Is this issue just Android related?

[Downunderpilot]

Morning/Afternoon/Evening all.

I have an issue with my Sony Xa1 Ultra.

Upon plugging in my controller I get a prompt on my phone asking if I want to take battery charge for my phone.

I don't want to do this, how can I not receive charge for my phone?

Thank you.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

It happens with all devices from what I can tell.
The actually amount of voltage it will be taking from the controller is very small. It is an extremely slow charge, and you still get 2hrs plus out of the rc. It's not really a huge problem at all.

I thought there was a setting to turn this off but after looking I could not find it. Looking on google found no solutions either.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Further searching I found there is no way to turn that off unless you root your phone and download a specific app. I always make sure my RC battery is fully charged or close to it and my tablet is also charged so this to me is not a big problem.

 

[Downunderpilot]

It happens with all devices from what I can tell.
The actually amount of voltage it will be taking from the controller is very small. It is an extremely slow charge, and you still get 2hrs plus out of the rc. It's not really a huge problem at all.

I thought there was a setting to turn this off but after looking I could not find it. Looking on google found no solutions either.

Alas, what I came up with too. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Downunderpilot]

Further searching I found there is no way to turn that off unless you root your phone and download a specific app. I always make sure my RC battery is fully charged or close to it and my tablet is also charged so this to me is not a big problem.

Yeah a golden rule is expect the unexpected when flying. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Cori]

It happens with all devices from what I can tell.
The actually amount of voltage it will be taking from the controller is very small. It is an extremely slow charge, and you still get 2hrs plus out of the rc. It's not really a huge problem at all.

I thought there was a setting to turn this off but after looking I could not find it. Looking on google found no solutions either.

Reply:
Hmmmm. Don't know where you got your information (about a low-battery, or need to charge indication), but it does not happen with 'all devices'. It doesn't happen with my Android device, and it does happen with two other people I know of, who also use an Android device with their Autel controller.

Also, nothing electrical 'uses voltage'. Electrical devices use and consume current, and voltage is the delivery agent for the current. (See Ohm's Law). I did a test with my android device and controller and found that there is NO current flowing from the Android device to the controller, or visa-versa. What does flow between the devices is DATA. Likewise, the data that is sent by the Android device is powered by the Android device. Inversely, the data that is sent by the Controller to the Android device is powered by the controller. Finally, each device is responsible for processing the data it receives from the other device. But, current is not transferred either way.
The possible reason that 'some' devices indicate that they need a charge is because THAT device has used, or is using, a depleting amount of current in order to do it's processing. The greatest consumer of current in either a tablet or a phone is the LCD screen. Additionally, simply processing video graphics also consumes more electricity (current). As a battery drops (is depleted of current), then it's voltage drops. An anomaly with a battery can also cause a device to report a 'low battery' (or need to recharge). One benefit of a lithium battery is that it's voltage (similar to pressure in a water pipe) remains consistent, even as current (similar to water in a tank) is depleted. Then, voltage avalanches when the battery (tank) finally runs out. When NiCad batteries were popular, they held more current (the tank was larger). BUT, as current (the water in the tank) was used, the voltage (similar to water pressure) proportionally dropped. If a Lithium battery has an anomaly, then voltage drops prematurely, which in turn causes the device to indicate a low battery.
Again, voltage is not consumed. Current (measured in Amps and milli-amps) is consumed. It is for that reason that the 'capacity' of a battery is measured in Milliamps or Milliamphours (how many milliamps can be delivered over a given period of time.)
Before technical advice is given, an understanding of the basis of that advice is necessary. By the way, if/when you get shocked, it's not the voltage that you feel; it's the current!

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Great to know.
Information came from a lot of posts on the DJI forums.
Guess they had it all wrong.
Thanks for the info
Guess I don't need this App anymore
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.bramantya.stopcharging&hl=en

 

[Downunderpilot]

Reply:
Hmmmm. Don't know where you got your information (about a low-battery, or need to charge indication), but it does not happen with 'all devices'. It doesn't happen with my Android device, and it does happen with two other people I know of, who also use an Android device with their Autel controller.

