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[Q] TF Charging Indicator?

Sorry if this has already been asked and answered - the XDA Search has been down for the past couple of hours and I just want to be sure I'm not missing anything here..
From what I can see in the reviews, the TF does *not* have any sort of charging indicator / LED on it - correct? I read that there will be one on the keyboard dock - but there is not one on the tablet.
So what are you guys doing? Just plugging it in and letting it sit overnight to give it its full charge - and then going by the battery indicator when you turn it on?
I've got my new TF sitting next to me here, and I'm trying to be a good dad to it by charging it up first before using it - but not having any sort of an indicator on it - I have no idea if it's doing anything or not!!!
Screw it - I think I"m gonna unplug it and start futzing it with it! Battery be damned!!
btw - damn this charge cable is SHORT!!

No charging LED that I can see on mine, and yea, I hate this stupid charging cable, guess you can always get a USB extension cable.
pogul said:
Sorry if this has already been asked and answered - the XDA Search has been down for the past couple of hours and I just want to be sure I'm not missing anything here..
From what I can see in the reviews, the TF does *not* have any sort of charging indicator / LED on it - correct? I read that there will be one on the keyboard dock - but there is not one on the tablet.
So what are you guys doing? Just plugging it in and letting it sit overnight to give it its full charge - and then going by the battery indicator when you turn it on?
I've got my new TF sitting next to me here, and I'm trying to be a good dad to it by charging it up first before using it - but not having any sort of an indicator on it - I have no idea if it's doing anything or not!!!
Screw it - I think I"m gonna unplug it and start futzing it with it! Battery be damned!!
btw - damn this charge cable is SHORT!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Monoprice has the USB 3.0 extension cables, but they won't be in stock until tomorrow (their estimate). When they are back in stock, a 6ft extension will run you about $7-$8 shipped.

I plan to order a few cables from Monoprice with a mini hdmi to hdmi cable.

Does it need to be usb 3.0 or will usb 2.0 do the trick ?
dfin13 said:
Monoprice has the USB 3.0 extension cables, but they won't be in stock until tomorrow (their estimate). When they are back in stock, a 6ft extension will run you about $7-$8 shipped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

USB 2 cables don't supply enough power.
It will charge, but I think it has to be off and it'd be really slow going.

But usb 2.0 extension cable will work fine with the supplied charger? Also would you not require a usb 2.0 to usb 3.0 converter ?

Asus really overlook the inclusion of an charging indicator. Or, they are trying to make more $$$ on the keyboard/dock?

jake21 said:
But usb 2.0 extension cable will work fine with the supplied charger? Also would you not require a usb 2.0 to usb 3.0 converter ?
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Click to collapse
Has anyone got some definitve experience on USB2 vs USB3 for charging and/or with an extension cable. The whole charging process and adaptor are making me a little nervous in general.

there is no reason to invest in USB 3 gear when all you really need is higher amperage, wich you often get from stand-alone chargers like the one supplied or you can buy in stores (just check that the output is 1000mah or more, 2000 mah is desired for effective charging).
The reason you might want to use a usb 3 PORT (cable makes no diffrence) is that usb 3 deliver more juice then usb 2, but unless it is a dedicated charger port that can supply 2000mah+ charge the port still require you to have the pad either off or stand by and even then charging will take ages.
Consider this, the supplied charger delivers 2000mah on 5v and my HTC charger to my phone has 1000mah @ 5v. Compared to the standard 550mah on a singel non-charger adapted USB port on a computer.

The TF charger output at 15V @ 1.2A with using the supplied USB3.0 cable. If you use a USB2.0 extension cable, it will drop the charging voltage down to 5V. You will need a USB3.0 extension cable

eli.kennedy said:
Has anyone got some definitve experience on USB2 vs USB3 for charging and/or with an extension cable. The whole charging process and adaptor are making me a little nervous in general.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a thread about this issue here. Several USB 3.0 cables have been found to work, but not for everyone. I have this one that I received today. It charged both the tab and the dock with the wall charger. I've also got a Tripp Lite that's worked for others on the way in the case the other didn't work.

it has to be USB 3.0 extension since the tablet recognizes the extra pin which is what lets it charge at the full rate.

