Custom cable and custom charger (was: Re: FreeRunner Pricing and PVT update)

[Michael Shiloh]

IIRC, the "custom cable" is actually part of the charger, i.e. charger 
and cable is one unit.

If you think about it, this makes sense: If the cable were a separate 
unit, you might plug the cable by accident into a charger (or worse, 
your laptop) that could not deliver 1 Amp, the phone would think it was 
hooked up to our custom charger and would start sucking 1 Amp. At best, 
it wouldn't work, worse, it would damage your charger, worse yet, it 
would damage the USB circuitry in your computer, very worst, it would 
start a fire.

So the only safe place to install the custom ID resistor is in a charger 
or charger+cable assembly that is known to be able to safely source 1 Amp.

I will document how to create such a custom cable, and I will provide 
sources and part numbers for the connectors, but users will have to be 
careful that this cable isn't inadvertently used with a charger not 
capable of providing 1 Amp.

Michael

Marco Trevisan (Treviño) wrote:
> Lowell Higley ha scritto:
>> 1) include the custom (closed) cable or at least make it an option
> 
> I do agree with this... Also if the cable is sold only by Openmoko it 
> should be there, since it's a so important thing for using the phone as 
> a "standard phone" (I not always have my PC around, and neither I should 
> have electronics knowledge to build my own cable).
> 
> If some people doesn't agree with its "philosophy", he could simply 
> choose not to include it on the pack, or simply, to resell it...
> Imho it would be a too "closed" view, btw!
> 
>> 2) ensure the manual includes that a standard USB cable will work.  Be 
>> sure to list the limitations of said cable. (I think the wiki has this 
>> but it needs to be in the docs that go with the phone.)
> 
> Ok, this could be a workaround, but just a workaround for me...
> 
>> 3) publish the pinout / construction of the custom cable.  Maybe 
>> publish the BOM and your source of those items.  Perhaps a 3rd party 
>> could make a small ebay fortune out of this item.
> 
> Of course for keeping up our idea and to help who loves self-making 
> you'll have absolutely to publish these informations!
>