Also, nothing electrical 'uses voltage'. Electrical devices use and consume current, and voltage is the delivery agent for the current. (See Ohm's Law). I did a test with my android device and controller and found that there is NO current flowing from the Android device to the controller, or visa-versa. What does flow between the devices is DATA. Likewise, the data that is sent by the Android device is powered by the Android device. Inversely, the data that is sent by the Controller to the Android device is powered by the controller. Finally, each device is responsible for processing the data it receives from the other device. But, current is not transferred either way.
The possible reason that 'some' devices indicate that they need a charge is because THAT device has used, or is using, a depleting amount of current in order to do it's processing. The greatest consumer of current in either a tablet or a phone is the LCD screen. Additionally, simply processing video graphics also consumes more electricity (current). As a battery drops (is depleted of current), then it's voltage drops. An anomaly with a battery can also cause a device to report a 'low battery' (or need to recharge). One benefit of a lithium battery is that it's voltage (similar to pressure in a water pipe) remains consistent, even as current (similar to water in a tank) is depleted. Then, voltage avalanches when the battery (tank) finally runs out. When NiCad batteries were popular, they held more current (the tank was larger). BUT, as current (the water in the tank) was used, the voltage (similar to water pressure) proportionally dropped. If a Lithium battery has an anomaly, then voltage drops prematurely, which in turn causes the device to indicate a low battery.
Again, voltage is not consumed. Current (measured in Amps and milli-amps) is consumed. It is for that reason that the 'capacity' of a battery is measured in Milliamps or Milliamphours (how many milliamps can be delivered over a given period of time.)
Before technical advice is given, an understanding of the basis of that advice is necessary. By the way, if/when you get shocked, it's not the voltage that you feel; it's the current!

Yep, thanks

Ok, I'm visual. I am trying to articulate better. My close Brother Edward would have told me in much the same way. He's an electrician.

I just noticed that with this phone it started to draw charge. Anyways cheers

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Both of my Android devices, a LG 3G phone and a Lenovo Tab 3 7 Essential both show the lighting bolt on the battery Icon indicating they are taking a charge. The battery in our RC controllers are pretty large and I don't really think there is any danger of depleting the battery in one or two flights. The DJI mavic guys started posting that the small tx controller that comes with it ran out of power very fast from their phones drawing power from the tx controller. I you research it DJI made a change to their Go App so it would not allow this to happen. I wonder when the EVO comes out if this will be a problem with the smaller controller.
Like I said before this has never caused a problem with the hundreds of flights that I have had with my X-Star.

 

[Cori]

Both software and/or hardware can cause a device to use/consume more power. This is because software can cause a processor or even a display to work harder. This could be a reason that some devices display a 'low-battery' when connected to a drone controller.
But, I can assure you (with 100% confidence and knowledge) that a drone controller does NOT consume power/current from a phone or tablet - and visa-versa. The ONLY thing that is transferred between the units is DATA. If your phone, or tablet is indicating a low-battery when connected to a drone controller, it is because it is working harder than usual to process the 2-way data that is being sent by, and received by it, as well as additional video processing and any other needs which are controlled by the software.
If DJI owners report increased power usage when they are operating their drones, it does not mean that it is a fact that power/current is being drained out of their phone, or even transferred to the controller from their phone. Likewise, it is preposterous to assume, or base an assumption that, because DJI owners have experienced and symptom, that it's reason or cause would apply to the design and operating characteristics of an Autel product. While it might seem that power is being transferred or consumed by one device which is connected to another device (via a DATA cable), in reality, it isn't that way. Rather, their tablet/phone is simply working harder than usual to handle the increased processing that is needed to complete the task at hand.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

I had put this question out to Autel tech support and this was their answer today.

"
Thank you for contacting Autel Robotics Support. When you have a device plugged into the RC it will charge the device as long as it is a phone. The voltage output from the RC is not quite high enough for tablets and it will not charge it."


Best,
Alejandro R.

Customer Support