I have had a wireless charging doodad for my S4 for some time, and wanted to do the same for my GTab 3 8". I already had the PowerBot® PB1020 so all I needed was another adapter. So, I went with the BLUBOON(TM) Universal Qi Wireless Charging Receiver because of a review that pointed out the small (and metal) connector. Note that the "narrow" side of the connector should be up. I don't know if these work if the receiver is upside down, YMMV.
Works very well! Charges as fast as the USB connection, and I don't need to worry about wear on the connector, or worse, dropping it right on the connector with the cable plugged in. The one problem, though, is that the GTab does not lay flat on the charger. I would have gone with a rectangular charging pad if I had been thinking about the GTab as well. I have a silicone case on mine which holds the receiver in place. I also have a "book-cover" type case, and it will not charge when it's in that. Again, YMMV depending on the case.
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Today I managed to get my NookColor cable caught in my car door while I was getting in my car to head to work. This mangled the cable up pretty good. After much swearing and a trip to Barnes and Nobles I purchased a replacement cable. With the new cable in hand I figured I might as well take the end apart on the broken one to see how it was wired up. Using a pocket knife I forced the joint where the two pieced of plastic are joined together apart. The end result is rather interesting.
The first image is of the top side of the connector. This is where the little LED is located. The second image is of the bottom side of the connector. The third is of the bottom side of the connector with the shield removed.
The interesting thing is that the connector does not actually have the four standard pads for connecting to the normal USB pins in the NC's socket. It only connects to the twelve extra pins at the back of the NC's socket. Two of those extra pins must be for the standard USB communications. At least two more are used for the power connection to the NC. That leaves eight unknown pins. One or two of which probably controls the LED on the cable. As soon as I can find my multimeter, I plan on doing a continuity check between the USB cable wires and the pins in the connector. Any other suggestions of things I should be looking for?
I read in passing that the deeper socket on the nc, that makes regular microUSB cables not charge the nc, relates to the extra contacts needed to charge the bigger battery more quickly. Will try to find the reference-
Regular cables DO charge... At 500mha, the stock rom does not she charging but it does around 10%/hr if idle.
There are certainly several ground pins which should be ready to find. finding those will help narrow it down.
Sent from my NookColor using XDA App
Khaytsus: i stand corrected. Found the reference: barnes& noble 'book clubs' (ie forums) thread on "things that you should know about the NookCOLOR." A non nook color USB won't charge it when in a wall socket, but may keep the battery from at least going down.
Even a NC branded USB isn't officially expected to charge a NC, if plugged into a pc USB port. Neverrtheless, some say it trickle charges when left atrached to a computer all night (like 8hrs). In a wall socket it supposed to charge in 4 -5 hours.
Interestingly, NC won't charge at all if turned entirely off while plugged in.
The same thing happened with me too(my cable also broke, and i decided to experiment with it). Here's what i found out.
1. Three wires in the usb cables are solely meant for charging.
2. If only two (ground an one live) wires are connected, the stock cable charges nook like a ordinary usb cable(very slow).
3. The nooks usb cable tip had 3-4 more outputs which were not connected to any wires in the usb cable(they could be anything from mic input to video output).
I was trying to get more info on these extra outputs by soldering some wires to them but it needs very fine soldering, i couldn't achieve that and i broke mine entirely.
That reminds me can anyone send me a extra cable as am not in U.S(so B&N won't send me one) and am sick of waiting for 10 hours before i can play with my nook again.
mjf0000000 said:
Interestingly, NC won't charge at all if turned entirely off while plugged in.
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Uummm... Don't think this is true as I charged my Nook just last night with it turned off.
I'm sure you have this, but for anyone else who would like to look at the standard USB pinouts.
While I'm on the topic, did the Nova disection help in determining the Nook end of the connections?
the last time i looked, Nova hadn't really looked that close at the USB...they were focusing on the wifi/BT chip.
very nice was planning on doing this myself one day soon...any chance you can go in a bit closer and get clearer pics of the traces on the pcb? Would really help to decipher it.
