Thread: Modification: Charge via USB
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ZapWizard is offline ZapWizard
2007-06-28 , 23:39
Posts: 13 | Thanked: 4 times | Joined on Jun 2007 @ Austin, TX
#5
Originally Posted by fpp View Post
perhaps a modified USB cable with a tip that goes into the charger connector would be a simpler approach, with almost the same result ?...
Yes, that would work, but that is a custom cable to lose, if you do it internally then you can get a cable at any store if you forgot yours at home.
Heck I had neither the wall-wart, nor a mini USB cable with me when I started the mod at work, but asking around a few cubes and I was able to find one to borrow in minutes.

It is not difficult to do, but you just have to take care not to bridge any connections with solder, or break anything when opening it up or putting it back together. The reason mine is so clean is that I had the right wire, a expensive soldering iron, tiny tip, and stereo microscope to do it with. (Work)

Originally Posted by robbh66 View Post
Very nice job indeed. How difficult would this be for the somewhat-beginner? I know how (well in theory at least) to solder and have soldered stuff before but it never looks _that_ pretty.

To those of you who have been around a nokia 770 for a while- is there a downside to this? I figured Nokia HAD to have a good reason not to have just done this from the getgo?

edit: Oooh I just had an idea. I've seen a lot of talk about people having to use powered hubs to get usb devices to work. Would it be possible to send power from the power connector leads to the USB port to send power to USB connected devices? I'm guessing you couldn't do both mods at once, huh?
The reason Nokia probably didn't do this from the beginning is because technically the charger is rated at 900mA of output, and a USB port isn't spec'ed to put out that much current. That said, I doubt it needs that much current in reality. I did this same mod to my cell phone years ago.

Yes, if you do plug-in 5volts to the charger jack, AND a usb cable the power will pass out of the USB connector.
Last edited by ZapWizard; 2007-06-28 at 23:47.
 

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