Portable USB Charger (Version 2.0)

Step 7 Done!

Now that you've finished building your own USB charger, all you have left to do is to put it in a nice box and show it off to your friends!

Comments

[tdobbins1]

In a project like this one. They said to connect the 2 data pins on the usb so it can trick the phone to charge. Do you know any thing about if that is true or what will happen if you connect them?

[iApple guy]

Most iPods, iPads, and iPhones will need this connection in order to charge. If you do not do this to your iDevice it will not charge. And to answer your Queshton that is true.

[gemimile]

it would be very helpful if you post different views of the pcb design, like copper plate view, components side view, just to prevent people from confusions

[mathdroid]

thank you for this great instructable. i have a little question, by the way. is there a way to amplify the output current? cause it doesn't seem to be able to charge my phone.

[GoodAtIt]

These regulators are only rated up to 1A current. You need to check the voltage of the output while you have the phone plugged in. If its close to 5v, then you need to modify the data lines using resistors. If its way below 5v, then consider a alternate design using a more powerful battery and a regulator.

[tmyler]

Hi does this work for ipod touch4

[GranTotem]

Hi, I am using a Sony Ericsson Z310a and for some reason when i plug it in, it goes crazy and says charging then it goes off and comes back again and repeats. I have checked and the output is 5v, but i just cant figure out why does this happen.
Please give me an advice :)

[GoodAtIt]

Check the voltage of the output while its plugged in. Most likely, when the phone goes into charging mode, it draws too much current for either your battery or that particular regulator, and the voltage droops below the charging level therefore stops it from charging. With my LG Keybo, the load voltage is actually around 4.4-4.7v while its charging, and my 9V battery droops to around 7v. I recommend switching to a more powerful battery like a rechargeable 11.1v lithium polymer battery if that is the case for you.

[deng17]

 The LED just flashes and dims out slowly after I put the wires for the batteries (I'm doing it in a protoboard)

If I put something in the USB port, the LED won't even light up.

Also, 7805 is very hot. Is this normal? (I think not it's not working XD)

[tobyscool]

mine also

[GoodAtIt]

Check if you have the regulator in backwards. Usually that would cause the regulator to heat up without any load.

[deng17]

 Now it's just lighting up...and nothing happens on my phone.

Only if I have a multitester available right now ><

[tysonscott2002]

Yea, a Multimeter would be very helpful, i wouldnt even touch it to the phone before checking it, otherwise, when charging, it is normal for the regulator to get hot, depending on your power source, i highly recommend a heatsink of some kind. If you havent got it working yet, I am willing to help, have made several of these babies! first circuit and only circuit i trust with my ipod! its completely safe, if built right

[sailesh75]

Hi i made this circuit.But when i checked the output voltage with the multimeter of this circuit it is just showing in between 0.58 V. to 0.68V.Again i checked the total circuit.But still i'm having this problem. Plz.... help me plz

[hmms]

dude can i use a 6v battery?? i found a sealed lead acid in an old torch! it has very high capaciy .can light up 3 leds of the torch for 20 hrs! there's no number or specs written on the battery pack i had 2 use a multimeter to check the voltage!

[redcom]

You'll just have to try it yourself. I just tried it with a big 6V battery. Without any load, the device puts out 5.0V, but at 350 mA, it drops to 4.0V. Will your device charge from 4.0V? Almost certainly, but you'll need to try it to make sure. For a 6V battery, you dont really need this device. I'd just put a silicon diode in series with it, which will give you 5.4 volts, and just connect that directly to the USB.

[JSWilson]

Before reading these posts I hooked up 4 AA batteries to a USB port and used it to charge my Motorola cell phone and iPhone. Do I really need the silicon diode and the resistors on the data lines? I just assumed that the phones would have voltage regulators in them. Will the extra volt harm the phones or just cause them to charge faster?

[tysonscott2002]

actually, that wouldnt be a good idea... unless the diode can filter out surges, other than voltage drop, thats what this circuit is used for, if you hook that directly, you could fry some circuits, i happened to a zune of mine, using a mere nine volt, luckily it was still warrantied!

[chrisstoll]

So if you wanted to make this for an iPhone/iPod touch, you just need to get a 100k ohm resistor and bridge the data lines?

[tysonscott2002]

well, yes! but not a 100k, i use a 10k, and really, i use anything on hand in between a 10k and a 15k, ive only tried a 10k with the iphone/ipod touch tho! and yes, you just bridge the data lines! good luck! i love this little creation!

[chrisstoll]

A few more questions! What are the functions of the capacitors? Would it work without them, just be less stable and more likely to destroy your device? I'm planning on making a dual usb model to charge a cellphone and possibly an ipod touch at the same time. Can I use two 9v batteries in series instead of parallel to get more battery charges?

[tysonscott2002]

ok, first, the capacitors are used to "filter" any surges that the regulator makes, because it doesnt put out a steady current, basically the caps are surge protectors that are there to protect your device from a power supply that is bound to have surges. and second if your planning on making a dual charger, i wouldnt put your batteries in a series, i would do a parallel, because if they are put in a series, that makes 18 volts, that the regulator has to bring down to five, causing more heat, and the same amount of charge as one nine volt, putting them in parallel gives you twice the charge time with half the heat, also, if possible, i dont recommend nine volts. because they arent too cost effective for this job. i try to stick to AA's as much as possible, because they are easy to get in recharge form, and are cheaper.

[hmms]

i'll surely try it ! can this circuit be modified to charge my nokia cell phone?

[tysonscott2002]

you dont need to modify it! its fine how it is! just find a plug you can spare, and hook up the positive and negative wires to this circuit, instead of a usb plug if you like, or also find a scrap male usb plug, and combine it with your spare phone jack, and you have yourself an adapter!

[Cpt.Stripes]

could this be done with solar panels do you think? I only have a basic understanding of electricity so I was just wondering

[ReCreate]

well...sure! i don't see why not, just as long as the solar panels provide enough current and voltage, of at least 5 Volts at at least 200Ma

[momsgonnafindme]

it should.. most new ipods need a 100k resisor to pull up voltage through the data lines or else it wont charge

[tysonscott2002]

actually, i have an ipod 32gb 2nd gen, and i use this circuit with it, but i simply bridge the data connections with either a 10k, or a 15k, whichevers on hand. works fine!

[tysonscott2002]

i forgot to mention its the touch :p

[momsgonnafindme]

i have 16 gig jailbroken touch XD

[tysonscott2002]

mines jailbroken too!!! :D with the new 3.0!

[acu4u]

Thanks for the neat project. For a newbie like me, you didn't put the switch into the diagram, so I wanted to know where that went. Thanks, Dustin

[GoodAtIt]

The switch must be connected to the 9 volt battery, so when you turn it on/off, it will give/cut power to the entire circuit. So.. you can connect the switch to either the positive or the negative terminal, it doesn't matter. You take one wire, connect it to one end of the switch, and connect that wire to the negative. Take another wire, connect it to the other end of the switch and connect the other end of that wire to the negative terminal on the circuit. Then you just have to find a good place to put the switch.

[Yerboogieman]

i put mine on just the negative wires, but i also put a momentary push button so i reccomend putting one on the positive side only, i used to make mistakes when i started out with electronics dont put both wires of the switch on both the positive and negative

[Motta]

Yours, GoodAtIt, the one in the picture is very kool !!

[jimsondefrancia05]

hi can u give details how to put the switch like on ang off