Usb Otg Adapters

[Prestidigitator]

I'm really glad I asked. I'll be happy to check out the wiki and see if I can get may answer. I'm still under the impression that in order to connect my USB 1.1 device I need a USB mini a male to USB female a. But all the adapters I find for sale are USB mini b to female!

 

[OrR]

I did some more research. I didn't find the original document which standardizes mini-A, mini-B and mini-AB at first because it's now out of date. I finally found it though. While in micro USB, a micro-A plug to standard-A receptacle is used to connect micro-AB to a mini-B or standard-B device (and optionally to a micro-B device as well, which can also be done with just one micro-A to micro-B cable) the situation in mini USB is quite different. Here, no adapter is used. Instead there are both mini-A to mini-B and mini-A to standard-B cables. Obviously, a mini-A to micro-B option was never standardized, as the mini connectors were directly replaced with the micro ones. Still, this is a connection you might have to make in reality, so you have to get creative with non-standard cables and adapters here. Is a standard-B receptacle to micro-B plug adapter more common than a mini-A plug to standard-A receptacle adapter? I somehow doubt it...

What the fuck, I hate this shit! Using a micro-AB connector as the present day standardization suggests would have made all this stuff much easier...

Need to edit the wiki accordingly but I better double check I got all this stuff really figured out before I do that...

 

[gruso]

I can't even try to follow that. It's not your writing, it's just the million micro-variations of the USB standard. <_<

I think we need to keep the wiki page as simple as possible, and avoid delving too deep into USB standards. For Pandora's purposes, people just want to know what they can plug in. And we want the answer to be simple - an OTG adapter, a USB hub, or just plug it straight in.

For more detailed info we can link to Wikipedia's USB page, which some other poor fool has to maintain.

 

[OrR]

Yeah, I don't want to make it complicated, but it has to be correct... Wikipedia's USB page is somewhat useless IMO. Looking it up directly in the standard is easier, at least for me.

I found the non-standard adapter I was looking for:
CODE
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-A-Female-to-Mini-USB-5-Pin-Male-Adapter-Converter_W0QQitemZ270360561308

This probably solves most connection problems you can run into when using the mini-AB as host.
Oh god, so many useless crap adapters around with no use case... Also, pretty much everything is mislabeled.

Edit: My mistake. The above linked adapter is actually a (former) standard part! The other adapter formerly allowed by the 1.0 OTG spec is the IMO completely useless mini-A receptacle to standard-A plug. Fun trivia: This is the only legal situation for a mini-A receptacle. What the fuck.

Edit2: Turns out the above adapter is only almost completely useless. It was designed because there can be devices with a mini-A plug on a captive cable. You need the adapter to connect these to a full size standard port. I now understand why they got rid of mini USB so quickly.

 

[OrR]

CODE
http://pandorawiki.org/USB_reference#OTG_host_mode

Does anyone else understand what I'm saying there?

Edit: Turns out they allow micro-A plugs on devices. Oh god, why??? :wacko: As far as I can tell, no standardized solution to connect those things to a standard-A port or a mini-AB port exists. :blink:

 

[gruso]

Thank god for the pictures.

 

[OrR]

Yes. However, the OTG host picture is very incomplete... No idea how to easily improve that, though, as it would probably become a mess. I can't even find a good picture of a mini-A connector, much less a standard-A to micro-B cable plugged into a mini-A plug to standard-A receptacle adapter. I really need to order all those standardized cables and adapters as there seems to be no good picture collection anywhere.

 

[marshal]

CODE
http://pandorawiki.org/USB_reference#OTG_host_mode

Does anyone else understand what I'm saying there?

Edit: Turns out they allow micro-A plugs on devices. Oh god, why??? :wacko: As far as I can tell, no standardized solution to connect those things to a standard-A port or a mini-AB port exists. :blink:

I personally found the wiki page pretty understandable. It isn't exactly easy reading but then again the USB standard just are a mess when it comes to portable device, USB OTG...

The only improvement I could think of would be to put a picture with the different type of USB connectors... and that's would be more of the icing on the cake that anything else

I would suggest to the Pandora team or the shops that the sell the Pandora to sell some OTG usb cable adapter and eventually a small USB hub. Even if the wiki page is ok, I still think some ppl won't be reading it all or will have difficulties finding the right USB adapter...

 

[Awakening]

I still need the cable to charge the Pandora through USB, it would also be a lot more practical with a cable then a card reader. If I could also use it for Internet (and to access shared files too) it would be very useful.

An Ethernet adapter would be nice.

Please tell me that you are not looking for a USB ethernet adaptor that also provides 5V and enough amps (from your router through the ethernet connection) to charge the pandora?

If that is what you are asking, then no, no, and no. You will not find such a device.


