Fast charging: what you need to know about cables and smartphones. Get charged: testing car chargers with additional functions Charger 2 amps micro usb

Greetings.

Lately, I've been addicted to power supplies. Last but not least thanks to the chic reviews from kirich and other enthusiastic comrades, for which I am very grateful to them.

Eh, the woman didn’t have a pig and there were no problems either.
But times are changing, everyone gets a beast with an immeasurable appetite and therefore with a powerful battery.
Which needs to be fed.

And how to feed for cheap?
In other words, is it necessary to pay for a brand with a charged price tag?
Or for counterfeiting this brand on Aliexpress.

Let's look at the example of this widespread 3-amp Chinese folk charger, which can be disassembled, studied and purchased if desired.

We lived quietly and poorly.
We were content with charging for 1 Ampere and everything was all right.
But the nasty Chinese began to increase the battery capacity for 3000 mAh in smartphones and for 8000 mAh in tablets.
And in order to charge such a monster quickly overnight, at least, you need a charger that delivers a current of 2 Amperes stably. We do not consider the Quick Charge option - this is the lot of brands.

And this means that we take a Chinese charger for 3 Amperes.
And we divide by 1.5. You never know what is written on the fence.

And "as one said - trust but verify" (MS Gorbachev).

We will consider the popular Chinese charger for 3 Amperes, which has been produced for many years. The first charge from this manufacturer came to me with a tablet in 2012 and is still alive today.
Therefore, for the new Cube i6 tablet, in which the attached charges burn out and a 8000 mAh battery is installed, the question of choice was not long.

Specifications:

Model Number: ANU-0503
Input: 100-240V 50/60Hz
Output: 5V 3000mA, USB female.

Any certificates are honestly not specified.
It is correct, as tests will show - the level of ripple at the output at the peak is 700 mV, and according to Chinese standards (as I understood from Chinese) - 200 mV is the maximum.

And what's nice is the EU plug.
All the same, adapters sin with poor contact.

Charging is large enough, so the case heats up moderately.
Good quality plastic.

The most pleasant feature - the case is collapsible, on two latches and one screw.
To study / upgrade the insides, the use of a chisel and a hammer is not required.

We disassemble.

Inside we find a neatly assembled board.

The soldering is of high quality, the flux is washed off.
The manufacturer is not specified, but judging by the quality of workmanship and sales volumes, this is a large factory.

There is no inlet filter, there is no place for it.

According to the designations, electrolytes are quite decent -40 ... + 105 C.
A 22 uF 400 V capacitor is installed at the input, two 470 uF 25 V capacitors are installed at the output.

The control chip is ChipRail CR 5228 for 5-18 W, which operates at a frequency of 50 kHz and has overheat protection.

Description in Chinese:

It is paired with an Orient 817C optocoupler and a TL 431 adjustable precision zener diode.

The board has a JNC JN222M 2.2nF 400V ceramic capacitor and a 2.2nF 1000V 3A222J film capacitor.

There are no questions about the designations of the applied element base.
If they correspond to reality.

Let's look at a 3-amp charger from 2012, from the same manufacturer.

The element base is the same, the arrangement of elements has changed, the scheme has changed a little. Judging by the smell of burning fume, the elements heat up decently during operation.

The output voltage of the charger is increased to 5.3 V. It is correct.

First, there is a problem with the USB cable.
Nobody had ever thought of transmitting a current of 1.8 amperes via a USB cable before, all normal devices had their own separate power socket.
Yes, and copper conductors in the cable - this is now a rarity.

Therefore, you need to specifically buy the right short cable with conductors 20-22-24 AWG thick for the power circuit (price from $ 1.5).
For example, decent power supplies from 2 amps (original Phihong, MeanWell) are equipped with a cable with real (not Chinese) 16-18 AWG.

And secondly, this particular Cube, being in the Windows state, eats 2.2 amperes on a charge. But only if the input voltage is high. The lower the voltage, the less current it takes.
This fact was established personally, by feeding from a high-quality Mean Well RS25-5 power supply with output voltage regulation.

And 1.7 Amperes on Android.

We check the charging on a 3.9 Ohm 10 W resistor.

A small test of several chargers and cables.

In the first part, we will test a USB tester in the laboratory - a cheap device for checking current, voltage (at the input) and evaluating the battery charge. Then we will test several chargers in the laboratory - 3-amp, branded from the Chinese premium brand IUNI and under the Russian brand Ritmix.

Testing will be on a powerful resistor from the good old days, with which we set the charging current.
Then look at the oscilloscope for debris at the output of the charges.

