Author Topic: 'On The Go' connection and tablets... (Read 3798 times)

andyoxon · « **on:** 30 November, 2013, 02:23:36 pm »

As recommended by folk on here I bought an OTG cable (£3) for the tablet (Hudl 7) to try. So far, I have been able to use a USB mouse (literally 'plug and play') - which actually works really well, and also connect a USB flash drive (2gb) - plus look at it using 'File Manager' app. Haven't tried connecting my camera yet.

I tried connecting my 1Tb Seagate external, but the tablet couldn't recognise this 'SD card'. So does this require a driver; perhaps a step too far'?

Other useful things to try/ anyone use OTG connection regularly?

Kim · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 November, 2013, 06:04:20 pm »

Does the drive have its own power source? It's extremely likely that the tablet can't supply enough current.

robgul · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 November, 2013, 07:46:19 pm »

I too have played with an OTG on a Nexus 7 - Kim's surmise on the drive power is correct.

What is useful is a USB SD card reader to take files from the camera into the tablet and to Google Drive in the cloud.

Rob

andyoxon · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 November, 2013, 10:23:32 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 30 November, 2013, 06:04:20 pm

Does the drive have its own power source? It's extremely likely that the tablet can't supply enough current.

Yes good point, it's USB powered only.

andyoxon · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 November, 2013, 10:24:58 pm »

Quote from: robgul on 30 November, 2013, 07:46:19 pm

I too have played with an OTG on a Nexus 7 - Kim's surmise on the drive power is correct.

What is useful is a USB SD card reader to take files from the camera into the tablet and to Google Drive in the cloud.

Rob

Sounds useful - hadn't thought of that.

frankly frankie · « **Reply #5 on:** 02 December, 2013, 09:15:14 am »

When I bought a cheapo, crappy, boots up in Chinese, tablet (it's awful!) - one of these cables came free in the box. I was able to connect the Garmin and transfer files from it.

tiermat · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 December, 2013, 09:32:16 am »

I have one for the Samsung, cost ~£5 off eBay.

Just bought another for Mrs T's Motorola and TLD's Archos (both those use microusb, the Samsung use their own connector).

Fine for sticks, Garmin etc that don't draw a lot of power, but fuggedaboutit for spinning rust discs.

GlasgowDave · « **Reply #7 on:** 02 December, 2013, 11:10:51 am »

any recommendations for software to use with OTG cables?

I've been using OTG Disk Explorer Lite, but wondered if there were other options.

Dave

tiermat · « **Reply #8 on:** 02 December, 2013, 11:15:24 am »

I use Astaro for non-rooted devices.

For the rooted and Cyanogenmod'd devices, I use the stock CGmod file explorer.

fuaran · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 December, 2013, 11:21:02 am »

ES File Explorer is good for a general file manager, copying files on or off, or viewing photos etc. It can work in root mode.

"Uploader for Garmin" can read from a variety of Garmin devices, and upload to Garmin Connect, Strava etc.

tom_e · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 December, 2013, 11:44:35 am »

It's a bit of a pity the On The Go spec doesn't appear to include some detection of the power problem. I would have thought it was fairly achievable to monitor and detect an out of spec voltage drop, and hence allow a useful error message.

As it is I suspect a large number of people have got a cable off ebay, tried it, failed, and are none the wiser as to how to get their camera to connect. Driver issue? Cheap and dodgy cable? No clue given.

Wombat · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 December, 2013, 01:10:19 pm »

Quote from: GlasgowDave on 02 December, 2013, 11:10:51 am

any recommendations for software to use with OTG cables?

I've been using OTG Disk Explorer Lite, but wondered if there were other options.

Dave

Sometimes you don't need any. Mrs W borrowed ther OTG calbe we got for the Nexus, and stuck it into her Galaxy tab 3, and stuck a USB stick into it, and copied across some files using the inbuilt file explorer app. Nexus uploader apparently works for other devices too, but my Sony Xperia Z phone just connects to a USB stick on an OTG cable with no problem.

tiermat · « **Reply #12 on:** 02 December, 2013, 01:12:50 pm »

Wombat, all Android devices will see the USB stick as "SD card", no problems there, I think (and this is me trying to mind read) what GD was asking was about file managers.