No, you should have read through my previous posts.

 

[gruso]

IMO, all most people need to know is how to turn the little port into a big one. To do this, they need one of these:
CODE
www.amazon.co.uk/OTG-Cable-Adapter-plug-Socket/dp/B000EORX7U

Or one of these:
CODE
http://shop.ebay.com.au/items/?_nkw=usb+otg+host+cable&_sacat=0&_fromfsb=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=usb+otg+host&_osacat=0


Once they have one of these, the type of cable they then use to connect their device is academic.

That said, I'm not against having more detail in the wiki, it is a wiki after all. But having followed all the USB confusion over the last few months, I'm confident that my diagrams answer 99% of questions. So my work is done.

 

[OrR]

The second one has a mini-B plug though, which isn't really what you want and not standard compliant...
It would really be good to have some confirmed working adapters and cables for sale at the official stores.

Anyway, the next thing I did was trying to make the USB compatibility list future proof. Take a look at it and add any improvements you have. It will be easier to fix the columns and formatting now rather than later.
CODE
http://pandorawiki.org/USB_compatibility_list

 

[gruso]

The table looks good. Looking forward to seeing that list get bigger though! Once my Pandora arrives I'll be madly plugging in every USB trinket I can find, in the name of science.

 

[Awakening]

I got one of these: http://console.se/dator/handkontroller/pcdubbelbox2.html

It's a Dragon PC DOUBLE POWER BOX 2, takes 2 PSX/PS2 controllers and converts them to USB. It comes with drivers but I've read about people using generic Windows drivers. What's the chances of something like that working on the Pandora? Is there some generic driver for USB controllers installed already that might work?

 

[Tom`]

I got one of these: http://console.se/dator/handkontroller/pcdubbelbox2.html

It's a Dragon PC DOUBLE POWER BOX 2, takes 2 PSX/PS2 controllers and converts them to USB. It comes with drivers but I've read about people using generic Windows drivers. What's the chances of something like that working on the Pandora? Is there some generic driver for USB controllers installed already that might work?

If there are generic Windows drivers, there are almost certainly generic Linux drivers.

It probably just uses the standard joypad drivers.

 

[BackAssward]

No, you should have read through my previous posts.

You make a post that can easily be interpreted as I did, and I am at fault for not reading all your previous posts before I respond to make sure what you wrote means what it looks like it means? Nice logic.

 

[Awakening]

I got one of these: http://console.se/dator/handkontroller/pcdubbelbox2.html

It's a Dragon PC DOUBLE POWER BOX 2, takes 2 PSX/PS2 controllers and converts them to USB. It comes with drivers but I've read about people using generic Windows drivers. What's the chances of something like that working on the Pandora? Is there some generic driver for USB controllers installed already that might work?

If there are generic Windows drivers, there are almost certainly generic Linux drivers.

It probably just uses the standard joypad drivers.


As I've never used any Linux before, I have no clue what's usually available. I hope it runs with whatever comes as standard. Although I wont be using them much it is a really good option for 2 player games. Have used it for Rock n Roll Racing and some solo games.

You make a post that can easily be interpreted as I did, and I am at fault for not reading all your previous posts before I respond to make sure what you wrote means what it looks like it means? Nice logic.

I'm expecting that people who answer directly to a post in a thread have actually read the thread. Especially if you think I'm asking something weird you shouldn't be looking at a single post out of context.

 

[DasFool]

Would something like this work?

CODE
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=250387949871

 

[gruso]

It's a purpose built OTG adapter, so it should work. But there's no way of knowing until we have Pandora. The one I've got is a cheap ebay job from Hong Kong as well.

 

[BackAssward]

You make a post that can easily be interpreted as I did, and I am at fault for not reading all your previous posts before I respond to make sure what you wrote means what it looks like it means? Nice logic.

I'm expecting that people who answer directly to a post in a thread have actually read the thread. Especially if you think I'm asking something weird you shouldn't be looking at a single post out of context.

Having read a thread (one that spans a time frame) and having memorized every post by every person, are two completely different things. You propose the former as your defense while truly demanding the latter, as something someone would do (or should do, which is a joke).

As for weird posts, they are the norm here (posts with unreasonable expectations are abundant), no reason your weird post should get special treatment. You can stop now with the intellectually dishonest justifications.

 

[Awakening]

Having read a thread (one that spans a time frame) and having memorized every post by every person, are two completely different things. You propose the former as your defense while truly demanding the latter, as something someone would do (or should do, which is a joke).

As for weird posts, they are the norm here (posts with unreasonable expectations are abundant), no reason your weird post should get special treatment. You can stop now with the intellectually dishonest justifications.

I'm stopping because no one wants to read our off topic discussion.