1. pantlesspenguin's Avatar
    It seems whenever I charge my Playbook via USB, it doesn't really charge. I can have it connected for a couple hours and the battery level doesn't go up, at least from the look of it. I don't know where to go to get an actual percentage. It shows the lil plug icon inside the battery, too. Anyone know what the deal is?
    01-19-12 11:11 AM
  2. BoldtotheMax's Avatar
    It charges fine with other chargers?

    Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk
    01-19-12 11:14 AM
  3. hpjrt's Avatar
    Battery Guru tells you all kinds of things but primarily it gives you data regarding charging stats.

    I gather though that if you are seeing a plug and not a lightening bolt, then you aren't using the PB charger, in which case it will take a much longer time to charge.
    peter9477 likes this.
    01-19-12 11:33 AM
  4. pantlesspenguin's Avatar
    Yeah it charges just fine using the PB charger. I'm just trying to charge it via the included USB cable when I'm at work so I don't have to lug my PB charger around. Plus I find myself transferring files from my thumb drive, computer, and PB quite often so I just keep it plugged in via USB while I'm working in my office.
    tonyron227 likes this.
    01-19-12 11:35 AM
  5. hpjrt's Avatar
    Thats what I do as well, although I use my Torch's A/C USB charger. It manages to keep the battery at basically the level it was when it arrived at the office and that's basically all I expect it to do ...
    pantlesspenguin likes this.
    01-19-12 11:40 AM
  6. dejanh's Avatar
    Yeah it charges just fine using the PB charger. I'm just trying to charge it via the included USB cable when I'm at work so I don't have to lug my PB charger around. Plus I find myself transferring files from my thumb drive, computer, and PB quite often so I just keep it plugged in via USB while I'm working in my office.
    Not every USB port will provide enough current to be able to charge the PB. I find Gigabyte motherboards are pretty good for having USB ports capable of charging devices. Having said that, I too have been having the same problem charging the PB via USB even with my Gigabyte board
    01-19-12 11:44 AM
  7. anindoc's Avatar
    Using the USB method to charge will take a long long time (yes very long). It does help to sustain your current level of charge on the PB, but it is not a method of choice.
    peter9477 likes this.
    01-19-12 11:57 AM
  8. FF22's Avatar
    Are you also using it or just plugging into the usb on the computer. A usb from computer provides barely enough power to charge the device and usage will actually drop the power down. If you tap the Battery Icon, it will show the power percentage.

    You might also check the Device Manager and the usb ports. Some computers power them down as a power savings mode if they go inactive.
    rotorwrench and peter9477 like this.
    01-19-12 12:05 PM
  9. rotorwrench's Avatar
    F2 is right. I've tried on several computers and the USB current isn't enough for charging. If you are seeing the plug on the battery icon, then no charging is taking place. When you see the lightning bolt, charging is occurring. I've also had instances where my battery level went down when hooked up via usb.
    peter9477 likes this.
    01-19-12 12:38 PM
  10. peter9477's Avatar
    Yeah it charges just fine using the PB charger. I'm just trying to charge it via the included USB cable when I'm at work so I don't have to lug my PB charger around. Plus I find myself transferring files from my thumb drive, computer, and PB quite often so I just keep it plugged in via USB while I'm working in my office.
    As others have noted, you can't charge it while it's in use this way. That is, the USB port on your computer can't supply enough power to actually increase the battery level unless the PlayBook is on standby. It is, however, still slowing down the rate of discharge.

    You'd typically be consuming about 2.5W while using it for light tasks.

    The USB port manages to supply only about 1.5W on most PCs. That means the battery is still draining at approximately 1W, which is better than if you didn't have it plugged in but still a net negative.
    rotorwrench and anindoc like this.
    01-19-12 12:42 PM
  11. boldkeyboardholic's Avatar
    As others have noted, you can't charge it while it's in use this way. That is, the USB port on your computer can't supply enough power to actually increase the battery level unless the PlayBook is on standby. It is, however, still slowing down the rate of discharge.

    You'd typically be consuming about 2.5W while using it for light tasks.

