cell phone / tablet USB host ?

Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
had me scratching my head.

It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick.
This with all the recommended OTG cabling.

Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
acting as a USB host?

Is this normal?

Is this sane?

I know there are a multitude of other methods of 
com available for these devices, but why not 
simple USB stick transfer?

RL

legg <legg@nospam.magma.ca> wrote in 
news:l8qvvg90aa541vdla966bv99k93mtj5o7j@4ax.com:

> 
> Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
> had me scratching my head.
> 
> It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
> PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick.
> This with all the recommended OTG cabling.
> 
> Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
> battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
> acting as a USB host?
> 
> Is this normal?
> 
> Is this sane?
> 
> I know there are a multitude of other methods of 
> com available for these devices, but why not 
> simple USB stick transfer?
> 
> RL
> 

Isn't a tab 8 about 8 years old?

Also some chip reader/usb port devices do not mandshake nicely in 
every case.

As old as I remember those being, that may have been back in the 
virus on a stick days.  So they put extra security in.  No connection 
is as secure as it gets, eh? 

On Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:33:35 -0500, legg <legg@nospam.magma.ca> wrote:

>
>Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
>had me scratching my head.
>
>It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
>PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick.
>This with all the recommended OTG cabling.
>
>Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
>battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
>acting as a USB host?
>
>Is this normal?

It is for USB. Devices are either controllers or targets (formerly
known as masters and slaves.)

Does anyone know of devices that can do both?

It's sad that USB was not designed as a real bus.

-- 

John Larkin         Highland Technology, Inc   trk

The cork popped merrily, and Lord Peter rose to his feet.  
"Bunter", he said, "I give you a toast. The triumph of Instinct over Reason"

In article <l8qvvg90aa541vdla966bv99k93mtj5o7j@4ax.com>, 
legg@nospam.magma.ca says...
> 
> Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
> had me scratching my head.
> 
> It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
> PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick.
> This with all the recommended OTG cabling.
> 
> Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
> battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
> acting as a USB host?
> 
> Is this normal?
> 
> Is this sane?
> 
> I know there are a multitude of other methods of 
> com available for these devices, but why not 
> simple USB stick transfer?
> 
> RL

My smartphone requires "OTG" to be allowed in Settings/Additional 
Settings. Get sane and RTFM...

On Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 8:22:04 AM UTC-8, John Larkin wrote:
> On Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:33:35 -0500, legg <le...@nospam.magma.ca> wrote: 
> 
> > 
> >Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
> >had me scratching my head. 
> > 
> >It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
> >PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick. 
> >This with all the recommended OTG cabling. 
> > 
> >Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
> >battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
> >acting as a USB host? 
> > 
> >Is this normal?
> It is for USB. Devices are either controllers or targets (formerly 
> known as masters and slaves.) 
> 
> Does anyone know of devices that can do both? 

A true OTG device can do both.  But implementing a true device is a different story.

On Sun, 6 Feb 2022 17:02:28 -0000, Mike Coon <gravity@mjcoon.plus.com>
wrote:

>In article <l8qvvg90aa541vdla966bv99k93mtj5o7j@4ax.com>, 
>legg@nospam.magma.ca says...
>> 
>> Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
>> had me scratching my head.
>> 
>> It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
>> PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick.
>> This with all the recommended OTG cabling.
>> 
>> Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
>> battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
>> acting as a USB host?
>> 
>> Is this normal?
>> 
>> Is this sane?
>> 
>> I know there are a multitude of other methods of 
>> com available for these devices, but why not 
>> simple USB stick transfer?
>> 
>> RL
>
>My smartphone requires "OTG" to be allowed in Settings/Additional 
>Settings. Get sane and RTFM...

You should see the manual and the 'settings' window on this 
thing (and what it doesn't include).

The OTG harness is here, but if the 'settings' only allows 
choice of USB transaction type and niether mentions hosting, 
you're plumb out of luck.
 
Wrong toy for the job. Just had higher expectations (and those 
were pretty low to begin with). Brought in just to cover a 
simple bluetooth com app - figured I'd see what it could 
do with some ADC, thermometry, logging or SDR dongles - 
for which hardware and apps are available for PC . . .
and for 'android'.

Quad core ARM Cortex A35 ARMV7-A 64bit in a MediaTek SOC.
Android 7, last patched in 2019.

What's all this GooglePlay crap anyways? Do I really 
want to know? 

