Included with numerous smartphones or tablets based on Android you can find an accessory called an OTG cable, but many users cannot figure out what it is and how to use an OTG cable, as well as what additional capabilities it gives your device. In fact, it can be extremely useful, especially if you want to use your device in combination with additional equipment. It is necessary to understand why this adapter is useful and how it can be used.
So, what is an OTG USB cable - it is a special cable (adapter), at one end of which there is a full-type USB port, and at the other - a mini or micro USB. A full-fledged USB port is used to connect to peripheral devices, for example, a computer mouse, keyboard, flash drive and other devices. The second end is connected to a smartphone or tablet running Android OS. After connecting to all devices, a message appears on the display of the Android device stating that the peripheral equipment is ready for use (provided that you have connected everything correctly, and the tablet or smartphone supports working with the adapter at the software and hardware level). All devices connected to a mobile gadget receive power from it, except when they are connected directly to the electrical network.
If you have special devices, tools and skills, you can make an OTG cable with your own hands. The essence of this process is to close the last two contacts, which are contained inside the connector.
How to use OTG on a tablet or smartphone - there are quite a lot of possibilities for its operation, it is necessary to note the most common among them:
When you connect an external drive for storing data to the gadget, the message “Preparing a USB drive” appears on the device display. After the device is ready for use, you can view all the files stored on the drive or disk using a regular file manager. Remember to use the safe eject feature before disconnecting the drive. It provides an opportunity to avoid damage to files stored on the drive and other troubles (the same function is available on a desktop PC or laptop).
Using the mouse on an Android tablet is very simple: one click selects objects, two clicks launch programs and applications. A computer mouse greatly simplifies the control of a mobile gadget. If we talk about the keyboard, it provides the ability to quickly type text, thereby turning the tablet device into a kind of netbook. With an OTG cable, you don't have to look for alternative ways to connect all those peripherals. The same goes for webcams and other devices. Before connecting a printer to your device, be prepared for the fact that OTG USB cable technology is only available for the newest and most common equipment. In addition to the cable, you will need to download and install a special application from Google Play that will help you connect the printer and also simplify its operation. If all steps are completed correctly, you will be able to print photos or text documents directly from your phone.
To appreciate the fast file transfer using an adapter, imagine that you need to transfer data from a tablet to a flash drive (an ordinary USB flash drive). The traditional method involves transferring files from the gadget to the computer, and then from the computer to a flash drive. Thanks to OTG, you can quickly transfer from Android directly to a flash drive, it only takes a few minutes.
Watching videos, films, photos is much more convenient and enjoyable on a big screen, for example, a TV. If you have a modern TV model at your disposal, then you can organize a demonstration of media files from a tablet or smartphone on the TV screen, and connecting an OTG cable will help you with this. To do this, just connect these two devices using a cable. The TV in this case will play the role of a projector.
It is believed that any equipment that is equipped with a USB port can work with an OTG cable, but in reality the situation is a little more complicated. The easiest way is to connect an ordinary flash drive with a capacity of up to 32 GB to your Android device. It is more difficult to use a hard drive that will receive power from the device, since it lacks power. If the drive is powered from the mains, no problems will arise.
Also, difficulties do not arise when connecting the following devices:
Moreover, you can connect several peripheral devices to a smartphone or tablet at the same time, but to do this you will have to acquire a USB hub (splitter) equipped with several ports. The more equipment connected, the faster the battery drains.
Smartphones and tablets that support OTG, as a rule, belong to the mid-price segment or flagship devices. Many developers do not provide this feature to users to save on installing the appropriate software or to reduce battery consumption.
Now you know how to use a USB OTG cable, what it is intended for, and what difficulties may arise when trying to connect a particular device to your Android smartphone/tablet. This adapter can be a truly useful assistant in work, learning and entertainment. Even if OTG is not included in the package, but the gadget supports it, you can purchase a cable at any store.
The USB OTG cable is a rather interesting accessory that may be useful when used with your tablet or . What prospects does it open up for us and what opportunities will become available when using it? And what does “OTG” even mean? These questions are often asked by users who are hearing about this type of cable for the first time. Let's find out more about it.
