Sleep-and-Charge via USB- R Series

Anyone able to get it to work?

I've got it configured it correctly in the BIOS and the latest Samsung installed for it but it still won't work. And I am using the correct USB port too! Called their Support Dept and talked to Tier 1 and 2 but nothing more provided to get it work properly. Tried Sleep, Hibernate, and OFF modes without solution.

I have the R580 model but I am thinking the function is the same on other R models and may be others.

 

1. What are you trying to charge? Does it charge when the computer is operating?

2. On my Dell E6400 I have to remove and reconnect any device I want to charge after turning the computer off. I assume that this is to signal to the computer that I want to charge something and it's not just some device I have left plugged in. Did you try this?

John

 

1) I have tried the Palm TX and my video Ipod. Both charge properly when the computer is operating

2) I have already tried this. Good suggestion as I thought of doing that too!

Don't know what more to try.

 

Well good news!

I reinstalled the driver and tried again. Still didn't appear that it was doing anything.

Then for kicks-and-giggles, I let it charge up my Palm overnight and it was 100% this morning!

Conclusion: It is a low-level mA trickle charge USB port. And the only indication that the device is charging is by the percentage value on the device which as a result could test your patience if you watched it move!

 

Thanks for the update.

It's surprising that the connected devices don't show that they are being charged but perhaps that is because the current is so low.

John

 

Yes. It is surprising. You'd think Samsung's Tier 2 support line could have gotten that info and told me. They couldn't provide me any more info that their Tier 1 support line. I won't speculate why. I am just glad to know it is doing a charge! Case closed!

 

I just read a review from The Register out of the UK on the R580 and they couldn't get the port to charge (either - on a regular type of device...my Palm TX seemed to charge okay)!

 

I just tried the Sleep-and-Charge on my R590 and it works fine, even with my notebook turned completely off, you do realise that there is only one sleep and charge usb port, it`s the one next to the headphone/microphone sockets, it has an little lightning bolt icon next to it.

 

I wish I HAD been using the wrong USB port! Last night I tried charging my iPod and nadda! Really bummed!

 

Does your ipod charge when the R580 is running, if so the ipod might need to communicate with the notebook before it will charge, when in sleep or shutdown the usb port will supply power but their will be no communication so no charging.

see the link below, it shows that apple ipod/iphone only work with apple branded chargers.

Build your own iPhone/iPod charger | ZDNet

 

Yes. The iPod charges when the R580 is running. As soon as I go into sleep or hibernate or shutoff mode, there is no charge. You can see I've checked everything and talked to Tier 1 and 2 support at Samsung without resolve. I think this is what The Register UK ran into too. Here is the link: Samsung R580 15.6in notebook ? reghardware

 

I haven't tried this with my R780, but with an older ASUS I did notice it. The sleep-charge USB port on that would charge my phone (when I say phone I mean phone - no camera, no web access, just talk to other people) when it was of. But, it only charged my wife's iPod Touch when the laptop was on. From memory, my 1st generation iPod Nano behaved the same as the phone. I assumed it meant the iPod Touch needed to talk to something on the computer, but it charges OK from a non-Apple AC adapter. The only thing I could think of was that in sleep mode the USB socket put out less power than when the laptop was on. But to me that doesn't make sense.

 

Sometimes the feature requires that you turn it on in the BIOS... just a thought. I know I had to enable it on my Latitude.

 

Yes. See first post of this thread.

 

LOL. That's what I get for just reading the 2nd page and replying. Sorry...LOL. Disregard that last post of mine.

 

That's okay...mistakes happen.

 

Okay...I spent some time with this function last night. Tried all possible settings with the BIOS and Sleep/Hibernate/Off Modes. With a USB hub that has a led light, it is clear the Sleep-and -Charge USB port is alive and well!! Unfortunately, like I mentioned in an earlier post on this same thread, you cannot tell in any way that it is charging! Only time tells! I charged up the Palm TX again. I left it charge for about 8 hrs with no power cord connected. It went from 16% to 92%. Pretty slow charge rate since if it was on regular power, it would go to 100% in about 45 minutes max! Maybe I'll try the iPod next week when the power goes down to a low level (yes...it takes that long to go down even after using it for about 5-6 hrs!).

 

Apple products use special charging chipsets. When charging from a wall-wart, iPods and iPhone's will draw 1.5A and 900MA for a faster charge. On a USB 2.0 port they default to 500MA at 4.5V. USB specifies "load points" in it's spec. A load point is 100MA for USB 2.0 and there are a maximum of 5 load points per port. For devices to charge they're going to take all the load points for a specific port, and max it out at 500MA. In Sleep-n-Charge mode the port is in the default low-power mode, and there are no active drivers for the device to communicate that it needs to switch the port to high-power mode (low power = 100-200MA depending on the manufacturer). When the computer is awake, the device is identified by the OS and is provided power requirements as per the drivers requests. An example of that is any iPod or iPhone... when you initially plug the device in, it will not indicate it's charging until the host OS has properly identified it, and installed it's driver. Obviously the TX doesn't have as sophisticated a charging system as most modern devices, as it can take a trickle charge with less that 500MA supplied.

 

Well you certainly did your homework! Thanks for the detailed feedback!

 

No probs I remember having that same issue with my e6400, so I read the USB 2.0 Spec sheet up and down like 4 times... kid you not... just trying to understand the stuff..LOL. And after going back and reading the WHOLE thread this time, haha, I thought I'd throw that out there.

 

The Palm TX complies with the USB 1.0 spec and probably could care less if a driver is installed or not. It certainly isn't compatible with Windows 7 and I didn't even attempt to load the software for it. I was hoping for more out of this port so it would charge my iPod Classic and maybe even keep my cocoa warm! Yes, you read that right...I have a USB port for my mug!