USB Sync/Charge Cable and Charger Adapter Pinout

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Several people have asked my questions regarding the connector on that adapter that comes with the XDA II and allows you to use the AC/DC charger without the cradle. :idea:

THis info is quite usefull, also if you are building your own usb sync/charge cable.

First off, the AC/DC charger is rated at 5V and 1 amp, though it has a no-lead voltage around 6.3V (GND is on the outside of the charger plug, +5 Volts on the inside hole/pin). You don't really need the 1 amp to charge the XDA, it's just there so that you can also charge the second battery, which you can insert into the cradle .

Now for the Pinout on the adapter. See here for more info on the XDA connector: http://www.xda-developers.com/connectors/

Pin 20,21,22: +5 Volt
Pin 16,17,18: GND
Pin 5: GND

Shorting the lines across three pins provides current load leveling for charging.

Now for the usb sync/charge cable. Here we need to add the following pins:
Pin 2: GND (my usb charge/sync cable does not connect to pin 5, just pin 2, so these are probably shorted inside the XDA)
Pin 13: +5 Volt
Pin 14: USB Data H(+)
Pin 15: USB Data L (-)

From the design, it becomes evident that the pins 16-18/20-22 are only used for the charge circuitry. There is probably a current sensing circuit in this set.

Pins 2 and 5 are the digital ground. Pin 13 powers the usb circuitry, also waking the XDA and starting AxctiveSync.

BTW: The PDA will only charge if at least one of the pins 16,17,or 18 isconnected to ground and at least one of the pins 20,21 or 22 are connected to +5V. Otherwise, though the XDA may say it is charging, it will actually just drain the battery.

Re: USB Sync/Charge Cable and Charger Adapter Pinout

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Originally Posted by tbd@immigrantsong.de

Several people have asked my questions regarding the connector on that adapter that comes with the XDA II and allows you to use the AC/DC charger without the cradle. :idea:

THis info is quite usefull, also if you are building your own usb sync/charge cable.

First off, the AC/DC charger is rated at 5V and 1 amp, though it has a no-lead voltage around 6.3V (GND is on the outside of the charger plug, +5 Volts on the inside hole/pin). You don't really need the 1 amp to charge the XDA, it's just there so that you can also charge the second battery, which you can insert into the cradle .

Now for the Pinout on the adapter. See here for more info on the XDA connector: http://www.xda-developers.com/connectors/

Pin 20,21,22: +5 Volt
Pin 16,17,18: GND
Pin 5: GND

Shorting the lines across three pins provides current load leveling for charging.

Now for the usb sync/charge cable. Here we need to add the following pins:
Pin 2: GND (my usb charge/sync cable does not connect to pin 5, just pin 2, so these are probably shorted inside the XDA)
Pin 13: +5 Volt
Pin 14: USB Data H(+)
Pin 15: USB Data L (-)

From the design, it becomes evident that the pins 16-18/20-22 are only used for the charge circuitry. There is probably a current sensing circuit in this set.

Pins 2 and 5 are the digital ground. Pin 13 powers the usb circuitry, also waking the XDA and starting AxctiveSync.

BTW: The PDA will only charge if at least one of the pins 16,17,or 18 isconnected to ground and at least one of the pins 20,21 or 22 are connected to +5V. Otherwise, though the XDA may say it is charging, it will actually just drain the battery.

I just received my iMate XDA2. I have a charging connector/USB cable combo left over from my XDA1. I inserted it into the XDA2 and the amber glowed (charging) and got to green (charged). Your comment about if pins aren't grounded, unit appears to be charging but actually isn't. Is there a way to confirm the charge/USB combo is actually okay for my XDA2?

from what ive heard/been reading the XDA 2 charger kicks out 2Amp max not 1A

and cahrging via usb will drain your battery more then it will charge it?

so i dont think modding the cradel to charge via usb will do nothing but drain your xda2 whilst sitting on it as it will be lit up and activesync will be open

gaz

XDA2 Charging

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Originally Posted by gazzaman2k

from what ive heard/been reading the XDA 2 charger kicks out 2Amp max not 1A

and cahrging via usb will drain your battery more then it will charge it?

so i dont think modding the cradel to charge via usb will do nothing but drain your xda2 whilst sitting on it as it will be lit up and activesync will be open

gaz

The charger is rated actually at 1 amp and for purposes of charging the 2nd battery in the cradle if one had a spare. Thus 500mA or less will charge the unit. It did mine.

oh how come on xpansys their chargers kick out 2A :? :shock:

Just for those without an electrical engineering degree:

Important for charging is the voltage, not the current. Sure, a large charge current could charge the battery faster, but even then only if the charge voltage were high enough. And then, these batteries are highly sensitive beasts, requiring a complex charge strategy - if the current is too high they just blow up! If the current is low, it just takes longer.