Interested to see a breakdown of a standard micro usb vs nooks for comparisons sake
A couple of things:
-The NC connector has a row of 12 pins, but does not have any pins that match with the "legacy" microusb pins. At least 4 of the signals on that connector duplicate the microusb pins (gnd, d+, d-, +5). IIRC there are two +5 pins on that row and three grounded pins.
-Hooking only +5 and gnd to the USB end of the stock cable causes the NC to charge at max current draw. I made a short USB interposer that does this. I suppose you could put some carefully applied tape over the middle pins if you wanted to try. Here are some measurements I did of various ways of powering the NC a while back:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9410625&postcount=243
mjf0000000 said:
Khaytsus: i stand corrected. Found the reference: barnes& noble 'book clubs' (ie forums) thread on "things that you should know about the NookCOLOR." A non nook color USB won't charge it when in a wall socket, but may keep the battery from at least going down.
Even a NC branded USB isn't officially expected to charge a NC, if plugged into a pc USB port. Neverrtheless, some say it trickle charges when left atrached to a computer all night (like 8hrs). In a wall socket it supposed to charge in 4 -5 hours.
Interestingly, NC won't charge at all if turned entirely off while plugged in.
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Click to collapse
I have one interesting finding to note. Most USB wall adapters are 500mA. I happened to have a USB wall adapter that is 1A. With my 1A, I was able not only able to keep the battery from draining, but I was able to replenish it (although it was very slow) As a comparison, the USB adapter from B&N is capable of 2A.
I will try and get closer pics of the PCB when I get home from work. I just need to get better lighting than my dark home office.
There are tons of Palm Touchstone (phone) hacks out there, using the charging receiver from a palm pre back in other devices. The Touchpad Touchstone uses a different tech/standard so the charging stand isn't backwards compatible with the old receivers. My Touchpad is at its end of life, and I'm considering removing the charging coil and circuit and transplanting it to another tablet so I can make use out of the Touchstone stand.
Has anyone attempted this? I looked at photos of a Touchpad teardown, and the charging coil looks easy to remove, but it appears to connect to a larger pcb via pogo pins. My fear is the charging circuitry (to put out 5v) is built into that large pcb and it might not be possible to separate.
Disclaimer: I was given these items at a large discount for my honest and unbiased feedback/review.
Meenova
Ultimus Qi Wireless Charging Dock
The Ultimus dock looks like it is made out of brushed aluminum; however, it is actually made entirely out of plastic. I was a little disappointed to see this when I first took it out of the box since I expected a much better feeling item from Meenova. The dock honestly feels cheap no matter how you decide to look at it. It does feature and adjustable plastic base that makes it more versatile so your phone should be able to line up. I did find a small issue with this set up; since the base (shelf the phone sits on) can move it tends to creek & flex when you place your phone down on it. I had to use the lowest setting on it for the S7 Edge which might not bode well if you have a phone like the Note 5 or Nexus 6. If the phones coil were lower and it had to be raised upwards, I don’t think the charger would be stable since it rocks a little bit right now. The bottom of the charger does have a ‘tacky’ piece of material on the bottom to keep it from sliding around your desk like other chargers I have seen. It works well enough to not have the charger fall over when I place my S7 Edge down on it and Meenova includes 2 spare ones in the box just in case the original one wears out over time. Despite the charger being made of out plastic, and feeling a little rickety the brushed metal finish does have a nice texture to it.
What’s in the box:
-Ultimus Qi Wireless Charging Dock
-Micro-USB cable
-2x spare ‘tacky’ bottom pads
-Documentation
On the backside you will find a micro-USB input port that you can use to plug in the included micro-USB cable. Since the charger operates at the standard qi speed of 5V/1A, it doesn’t require a higher output wall adapter like some of the newer 10W+ wireless chargers do. When charging your phone, the viewing angle it gives you is nice and isn’t as steep as TYLT’s 45 degree one. The charger will take your S7 Edge about 3.5-4.5 hours to fully charge depending on how low your phones battery is.
Input rating, and base height settings
Micro-USB input
'Tacky bottom' with the plastic still on it
Side View
Front View
Base view with the plastic still on it
Charging
Overall:
I’m not a fan of the cheap feeling build this charger has compared to all of Meevoa’s other excellent products that I have. I’m going to keep it on my desk, and update this review if anything changes, breaks etc. over time.