jmkhenka said:
there is no reason to invest in USB 3 gear when all you really need is higher amperage, wich you often get from stand-alone chargers like the one supplied or you can buy in stores (just check that the output is 1000mah or more, 2000 mah is desired for effective charging).
The reason you might want to use a usb 3 PORT (cable makes no diffrence) is that usb 3 deliver more juice then usb 2, but unless it is a dedicated charger port that can supply 2000mah+ charge the port still require you to have the pad either off or stand by and even then charging will take ages.
Consider this, the supplied charger delivers 2000mah on 5v and my HTC charger to my phone has 1000mah @ 5v. Compared to the standard 550mah on a singel non-charger adapted USB port on a computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not quite correct. The charger senses a gnd connection on pin 7 of the USB 3.0 connector and delivers 15V @2a to the TF and or Dock. There are only 4 conductors in a USB 2.0 Cable. so the charger only delivers 5V as it does not see the gnd on pin 7. For all the technical details see the thread started by DevCake where the voltages and currents have actually been measured. A 5V 20A charger will not be as good as one with 11-15V at about 2A as the charger is not a constant current charger but a power source for a charge controller ( controlling the current) in the TF.

I appreciate that it is a slightly older thread and not sure if what I'm about to post is already known by TF owners but here goes anyway.
The discussion has moved on to cables but the threqad title is about a charging indicator. I've discovered that the battery icon in the bottom RH corner has a lightning symbol through it when it is being charged.
Sorry if it's old news but I've only had my TF one week and thought other users might not be aware

Really wish they would have put in a fancy multicolor LED somewhere on the housing but we can't win them all. Even the Nook Color had an LED on the cable itself.

[Q] Charging cable

I have just bought up my transformer ( Love it ) but it's at about 10% battery right now... I take the cable that came with it (the usb one) and plugged it into my computer but it is not charging ? Any idea what's wrong with it ? when i plug it into the charging unit it works fine though

i've heard it has to be turned off for the USB charging to work....

Like off as in screen off or off as in complete off ?

It will not charge in your computer. You have to charge it in the wall.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App

One of the pamphlets that came with it said the screen has to be off in order to charge it using a computer's USB port, cause the screen uses too much power and a USB port doesn't output as much, its best just to charge with the ac adapter. Nothing is wrong with your unit, thats just how it works.

Dark lord me said:
I have just bought up my transformer ( Love it ) but it's at about 10% battery right now... I take the cable that came with it (the usb one) and plugged it into my computer but it is not charging ? Any idea what's wrong with it ? when i plug it into the charging unit it works fine though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turn off the screen and it will charge. (you don't need to turn it off; you just need a black screen) It is very, very slow though.
My wall charger never charged my tablet so I am awaiting a replacement. The USB charge is MUCH slower than the wall charge. We are talking about maybe 4-5% an hour -- max with the USB cable alone.

Connecting this thing to a computer will NOT charge it. Even a normal 5V 1.2A-2A charger won't charge it fast enough. I used a 2A charger and it trickle-charged for over half a day and managed to clock in @ 50pc. I think the unit uses hardware info from the ASUS charger to detect the charger. Any other charger wont do.

Isn't the cable and charger USB 3 and charging is at non USB 2 values (voltage and current).

Good amount of mis-info in this thread...
The unit *will* charge from computer USB, assuming the USB port provides enough amperage (not voltage). I have not yet measured out the amps used, but it's on my list of things to do...
In order to charge from computer USB, the display on the Transformer needs to be off. The unit can be on, but it must be asleep.
The adapter that comes with the transformer provides 15VDC via extra pins which loosely resemble USB 3.0. These are *not* USB 3.0 data/power specs, however a USB 3.0 extension cord could be used to lengthen the existing adapter.
Any USB car adapter should work to charge this in sleep mode, similar to a computer USB port. In order to "fast charge" in a car, however, you'd basically need to use an AC inverter with an ASUS Transformer adapter.

ChristoA1 said:
Good amount of mis-info in this thread...
The unit *will* charge from computer USB, assuming the USB port provides enough amperage (not voltage). I have not yet measured out the amps used, but it's on my list of things to do...
In order to charge from computer USB, the display on the Transformer needs to be off. The unit can be on, but it must be asleep.
The adapter that comes with the transformer provides 15VDC via extra pins which loosely resemble USB 3.0. These are *not* USB 3.0 data/power specs, however a USB 3.0 extension cord could be used to lengthen the existing adapter.
Any USB car adapter should work to charge this in sleep mode, similar to a computer USB port. In order to "fast charge" in a car, however, you'd basically need to use an AC inverter with an ASUS Transformer adapter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried a 2.1A 5V charger. Took about 8 hours to charge @ 50pc. The ASUS charger is rated at 1.2A.

