Bitbanging Qualcomm Charge Controllers

With more and more manufacturers moving to USB-C, it seems as though the trusty USB port is getting more and more entrenched. Not that that’s a bad thing, either; having a universal standard like this is great for simplicity and interconnectability. However, if you’re still stuck with USB 2.0 ports on your now completely obsolete one-year-old phone, there’s still some hope that you can at least get rapid charging. [hugatry] was able to manipulate Qualcomm’s rapid charging protocol to enable it to work with any device.

The protocol in question is supposed to work only on supported devices. Namely, anything with a Qualcomm Snapdragon or other similar products. [hugatry] had a Qualcomm rapid charging-capable USB port, but no supported devices. What he found out after some investigation, though, was that it’s extremely easy to bitbang the protocol to request essentially any amount of power from the Qualcomm device. He didn’t even need a microcontroller to do the handshaking, only passive components.

It’s a little surprising that getting around a proprietary standard in this day in age is so straightforward (and he does note that while it worked for him, your mileage may vary), but we’re happy to see it nonetheless. [hugatry]’s process is definitely worth checking out, as is his video which you can find after the break.

Filed under: peripherals hacks

from Hackaday http://ift.tt/2hqbeP4
via IFTTT