Possible Portable Battery Solution

JanuaryGo

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May 10, 2011
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Hey guys, I have an idea I want to throw out to you all. I'm looking for a portable battery solution so that I can charge my Xoom while I'm away from AC power for extended periods of time. I've seen other threads on this topic where people ask "why would you need this" or "where are you going to be where there's no power?" Well, I'm considering this for travel where I'd be using my Xoom for watching movies and playing games while on long flights where it may be impossible or impractical to try and charge the tablet during lay-overs.

Anyway, I know the USB port on the Xoom doesn't allow for charging. I'm also aware that the proprietary charging port requires a 12v 1.5a input for power. Nearly every portable battery I've looked at uses the 5v standard, which will not charge the Xoom even if I modify the cable to match the port on the tablet.

However, I found a website that suggests that the connector on the end of the standard Xoom charging cable is the same as the standard Nokia cable.

Motorola XOOM goes Rogue on Charging | Voltaic Systems – Solar DIY and Device Charging

If this is true, then I should be looking for a 12v battery solution with an adapter for a Nokia phone. I've found one such battery on eBay:

Chargeblock 8200mAh Battery Pack For Ipad, Xoom, Droid | eBay

The listing suggests that the battery is compatible with the Xoom, referencing the USB charging capability of the device, which we all know is false. However, this kit can supply 12v @ 2a and it has an adapter for the standard Nokia connection. So, maybe this could work?

My main concern is that the 2a output of the battery is higher than the rated 1.5a input required by the Xoom. I'm not an very savvy when it comes to electrical engineering so I figured I'd pose this to the community and get the feedback from people who actually know something about this stuff. Thoughts?
 

Maikai.Guy

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Jan 15, 2011
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Electrical Engineer here. ;-)

The easiest way to build what you're talking about is to purchase a car charger for your XOOM. Then hook up the rechargeable 12V battery to a 12V "cigarette" receptical. The car charger will handle all the voltage, current limiting and safety issues for you.

If you were industrious, you could ask for a free sample of a buck converter demo/dev board from National Semi, Linear Tech, or some other IC vendor. They'd probably immediately see you are not a designer and deny you, but it's worth the question. Their data sheets will tell you which components you'll need to change out to get the voltage and current you want. Hook up the batter to it on one side, the connector on the other. You're in business.

If you have to buy the demo board, it's not worth going that route. It will be about as expensive as a Mot XOOM car charger.
 

JanuaryGo

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May 10, 2011
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Electrical Engineer here. ;-)

The easiest way to build what you're talking about is to purchase a car charger for your XOOM. Then hook up the rechargeable 12V battery to a 12V "cigarette" receptical. The car charger will handle all the voltage, current limiting and safety issues for you.

If you were industrious, you could ask for a free sample of a buck converter demo/dev board from National Semi, Linear Tech, or some other IC vendor. They'd probably immediately see you are not a designer and deny you, but it's worth the question. Their data sheets will tell you which components you'll need to change out to get the voltage and current you want. Hook up the batter to it on one side, the connector on the other. You're in business.

If you have to buy the demo board, it's not worth going that route. It will be about as expensive as a Mot XOOM car charger.
Aaah! Cool idea. Thanks for the tip. I think I'll go down that path and see where it leads me! :D
 

slwerner

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Mar 2, 2011
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Perhaps you're looking for something like this?

5200mAh USB Portable Power/Battery/Adapter for Mobile Phone/MP3/iPhone/PDA/Digital Cam etc - Electronic Devices Battery Pack products, buy 5200mAh USB Portable Power/Battery/Adapter for Mobile Phone/MP3/iPhone/PDA/Digital Cam etc - Electronic Devices
397366252_652.jpg
 

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