I'm trying to charge my reader via USB on Windows Server 2003. Sony's fabulous Connect Software won't run on anything but XP (or I suppose Vista) and I can't install it.

I have my Reader plugged in, all I want to do is have it charge while I'm working. The amber charge light doesn't come on at all.

I can't remember if the charge light comes on when I'm charging USB or if it's not actually charging. It does have the screen on saying "USB Connected", but no battery meter or anything.

Anyone know offhand?

Thanks :)

The battery won't charge if the Connect software isn't installed on your computer. It will show "USB connected", but it won't charge. Had the same problem when I was on holiday and thought to charge my Reader through USB on the laptop from my girlfriend.

I can't remember if the charge light comes on when I'm charging USB or if it's not actually charging. It does have the screen on saying "USB Connected", but no battery meter or anything.

Anyone know offhand?

Thanks :)

The charge light does show if it's charging via USB or not. As others have said, on a PC at least, it'll only charge via USB if you have the "Connect" software installed. Rather oddly, some have reported that the Reader does charge on a Mac without the software. Some difference between the USB ports of Macs and PCs, perhaps?

If it's any help, the PSP charger works fine on the Reader. You can pick these up very cheaply.

This is probably a driver issue which makes me believe that the reader indeed implements proper USB charging. Keep in mind that you cannot simply draw power from USB. The power is part of the bus protocol.

Keep in mind that you cannot simply draw power from USB. The power is part of the bus protocol.

That may be true in theory, but the world is full of devices which use USB purely as a power source. I have a USB-powered pencil sharpener :grin:.

Thanks for the help, it was indeed not charging. I *really* wish Sony's Connect software was a little better. It's not unfathomable that a developer like myself might want to install the software on Win Server 2003 - it's my daily work machine where I work.

Got home and charged off the wall to give it a good solid charge and I'm back to reading today :) Thanks for the tip!

(HarryT - it was a matter of just being stuck at work with a dead Reader, I use my PSP charger at home for regular charging, I think my Reader charger's still in the original box, hehe).

... I think my Reader charger's still in the original box, hehe).Well if you're not using it at home, you could take it to work. :wink:

Have you thought of installing VirtualPC on WinServer 2003, putting XP under that, and then installing CONNECT in XP?

Hmmm. That brings the phrase "Rube Goldberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machine)" to mind, for some reason. :smile:

Hmmm. That brings the phrase "Rube Goldberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg_machine)" to mind, for some reason. :smile:
Rube always took a too direct approach for my tastes, I like a more indirect kind of event. :D

I have seen some devices which plug into a car's cigarette lighter and provide power to a USB cable for charging devices capable of being charged via USB port.

Has anybody tried this sort of thing to see if the Sony Reader will charge with such a device? Naturally there isn't any PC involved, so the Connect software won't be present.

I'm wondering if purchasing such a thing would be worthwhile, or if it might be better to by a power inverter and just use the AC adapter to charge the Reader while in the car.

I have seen some devices which plug into a car's cigarette lighter and provide power to a USB cable for charging devices capable of being charged via USB port.

Has anybody tried this sort of thing to see if the Sony Reader will charge with such a device? Naturally there isn't any PC involved, so the Connect software won't be present.

I'm wondering if purchasing such a thing would be worthwhile, or if it might be better to by a power inverter and just use the AC adapter to charge the Reader while in the car.

No, car USB chargers won't work with the Reader. What will work, though, is the car charger for the Playstation Portable (PSP); the PSP uses the same charger as the Reader (5.2V DC) and PSP chargers, car adapters, etc, work fine on the Reader. To be honest, though, you need charge the Reader so infrequently (I charge mine once every couple of weeks, and read about an hour a day) that it's something of a non-issue.

I could swear I could get this thing to charge over usb when I bought it, but now it doesn't do anything unless I use the wall charger. When connect software is started, the charging led is red-- does that mean it is charging and connected or just connected? Otherwise, if the connect software is shut down, no light.