Meenova
USB 2.0 Hub with Micro-USB charging
This little hub is unique in the sense that it offers both micro-USB ports alongside conventional USB ports that can be used for data transfer. The little hub isn’t designed to charge your phone, or anything that requires a huge power draw due to its limited 5V/2A input. Each port is limited to a 5V/0.5A output on the hub which makes sense given its 5V/2A input rating.
The hub does support data transfer, so you can charge a pair of Bluetooth headphones while plugging in a mouse or other peripheral for example. I don’t have too many devices that I could use the micro-USB ports to charge other than some headphones. I have a Surface Pro 4 which is what I tested the hub on. My SP4 is docked with Microsoft’s Surface dock which gives it addition ports/power to tap in to. I believe these ports are limited to 5V/1A or somewhere in that range. If I try to pull too much power from the port via this hub, or any other device it will deactivate my port until I reboot my Surface. For this reason, I only recommend using the data transfer USB ports for flash drives, or related devices, and the micro-USB ports for low power charging such as Bluetooth headphones. I didn’t have any issues using it to charge the mentioned headphones (Bose QC 20 2015 model, and my Samsung Level U Pro BT headphones). The Samsung Level U Pro headphones will not fit with the way the micro-USB port is oriented, but I can still use the regular USB port to charge it via a micro-USB cable.
What’s in the box:
-USB 2.0 Hub
-Micro-USB Cable
-Documentation
On the underside of the hub there is the same ‘tacky’ type base that will prevent the hub from sliding around your desk. I haven’t found any issues with it moving around so far, but I’ve only used it for a day or so now. As with the Ultimus Qi Dock, the hub is made out of plastic, but it feels significantly more sturdy in comparison.
Top
Front
Back
Bottom
Charging my Bose QC 20's
Overall:
I think this is a good little charging station for small devices like headphones if you are looking for a compact solution that doubles as an additional USB port for your computer. I use it to charge my Samsung Level U Pro BT headphones (not via the micro-USB port) and my Bose QC 20 noise canceling ones while I’m at my desk. I don’t use the USB 2.0 ports for data transfer since I normally just plug my USB 3.0 devices into my Surface dock for the faster transfer speeds. If you don’t need the speed (when plugging in BT mouse, or the S7 Edge for example), then the USB 2.0 ports will function just fine.
Dear all,
Just wanted to avoid spending some cash on Galaxy tab S5e stand. So short research on net show some pinouts of pogo connectors, and seems that Galaxy tab S5e uses USB pins .
So took multimeter, and found that first pin (counting from USB socket side) is GND.
Number 4 is 5V . Middle two I guessed are USB D+ and D-. But whatever combination (#2D+ or opposite D-) no success. Tablet is charging but in slow charging mode (seems to be 0,5A) . That is not so bad for me , as night is long enough to charge full easily. But anyway I would like to know what middle two pins can do. I saw on net some suggestions to use resistors, so tablet would try to charge at 2A , but none diagram works. To clarify , I have official charger and via USB cable , it charges fast.
So finally question... Do you know how to make USB connection via pogo connectors (so tablet could recognize charger, and maybe use for other USB devices)?
Or what are two middle pins for?
Here photo of my Poor's man dock. During photo there was no middle pins connected, but believe me , tried many options.
Edit, as I am new user , I can not paste links, but after 10 posts , I will update.
Edit 2 as I can not paste links, but if someone interested in photo , add http by yourself...
m.imgur.com/a/rPTQCYA
After one month of testing , I cat tell you that it is not necessary to figure out middle pins.
The device charges slowly (somewhere was written that it is limited to 0,5Ampere), but it is ok for me as during night it will be charged full anyway.
Device also activates nicely "daily board"with clock and looks nice.
I recommend this DIY stand. Made of old ethernet socket for pins, and USB printer cable.
