BlackBerry® PlayBook™

[playbook_fan]

The chargers of RIM products either cellphones or PB have transformers but very small ones or no transformer at all, they use Switch Mode Power Supplies, which are more efficient and reduce dramatically the heat dissipated, the size and the weight. However they can get warmer than typically in the case you use the cell phone charger to charge the playbook, because it is demanding more current than a cell phone, the semiconductors that act as switches regulating inside are working more on the ON state.

[cuse165]

Your right thanks for the informathion but the fast charger for the PB has a tranformer.

[jerryg50]

I strongly believe the Blackberry fast charger is a switching supply. It is a larger more powerful one than the smaller one. Like any power supply, if the demand is too high for its specs it will over heat and can be damaged.

Most modern power supplies manufactured today are using switching technology at high speed. There is usually a transformer employed, but can be small in size because of the high frequency drive.

There are some low cost low power switching supplies that use monolythic type chip design where they use techniques to not require any transformer. i believe the new Blackberry phone charger is in this type. I hate to think what would happen if there was a loss of isolation between the AC line and the load!


Jerry G.

[cuse165]

Thanks I will check it out I have one.

Your right I do think it is also a switcher it is verry small and it weighs nothing. So I would think it is one.

[JSanders Resident Expert]

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jerryg50 wrote:
I strongly believe the Blackberry fast charger is a switching supply. It is a larger more powerful one than the smaller one. Like any power supply, if the demand is too high for its specs it will over heat and can be damaged.

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Jerry, I agree on this.

Back to your device charger... I wonder if you could borrow (or test) a friend's handheld charger on you Playbook? I have yet to find a wall outlet charger in my "supply" that does charge the Playbook (albeit slowly). And I have a stock of chargers from the 83xx, Storm1, Storm2, 9650, 8800, etc., (some of which are MiniUSB chargers, with an added Mini-to-Micro extender).

[rat-7]

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JSanders wrote:

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jerryg50 wrote:
I strongly believe the Blackberry fast charger is a switching supply. It is a larger more powerful one than the smaller one. Like any power supply, if the demand is too high for its specs it will over heat and can be damaged.

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Jerry, I agree on this.

Back to your device charger... I wonder if you could borrow (or test) a friend's handheld charger on you Playbook? I have yet to find a wall outlet charger in my "supply" that does charge the Playbook (albeit slowly). And I have a stock of chargers from the 83xx, Storm1, Storm2, 9650, 8800, etc., (some of which are MiniUSB chargers, with an added Mini-to-Micro extender).

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well I do use the charger for my Bold 9700 with the Playbook since day one (release date of the Playbook) and it does work, but slower than the one that came with the Playbook, or the base

[jerryg50]

The Playbook requires at minimum the charger that comes with it. This charger is rated at 1800 ma or 1.8 Amps if I remember correctly. Chargeable batteries require a minimum current to properly charge. The electro-chemical reaction in the batteries require a specific breakover current at its rated charge voltage in order to be able to be recharged.

There is also a minimum charge current for the sustaining charge that will hold the batteries in their charged condition after being recharged. The dedicated battery chargers for the devices are designed to supply the required charge rates according to the battery level.

Using an improperly matched charger can not only damage the charger, but it can also damage the batteries, and also do damage to the internal battery electronics that works with the battery. Lithium battery systems have sensing electronics for temperature, and for overvoltage conditions. These are mainly for safety.

Using too low a charge current to charge Lithium or NiCad batteries is also not recommended. The battery should not be under saturated in its electro-chemical reaction for charging. Over charging is also damaging for these batteries. There is a complex reaction going on with the displacement of ions and etc. There is a lot of available information about this in various specialty sites. The matched charger for the battery system will deliver the proper range of current, and apply it in the proper successions. The charge rate for these battery types are not linear as like on a common lead-acid battery like used in an automobile.

The original charger for the Playbook is not very expensive. You can obtain spare chargers from most of the places that sell the Playbook. They can order this for you. I bought 4 spare regular Playbook chargers and 2 fast chargers from Future Shop. I travel to different places continiously, and I left a charger at each place where I go. At my main offices I keep a few of the fast chargers. I like how they designed their magnetic connector. I would like to have seen this on phones. I am now considering to purchase more Playbooks.

Out of curiosity, I tried the regular Blackberry 700 ma charger that comes with the phone. It is useless for the Playbook. I had slightly better results charging the Playbook from a USB hub, but it was much too slow to be practical for me. With a USB hub, a full charge from 10% would take over 20 hours!

Jerry G.

[mpalindat]

curiously in april on this thread someone mentioned the playbook will not charge when powered off... did i miss read this? because i just charged my playbook from 8% to full while it was off. the led blinks green until charged when it then goes solid green...

[jerryg50]

The early versions of the Playbook operating system was not allowing the device to be charged with the power off. From what I have been reading the latest version of its operating system allows it to be charged with the power off.

When I am not using my Playbook, I leave it in standby with all the user applications closed. I charge it in standby. It takes about 3.5 to 4 hours for a full charge using the charger that came with it. I sometimes run it down to about 30% to 40% on a day that I use it a lot.

Jerry G.

[mpalindat]

yea i used about 40-50 with almost constant use taking notes amongst other tasks over 5 hours. really impressed with battery life and chargng speed with the included charger.