FWIW, IIRC the Tab 3 uses microusb OTG, but the Tab 2 (certainly the 10.1" one I have) use a connector similar to the iThing one, but the connectors are on the opposite side to the Apple one.

robgul · « **Reply #13 on:** 02 December, 2013, 06:59:59 pm »

Quote from: frankly frankie on 02 December, 2013, 09:15:14 am

When I bought a cheapo, crappy, boots up in Chinese, tablet (it's awful!) - one of these cables came free in the box. I was able to connect the Garmin and transfer files from it.

How did you get from the OTG to the Garmin? (My OTG has, obviously, a micro USB that goes in the Nexus and female USB at the other end) - I assume an ordinary USB/mini USB cable?

... and which File Manager on the tablet to see the Garmin's "drive"

Rob

robgul · « **Reply #14 on:** 02 December, 2013, 08:53:14 pm »

Quote from: robgul on 02 December, 2013, 06:59:59 pm

Quote from: frankly frankie on 02 December, 2013, 09:15:14 am
When I bought a cheapo, crappy, boots up in Chinese, tablet (it's awful!) - one of these cables came free in the box. I was able to connect the Garmin and transfer files from it.

How did you get from the OTG to the Garmin? (My OTG has, obviously, a micro USB that goes in the Nexus and female USB at the other end) - I assume an ordinary USB/mini USB cable?

... and which File Manager on the tablet to see the Garmin's "drive"

Rob

Thinking some more on this - any ideas on how to get .fit files from the Garmin (basic Edge 200) to Google Drive on the Nexus (and then to GD out there in the ether) ?

Rob

Wombat · « **Reply #15 on:** 03 December, 2013, 08:20:08 am »

Quote from: tiermat on 02 December, 2013, 01:12:50 pm

Wombat, all Android devices will see the USB stick as "SD card", no problems there, I think (and this is me trying to mind read) what GD was asking was about file managers.

FWIW, IIRC the Tab 3 uses microusb OTG, but the Tab 2 (certainly the 10.1" one I have) use a connector similar to the iThing one, but the connectors are on the opposite side to the Apple one.

All android devices running 4.something, you mean.... earlier ones don't do that, surely?

The Tab 3 uses the same connector as my Sony phones, the samsung phones I had before that, and most of the other stuff in the house apart from my Sony camera and the new Gopro.

frankly frankie · « **Reply #16 on:** 03 December, 2013, 12:28:51 pm »

Quote from: robgul on 02 December, 2013, 06:59:59 pm

How did you get from the OTG to the Garmin? (My OTG has, obviously, a micro USB that goes in the Nexus and female USB at the other end) - I assume an ordinary USB/mini USB cable?
... and which File Manager on the tablet to see the Garmin's "drive"

Yeah, just an ordinary data cable. The file manager was just already there on the tablet - I assumed it was standard with the OS, which I think is Ice Cream wotsit.

robgul · « **Reply #17 on:** 03 December, 2013, 12:34:06 pm »

Quote from: frankly frankie on 03 December, 2013, 12:28:51 pm

Quote from: robgul on 02 December, 2013, 06:59:59 pm
How did you get from the OTG to the Garmin? (My OTG has, obviously, a micro USB that goes in the Nexus and female USB at the other end) - I assume an ordinary USB/mini USB cable?
... and which File Manager on the tablet to see the Garmin's "drive"

Yeah, just an ordinary data cable. The file manager was just already there on the tablet - I assumed it was standard with the OS, which I think is Ice Cream wotsit.

Thanks - I cracked it last night .. bog standard cable, and the file manager on the tablet (now running Mars Bar/Milky Way/Kit Kat or whatever they call it!) let me send the file to Google Drive - simples!

I actually went one better in terms of economy of cables - a USB-micro USB cable with a micro-mini adaptor to the Garmin worked - that cable also plugs in the charger plug .. so just a single 30mm long cable + OTG + adaptor to carry

Rob

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #18 on:** 03 December, 2013, 12:41:14 pm »

Just for info - there are different cable standards for this. USB OTG cables can be type A, B or support both. Annoyingly it isn't common for the cable to be marked with the type.

andyoxon · « **Reply #19 on:** 08 December, 2013, 01:03:22 pm »

Quote from: fuaran on 02 December, 2013, 11:21:02 am

ES File Explorer is good for a general file manager, copying files on or off, or viewing photos etc. It can work in root mode.

Thanks. I've just downloaded and tried this app., with OTG cable, SD card reader and camera 16GB SD card. Tablet 32gb card was named "external storage" and camera card "USB storage". Eventually discovered I had to reboot tablet to see camera card contents, and now can see thumbnails of the photos which is good. Just have work out how to copy folders from OTG SD to tablet SD...