Maybe this is related to the ideas in this thread. I just noticed that my iPad will not charge at the 2A rate when a Charger Doctor is inserted in it’s path. Charges at a maximum of 1A. Would there be an easy mod for this or a whole new design?
I have ordered a couple of other “Charger Doctor” type devices to see if they will allow a 2A pass thru.
If the charge doctor passes data thru it, then the iPad is charging from the signature coming from the device it’s plugged in, if not the charge doctor might have the data pins shorted…that is the one signature that should charge at a max of 1A on most devices but won’t ever charge more than that.
You can actually take a regular “data” USB cable, open it up, then short the D+ and D- wires (the green and white wires inside the cable) going to the connector that plugs into the devices needing charging (usually the USB micro male plug) it will charge at up to 1A and NOT ever pass data [It becomes a dedicated charging cable]
My module I made, and the IC on it will send the iPad signature back (it has 6 different charge signatures it can send out) to the device and as long as the charging port it’s plugged into can deliver 2A or more, the device will charge at that (with losses thru the cables of course) [the chip autoranges and will change because it senses the input voltage, if it sags because the charging device pulls to much, it will change to a little slower rate until the input voltage comes back up to within tolerances of the approx 5vdc charge level]
The Charger Doctor will pass 2A to non Apple devices but only 1A to an iPad. This with an official Apple 2A wall charger.
So would this device inserted after the Charger Doctor and before the iPad allow a 2A charge rate?
Ok, got boards in, got em put together, tested, on a data downstream port get .45A, thru the charge booster on the cable, first off computer doesn’t see device, and it pulls .75A, (correction, moved to another port, seeing .94A) the cord I have has alot of loss
Updated OP, will more than likely do a giveaway for one of em, with only 2 small SMD items on board, it’s a really easy and cheap DIY anyway
I will say this, the pads on the female USB part are very narrow, I might fix the component library file for the board even though it’s in the sparkfun repository
I should have updated that statement. I have since learned that even a quality non Apple cable (Belkin) can cause problems with trying to draw >1A. No such problems with Apple cables. Also this problem only shows up when the iPad is below 40%.
The Charger Doctor had nothing to do with what I was experiencing.
As if things aren’t difficult already.
At this time do not order these boards, I have smoked 2 IC’s on two separate boards, the dual boards are working fine, but these single boards are not. Pulled the project until I can troubleshoot and correct
ok, updated the design (actually made it smaller!)…ordering and will build them out…this time instead of using a 1uf cap (spare off time caps for drivers), going to order .1uf
I also am going to go ahead and build the componentless DCP charge/USB wrapper adapter, only the USB in, and USB out jacks needed, will only charge at 1A (due to shorted data pins), but it will be a VERY inexpensive USB wrapper at least