How to use a USB OTG cable for your Android tablet or smartphone
In general, OTG is an abbreviation for On-The-Go, which means “on the go” in English. This is a technology that expands the functions and capabilities of USB 2.0. With its help, you can, flash cards, printers, keyboards, hard drives, cameras and other peripheral devices without connecting to the computer itself. The only condition is that your device must support this feature at the hardware and software level.
If you connect using the USB OTG standard, the capabilities of the master (current source) and slave (power consumer) gadgets are assigned based on whether it has a jumper between the fourth and fifth pins in the cable connector for connection.
There is also partial support for USB-host devices on Android (mainly smartphones), when your gadget can control the device without powering it. Then the auxiliary electronics are connected using an active USB hub, which has its own power supply system. How can you use such a miracle cable?
There are a huge number of ways to use a USB OTG cable. Let's look at the most popular of them.
But it happens that you don’t currently have such a cable, and you have neither the time nor the desire to look for the nearest mobile accessories store. Well, in this case, you can try to make such a cable yourself. Although this procedure is more intended for professional people.
Don’t rush to rejoice so quickly, because you still have to go to the supermarket or radio store to buy a whole list of different things!
First, use a sharp knife to open the microUSB connector. The meaning of the action is to carefully divide the connector sleeve longitudinally into two equal parts to gain access to its internal contents. But it happens that the connector body is held on by simple latches or even glue. Then you will not have problems with separation. But in the first case, you need to be extremely careful: you cannot destroy the outer sleeve of the connector, since it will be used in the future. You may also find white plastic inside protecting the necessary wires. In this case, you will need to cut through it.
Now you can move on to the next step. Having opened the connector contacts, you will find that their number is not four, but five. Basically the four pins are +5V power, two data wires D+ and D-, and ground. And the fifth wire, not connected to anything, is the mode switching input (sense). It must be connected to ground before connecting to the device in order for it to switch to OTG mode and detect the USB device connected to the interface. The image below shows the differences between regular cable and OTG.
So, to switch the gadget to OTG mode, you need to close the fourth and fifth contacts. If you want to connect them “to death”, you can solder them together or connect two wires to them (we take these wires out and connect them to a microswitch, with which you can perform I/O operations in OTG mode if necessary). Then on the opposite part of the cable it is necessary to solder Type A Female (second type) in parallel to Type A Male (the first type of connector). In addition to everything, you can build a small adapter with two Type A Female for its further connection to the opposite part of the cable. Having decided to connect the fourth and fifth contacts permanently, you need to replace the connector of the first type on the opposite side with the second so that it is suitable for connecting a USB device.
Not all old tablets support the function of connecting a flash drive or modem, but I will tell you how to outsmart them and connect a flash drive, modem, or even a hard drive to them.
Today I would like to present to your attention an OTG adapter.
First, I want to tell you what OTG is? This is a way to connect to your tablet or phone that supports the OTG function, printer, flash drive and even hard drive. This connection is also called USB-host.
You can also connect a keyboard or mouse to your gadget, if the gadget supports such a function.
And so, to create this miracle cable, we need:
Old USB extension cable
Micro USB connector (you can get it from a regular USB cable for your device)
Soldering iron and soldering accessories
And so, let's go, to make such a cable, we will need to connect the 4th pin to the 5th pin of the micro USB connector
We must get to the fourth pin and connect it with a jumper to the GND wire as shown in the picture
But that’s not all; to connect a hard drive to a phone or tablet, this adapter will not be enough for us. To connect devices whose consumption is more than 100mA, namely 100mA can be supplied by the port of your device, we will need to connect additional power to our OTG cable, which should be enough for your hard drive to work.
Here is a diagram of such an adapter
Now it's time to start collecting
We take an old USB extension cable and cut it not too far from the 2.0 connector, since the current is only 100mA, to avoid large losses. Cut approximately in the same place as shown in the photo
Afterwards we clean our wire
I connected pins 4 and 5 with a drop of solder.
Well, here is our entire cable assembled
All that remains is to check the functionality, take the tablet, insert the “adapter” and insert the flash drive into it, everything works, as the flashing LED on the flash drive and the tablet detecting the flash drive tell us.
