Twisted Charging Option? Would It Work?

[Grench]

I do not have a Pandora yet - @ #1250.
I purchased one of these to use on it as a quasi-docking station:
http://www.directron.com/he2440.html?gsear=1

The question:
If I have an AC adapter plugged into this USB hub,
and I plug the hub into the Pandora's host port,
and then plug the Pandora into the hub as a device...

In theory the Pandora would charge (slowly) off of the USB hub as a device while sitting on the desk and plugged in twice this way. Right?

Now, the interesting part. Will the Pandora see itself as a device connected to itself and vanish in a puff of toroidal smoke?

 

[darien]

Your battery would probably drain faster.

 

[Grench]

Your battery would probably drain faster.

If I recall correctly, in previous threads MWeston has said that the continuous power needs are less than the 500mA that the device can pull from a USB device connection and that it should slowly charge or at least maintain charge when connected as a device to a powered hub or USB port.

Since the hub would be powered independently - the Pandora doesn't have to power the devices on the hub.
Since the Pandora is a device on the hub - it should draw power from the hub.

Still - I don't know if the recursive nature of this would cause an issue or not.

 

[Mr B]

Why not just skip connecting the panda as a host on the hub? That way it would charge, and no issues would be lurking around a corner.
B!

 

[Grench]

Why not just skip connecting the panda as a host on the hub? That way it would charge, and no issues would be lurking around a corner.
B!

Host port supplies 500mA and powers devices.
Guest/device port draws up to 500mA and charges the Pandora.

Or are you saying that the Host port on the Pandora when connected to a hub can draw power -back- from the hub??? I've never heard of a device doing this or a hub supporting it...

Also, the idea with this hub is to have wired Ethernet and the USB ports all connect up simply - and to not use a 2nd vampire for the task. Frankly this is for using the device while it sits on my desk as a PMP.

I -think- it will work, but until I actually get Pandora ~1250 I'll be forced to speculate and ask stupid questions for things I would like to be trying for myself.

Back to it.

 

[WizardStan]

Now, the interesting part. Will the Pandora see itself as a device connected to itself and vanish in a puff of toroidal smoke?

Someone in the I Need Help forum (I'm almost positive it was EvilDragon) plugged his Pandora into itself and did indeed see itself. Plugging in to a hub, you'll just see the SD cards mounted additionally as external USB devices (probably. At least no smoke)

 

[Mr B]

No, as i said, Don't hook it as both host, and device on the same hub. You want to hook it as both, use 2 hubs. Or better yet, just use a USB charger... Yes i know your trying to get away with just hooking one device up, but think about it. If it's one device or two, it's still 2 wires. It takes exactly the same amount of effort.

On a less practical point. Nothing "should" keep you from running like this, as long as nothing tries to access the panda from the panda. So try and stay away from that.
B!

 

[WizardStan]

Do you have any reason for suggesting against it? As I said, someone has already plugged the Pandora into itself and it behaved exactly as you would expect.

 

[Grench]

Do you have any reason for suggesting against it? As I said, someone has already plugged the Pandora into itself and it behaved exactly as you would expect.

That is how I thought it would work. So, since I will be hauling the hub and the Pandora and the hubs vampire around, instead of bringing a 2nd vampire I can bring a simple USB device cord and charge the Pandora off of one of the guest ports on the hub.

Score.

Half the reason I'm going this direction is the Frankenstein AC adapter I've seen in the photos for the Pandoras that have made it to the US. I don't -even- want to try to travel with that beastly set up.

 

[Prometheus]

Half the reason I'm going this direction is the Frankenstein AC adapter I've seen in the photos for the Pandoras that have made it to the US. I don't -even- want to try to travel with that beastly set up.

This is just anecdotal, but when I received my replacement Pandora, I also received a replacement charger of the variety that has a figure-of-eight socket on one side for fitting a local plug. It's possible that they *may* not be using the Europlug-plus-localised-adapter setup that you mention, now, as I was sent that different charger even though I'd kept my original one.

Obviously, you may just want to check that with them.

 

[Mr B]

Do you have any reason for suggesting against it?

None other then the "keep it stupid simple" as indicated above.
B!

 

[WizardStan]

Do you have any reason for suggesting against it?

None other then the "keep it stupid simple" as indicated above.
B!

Oh, I see. You got me.

 

[typs lik dis]

I'd imagine that the pandora might be damaged by a loopback connection across the USB interfaces. Such a connection might be prone to interference and possibly feedback loops that could burn out the usb ports or even the power circuit.

 

[mosschops]

I do not have a Pandora yet - @ #1250.
I purchased one of these to use on it as a quasi-docking station:
http://www.directron.com/he2440.html?gsear=1

The question:
If I have an AC adapter plugged into this USB hub,
and I plug the hub into the Pandora's host port,
and then plug the Pandora into the hub as a device...

In theory the Pandora would charge (slowly) off of the USB hub as a device while sitting on the desk and plugged in twice this way. Right?

Now, the interesting part. Will the Pandora see itself as a device connected to itself and vanish in a puff of toroidal smoke?

i have one of these ( editmax usb hub/ethernet ) .

i also have a usb PSP charger that is split between a mini usb job plus a PSP style adaptor. it's similar to this ( usb splitter cable ).

when plugged in directly to usb the pandora charges.
when plugged into a power hub the pandora charger
both of them charge either the minu usb and via the psp style end.
it also of course stays connected to the net and easily shifts 2MB/sec