Grrr.

Ideas and questions about MintyBoost kits

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Roth2755
 
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Grrr.

Post by Roth2755 »

Hey, I made a MintyBoost. I soldered it correctly, put the diodes in correctly, put in fresh battories, and bridged the data pins. I went out and bought a new soldering iron for this and all the other things like wire cutters. Im kind of dissapointed this didnt work. It says Charging not supported. The chip is in thr right way too. I dont have a multimeter to test because im out of money :/ Image Image Sorry for the blurry images, using an iPod 4th gen.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Any chance you could borrow a meter just to take a couple of measurements? I don't see any obvious problems in your build. We can probably get this working, but we would need to know what voltages you are getting on the inputs and outputs.

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

Having the same problem as Grrr. except I have a digital meter and all Voltages are correct per test. I'm retired electronic tech. All components are in proper location and polarized where necessary. Fresh batteries. No cold solder joints. Tried soldering pins 2 and 3 together. I have tried on apple products and non apple products. Nothing recognizes nor charges ?

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

@taildragger -
all Voltages are correct per test
Do those voltages hold up when you attach the load? If the voltage sags, make sure you are using good high-drain batteries. Read our battery recommendations here: http://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22377

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

Yes. the voltages
1-4 is 4.985
1-2 & 1-3 is 1.99
don't change when applying the load

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

Also using new Duracell alkaline AA NM1500 1.5v LR6 March 2018

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Yes. the voltages
1-4 is 4.985
1-2 & 1-3 is 1.99
don't change when applying the load
So the device is working to specifications. Try a different cable.

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

I've tried 5 different cables.
do you think the chip could be bad?

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

If the voltage boost chip were bad, the device would not put out 5v or would not be able to maintain that 5v under load. The most common reasons a phone will not charge is because the voltage is too low. This can happen if the batteries are weak, the circuit is damaged or the cable resistance is too high. If it were a battery or circuit problem, you would see the voltage start to drop when you connected a load.

Assuming that your meter calibration is OK, your Mintyboost is within 2% of 5v at the USB connector, so the question is: why does the phone not recognize it as a charger?

Can you measure the current draw from the batteries with and without a phone connected?

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

I have 2 digital meters
Fluke 27
circuitmate mini
I've used both and same exact readings.
Per your suggestion I cut the red (+) lead from the battery holder and inserted meter, I have attached
Iphone 4s
iphone 3s
apple shuffle 4th gen
apple shuffle 2nd gen
small LED flashlight with USB charge port
each item used a different cable
there is 0 current when each is attached and also 0 current draw with nothing attached. And have tried 6 different batteries.
I have remover the chip and reseated it. ? I realize this is a pretty simple circuit ,however it is said to work on Iphones and I am stumped.

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

Ignore my last post. I made a rookie mistake. Forgot to move the lead to milliamp hole.
unit draws 2.31 milliamps no load
2.76 with iphone 4s
2.72 with 2nd gen shuffle
2.32 with led flashlight
just in case it didn't want to charge because battery was partly charged I tried 4s with only 10% charge and still didn't charge.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

2.31 milliamps no load
2.76 with iphone 4s
2.72 with 2nd gen shuffle
2.32 with led flashlight
Sounds like the devices are not even trying to pull any current from it. Does the phone even recognize that something has been connected?

Can you post photos of your build?

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

None of the items I have attached to it give me any indication at all.
I have photos on my computer but it says its to big to attach, I can't figure out how to reduce it. I can tell you after looking and repairing many circuit boards in my work ,there are no visual flaws. No solder runs, etc. I would welcome a second opinion though. I'll try to figure out making pics smaller.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

The apple products usually give you at least some message saying that it won't work with your charger.

There are several free tools online for resizing photos. If you can get them down to about 800x600 they should upload fine.

taildragger
 
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Re: Grrr.

Post by taildragger »

try this pic
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