In the second part, we will test on a Chinese 10W resistor the charge that was applied to the Cube and several USB-microUSB cables, let's see how the voltage drops on the cables.

In the third part, we will connect a smartphone and tablet and see how the charges behave. You will learn a lot of interesting things, because the charge controller adjusts to the charging voltage. At the same time, let's look at programs like Battery Care and Ampere - measuring battery current.

Charging holds voltage up to 2.5 amperes.
Judging by the oscilloscope readings, the output voltage ripple reaches 700 mV.

I'm not sure that it makes sense to increase the capacitance of the output capacitors, in a 5-amp Mean Well they are also 470. But you can try to put Lower ESR solid-state and tantalum on the output.

Conclusions.

Can be dismantled (modernized/repaired)
+ factory workmanship
+ delivers current up to 2.5 amps
+ practically does not heat up
+ does not require constant supervision
+ price

High output ripple
- not all charging controllers (tablets) will adjust to the maximum charge current (reason above)

Popular Chinese online shopping sites offer a huge selection of USB devices for charging gadgets in the car. Some time ago, "Wheels" was carried out, trying to understand whether it is possible to get nickels for the notorious penny?

It turned out that it was impossible: contrary to the powerful charging current of two or three or more amperes declared on the case, none of the penny chargers could provide even one ampere. This time we decided to turn to a range of chargers with a number of additional features, and we are testing three devices that seemed to us the most interesting.

Device #1

Cost - 182 rubles

Structurally - the simplest adapter in the cigarette lighter socket. It has two USB sockets, promises a current of 3.1 amperes, plus it has a built-in voltmeter, ammeter and even a thermometer! As long as the USB cable is not inserted into the charger, the display alternately shows the voltage of the on-board network, then the ambient temperature. When the USB consumer is connected - its current in amperes.

Device #2

Cost - 317 rubles

Structurally, it is also an adapter for the cigarette lighter socket, but with an adjustable “leg” bend. For two USB sockets, a current of as much as 3.4 amperes is promised. The display always shows only the voltage of the on-board network, the current consumption via USB does not show, there is no thermometer. But on the other hand, there is an audible alarm for an emergency voltage drop in the on-board network!

Device #3

Cost - 575 rubles

Structurally - a glass installed in a regular salon cup holder and connected to the cigarette lighter socket with a short cord. It has two 3.1 amp USB sockets, a splitter for two cigarette lighter sockets, and two buttons that turn off the cigarette lighter sockets without pulling the plugs out of the sockets. When the charger is not plugged in, the display alternates between on-board power and USB output voltage. When the USB consumer is connected - its current in amperes.

Operation of additional functions

All three devices can work as a voltmeter. This is a useful feature, since on most modern machines a digital or even a pointer voltmeter is a rarity. In the event of serious problems in the car's electrical network, of course, the signal lamp will light up, but a full-fledged voltmeter will allow you to track, for example, an unpleasant trend of undercharging the battery due to low voltage at idle in traffic jams with powerful consumers turned on, and the start of failure of the brush -regulatory unit in the generator will also help to notice.

How accurate are the voltmeters in our chargers? We connect them to a current source along with a control voltmeter. At 13 volts at the input, the first device gave a decent error of 0.4 volts, the second - an insignificant 0.1 volts, and only the third was flawless.

Not all gadgets have sound control over the voltage drop in the on-board network, only the second device from our samples has such a talent. When the voltage drops to 11.5 volts, it starts to emit a loud intermittent squeak - very convenient, because you can’t always follow the display! Plus, the red inscription “LOW” lights up on the screen.

The ability to measure the temperature of the air in the passenger compartment of the car was present in only one device out of three. Oddly enough, in the cheapest and frailest - No. 1. The function is only partially functional: the temperature readings are correct as long as the device is not used as a charger. As soon as it starts to heat up from charging the phone's battery, the built-in temperature sensor starts to perceive the temperature of the charger case, and not the temperature in the car.

Charger No. 3 is interesting in that it is the only one of all three that shows not only the voltage of the onboard network, but also the voltage of the USB output. This information is useful: by the voltage drop on the 5-volt output, you can track the overload of the charger. If it gives out under load from 4.8 to 5 volts, then charging is in progress. If the voltage dipped below these limits, this means that the charger is not coping - the phone will charge for a very long time, and the device itself will overheat with the risk of failure!

In addition, the same device is also a cigarette lighter splitter, which is useful when you need to turn on several consumers, some of which are powered by USB, and some by 12 volts (for example, a DVR and heated seats). Each of the two sockets of the splitter is turned on with its own button to turn off consumers without pulling out their plugs.