    The USB port manages to supply only about 1.5W on most PCs. That means the battery is still draining at approximately 1W, which is better than if you didn't have it plugged in but still a net negative.
    yep, I was to slow here

    the USB port probably deliver 500mA with 5V, isn't it? in this case it should charge 2,5w theoretically.

    With an normal USB-Charger (I have here a few and they are laoding 500mA up to 2A) and for example micro-usb it should load about 700-750mA.

    Of course 500mA on a PC is only possible if the port is not splitt etc. (especially the front usb ports often are) and that means max. the half

    Am I correct? I'm far away being a technican, but was almost one in the 90's ^^
    01-19-12 12:56 PM
  12. peter9477's Avatar
    the USB port probably deliver 500mA with 5V, isn't it? in this case it should charge 2,5w theoretically.
    Ah, theory, wonderful theory. ;-) Yes, in theory that's what it should do. In practice it seems to be limited (by the PlayBook) to nominally 384mA but in practice (i.e. as measured) just over 400mA.

    In any case, the OS itself is reporting about 1.52W maximum on my machine (which has a 500mA USB port like any other), and it maintains approximately that same charging power all the way from 1% (where the battery reads 3.6V) up to 100% (4.2V), with the current limit being dropped from 420mA to 363mA over that time.
    hpjrt likes this.
    01-19-12 01:27 PM
  13. Fenrir26's Avatar
    I noticed that the included USB cable slows down the drain on my PB and rarely raises the level. When I hooked up my Focus to do some transferring and updates the charge level on my phone did not go up or down. The micro cable that came with the phone has no problem charging my phone over USB when connected to the same ports on my PC (Frontside ones) and charges almost as fast as when its plugged into the wall adaptor.

    Is there a difference in the cables themselves maybe? As far as I knew they were just standard USB cables.
    01-19-12 01:38 PM
  14. lalido's Avatar
    I noticed that the included USB cable slows down the drain on my PB and rarely raises the level. When I hooked up my Focus to do some transferring and updates the charge level on my phone did not go up or down. The micro cable that came with the phone has no problem charging my phone over USB when connected to the same ports on my PC (Frontside ones) and charges almost as fast as when its plugged into the wall adaptor.

    Is there a difference in the cables themselves maybe? As far as I knew they were just standard USB cables.
    The problem is not the cables..
    The playbook consumes more power (or equal too) most USB roots can provide... Therefore it doesnt charge..

    The playbook charger and the rapid charger produce more power than is required to run the playbook even under heavy usage so it charges.

    if power source > energy consumed then charging occurs

    Blackberry phones consume less power than the playbook therefore they can charge via USB
    01-19-12 01:54 PM
  15. Fenrir26's Avatar
    The problem is not the cables..
    The playbook consumes more power (or equal too) most USB roots can provide... Therefore it doesnt charge..

    The playbook charger and the rapid charger produce more power than is required to run the playbook even under heavy usage so it charges.

    if power source > energy consumed then charging occurs

    Blackberry phones consume less power than the playbook therefore they can charge via USB
    Maybe its placebo then but I swear the USB that came with my phone has no issues charging my phone over the same USB port on my PC. I watched it last night for a while and my phones levels stayed at 59% for an hour connected through the USB that came with the PB where as with its cable it would have went up 5-10% under the same use and time. If it was voltage I should get the same results across both cables shouldn't I?
    01-19-12 02:06 PM
  16. peter9477's Avatar
    Fenrir26, you may be right about there being something odd with some cables.

    I've noticed in passing (without reading in detail) posts in the past which mentioned cables with one of the pins maybe disconnected, etc.

    I've even got one USB cable somewhere around here which, if I recall, either didn't let me charge but did let my PC send data, or the other way around. At the time I didn't feel like troubleshooting and just swapped it with another, but I do have a memory of something like that. Sounds similar to your situation.
    01-19-12 02:39 PM
  17. dagerlach's Avatar
    I have found that my PB will charge at my workstation very slowly if I keep the device in Standby. I have also found that for some reason, some USB cables are better than others. I can only imagine that the conductor is of better quality and the contacts on the cable are of better quality/conductivity. I really would not have imaged that much difference, but it is noticeable.

