[GUIDE] PSA: short the data pins to charge your T100 fast with *ANY* USB cable.

[mondotone]

hmm.. that explains why my t100's don't charge very quickly unless i use the original asus charger (tried various power adapter from 1amp - 3amps). but for the cable i'd use the monoprice 28/24 gauge micro usb cable. heavier gauge for charging. the ferrite core makes the cable a lot larger but it performs very well. replaced all my micro usb cables with these in various sizes. i use the 15' for my t100's.

if i can make an adapter cheaply then i'll make one but otherwise i'll do what i'm currently doing. i bought a spare asus power adapter.

[N00dle]

Yeah, the cable is limiting. Read more here.

The weird part is, my laptop is now even decharging while plugged in. What's up with that? According to BatteryInfoView it should be charging at 4v/1.5W... But isnt it supposed to be 5v?

[mscoffman]

This is my second ASUS AT100T Transformer laptop.

Problem of slow charging with standard replacement
USB to micro USB cable.

I use my laptop *every* day and I found the ASUS supplied
OEM 1' Micro USB power cable connecter started going out
rapidly after six month of careful useage. I also noticed
that the OEM power supply was not always able to support
the computer when the laptop was in use. After I put the
replacement cables on order my OEM power supply died
too.

I now havenfound the following works really well with my AT100T;

(1) Mail ordered from Amazon;
Easy Access Micro USB 2.0 Cable 5 Pack Charging Cables
Shorted Data Pins - has no data transfer capabilities.

(2) Purchased at CVS Pharmacy Store;
Power XCEL Dual USB 2.1Amp Rapid Charger with dual
outputs and blue indicator led. Use with a standard
lamp type extension cord set.

Now my computer stays at 99% charge when the charger
is plugged in and the laptop is in use. It also charges
surprizingly rapidly when the laptop is not in use.

---

Also a standard Samsung cell phone .7A charger that has
a hard wired micro usb connector will work much like the
original ASUS OEM charger, which could be used in a pinch.

[janner43]

Welcome to the forum mscoffman

I appreciate why you did it, however, cross posting is against forum rules. All the other multiple copies of this post have been deleted.

[cleanair]

Hi folks,
......

What I read from the picture:

Asus is BAD - they've added a resistor shorting the 4th and 5th PIN of the connector(ID -> GND) with a 30C SMD resistor (20kOhm). This resistor is what makes the charger unique so we wouldn't try buying a non-genuine charger.

What does everyone think? Is this what makes the T100 charger unique, or is this resistor shorting the ID and GND pins simply just a standard thing to do on any cable that has OTG functionality? Does the following shed light on this? https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/a...ex.mvp/id/1822

[Ventricle]

No this isn't a standard, it's a way to make a charger unique without violating the EU regulations for universal cables.
Asus has this kind of practice not only in this charger, but for other devices too unfortunately.

[cleanair]

Ah ok, thanks for enlightening me on this. So now knowing that, how would that help us in finding an appropriate aftermarket charger/cable that will charge the T100 just as fast as the OEM charger/cable? And if an alternate cable does not have that resistor or any resistor between the ID and GND pins, would using such a cable cause any addtional wear or damage to the T100's battery?

[Ventricle]

No damage will be done with any other cable.

PWR-plus chargers will work with T100. I have one with 2 microusb cables and I can charge both of my T100 at once
One of the cable ends is ruined so I'll tear it down tommorow to check if it has the resistor. It might not have it though - I've heard that surprisingly, a thick cable should be enough.

I'll elaborate on that tomorrow or later.

[cleanair]

And sorry, just to understand this better, is it just the OEM cable itself that is rendered unique by the presence of that resistor? Or is there also something unique in the OEM power adapter that is related to that resistor? Thanks!

[cleanair]

No damage will be done with any other cable.

PWR-plus chargers will work with T100. I have one with 2 microusb cables and I can charge both of my T100 at once
One of the cable ends is ruined so I'll tear it down tommorow to check if it has the resistor. It might not have it though - I've heard that surprisingly, a thick cable should be enough.

I'll elaborate on that tomorrow or later.

Awesome! I look forward to hearing the results of your tear-down. Thanks again for all your help in understanding this stuff.