Work as a charger

Well, now, in fact, the most important thing: let's find out how our subjects perform the main task of charging a mobile device! Let's connect a voltmeter, an ammeter and a load to them and see what the maximum output current they will give out until the voltage of 5 volts begins to sag dangerously. And compare the result with the current that is promised.

To begin with, we will load the chargers with a 5 ohm resistor, which should provide an output current of 1 ampere:

Device #1

The voltage dropped to 4.7 volts. The indicator of the device, by the way, is lying: it showed a current of 1.33 amperes, although the external ammeter did not agree: the real current is 0.94 amperes! Very mediocre, but, in principle, workable.

Device #2

The voltage dropped to 4.8 volts. The device indicator cannot show current, but an external ammeter shows 0.99 amperes. Against the background of the promised 3.4 amperes, it is clearly rather weak ... In general, it is tolerable, you can use it.

Device #3

The voltage dropped to 4.9 volts. The indicator of the device at the same time shows a current of 1 ampere, and an external ammeter also shows 1 ampere. So far, everything is fair, but the test, I must say, is childish ...

Recall that all devices have a charging current above 3 amperes ... There is not much optimism, as in any test of Chinese auto gadgets, so let's try to squeeze at least two amperes out of them, now loading a 2.5 Ohm resistor:

Device #1

The current is 1.65 amps in the load, and the voltage has dipped to an unacceptable 4 volts. Obviously, 1 amp is the limit for this charger (although it is promised, remember, 3.1 amps!). Weak, but you can use it - for example, for smartphones with a small battery capacity or for a DVR. At the same time, hardly...

Device #2

At 1.8 amperes at the load, the voltage dipped to 4.5 volts. Obviously, 1.5 amps is a reasonable limit for this charger (although it was promised, remember, 3.4 amps!)

Suitable for charging most smartphones, with some slowdown in charging, you can also power a DVR or similar gadget in parallel.

Device #3

At 1.8 amperes at the load, the voltage also dipped to 4.5 volts. Despite the large dimensions of the “glass” and the promised 3.1 amperes, the Chinese were stingy with a powerful filling; 1.5 amps is a reasonable limit for this charger as well. Similar to the previous device, it is suitable for charging most smartphones, and with some charging slowdown, you can also power the DVR in parallel.

Phones are usually discharged at the most inopportune moment, when there is catastrophically little time for charging. We turn on the first available charging with wiring and wait ... Sometimes the charge is fast, and sometimes treacherously long, and after a while we again remain without communication.

Consider the process of charging the phone, all its components. And we will try to give recommendations that will help you choose the right chargers and always stay in touch.

Modern communication devices are charged from 5 volts, it is this voltage that is present at the USB output of a computer, router, TV, and so on. This connector, as a rule, is supplied with chargers that are plugged into a power outlet. But in addition to voltage, an important parameter is the current with which the charge occurs.

If we talk about a computer, then the standard maximum current for USB 2.0 is 0.5 A (amps), which is not much for modern devices. If the charging device requires more current (1-2 A), then charging will take a painfully long time, and may never be completed.

Another USB 3.0 standard (the connector is indicated by blue plastic inside) provides a current of up to 1 A, which is already much better, but such connectors are only on modern computers (TVs, routers and other devices are usually equipped with a USB 2.0 connector or even USB 1.1). That is, if we need to charge the phone from a computer, we should, if possible, choose the blue USB 3.0 connector, the device will charge much faster.

It is no coincidence that universal chargers have different prices, in most cases they differ in the maximum possible charge current - the higher the price, the higher the current, as a rule, and, accordingly, the device charge time is potentially shorter (in this case, we do not take into account the brand and design mark-up) .

Of course, it is important to know the capabilities of your device in order to choose a charger with the required parameters. As a rule, most manufacturers indicate a maximum current of 1 A. But not all of them really provide it. To compare different chargers, we will use a tester that shows current and voltage, as well as an imitation of a consumer with different current consumption.

Ideally, the charger should provide 5 volts and the maximum current that the device being charged can consume. But in reality, the picture is different. To eliminate the influence of the cable connecting the charger and the phone, we will connect the tester directly to the charger.

Test 1 (declared 5 Volts and 1 A):

We see that the voltage is 120 mV lower than the declared one and the current is less than 70 mA.

Test 2 (declared 5 Volts and 1 A):

We see that the voltage is slightly higher than the declared one and the current differs from the declared one by only 40 mA.

Test 3 (declared 5 Volts and 1 A):

We see that the voltage is slightly higher than the declared one and the current corresponds to the declared one.