is the only way to plug the device into your PC or laptop via USB on the dock?
you cant use the proprietary charger cable to do USB data transfer with the charging cable USB component?
ie....to do data transfers via USB (not the memory card), the only way is via the dock?

makaveli25 said:
is the only way to plug the device into your PC or laptop via USB on the dock?
you cant use the proprietary charger cable to do USB data transfer with the charging cable USB component?
ie....to do data transfers via USB (not the memory card), the only way is via the dock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, one end of the charging cable is regular USB and the other end (tablet-end) is proprietary. You can transfer files over by connecting to your computer's USB.

awesome, thanks.

do you think that if you get a male/female USB converter, you could plug in a USB memory stick device or a mini hard drive device and have it work fine in the charging cable just like you would if you were to plug in a mini hard drive into one of the usb ports on the dock?

[Q] Charging ASUS transformer using computer?

I wanted to know if it is possible to charge the ASUS transformer using a computer?
Is there any hack for it?

umasood said:
I wanted to know if it is possible to charge the ASUS transformer using a computer?
Is there any hack for it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IIRC it will charge if the transformer is turned off but very slowly
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

When I was driving the other day with it connected to the USB charger in the car (same as PC USB) and it got 4% in about an hour.

isnt this the biggest DOWN SIDE of TF.
Like this is such a basic feature these days that you should be able to charge your android device using PC usb/ charger etc.
I thought there would be some hacks for this. or is this a hardware specific lacking?

The USB plug on the Sync/Charge cable of the Transformer is a USB 3.0 plug. It uses the extra pins of the USB 3.0 for the electricity to charge.

umasood said:
isnt this the biggest DOWN SIDE of TF.
Like this is such a basic feature these days that you should be able to charge your android device using PC usb/ charger etc.
I thought there would be some hacks for this. or is this a hardware specific lacking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think this issue is specific to the Transformer. I seem to recall that the iPad comes with a high-current charger, and charges slowly if done via a computer. I think the issue is that the battery is much larger than any smartphone battery, and the USB port spec was created to power things like mice and USB memory sticks, and provides a low current. This way it also won't overload the host computer's power supply and cause stability issues on the computer.

nxt said:
The USB plug on the Sync/Charge cable of the Transformer is a USB 3.0 plug. It uses the extra pins of the USB 3.0 for the electricity to charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the extra wires in USB 3.0 cables are for higher speed transfers the voltage is still 5.0V the TF uses one of the wires to signal the power supply to provide 15V vs 5 V. The connector is not a true USB 3.0 If you want to charge mobile ,just connect the 12VDC from your vehicle to pins 1 and 4.

After reading this i put my transformer in the USB 3 socket and hey presto... trickle charge enabled! It doesnt say that its dojing it but mine went up from 95 - 96% in the 10 mins i had it pluged in (whilst on it)

mazimo said:
After reading this i put my transformer in the USB 3 socket and hey presto... trickle charge enabled! It doesnt say that its dojing it but mine went up from 95 - 96% in the 10 mins i had it pluged in (whilst on it)
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Click to collapse
Awesome, it would only take like 16h to charge it from empty to full then! ... compared to ~1.5-2h depending on use with the 15v charger.
But if you want to charge it from the PC, just hook it up to the 12v rail on the PSU (build a molex to usb adapter or similar)
Edit: what would be interesting though, is if you could charge and sync at the same time by connecting the data cables to a usb port, but keep the power cables hooked to the 12v rail. Or maybe the TF shuts down all sync stuff when its charging...

Just a quick update... After 6 hours if gone up to a whapping...... 76%
I guess it was just playing trick on me!!!! sorry to get peoples hopes up.

Go look at USB3.0 specs. You do not have the current and Voltage necessary to do anything more than a slow trickle charge. 3.0 os basically 2.0 with an extra pair of wires for faster data transfer not higher voltage. The connector on the TF charger is not wired to USB3.0 standards.

The AC adapter reconfigures itself when it recognizes the asus tablet and it gives 12v instead of 5volts. Just tried now and it's working.

[Q] Can i use the TF101 Charger to charge a mobile phone?

I am going for a trip, and I want to reduce the number of things I carry with me, and I was wondering if I can use the Asus TF101 charger to charge other devices that plug to usb, like my mobile phone.
I know that the TF101 charger gives more power than normal chargers through the USB3 cable (Required by the device, otherwise it will not charge), but if I plug a usb2 cable and plug my phone, will it charge or fry it?

