Can you charge a tablet and use a USB device at the same time?

Most tablets only have a single Micro USB port that is used to charge the tablet, or can be used to plug in regular USB devices like a keyboard/mouse using USB OTG. I would like to charge/power my tablet AND be able to connect to USB devices at the same time.

Will an adapter like this be able to do that? If so, does the tablet need to support a certain protocol? Specifically, I'd like to know if anyone has succesfully used it on a Dell Venue 8 Pro or other windows 8.1 tablet.

Update: From Wikipedia, USB OTG can support the following

A charger and either no device or an A-device that is not asserting VBUS (not providing power) are attached. The OTG device is allowed to charge and initiate SRP but not connect.[6]

A charger and an A-device that is asserting VBUS (is providing power) are attached. The OTG device is allowed to charge and connect but not initiate SRP.[6]

A charger and a B-device are attached. The OTG device is allowed to charge and enter host mode.[6]

But this wording is very unclear, and the citation is broken. If "OTG Decice" is the tablet, and "B-device" is the peripheral, then the last point would seem to indicate that the tablet could charge and act as a USB host to the peripherals at the same time.

Knio

Posted 2014-09-06T06:42:47.943

Reputation: 180

Answers

You link will NOT work. The charge port is for supplying additional current needed for the device. (i.e. portable harddisk)

But something like this will charge and provide power to usb drive at the same time.

Bilo

Posted 2014-09-06T06:42:47.943

Reputation: 1 326

This is not the fact that the referenced cable will not work.Topologically that cable does not differ from this Japanese nice adapter. It can work if it provides proper ID resistor at micro-A connector.This topic http://superuser.com/questions/1124237/windows-tablet-otg-simultaneously-charge explains how the "accessory charger adapter" is done.

– Ale..chenski – 2016-09-16T01:52:37.610

Beware, there are two different devices that look exactly like the one pictured in this answer (the blue device). In my searches, I found that some of these devices (blue in color) are capable of charging the phone/tablet, and others are only capable of supplying power to the attached USB device and cannot charge the phone/tablet simultaneously. There are some identical devices available in black as well. I could find no devices in black that were capable of charging the phone/tablet. – b_laoshi – 2019-09-05T07:40:51.550

I am not sure which question you are asking so I am going to answer the one that has an answer other than "It depends on the tablet in question"

You mention the Dell venue 8 Pro in your question. For that tablet Dell sells an adapter that does exactly what you want. It's called Dell MicroUSB Dongle For Data and Charging (470-ABES), "Dell Micro USB Dongle for Data and Charging" should bring it up on google.

You can also go the cheaper route and buy several cables and make your own. I don't see it as really worth the savings especially seeing the way too high gauge of wire common in cheap USB cables which cuts down charging speed significantly. How to use USB devices with your Dell Venue 8 Pro and charge it at the same time on Todd Klindt's SharePoint Admin Blog goes into this in greater detail but what it boils down to is when a cable is first plugged in the Venue checks to see if the data pins are shorted. If they are it allows it to charge. If not then it treats it as data. The key is that it only checks once. If by some miracle the data wires come unshorted and hook themselves to a data device the Venue will happily talk to said data device. Or usb to DVI video card. Or whatever.

birdman3131

Posted 2014-09-06T06:42:47.943

Reputation: 662

1The Dell link is dead and I couldn't find an archived version. – fixer1234 – 2016-10-19T06:58:14.470

I just checked with Dell Parts and Accessories Sales. It looks like the 470-ABES (Dell MicroUSB Dongle For Data and Charging) is no longer available. An online search found Amazon UK listed it, but it was out of stock and no predictions. There were a couple of other European sites that listed it, so there may be a few left in the pipeline. – fixer1234 – 2017-07-10T08:02:31.910

@fixer1234 At this point if it is not available on ebay then a homemade one with a good quality cable is in order. – birdman3131 – 2017-07-10T20:53:27.477

I'm pretty sure the product you link will Not work to power and use peripheral usb devices at the same time. There is at least one other product that claims to work with the Windows Dell Venue - search Youtube for +port to see one type. I believe it's the specification that blocks this from "just working" and the power has to be in place before the usb add ons can be used.

codecats

Posted 2014-09-06T06:42:47.943

Reputation: 131

-2

I think you can't, Because on OTG (Host mode) the tablet boost up voltage from battery (3v) to USB (5V), so you can't input voltage to tablet.

My tablet have DC jack for charger, so i can charge and plug USB flash at the same time.

amy programmer

Posted 2014-09-06T06:42:47.943

Reputation: 48

Why void down ? !!! – amy programmer – 2017-12-22T01:33:11.917