Before you post about a MintyBoost issue... Read this!

Ideas and questions about MintyBoost kits

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adafruit
 
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Before you post about a MintyBoost issue... Read this!

Post by adafruit »

Before you post about a MintyBoost issue... Read this!

Common MintyBoost Problems:

Doesn't work at all:
  • Make sure all components are installed in the right locations.
  • Check that the boost chip is not reversed in the socket.
  • Check your soldering to see that all joints are good (see the soldering tutorials for examples of good soldering: http://www.ladyada.net/learn/soldering/). Good solder joints are smooth and shiny.
  • Look for any solder bridges or stray wires that might cause a short circuit. We have really big photos showing exactly what the bottom should look like - the wires should not look long or bent - they should be clipped off right above the solder joint.
  • Post clear, well lit, in focus photos of the front and back of the board so we can check for assembly problems. Don't just use a crummy camera phone! We need to see all the parts -clearly-
The Phone says "Charging Not Supported":
  • Make sure you have the data-line resistors (R1, R2, R3 & R4) installed in the right locations.
  • Make sure you have fresh, fully charged batteries (See "Batteries" below).
  • Measure the voltages on the USB power and data pins with no phone connected. You should see 5v on the power pins and very close to 2v on each of the data pins.
  • Measure again with the phone connected. If the voltages drop significantly (below 4.5V), get fresh batteries (See batteries below).
  • Try shorting D+ and D- (this works better for some phones)
  • Try a different cable, especially the original manufacturer. A good cable can make a difference! Extra long, damaged or poorly manufactured cables can have too much resistance for effective charging. Cheap cables use thin wires and bad contacts, this can cause problems.
  • Try unplugging & re-plugging the connector at the phone end a few times. Sometimes it is a connector contact issue!
The Phone does not charge enough:
  • Make sure you phone is turned off when you are charging it. If the phone is on it will draw all the power to light up the screen and you'll never get the battery charged!
  • Make sure you are using good quality, fresh batteries (See "Batteries" below)
It's getting too hot!
  • It is normal for the chip to get painfully hot when charging a device. Read the FAQ and try the 'finger test'.
Batteries:
  • Good quality batteries designed for high-drain applications are essential for charging modern smart-phones and other high-capacity devices. All of the major brand name battery manufacturers have cells designed for high-drain applications. These are of consistent quality and perform well when fresh. Duracell-Ultra, Energizer-Max, Kodak-Max and Fuji-Enviromax Digital are good alkaline choices. NiMH cells from Sanyo/Eneloop, National/Panasonic, Maha/Powerex & Fuji are good choices for rechargeable batteries.
  • Don't confuse high-drain alkaline cells with standard alkaline cells. Standard alkaline chemistry does not perform so well in high drain applications. Economy offerings from the major manufacturers, as well as generic or store-brand alkaline cells usually use standard alkaline chemistry.
  • The standard 2xAA battery pack makes a nice compact package, but runtime can be extended with more or larger cells. Be sure to read LadyAda's MintyBoost Battery page for a summary of powering options for your MintyBoost. http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/power.html
  • The best way to improve your charging capacity is to move to 2 x C or 2 x D cells instead of 2 x AA. The next best thing is to add a battery, so 3 x AA. Then for mega-juice, 3xC or 3xD will give you the max power! Do not use 4 x AA *UNLESS* the batteries will always be rechargable. Alkalines have a higher voltage, so 4 x AA is too high for the mintyboost.
  • DO NOT USE LOOSE ALKALINE/RECHARGABLE BATTERIES IN PARALLEL! THIS CAN EASILY CAUSE THE BATTERIES TO 'DISCHARGE' INTO EACH OTHER, WHICH WILL DAMAGE THEM AND POSSIBLY CAUSE THEM TO LEAK FLUIDS!

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