    I bought a OEM charging cube & cable for my Bold 9900 for the office which uses a OEM USB cable and it is about worthless.

    If I can find the time, I will go evaluate the resistance on the cables to see if I can quantify our observations.

    David
    01-19-12 02:41 PM
  18. FF22's Avatar
    Hey, Peter (let's see if you find this one):

    I just decided to use the AT&T CHARGE-ONLY cable. Battery Guru shows it as a usb Wall Charger. Charge 1.22 W
    01-19-12 03:37 PM
  19. boldkeyboardholic's Avatar
    Ah, theory, wonderful theory. ;-) Yes, in theory that's what it should do. In practice it seems to be limited (by the PlayBook) to nominally 384mA but in practice (i.e. as measured) just over 400mA.

    In any case, the OS itself is reporting about 1.52W maximum on my machine (which has a 500mA USB port like any other), and it maintains approximately that same charging power all the way from 1% (where the battery reads 3.6V) up to 100% (4.2V), with the current limit being dropped from 420mA to 363mA over that time.
    hehe - thats why I put that theoratical in my post

    What app do you use (or is it system app?) to geht the information of your PB?
    01-19-12 04:30 PM
  20. boldkeyboardholic's Avatar
    I have found that my PB will charge at my workstation very slowly if I keep the device in Standby. I have also found that for some reason, some USB cables are better than others. I can only imagine that the conductor is of better quality and the contacts on the cable are of better quality/conductivity. I really would not have imaged that much difference, but it is noticeable.

    I bought a OEM charging cube & cable for my Bold 9900 for the office which uses a OEM USB cable and it is about worthless.

    If I can find the time, I will go evaluate the resistance on the cables to see if I can quantify our observations.

    David
    I agree there are a lot cables (mostly comming with different devices) which are not standard conform but I guess the different in loading BBs on PC-USB-Ports is more likely because the USB ports are different.

    Especially Laptops only support half of the offical theoretical 500mA of a normal USBport, MicroUSB should provide (wiki says... ) about 700-750mA.

    But a USB to Micro cable probably does only charge with 500mA or what the USB port can provide?

    Front USB ports are also often split (both front ports only have together 500mA)

    The reason I only charge with USB charger (prob called wall charger? no native English speaker ) as it is a lot faster
    01-19-12 04:38 PM
  21. TheScionicMan's Avatar

    What app do you use (or is it system app?) to geht the information of your PB?
    Check out HIS app in his sig. I love Battery Guru, but it's starting to make me obsessive about my charge level even when I don't need to be...
    peter9477 likes this.
    01-19-12 04:47 PM
  22. peter9477's Avatar
    Check out HIS app in his sig. I love Battery Guru, but it's starting to make me obsessive about my charge level even when I don't need to be...
    Haha! Don't worry, you'll eventually get over it and not refer to it quite as much... took me only about 8 months to reach that point. ;-)

    (And then I'll add temperatures in an update and you'll start all over again!)
    01-19-12 05:04 PM
  23. peter9477's Avatar
    Hey, Peter (let's see if you find this one):

    I just decided to use the AT&T CHARGE-ONLY cable. Battery Guru shows it as a usb Wall Charger. Charge 1.22 W
    Is that 1.22W with screen on, or right after you swiped it out of standby (after waiting >4 minutes to get a clean reading) ?

    And is that plugged into the wall, or actually on your PC? If on the PC, I'd call that proof there are differences between cables that could affect things... including possibly the current limit (and not because of Ohm's law stuff, but because the software decides to configure things differently based on what it thinks is attached).
    01-19-12 05:08 PM
  24. boldkeyboardholic's Avatar
    LOL

    I don't know if I should use this stuff then

    I am not very strong to resits statistics

    But thanks both of you @peter9477 and @TheScionicMan


    (I' still hooked on the device analyser OS 7.1 (but probably this is causing me 5% drain in idle xD)
    01-19-12 06:17 PM
  25. djnshores's Avatar
    If you are trying to charge the PB directly from the USB port - don't. USB ports generally don't supply enough power to charge the PB. A USB hub with a separate power supply might.
    01-19-12 06:29 PM
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