I wouldn't use the charger, I'd use a usb port on the dock, personally. I'm just paranoid though, it should be fine since the limit on 2.0 is 5v

Thing O Doom said:
I wouldn't use the charger, I'd use a usb port on the dock, personally. I'm just paranoid though, it should be fine since the limit on 2.0 is 5v
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the dock , that's why I am asking

Yes, I do that all the time to reduce the number of charging bricks I carry. If Asus only had the foresight to make it a dual port!
There is a DIY charger thread that also has lots of information about how the charger works. If I recall correctly, it puts out standard 5V normally. When the TF cable is plugged in, it actually shorts out certain pins in the USB 3.0 plug and that signals the power brick to kick up the voltage to 1.21 gigawatts that are needed to charge the TF. A standard USB 2.0 plug won't be able to short out the pins so the voltage will stay at 5V.
Edit: Here's the thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1087321
Be sure to thank DevCake - he did a lot of great work in this thread.

I had read that at some point, but I wasn't 100% sure as I couldn't find it. Thanks for clarifying xB

Thanks, that's exactly what I wanted.
I read the charger post long ago, but I was unable to find it today.

Just using a lower power point to charged it...

TF700 charger/cable requirements?

I was planning on using my iPad charger to charge my phone, iPad, and TF700 while on the road. It puts out more than enough current at +5 volts but doesn't work with the TF700. The Asus charger outputs +15 and +5 and works with the Asus cable and an OEM cable, and also works charging my phone using a micro-B cable. Is the TF700 charged using +15 volts?
The TF700 booklet says it can be charged from a USB port, which is +5 volts. While that may be an impossible task on a PC, it still means that the TF700 can be charged using a USB cable and +5 volt charger. Why doesn't it work? Has anyone gotten a 2A +5V OEM charger to work with the TF700? Is there a pinout diagram for the Asus cable and charger anywhere? Thanks.

Not sure if this helps, but the keyboard dock (unlike the tablet itself) can only be charged from the charger, not usb, so it must draw more power than a standard usb.
It's also possible your Apple charger usb port is pinned to only work with "apple approved" products? Have you been able to charge other devices from it?
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app

phiffoo st o
Studiozut said:
Not sure if this helps, but the keyboard dock (unlike the tablet itself) can only be charged from the charger, not usb, so it must draw more power than a standard usb.
It's also possible your Apple charger usb port is pinned to only work with "apple approved" products? Have you been able to charge other devices from it?
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a dock nor am I trying to charge the TF700 from a PC USB port. The Apple charger puts out +5 volts to anything plugged into to it and the TF700 apparently "knows" when the Apple charger is connected to it because it turns on if it's off.

Haidozo said:
I was planning on using my iPad charger to charge my phone, iPad, and TF700 while on the road. It puts out more than enough current at +5 volts but doesn't work with the TF700. The Asus charger outputs +15 and +5 and works with the Asus cable and an OEM cable, and also works charging my phone using a micro-B cable. Is the TF700 charged using +15 volts?
The TF700 booklet says it can be charged from a USB port, which is +5 volts. While that may be an impossible task on a PC, it still means that the TF700 can be charged using a USB cable and +5 volt charger. Why doesn't it work? Has anyone gotten a 2A +5V OEM charger to work with the TF700? Is there a pinout diagram for the Asus cable and charger anywhere? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will charge VERY SLOWLY on 5v USB while turned off. Will not charge via 5v USB while on. The TF700 requires at least 12V/2A to charge while on. 15V/1.2A is what's recommended by Asus (based on their proprietary charger specs).
Here's a battery I use to charge my TF700 while on the go, and it also charges my phone, BT headsets and other devices. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1796750. Great battery, I highly recommend it.

AspenMan said:
It will charge VERY SLOWLY on 5v USB while turned off. Will not charge via 5v USB while on. The TF700 requires at least 12V/2A to charge while on. 15V/1.2A is what's recommended by Asus (based on their proprietary charger specs).
Here's a battery I use to charge my TF700 while on the go, and it also charges my phone, BT headsets and other devices. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1796750. Great battery, I highly recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct. With the TF700 turned off, an hour of charging with the 2A Apple charger had increased the battery level from 29% to 34%. I expect the TF700 to be fully charged in only 14 hours!
Thanks.

Have you considered a power inverter? I use this one with my A100 though I use a FM transmitter to charge my phone.

Somewhat related to this: in the past, when using devices that have a power block with a USB port and a charge/sync cable, such as an iPod or even my Galaxy Nexus, I've used a USB extension cable to give me a little extra slack. For some reason, that doesn't seem to work with the Infinity. I've tried three different USB extension cables and the tablet never shows that it's charging. Is there a certain USB cable I can use for this?

