Powering PRN as Repeater
- Steve Dohm (Unlicensed)
When using a Primary Receiver Node (PRN) as a repeater, not all USB chargers are dedicated charging ports. Using a PRN as a repeater requires an independent 5Vdc 100mA USB power source. The power supply must be compliant with the USB battery charger standard, v1.2 (abbreviated as "USB BCv1.2”). The USB peripheral on the PRN processor uses a logic high voltage at power-up as a signal to enter the USB firmware bootloader. A potential work around, is to power the USB adapter first before plugging the PRN into the adapter. The PRN will turn on when the USB end is plugged into a powered non-compliant USB port, but remain off if it’s plugged into the noncompliant USB port before the USB adapter is powered.
Additional related information: A PRN will rebroadcast a sensor message not addressed to it. Rebroadcasting a sensor message can only happen once. The number of PRNs used as a repeater is limited to one in the communication sequence
The chargers below have been tested and found to work. Most of them are available through Amazon and elsewhere.
- mfgr: LG model MCS-01WR (Google Nexus phones)
- mfgr: Motorola model SPN5504A (Droid phones), and SPN5505A (Motorola phones)
- mfgr: Samsung model ETA0U80JBE (Samsung phones)
- mfgr: Samsung model EP-TA10JWE (Samsung galaxy tablets)
- mfgr: Asus model AD83531 (google nexus tablets)
USB adapters have also been tested and found to work with the non-compliant USB chargers. PortaPow USB adapters universal version only has been found to work. The smart charge or Apple versions did not work.
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