The MDA/XDA has an intelligent charge circuit, which is software controlled and most likely senses and controls the actual charge current. When doing a "full blow" charge it probably limits the current to around 0.5 amps (though I haven't measured this), but will decrease this current considerably once the battery gets nearly full (otherwise we would cook the battery).

Aes, you can charge the XDA without problems from the usb bus. The only caveat: check that cable -see above!. I do it all the time and in fact, have often gone into internet cafe's whilst on the road just to charge my XDA (cause the charger was defect).

And yes, you can see if the battery is really charging: if the light is on and the %-age full increases over a few minutes, then the battery is really charging.

ah cool cheers for clearing that up then lol so it does work my bad :\ just thought it was weird how their cahrgers are 2A meaning it will be charged in like 2 seconds like :\ ops: thats what confused me

Originally Posted by gazzaman2k

oh how come on xpansys their chargers kick out 2A :? :shock:

The rated output is 5V / 2A for the XDA2 AC adapter. My math was a little in error. If you don't have a 2nd battery charging in the cradle, than a 5V / 1A charger would suffice. Howver, it did a great job of charging just thru the USB cable. I can't remember off the top of my head what a USB line is capable of - 500mA??
Sorry for the confusion.

i've got the solution!!!

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Hi everyone, i think i have the solution of XDA II not charging on USB port using XDA sync/charger cable... if u want the XDA II charging from USB, just open up the connector and disconnect the 20,21,22 pins from USB bus power line. After that, u can use XDA sync/charge cable in any USB port and they will sync and charge the XDA II.

How i know this??? 'cos i "reverse-engineered" the connection of the cradle... i was wondered y using the same usb port, the cradle can charge while the sync cable can't... so i test all the connection of the cradle and found that pin 20,21,22 and also pin 2 is disconnect. The pin 20,21,22 only connected to power when u plug in the DC into the cradle. This mean that pin 20,21,22 connected to DC (+) while the pin 2 is connected to DC (-) only when u plug in the external DC supply to the cradle.

I've modified my XDA sync cable and now i can charge my XDA II on any USB port even from my laptop. Hope this helps for those who purchased the XDA sync/charge cable to use with XDA II. :wink:

To those who like to go further....

The only problem that i can c now is that if u modified the cable and u use it with a car adaptor, will it charge the XDA II as fast as possible like when u plug in the external DC supply? OR will it only trickle charge the XDA II as using USB port? i really don't know 'cos i don't have a car here with me to try it out... but i think it will only trickle charge the XDA II only...

Therefore, to those who like to get charge faster in the car, u can install a small switch connected between the USB power line and pin 20,21,22. By switching the switch, u can choose between trickle charge and fast charge. 8)

Re: i've got the solution!!!

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Originally Posted by [so

hai®]Hi everyone, i think i have the solution of XDA II not charging on USB port using XDA sync/charger cable... if u want the XDA II charging from USB, just open up the connector and disconnect the 20,21,22 pins from USB bus power line. After that, u can use XDA sync/charge cable in any USB port and they will sync and charge the XDA II.

How i know this??? 'cos i "reverse-engineered" the connection of the cradle... i was wondered y using the same usb port, the cradle can charge while the sync cable can't... so i test all the connection of the cradle and found that pin 20,21,22 and also pin 2 is disconnect. The pin 20,21,22 only connected to power when u plug in the DC into the cradle. This mean that pin 20,21,22 connected to DC (+) while the pin 2 is connected to DC (-) only when u plug in the external DC supply to the cradle.

I've modified my XDA sync cable and now i can charge my XDA II on any USB port even from my laptop. Hope this helps for those who purchased the XDA sync/charge cable to use with XDA II. :wink:

To those who like to go further....

The only problem that i can c now is that if u modified the cable and u use it with a car adaptor, will it charge the XDA II as fast as possible like when u plug in the external DC supply? OR will it only trickle charge the XDA II as using USB port? i really don't know 'cos i don't have a car here with me to try it out... but i think it will only trickle charge the XDA II only...

Therefore, to those who like to get charge faster in the car, u can install a small switch connected between the USB power line and pin 20,21,22. By switching the switch, u can choose between trickle charge and fast charge. 8)

I would be most carefull about this solution. I know that the charge-light will go on, but I'm not sure it will actually charge the battery (just check after 5-10 minutes if the batteries have really charged.

As you noted, the external charger goes across pins 20-22 (+5V) and 16-18(GND). This is where the XDA is meant to charge the battery - and it will do so under any conditions if the +5V is applied here. Pin 13 is meant to power the usb circuitry and it wakes the XDA II up, starting ActiveSync at the same time, it is not meant to charge the battery.