Turn your PEG-EB40 into a USB charging cradle

[fatice]

If you are still using UX40 or UX50, you will sure find that the battery life of these units really give it away. That is why Sony came up with another way of “make you pay” device: PEG-EB40. With this external battery, the battery life of your device should last for 2~3 times longer. However, EB40 is not only bulky, but also requires the cradle to charge. Unlike other Palm or Clie devices, the cradle for UX series only serves the purpose of charging, nothing else. Therefore, all UX users have to bring along their charger and cradle for their trip for charging both UX and EB40. For this reason, making both UX and EB40 to have USB charging capability is really convenient. However, this is only advisable to those units that have no more warranty.

Warning: Do it on your own risk. I take no responsibility of any data lost or hardware damage.
Warning: This will void the factory warranty (if you still have one)
Warning: If you do not know what you are doing, you might kill your Clie
Warning: Always disconnect the battery before performing any operation to avoid short circuit.

However, you can avoid touching the actual UX device by modding the EB40 alone. By doing so, EB40 will act as your cradle with power supplied by the USB cable. At the same time, it can charge your UX device as well. Please note that charging from USB cable takes a longer time due to the current supplied by your USB host controller is much smaller than your Sony charger.

Now, it is time to mod the EB40. First, you have to get a mini-USB female connector and solder the mini-USB connector with red wire to Positive and black wire to Ground as the photo shows.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7459/image17zp.jpg

Then, connect the red wire to red wired charging pin and black wire to black wired charging pin and test the charging connection
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/830/image29ub.jpg

Next, place the mini-USB connector to the case, same side as the “release latch”
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/572/image38bh.jpg

Place a plastic sticker to cover the connector to prevent short circuit
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/397/image45uu.jpg

Put back all the screws and test the charging function again
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/705/image56ey.jpg

Now, start drilling a hole and file the hole to fit the mini-USB connector in the bottom cover of EB40
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9026/image69ap.jpg

Finally, put everything together. You can now kiss your charger and cradle goodbye as the EB40 can now be charged by your hotsync cable and supply power to your UX device.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6560/image76nn.jpg

[antoinepierre]

Waow !
I've already made the USB mod on my UX, I'll may be try this other one !Now, it is time to mod the EB40. First, you have to get a mini-USB female connector and solder the mini-USB connector with red wire to Positive and black wire to Ground as the photo shows.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7459/image17zp.jpgCould we have a picture of the back of the mini-USB.
To see exactly where you made the soldering.

[fatice]

That IS the back of the connector.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7459/image17zp.jpg

There are 5 pins at the back of the connector as you can see from the photo. The middle 3 pins are used for data (in fact, only 2 pins are used), the outer 2 pins are used for data.

[senechal]

wow!amazing ux still rocks:)

[B612-UX50]

Finally, put everything together. You can now kiss your charger and cradle goodbye as the EB40 can now be charged by your hotsync cable and supply power to your UX device.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6560/image76nn.jpg

Fantastic. I did the modifications without any problem. It works well & charges very fast.

I have a question;

Does the indicator on EB40 (orange led) turn off when the EB40 fully charges itself?

[golalmo]

be aware of this mod.
although its very convenience to charge your eb40 via usb, its well known that this mod, kill the battery (or charging circuit) over time.
many users here (include me) complain of dead battery soon after applaying this mod.

[palo1]

Then the same would be true of the Brando case/charger, correct?

p

[B612-UX50]

Then the same would be true of the Brando case/charger, correct?

p

I was thinking exactly the same thing.. If this mod is harmful for the eb40 & ux50 then what about all the users that use the brando chargers & the grey colored eastern chargers?

Because when I charge with them, both my eb40 & ux50 automatically stops charging when they are fully charged...

when I use this mod instead, the battery becomes unstable (charges from 0% to 65% in 5 minutes then continues slowly to charge.) and does not turn itself off when it charges completely.

The only difference between them is; in the brando, between the eb40 & the usb entrance there is a led connected to the transistor (with red,grey,brown lines). (photo attached)

Anyone wants to make comments on the possibility of the positive effects of this piece?

anyway, I think tomorrow will add this little led with its' transistor inside, and test it again..