Did something change in the firmware or when switching to Vista?

I could swear I could get this thing to charge over usb when I bought it, but now it doesn't do anything unless I use the wall charger. When connect software is started, the charging led is red-- does that mean it is charging and connected or just connected? Otherwise, if the connect software is shut down, no light.

Did something change in the firmware or when switching to Vista?

When the light above the power switch is on, it's charging. If there's no light, it's not charging. It certainly SHOULD charge over USB but, as you've read here, the firmware update seems to have seriously messed up USB charging in particular. Hopefully it'll be fixed at the next update.

I also have an iGo "Juice" charger that takes power from the line, the car, or a plane seat outlet. While originally designed for laptops and cell phones, there is a tip that works for the Reader, the A54.

I tried to charge mine from the USB charger that I use with my Blackberry. No Joy.
I was able to charge from my Mac G4 Powerbook.

I was out in Denver recently and found a "multi-charger" there. It plugs into a USB on the computer and has an octopus of other connectors at the other end. There are PSP/eReader, mini-usb, iPod (also will sync), gameboy, and a few others. Very handy. Was something like $10. A very handy investment.

P

borrowed my niece's psp charger, worked fine

borrowed my niece's psp charger, worked fine
What is the power output shown on the PSP charger? I want to make 100% sure that it is the same as the Reader's charger.

It's not exactly the same, but ... well, let me put it this way: when we were at the Blogger's Day thing last September, they were using PSP chargers on some of the Sony Readers they had set up for that, so it would seem that the Sony Reader team believes they PSP chargers are 'close enough.' :shrug:

Would not close enough possibly cause some damage since it's not the same?

I have tried other USB connections for charging as well and they drain the Reader's battery rather than charging it. I have several small chargers that are designed to plug into a mini-USB connection to provide charging power. They do not work with the Reader.

If I had tools and parts here I would make a little breakout board to analyze what is happening. I suspect the Reader has a way of enabling the power connection from the USB port to its charging circuit. Why did Sony design the Reader this way? Maybe they are trying to protect the Reader's charging circuitry from non-compliant USB power supplies, though they are all supposed to be standard. Any thoughts?

Thanks to NatCh for the clarification (see next).

Would not close enough possibly cause some damage since it's not the same?I dunno what might happen with other chargers, but I think that the PSP one is fine, on the basis of the Sony team using them. :shrug:

I probably should point out (since this is nominally a USB charging thread, and there might be some confusion on the point) that the PSP charger won't charge via the USB port, but rather the DC in jack. It think the multi-charger that Plowman found is the only non-Sony USB charger that I've heard of working with the Reader.

I was out in Denver recently and found a "multi-charger" there. It plugs into a USB on the computer and has an octopus of other connectors at the other end. There are PSP/eReader, mini-usb, iPod (also will sync), gameboy, and a few others. Very handy. Was something like $10. A very handy investment.
Plowman, your charger sources power from USB, but does it plug into the Reader's mini-USB port to charge via USB as well?

I dunno what might happen with other chargers, but I think that the PSP one is fine, on the basis of the Sony team using them. :shrug:

I probably should point out (since this is nominally a USB charging thread, and there might be some confusion on the point) that the PSP charger won't charge via the USB port, but rather the DC in jack. It think the multi-charger that Plowman found is the only non-Sony USB charger that I've heard of working with the Reader.
I'll also point out that my Reader has charged successfully from the USB port of every Mac I've tried it with. Without installing any Sony software ('cause there isn't any! :angry: ).

I'll also point out that my Reader has charged successfully from the USB port of every Mac I've tried it with. Without installing any Sony software ('cause there isn't any! :angry: ).Yet on a PC the Sony driver must be installed for the USB charging to work.

The PSP charger I have seen is rated at 5.4 V which is within the range (limits) of the Sony Reader charger. I also use the iGo Juice charger which works from the wall outlet, the car adapter, and an airplane power connection.