Almost any manipulator is connected to a computer using a special USB cable, thereby turning into an information input device. This allows you to create an entire ecosystem of various devices, but what if you just need to connect a keyboard to a tablet or smartphone?
For this, there are otg cables, which in fact are just cleverly named adapters between micro-usb and usb. Allowing you to connect mice to the same smartphones and, using additional software and drivers, use them freely, without restrictions. Such a cable for connecting external manipulators costs from a couple of dollars to ten, depending on the manufacturer, the quality and number of devices connected at a time. And the main question of our average person: how to make such a device yourself, so as not to waste money? Fortunately, all you need is an old charger and an unnecessary connector, as well as pliers and electrical tape.
In fact, such a device does not have any complex microcircuits or adapters; all configuration of the controller occurs through the internal software of the tablet or phone, so it is just a cable with an input and output that can be made in 10 minutes. And yet, how to make an otg cable with your own hands if you only have an old smartphone charger? Why is it generally necessary to connect external manipulators to mobile devices, and how to deal with differences in the current strength of devices? And what do you need to know about otg before using it?
Before you pick up a soldering iron, you should understand why you need such a cable at all? After all, there are a lot of keyboards for the same tablet, specially created and designed for ease of use, not to mention gamepads and mice. Is this really an ordinary adapter for those who cannot afford such a “zoo” of information input devices? In fact, this is a much more universal device, because micro-usb is used in the same powerbank, and the phone or tablet itself with a sufficiently powerful battery becomes a separate device for recharging. So, you find yourself in a situation where the laptop is almost dead, but the phone is 100 percent, this is where otg support comes in handy.
Yes, a 2-4 thousand mAh battery will not last long. But if we are talking about urgently answering a letter or sending a project to the authorities, the time is already counting in seconds. In addition, the opposite situation is also possible, and with the help of such adapters you can always give part of the charge to a friend with a discharged smartphone. But before you start happily cutting off the nearest old charger, make sure you have a soldering iron and tin. In fact, the same OTG can be called a usb-c - micro-usb cable, which is simply necessary for owners of new equipment from Apple.
And now in front of you there is already a pinout and a heated soldering iron, but it remains to check the last point, is your device even capable of supporting such connections that allow you to transfer battery charge? Or connect third-party manipulators to it? This depends purely on the version of Android and partly on the modules built into the accessory, but to simplify your life, there are many testing programs that allow you to determine in a matter of minutes whether the phone is suitable for these purposes. As already mentioned, if this is not the case, try updating the firmware version and downloading drivers for the required accessory and you will be happy.
Those who didn’t miss labor lessons at school already have a rough idea of the necessary tools for creating a cable. We only need to cut off the input and output from different charges and connect them together using soldering and then electrical tape, so take:
There are several tricks that will allow you to do without a soldering iron, which every Soviet child knows about. It is enough to use any filament or thick enough copper wire and heat it separately, while insulating it from direct contact with the skin. But if you have never even held a soldering iron in your hands, it is better not to risk doing it yourself without the help of a specialist.
Do not forget that the device cools down for several minutes after use and try to prevent rosin and tin from getting on the table, especially if it is made of flammable materials. Try not to get burned; you can buy special protective gloves for this.
To begin with, the homemade cable should be cut according to the prepared pattern. Measure the required length and do not try to make it as long as possible, this may lead to inconvenience in use. Then strip the wire of insulation, do not remove too much, this way you will increase the stability of the connection and reduce the chance of “fractures” in the joint. And you shouldn’t waste a large amount of tin. The neater and more inconspicuous the connection, the greater the strength of the adapter and the speed of charge transfer, and when the current is measured at 1 A, there is no need for extra resistance.
Having soldered and made sure that the metal has frozen, rewind the exposed wire with electrical tape; again, a hundred layers will in no way affect the strength of the structure, so excessive fanaticism should be avoided here.
After installing all the necessary software and drivers on your phone, try the adapter; if it does not work, check the current using an ammeter. Is there current? Then the problem is directly in the smartphone, try testing your homemade product on another accessory or on a different firmware version!