Below link to photo how it looks like. I plan to paint it.... someday
m.imgur.com/a/jCGKCZX
Shame about the slow charging limited to 500mA. I've been looking at various tablets to potentially replace my 2019 Galaxy Tab A 10.1 in the car dash. Currently (no joke intended) having a fight with things to do with hub passthrough charging and the tablet taking over the role of power supplier when the car powers down....having pogo pins as an alternate charging method might present something useful as a fix, but 500mA doesn't exceed battery usage when powered up. Have you asked anybody that owns one of the docks to crack it open and see what's inside? Back when I had a Nexus 7, the four pogo pins on the dock corresponded to power and audio out via a 3.5mm jack in the dock.
One thing to keep in mind here that Samsung supports - and requires - QC3.0 for fast charge. So, you would need a source with that standard and if you want to verify (altghough the remaining time would immediately tell you) a suitable in line power trap.
Hi All,
I have always gone without a case. (I wear suits a lot and the bulk of a case distorts the suit), for extra grip and the rare drop, I put Tactical Grip Tape around the outer edges of the phone and for 20 years, it's worked perfectly.
I have always attached a metal plate to the back of the phone to attach to a Vent Magnet Clip for use in the car, plug it into the car using a cord for Connectivity/Charging and for 20 years, this procedure has been incredibly efficient and reliable regardless of which vehicle I'm using.
HOWEVER ... the back of the S21U has a finish that nothing sticks too! (I haven't tried Super-Glues - yet).
So I bought a bunch of Car Chargers that grip the phone.
Turns out - very, VERY few are built to accommodate the large Camera Bump on the back of the phone and the phone! This screws with the Wireless Charging, which won't work on the S21U - they've all been returned. .
Of the few that will work with the S21U - they're all clunky, rarely release the phone when they're supposed to, sometimes requiring two hands to forcibly pull the phone from it's grip - they too have all been returned.
In this small category of mounts that work with the S21U, some require manual attachment (manual attachment = no Wireless Charging), some have Auto-Sensing (which all come with Wireless Charging) and will grip the phone when the phone is placed between the grips. When they work ... they work well ... but the percentage of when they work is about 60% - the other 40% I have to manipulate the rig to activate and close/grip the phone.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE ...
... Andriod Auto via Bluetooth is AWFUL on the new Ram Pickup Trucks and most vehicles.
On the other hand, if you plug it in ... it's quite good!
So ...
If I use the Auto Sensing/Grip with Wireless charging and plug the phone into the USB port - it's good, but the mounts are a disappointment nearly half the time ... nothing works as efficiently and effectively as a metal plate on the back of the phone attached to a Vent Clip Magnet with the phone connected to the car via a USB Port.
Now here's the question:
Has anyone successfully attached a metal plate directly to the back of the S21U?
If so, did you modify (remove the finish off the back) to adhere the metal plate, or did you use a SuperGlue or Epoxy?
PART 2: If you did, where did you mount the magnet on the back of the phone so you could still get Wireless Charging on a home Cradle? (... or did you just give up on Wireless Charging altogether as I've done with all my previous phones because like me, you believe Magnetic Mount in the car is better than any Wireless Charging.)
I know this is a novel-read for some of you ... but it's a real issue for me and I'm trying to find a solution to a frustrating problem and I've GOT TO BELIEVE I'm not alone with this issue.
Thanks for reading ... and thanks for any/all input and ideas.
Gregory
I don't have the Ultra, but I do use my Pixel with a magnetic mount in my car.
I bought my cmount https://www.proclipusa.com/. They have a custom mount for each vehicle, and then you buy a magnetic holder to go along with it. I placed the magnetic plate along the bottom edge of the phone inside the thinnest case that I could get. and it doesn't effect wireless charging.
I also have a magnetic cable that connects the phone to the car... so I exclusively use wireless charging for my phone.
Insertnamehere12 said:
I don't have the Ultra, but I do use my Pixel with a magnetic mount in my car.
I bought my cmount https://www.proclipusa.com/. They have a custom mount for each vehicle, and then you buy a magnetic holder to go along with it. I placed the magnetic plate along the bottom edge of the phone inside the thinnest case that I could get. and it doesn't effect wireless charging.
I also have a magnetic cable that connects the phone to the car... so I exclusively use wireless charging for my phone.
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You Are A God ! ! !
I absolutely LOVE the clips they have!
So much better than any/all alternatives and those Automatic ones! This is exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you!
Gregory