AspenMan said:
It will charge VERY SLOWLY on 5v USB while turned off. Will not charge via 5v USB while on. The TF700 requires at least 12V/2A to charge while on. 15V/1.2A is what's recommended by Asus (based on their proprietary charger specs).
Here's a battery I use to charge my TF700 while on the go, and it also charges my phone, BT headsets and other devices. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1796750. Great battery, I highly recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have that same exact charger. do you use the "I" or the "S" USB port?
I never knew what the difference between the two were
EDIT...i shouldve read the thread lol...you modified yours

I ordered a pair of cables from eBay item # 320942102464. A house charger and a car charger. I just plugged in the dock and seems to be working fine.

USB 3.0?
FrontRowJoe said:
Somewhat related to this: in the past, when using devices that have a power block with a USB port and a charge/sync cable, such as an iPod or even my Galaxy Nexus, I've used a USB extension cable to give me a little extra slack. For some reason, that doesn't seem to work with the Infinity. I've tried three different USB extension cables and the tablet never shows that it's charging. Is there a certain USB cable I can use for this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using a USB 2.0 or 3.0 extension cable? It's my understanding that the Infinity uses USB 3.0.

You need 15v to charge the Pad (I kept thinking 11, but the adapter says 5V or 15V output). This makes sense since there are more pins. Standard USB has 5v rails (ther are 4 pins, I 5v power, Data+, Data-, ground). Since our chargers are 40 pins, my assumption is that there are more pins dedicated to charging and multiple pins dedicated to data (possibly a few that are dedicated and some that are for whatever data is being passed through (assumption)). If the adapter is outputting 11v then it can send more power through the cord and multiple pins can push electricity through. When you are only pulling 5v (i.e. most AC->USB transformers) you will need a lot more time to charge, hence the trickle effect (and don't turn on the screen!)

It can be charged with 5v if the tablet is off.
There is a jumper in the USB cable itself that kicks the Asus charger into 15v mode so it doesnt accidentally fry your devices if you plug in, say, your cell phone to charge for a bit.
To make a custom cable just throw 15v across three pins in the connector (5v each). You can find all the info here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1633747
Yes, i know its for the prime, the connector is exactly the same, the pinouts SHOULD be identical.

DIY approach?
I've got a TF700T and a TF201 dock and a misplaced charger. I ran into the same trouble that a lot of people here did ....... generic chargers not working, USB on my computer only trickle charges the tablet, nothing for the dock, etc.......
After much poking around I learned that both require 12 volts to charge. That said I dug thru my junk and found a 2.2a 12v DC wallwart. I hacked apart a USB extension cable for it's female end, broke out my breadboard and put together a 12v USB connector... that after several days of charging and draining.... charging and draining .... works like a champ.
So to be a bit more specific, pin 1 that's normally 5+ volts I'm supplying 12+. Pin 4 is ground same as always and that's it. If you wish let me know I can probably throw up a little illustration or something.
Since I did that I've refined the whole thing a bit, cleaned it up, wired everything directly and heat shrinked the whole assembly.
It will charge both together or either one by itself in just hours EVEN while using them..... heavily. No overheating, no troubles.
HTH

AnakiMana said:
Are you using a USB 2.0 or 3.0 extension cable? It's my understanding that the Infinity uses USB 3.0.
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Click to collapse
I think the cable type might only matter after the ics.30 update when I was on the ics.26 I could use a standard extention cable, I had my device plugged in when I updated and my device stopped charging, and I freaked out thinking I broke something. But after finally removing the extention my tablet would charge. I have not tried to use the extention cable since so I don't know if it works with jb.
Asus Transformer Infinity running CleanRom 2.7.x

Bluemgt06 said:
I think the cable type might only matter after the ics.30 update when I was on the ics.26 I could use a standard extention cable, I had my device plugged in when I updated and my device stopped charging, and I freaked out thinking I broke something. But after finally removing the extention my tablet would charge. I have not tried to use the extention cable since so I don't know if it works with jb.
Asus Transformer Infinity running CleanRom 2.7.x
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Asus charger switches its output to 15V from 5V when a USB3 plug is detected. If you need an extesion cable to charge the Transformer, you'll have to use USB3 extension cable. If you want to use this charger on other devices, be sure to use a USB2 cable to not to fry it with 15V.

Kraka said:
If you want to use this charger on other devices, be sure to use a USB2 cable to not to fry it with 15V.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the warning - I hope there are no cables with USB3 and micro-USB2 plugs though.