I also use the iGo Juice charger which works from the wall outlet, the car adapter, and an airplane power connection.I'm gonna to have to get me one of those. (sigh)

I'm gonna to have to get me one of those. (sigh)The iGo iTip adapter I use for the Sony Reader is A54.

Is that the same one for the PSP, then? I was assuming I'd just look for that one. :wink:

Yet on a PC the Sony driver must be installed for the USB charging to work.

The PSP charger I have seen is rated at 5.4 V which is within the range (limits) of the Sony Reader charger. I also use the iGo Juice charger which works from the wall outlet, the car adapter, and an airplane power connection.

So the Reader accepts a MAC to charge its battery because it's not possible to install Connect on it. But if it is a PC it wants to see the Connect software in order to charge the battery. So who at Sony came with this brilliant idea? :vulcan:

It may just be that MacPuters standard USB port drivers are more agile than the PC counterparts. :shrug:

Is that the same one for the PSP, then? I was assuming I'd just look for that one. :wink:The A54 is 4.5 V @ 1.5 A. I just checked the iGo website and that is the only tip listed for the PSP.

Being from the Lone Star state as you are, I should mention that I did get the unit at Radio Shack (headquartered in Ft. Worth) that also stocks a wide selection of the iTips.

It has done wonders for easing my travel (and home) charging. Currently I have tips for my laptop, camera, my wife's camera, video camera, mp3 player, cell phone, and the Sony Reader.

We picked up iGo car chargers from the Rat Shack (as I fondly call it) for our Trēos and have been pleased with them so far. They cost the same as the 'official' chargers, and mean that they won't become useless should I change phone types at some future time. I had accumulated chargers from 3~4 generations of Nokia phones -- I was careful to get new ones that were compatible with the old chargers, so they stayed useful, and it was quite handy having 6 wall chargers and 3 car chargers, etc.

I'm looking at increasing my business travel starting this fall, so the notebook charger with the 'extra' tap for other things (like phones, Readers, etc.) sounds pretty attractive. The cost is enough (for a charger, even a fancy versatile one) to make me think about it a while before I jump (before I explain it to the wife, too), I suppose since I'm going to be using it mainly for business travel, I can probably deduct at least part of the cost as a business expense (I expect to acquire a fair amount of that along the way). :shrug:

We use the same name here too although sometimes the second word is .... (Well, you understand.) :D

Mine has a max output of 65 W and the new one that they just introduced have a max out of 75 W. They are also discontinuing all of the "B" series of iTips in favor of the "A" series. This means that there will not be support for some of the older discontinued devices that they have not issued replacement "A" tips for.

HP tc4400, Trēo 680, Sony Reader (masquerading as a PSP), I think all of those will probably be new enough to suit them and their snooty A series. :laugh4:

But all the same, I will check them each and all before I buy a charger. :wink:

The charger octopus I was talking about sources power from a USB host, and has multiple connectors for devices that you want to charge.

As for the power output of other chargers, here is what you want to look for:

1) Is the PS output AC or DC.
2) Is the polarity correct (Positive or Negative on the tip)
3) Is the voltage the correct, or within range (within half a volt will never matter)
4) Is the power output correct (too little is bad, overage doesn't matter at all)
5) Is the connector the correct size

If all of these things match up, you can use any PS you find (not just for the reader, for just about any device you can find). The power output (in watts) just needs to be high enough. Any overage just isn't used. You could use a 10,000 Watt PS if everything else was correct and it would work just fine. The device will just use what it needs. Think about your lightbulbs in the house. Common wattages are around 65 watts, but the socket plugs into a line that could potentially supply 22000+ watts (depending on breakers/fuses/etc). No problem.

P

Yet on a PC the Sony driver must be installed for the USB charging to work.

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd add that I successfully charged my PRS-505 via USB from my (plugged-in) laptop before installing the Sony software.

This thread is talking about the 500, not the 505. The 505 can be charged from any USB power source.

Adjusted the thread title to avoid confusion. :shrug: