[ptaaty]

Some of you may find this of interest.

I needed an AC charger for my Zune 80GB due to some coast to coast trips and not wanting to take a laptop.

But out of principle I won't spend $30 for something that should be in the box with a player.

So I ordered a cheap AC to USB wall outlet of ebay $3.99 shipping included. Didn't work. Thought maybe it was due to the 350mA limit on the charger.

I found a Kodak AC to USB charger rated all the way to 1A ($9.99), though it would have to work. Again, no dice, charge indicator never appeared...

Both units appeared extend battery life but not start the charge sequence.

Finally I found this Music Power Duet USB AC Charger for iPod and MP3 Players - Wal-Mart

$9.99 online, $14.99 in store...very thin and supports charging two things at once. Worked perfectly!!

So the real reason for this thread isn't to point out that you can get a dual port USB charger that actually works for a Zune for less that half price (cool though)...but why the hell don't the others work?

To me it looks like the player is cueing in on something other than just the 5V presence on the outside pins...there must be something on the internal pins that makes it legit. Anyone know?

 

[afphreak]

theres also this link from "gotzune?" that Chris posted yesterday

 

[ptaaty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by afphreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif theres also this link from "gotzune?" that Chris posted yesterday

That is a killer deal. I needed one before Tuesday though...

Still I did want to point out that not "any old" USB charging will work with the Zune.

 

[mojolo]

based on this thread and reviews on Amazon, it seems that a USB AC charger made for the iPod will work on the Zune, and vice versa.

a USB AC charger not advertised as supporting an iPod or a Zune will not work on either.

will an iPod/Zune USB AC charger automatically work on any other mp3 player?

 

[Ricardo Dawkins]

Some cheap USB charger dont work with the Zune. These AC chargers are mostly used for cellphones or no-name mp3 players.

Use something compatible with iPod.

 

[afphreak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojolo /img/forum/go_quote.gif based on this thread and reviews on Amazon, it seems that a USB AC charger made for the iPod will work on the Zune, and vice versa. a USB AC charger not advertised as supporting an iPod or a Zune will not work on either. will an iPod/Zune USB AC charger automatically work on any other mp3 player?

honestly, i'd be a little uneasy about trying an iPod charger on my zune(or ZVM for that matter) because they all have different pin outs i believe, the charging dock could send current to a part of the device that cant handle the direct current and could fry the device... though, if the zune does have the same pin outs for charging as the ipod, then ignore what i just typed...

 

[Trippytiger]

Why would there be different pin-outs? I'm sure that the pins that handle power are standardized in the USB specifications, and all USB cables and USB chargers should conform to those. Otherwise, plugging your DAP into a computer USB port that wasn't 'designed' for it would fry it as well.

Now, why some devices are so picky about what adapters they can use is still a mystery to me. Most of mine don't have any problems, but for some reason my cell phone only works with some chargers. It's picky about what USB cables I used to connect it to my computer, too.

 

[Alleyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by afphreak /img/forum/go_quote.gif honestly, i'd be a little uneasy about trying an iPod charger on my zune(or ZVM for that matter) because they all have different pin outs i believe, the charging dock could send current to a part of the device that cant handle the direct current and could fry the device... though, if the zune does have the same pin outs for charging as the ipod, then ignore what i just typed...

You still use the cable supplied in the Zune box (data cable) to connect the charger to the Zune, so pinouts are a non issue.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alleyman /img/forum/go_quote.gif You still use the cable supplied in the Zune box (data cable) to connect the charger to the Zune, so pinouts are a non issue.

Plus Duet box says 'Designed for iPod and Zune". I got one from local wall mart, works like a charm.

 

[Milner]

I ordered two of the cheapies from Amazon....we will see how they work....

 

[paulkim]

is anybody using these devices with 30G 1st gen zune? wonder if it will work w/ those.

walmart online is now showing $15

amazon has the Solo for $11

 

[Ricardo Dawkins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulkim /img/forum/go_quote.gif is anybody using these devices with 30G 1st gen zune? wonder if it will work w/ those. walmart online is now showing $15 amazon has the Solo for $11

it should work with the Zune 30.

 

[omega52]

I have been struggling with this Zune 80 AC charging issue all morning. I decided last night that the Zune must be looking for the new USB standard configuration for AC - USB chargers, but this morning I shorted & floated the data lines on a USB extension cable & it didn't work. My charger is a Belkin & supplies 550ma. That should be plenty as it meets the USB standard for computer devices. I'm baffled. I even suspected that Msft. had set it up so the Zune charger scheme was proprietary & not the USB standard. I don't know why I think such a thing about Msft!

I will try the one listed above from Walmart &, if it works, I will try to see how it differs from my other one. Thanks for the info. BTW here's the info about USB changes: Sourced from EDN website.
"Both the new Chinese and USB-IF standards provide guidelines for detecting the power-source type by reading the impedance between D+ and D–. More specifically, a compliant wall charger internally short-circuits D+ and D– and leaves the shorted node floating. Therefore, D+ and D– short together but do not connect to any part of the charger. The new Chinese standard doesn’t specify short-circuit-detection mechanisms, whereas the USB-IF battery-charging specification 1.0 sets forth two alternative methods.

The USB protocol uses the D+ and D– signal lines to form a differential pair. D+ and D– carry binary data from an upstream port to downstream devices or from downstream devices to an upstream port. The USB 2.0 specification requires that 15-kΩ±5% resistors that connect to ground should terminate the D+ and D– lines at host or hub ports. A simple circuit detects whether the upstream port is a charger that the new standards specify (Figure 3). If the upstream port is a wall charger, D+ and D– should short together, and the shorted node should float."

 

[tstarn06]

Just in case you are in need, in a related issue, Buy.com has the Zune AV pack (works for Zune80s) for $19.99, plus $7 S&H. An amazing deal if you want to use your Zune with a home stereo. I have one in my office (paid $59 and I thought that was good). Now, $20.

 

[omega52]

OK, got it! Looking at the new USB-IF battery charging spec. 1.0 it looks like this.
Wall chargers should have the D+ & D- pins shorted together & floating.
PCs & some other devices should have the D+ & D- pins connected to gnd. through 15k resistors.
Well I tested the musicPower Dual Port charger from Walmart (works with Zune) & it shows about 15k to gnd. on the data lines, so apparently the Zune wants to be hooked up to a PC no matter what & can't detect a properly configured wall charger. There is something else in the circuit on that charger 'cause I seem to be charging a cap while measuring from the data pins to gnd.