Test 4 (declared 5 Volts and 0.7 A):

The voltage and current are significantly less than the previous ones, you should not expect fast charging from this device.

Test 5 (declared 5 Volts and 1 A):

Voltage and current correspond to the declared.

Test 6 (parameters not marked):

The voltage and current are less than the previous ones, you should not expect fast charging from this device.

Test 6 (charger combined with a block of sockets, 5 Volts and 2.4 A are declared):

Pretty good options.

Test 7 (charger combined with a tee of sockets, 5 Volts and 1 A are declared):

Very good performance.

As you can see, not all manufacturers have managed to provide the declared characteristics, and in those cases where the voltage is lower than necessary and the current is less, we will naturally get a longer charge of the phone or tablet.

The second important element in the charging process is the cable that connects the charger to the phone. There are many options for such cables, there are even backlit ones. However, their main parameter is the material of the conductive cores (preferably copper) and the thickness of the core (the thicker, the less the cable will affect the charging process). Let's test some cables.

Test 0 (tester connected directly to the charger):

Test 1 (cable included with Sony Xperia Z3 phone):

A good cable for a current of 1 A, at 2 A there is an overload and loss of parameters.

Test 2 (cable purchased separately):

Good cable for 1A, loss of performance at 2A.

Test 3 (cable purchased separately):

Bad cable, charging will be very slow.

Test 4 (cable purchased separately):

The leader in fast charging, according to phonearena.com, is the Samsung Galaxy S6 (1 hour 18 minutes with a battery capacity of 2550 mAh). In second place is Oppo Find 7a (1 hour 22 minutes with a battery capacity of 2800 mAh), in third place is Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (1 hour 35 minutes with a battery capacity of 3220 mAh),

In fourth place is Google Nexus 6 (1 hour 38 minutes with a battery capacity of 3220 mAh), in fifth place is HTC One M9 (1 hour 46 minutes with a battery capacity of 2840 mAh). Also, fast charging technology is supported by: LG G3, OnePlus One, Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G4, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Apple iPhone 6, Motorola Moto G, Sony Xperia Z3 and several others.

So, if charging speed is important, you should choose phones that support QuickCharge technology.

Naturally, a fast charge rate is possible only when using high-quality chargers and cables that support the required currents and voltages. Of course, it is better to use the charger that comes with the phone. But if it is bought separately, then the choice should take into account the above parameters.

So, in today's review, we will try to objectively evaluate the quality of the next Chinese USB-microUSB cable. Looking ahead, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the results of knee tests. Actually, on this occasion, I did not conduct an autopsy and now the laces are in constant use for their intended purpose.


With payment and delivery, it was expected that there were no difficulties. Because the product was delivered for review for free (paragraph 18 of the site rules). But from the presented half-liter of the color palette offered, I chose the most boring, but classic ones - white and black.
Measurement with a Chinese tape measure showed compliance with the declared length of one meter, if you count from the “tip of the nose to the tip of the tail”, that is, taking into account the connectors. If we consider the characteristic "length", as useful cable length, then a shortage of 4-6 centimeters pops up (depending on the tightness during measurement))).


The USB cable connector at the base has a circular thickening, which is decorated with a red circle in the center. The side faces of the connector are equipped with parallel notches for ease of grip and switching. And the front and back faces bear the USB sign and the “a la lightning” pattern.


microUSB connector is designed in the same style. The only difference is that instead of a sign there is an inscription. And although upon closer examination, numerous flashes and flaws in execution are striking, they do not represent any fatal obstacles to the functionality, but with an eye to the price tag, they generally seem insignificant.


Throughout its length, the cable is round in cross section; elastic and moderately flexible, but not flimsy, not "liquid". Painted straight. It has no paintwork or other artifacts. The outside is covered with a translucent stocking (like heat shrink), which gives some smoky shade to the color.


For field testing of cables, let's take (already known to many from previous reviews) Prestigio HKA01105021-XE power supply. There are exactly two reasons for this: 1) it is quite powerful, 2) I have it.


By connecting this power supply with the "white doctor" and the "people's load" using a white cable, we can register that the latter is capable of passing a current of 1.72 A amperes through itself at a voltage of 4.85 V volts.


Other things being equal, the black cable shows comparable characteristics: 1.77 A amperes at a voltage of 4.91 V volts.
In any case (especially considering the price), the cables under test deserve reasonable attention from users.
And if you do not make any excessive demands on this purchase, then the result is the same - you can stock up.
Now I say goodbye. All the best!

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review is published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.