehjr said:
Battery Charging Specification 1.2:[14] Released in December 2010.
Several changes and increasing limits including allowing 1.5A on charging ports for unconfigured devices, allowing High Speed communication while having a current up to 1.5A and allowing a maximum current of 5A.
But as I said, I don't know if you can get that much power out of this particular device. 20W @12V is 1.6A, but in order to power that from 5V, you would need at least 4 Amps, which puts it close to max, but not over it. The actual port connector is rated much higher than that.
Edit: I do have to agree on one point though, running on battery power will be pretty limiting, especially when you consider what the batteries were intended for in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't read your reply Lehjr before posting mine, sorry about that. Anyways I'm still confused about whether or not the Lapdock is capable of powering the Wii? Anyways here is where I'm getting my very limited information on basic electronics. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question501.htm I will keep studying though don't worry:laugh:
I'm going to post this on BenHeck Forums too for additional input. Again thank you guys.
lehjr said:
Battery Charging Specification 1.2:[14] Released in December 2010.
Several changes and increasing limits including allowing 1.5A on charging ports for unconfigured devices, allowing High Speed communication while having a current up to 1.5A and allowing a maximum current of 5A.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm, interesting. I don't know, I'd say even if the USB hardware might be able to withhold such high currents, it's only for a short while, not for continuous use. I'm talking about all the USB hardware now, not just the plugs and cords.
Anyway, while 5A might indeed be the theoretical maximum, I have yet to see an USB device that actually delivers anywhere close to that. Even most commercial "high-speed" chargers deliver only up to about 2A.
ravilov said:
Hm, interesting. I don't know, I'd say even if the USB hardware might be able to withhold such high currents, it's only for a short while, not for continuous use. I'm talking about all the USB hardware now, not just the plugs and cords.
Anyway, while 5A might indeed be the theoretical maximum, I have yet to see an USB device that actually delivers anywhere close to that. Even most commercial "high-speed" chargers deliver only up to about 2A.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, running that close to maximum is likely going to be short lived, and that's if it can be coaxed to go there in the first place. I'm not sure what the portability thing is about anyway. The Wii may be small, but it's heavy.
---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:19 PM ----------
jeffreygtab said:
So you're saying that there's basically no way to power the Wii with the Lapdock's setup? Ughhh I assumed this would be a major issue but decided I'd leave the verdict to those more knowledgeable than myself... So you're sure there's no way? Well anyways I hope at the very least to connect an external Battery (recommendations?) and hopefully get the Wii to recognize the trackpad and keyboard esp. for linux use... I'll keep researching and keep you guys posted.
edit:
Didn't read your reply Lehjr before posting mine, sorry about that. Anyways I'm still confused about whether or not the Lapdock is capable of powering the Wii? Anyways here is where I'm getting my very limited information on basic electronics. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question501.htm I will keep studying though don't worry:laugh:
I'm going to post this on BenHeck Forums too for additional input. Again thank you guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly capable, very slim chance, but doing so would be running very close to max the entire time the Wii is powered. You would also have to build a device to convert 5V to 12V, again, not impossible, but you do lose some power do to conversion inefficiencies. Is there any particular reason you want the device to be portable? IMHO, in order to run the Wii for any length of time, you would need a decent set of batteries. A few amps plugged in is one thing, on battery power that's something else. I could easily see you using something like a couple Power Wheels 6V batteries and a 12V charger or some similar setup, maybe some lithium cells if you're a big spender. Anything more than that and you're wheeling this thing around on a cart with a deep cycle marine/RV battery.
Haha a definitive answer would be welcomed as to whether it's theoretically capable or not, but if you can't provide that, I completely understand! Anyways It just needs to be temporarily portable, like 1 hour battery life is plenty. Thanks... Btw I can't actually thank you guys anymore as I'm out of thanks.
Sorry in advance for newbie-type question, but leaving this Monday for Italy for week with brand new AT&T Galaxy Note 3. I have searched and cannot find a definitive answer about whether I can simply use a travel-type plug prong converter or if I need to use a voltage converter for charging from a wall socket...??
Can anyone help? Thanks in advance!
Martin
All you need is travel plug. You do not need voltage converter
Confusion on voltage converter
prubin said:
All you need is travel plug. You do not need voltage converter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Prubin: thanks for your answer. This is what I thought, but I just got off the phone with the Samsung 'expert' at Best Buy (where I got the phone) and he SWEARS I absolutely MUST use the voltage converter... My gut is telling me he is wrong, but I cannot risk burning out my phone... is there any site or link where I can confirm this somehow? Sorry, but this is not a field of expertise for me, and being over cautious..
Thanks,
Martin
is it good idea to charge my htc one with an samsung 2A charger rather than the 1A ? iss harmful for the battery ? whats the cons and pros
Should be fine; the phone won't take more than 1A. It might only take 0.5A if the data pins aren't shorted.
khaledmhawesh said:
is it good idea to charge my htc one with an samsung 2A charger rather than the 1A ? iss harmful for the battery ? whats the cons and pros
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try searching (sorry not kidding), but there is a thread here in Q&A with similar question, and some very experienced electrical engineer & phone repair dude gave a very long description.
if i remember correctly, the phone won't use anything more than it needs, so going over 1A is OK, the phone will only use the 1A
on the other hand using lower level charges, will over the long term damage the battery.
i'm no expert in this, go searching for it, it was a quite interesting post. (sorry, i didnt bookmark it, if i happen to bump into it, i'll let you know)
Yup you are correct. I know i have answered it a few times in other posts. heck maybe im the phone repair dude your speaking of.. Or not.. LOL
Basically the phones Kernel will not allow the unit to over charge. There is hardware (that talks to the software) that limits the maximum amount of input current. That has been set by HTC at around 1A. So if you hook up a 2A charger your fine as the device will only draw 1A max.
I my self ran across many blackberry playbook tablet chargers dirt cheap and have them at work and home. They work great for charging everything from tiny Bluetooth devices to full blown tablets.
HTC sold us devices with a non removable battery. So they decided to not allow us to charge it to fast to reduce the heat and maximize battery life.
Remember the two most damaging thing to Li-Ion is heat and extreme low voltage.
IAmSixNine said:
Yup you are correct. I know i have answered it a few times in other posts. heck maybe im the phone repair dude your speaking of.. Or not.. LOL
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Sorry, no disrespect was intended , it was a very long post with very technical info, but very interesting and informative.
thank you so much that was really tons of new and helpfull information thx again
nkk71 said:
Sorry, no disrespect was intended , it was a very long post with very technical info, but very interesting and informative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO worries. No disrespect taken. Im glad the info was read and well received.