Diagram for reading light?

[Lacrymology]

I'm double posting this here and in the main forum because I don't know in which this would belong, sorry. Admins, feel free to close whichever thread seems less appropiate.

Does anyone know what's the specifications for making a reading light like the ones that the "official" covers come with (http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Lighted...p/B003DZ165W)? They seem to power through the same socket that the serial link is connected through, and there's some kind of.. hook? on the upper socket, whch I have no clue what it is for (ground, maybe?)

How does one get voltage out of that? what's the tension? I'm guessing it's just enough current to light a single small white LED.

[aditya3098]

What a coincidence I was going to post this tomorow. I just finished mine. Im a bit tired, maybe in 24 h. Its pretry late here in india.
The power is taken from the two contacts on the bottom center of the kindles back.

[geekmaster]

You did not say which model. The K5 and K4 have pads near the bottom. The pad above the USB jack is ground and the other one is "switched" battery voltage. You can turn the power on and off in diags. It also gets turned off in screensaver mode after a timeout.

On the K3, the top slot in the left side is power, and the bottom pins in the bottom slot in the left side turn ON the power to the top when they are connected together, and also serve as a power ground return path. The official K3 lighted cover does that, and there is an LED hack in the K3 Index and Hardware Index wikis (linked to the Master Index sticky thread in this forum).

When you post yours, please add it to all the Index wikis that it applies to (Hardware, and Kindle models). Thanks.

P.S. On the K4 and K5, you can connect to the accessory power pads with wires attached to small magnets, such as those you can "borrow" from the ends of a plastic rod from you kid's "Magnetix" toys: http://www.magnetixgalore.com/magnetix/ You cannot sell a magnetic power connector unless you pay royalties to Apple, who patented using magnets in a power connector. Apparently you can patent simple obvious ways to use magnets now. Some people even patented using white plastic on USB connectors. You can patent using colors like WHITE now?

[astmario]

If it is K3, then look at this DIY guide, it has everything you will need to make your version:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Kindle-3-DIY-Light/

[Lacrymology]

@geekmaster:
it's a K3, the K4 is the new cheap model, right? or is that the K Touch? if not, what on earth is the K5?
I don't have any children, but the good news is I've got my own magnetix I know this was not for my model, but it's good news.
Don't ever be surprised at what can or cannot be patented. I don't know if you're a programmer type, but there's actually a 1990s patent on a doubly linked list, the problem is whether they can enforce it or not. Something like a white USB connector probably cannot be enforced. The magnets thing probably yes since, at least on laptops, it's been, IMHO, one of Apple's finest notions, and they're not a company short of good ideas (and I'm pretty much an Apple hateboy). Just tell me how many of your notebooks died of a bad power jack before you were done with them? I have at least two of them lying around that cannot be used because of that.

@astmario:
thanks a bunch for the instructable! I'll read it through and come back after.

[geekmaster]

K5: K = Kindle, number = major firmware version.
6 = Fire
5 = Touch
4 = Mini (SO=$79USD)
3 = Keyboard
2 = K2, DX, and DXG
1 = K1

There is a patent on using a laser pointer as a cat toy too.

[Lacrymology]

OK, I'm getting off this thread because the other post (at the main forum) was, I think, more successful. This post has all I want, a very throughout walktrhough for the whole process, because I'm not much of an electronics guy, just yet (I've been meaning to learn for a long time, but I've had a hard time finding a good entry point, plus I need a hell of an initial investment in all of the tools), but I know enough to follow tutorials, and understand what's going on

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Lacrymology

OK, I'm getting off this thread because the other post (at the main forum) was, I think, more successful. This post has all I want, a very throughout walktrhough for the whole process, because I'm not much of an electronics guy, just yet (I've been meaning to learn for a long time, but I've had a hard time finding a good entry point, plus I need a hell of an initial investment in all of the tools), but I know enough to follow tutorials, and understand what's going on

Thanks for finding that. Now indexed.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Lacrymology

OK, I'm getting off this thread because the other post (at the main forum) was, I think, more successful. This post has all I want, a very thorough walkthrough for the whole process, because I'm not much of an electronics guy, just yet (I've been meaning to learn for a long time, but I've had a hard time finding a good entry point, plus I need a hell of an initial investment in all of the tools), but I know enough to follow tutorials, and understand what's going on

Cool. Right AFTER I bumped txoof's karma to 2600 (geekmaster noobie award for providing useful new content), I noticed that he had a photo with 2600 magazine displayed.