Targus, iGo Universal power supplies

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

I have several of these. 60 and 90 Watt laptop type power bricks that are
'programmed' to a certain output voltage and current limit by replacable
tips. I've also got a slug of tips for each (plus some tha appear to go to
different versions of these supplies which I don't have).

Both product lines appear to be discontinued by their respective
manufacturers and no longer provide support. But tips are still available
for different devices... if you know what to search for.

Does anyone have charts of tip numbers vs laptop models? Or even tip numbers
vs output voltage and connector dimensions that they might have rescued
before iGo and Targus discontinued their lines.

Also, just for hacking purposes, has anyone reverse engineered the tip
internals (usually just a couple of resistors that the supply 'reads'
through the cord to set up output parameters). One could conceivably hack
together tips for new devices if one knew how to progam the supply. Voltage
is easy to figure. Overcurrent is a bit trickier.


--
Paul Hovnanian mailtoaul@Hovnanian.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Fri, 02 Jun 2017 17:36:19 -0700, "Paul Hovnanian P.E."
<paul@hovnanian.com> wrote:

Also, just for hacking purposes, has anyone reverse engineered the tip
internals (usually just a couple of resistors that the supply 'reads'
through the cord to set up output parameters). One could conceivably hack
together tips for new devices if one knew how to progam the supply. Voltage
is easy to figure. Overcurrent is a bit trickier.

I couldn't find very much detail:
<http://www.nerdipedia.com/tiki-index.php?page=Smart+laptop+charger&structure=index>
<http://www.instructables.com/id/Hacking-your-iGo-Universal-Power-Adapter/>
<http://www.d-de.com/services/tips/igojuice/>

I think this is the original patent:
<https://www.google.com/patents/US8092261>
More:
<https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&q=inassignee:%22Igo,+Inc.%22>

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[whit3rd]

On Friday, June 2, 2017 at 5:29:52 PM UTC-7, Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote:

I have several of these. 60 and 90 Watt laptop type power bricks that are
'programmed' to a certain output voltage and current limit by replacable
tips. I've also got a slug of tips for each (plus some tha appear to go to
different versions of these supplies which I don't have).

Both product lines appear to be discontinued b...

Does anyone have charts of tip numbers vs laptop models? Or even tip numbers
vs output voltage and connector dimensions

An old Radio Shack catalog is a good place for the iGo tips info:
<https://web.archive.org/web/20080213191031/http://www.radioshack.com:80/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2818125&cp=2032056>

 

[Ron D.]

Annoying isn't it. I have the Juice 70 and the Auto/Air one used on a Toshiba and a Compaq.

I actually think the iGo took out the Toshiba with poor connections. Now I;m not using them. Me thinks cables are bad in both Auto/Air, but the Juice may still work.

This http://www.siig.com/media/files/manuals/0014/04-1022a.pdf may help you, but it's not iGo.

If you search hard, you should be able to find reverse engineering info.

There are different mating levels on the iGo plugs.

If you look hard on the net you'll find some reverse engineering stuff.

 

[Ron D.]

I was an early adopter of the Juice (grey) and the auto/air adapter (black) where they came with nearly all of the tips. I primarily used Compaq and Toshiba tips.

If, I can find the tips, I could tabulate values.

What I THOUGHT about doing was:

1. Find a connector to use at the adapter.

2. Take a DE-9 or 15 connector with removeable pins and fill it with epoxy. Epoxy two Neobium magnets in the connector to make an ersatz magnetic connector.
Then find two pogo pins to make the connections.

3.The resistor values would be in the long cable but in the shell.

 

[Ron D.]

The one guy thinks the voltage and current columns are reversed and I might agree with that. Using https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=y*(5.87)%2F(x%2B5.87)+%3D+19;++y*(46)%2F(x%2B46)%3D15.4

it might suggest the reference is between -1 and -1.2 and a 1% resistor is 15K. There might be a resistor in parallel with the tip setting resistor.

So, the above is a guess for a starting point using a few values from this http://www.nerdipedia.com/tiki-index.php?page=Smart+laptop+charger&structure=index table.