RL

søndag den 6. februar 2022 kl. 17.22.04 UTC+1 skrev John Larkin:
> On Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:33:35 -0500, legg <le...@nospam.magma.ca> wrote: 
> 
> > 
> >Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
> >had me scratching my head. 
> > 
> >It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
> >PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick. 
> >This with all the recommended OTG cabling. 
> > 
> >Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
> >battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
> >acting as a USB host? 
> > 
> >Is this normal?
> It is for USB. Devices are either controllers or targets (formerly 
> known as masters and slaves.) 
> 
> Does anyone know of devices that can do both? 

those that are OTG (On The Go)

The end that has the extra ID pin (avalible on mini/micro/C) pulled 
to ground becomes host, So you need a cable that has the right connections

søndag den 6. februar 2022 kl. 19.40.58 UTC+1 skrev legg:
> On Sun, 6 Feb 2022 17:02:28 -0000, Mike Coon <gra...@mjcoon.plus.com> 
> wrote:
> >In article <l8qvvg90aa541vdla...@4ax.com>, 
> >le...@nospam.magma.ca says... 
> >> 
> >> Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
> >> had me scratching my head. 
> >> 
> >> It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
> >> PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick. 
> >> This with all the recommended OTG cabling. 
> >> 
> >> Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
> >> battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
> >> acting as a USB host? 
> >> 
> >> Is this normal? 
> >> 
> >> Is this sane? 
> >> 
> >> I know there are a multitude of other methods of 
> >> com available for these devices, but why not 
> >> simple USB stick transfer? 
> >> 
> >> RL 
> > 
> >My smartphone requires "OTG" to be allowed in Settings/Additional 
> >Settings. Get sane and RTFM...
> You should see the manual and the 'settings' window on this 
> thing (and what it doesn't include). 
> 
> The OTG harness is here, but if the 'settings' only allows 
> choice of USB transaction type and niether mentions hosting, 
> you're plumb out of luck. 
> 
> Wrong toy for the job. Just had higher expectations (and those 
> were pretty low to begin with). Brought in just to cover a 
> simple bluetooth com app - figured I'd see what it could 
> do with some ADC, thermometry, logging or SDR dongles - 
> for which hardware and apps are available for PC . . . 
> and for 'android'. 
> 
> Quad core ARM Cortex A35 ARMV7-A 64bit in a MediaTek SOC. 
> Android 7, last patched in 2019. 
> 
> What's all this GooglePlay crap anyways? Do I really 
> want to know? 

it's where you download apps, equivalent to Apples App Store

On Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 7:33:28 AM UTC-8, legg wrote:
> Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
> had me scratching my head. 
> 
> It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
> PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick. 
> This with all the recommended OTG cabling. 
> 
> Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
> battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
> acting as a USB host? 

USB was a master/slave 'bus'.   The master (host) was the sole source of
electrical power to run your mouse, keyboard, speaker, etc.
So, a master could charge a phone.   The phone, on the other hand is
a slave (and thus won't try to provide regulated power on the bus).

OTG was the name of the change that made it possible to power a gizmo
from a phone, and it ONLY worked with micro-USB connector (they had to use an extra pin).
Maybe your Lenovo  was not OTG-compatible, or maybe it has a bad extra pin.   I've been
able to  use OTG-connect  memory sticks with iPad and Android tablets, but there's some
wierdness (takes a special app on the iPad, and reformatting the stick is verboten).

What's the file system on the memory stick?

On Sun, 6 Feb 2022 10:46:21 -0800 (PST), Lasse Langwadt Christensen
<langwadt@fonz.dk> wrote:

>s&#4294967295;ndag den 6. februar 2022 kl. 19.40.58 UTC+1 skrev legg:
>> On Sun, 6 Feb 2022 17:02:28 -0000, Mike Coon <gra...@mjcoon.plus.com> 
>> wrote:
>> >In article <l8qvvg90aa541vdla...@4ax.com>, 
>> >le...@nospam.magma.ca says... 
>> >> 
>> >> Recent experience (first) with a Lenovo Tab 8 
>> >> had me scratching my head. 
>> >> 
>> >> It's USB (~charging) port could communicate with a 
>> >> PC for file transfer, but couldn't read a memory stick. 
>> >> This with all the recommended OTG cabling. 
>> >> 
>> >> Why would you stick a communicative USB port on a 
>> >> battery-operated device and then restrict it from 
>> >> acting as a USB host? 
>> >> 
>> >> Is this normal? 
>> >> 
>> >> Is this sane? 
>> >> 
>> >> I know there are a multitude of other methods of 
>> >> com available for these devices, but why not 
>> >> simple USB stick transfer? 
>> >> 
>> >> RL 
>> > 
>> >My smartphone requires "OTG" to be allowed in Settings/Additional 
>> >Settings. Get sane and RTFM...
>> You should see the manual and the 'settings' window on this 
>> thing (and what it doesn't include). 
>> 
>> The OTG harness is here, but if the 'settings' only allows 
>> choice of USB transaction type and niether mentions hosting, 
>> you're plumb out of luck. 
>> 
>> Wrong toy for the job. Just had higher expectations (and those 
>> were pretty low to begin with). Brought in just to cover a 
>> simple bluetooth com app - figured I'd see what it could 
>> do with some ADC, thermometry, logging or SDR dongles - 
>> for which hardware and apps are available for PC . . . 
>> and for 'android'. 
>> 
>> Quad core ARM Cortex A35 ARMV7-A 64bit in a MediaTek SOC. 
>> Android 7, last patched in 2019. 
>> 
>> What's all this GooglePlay crap anyways? Do I really 
>> want to know? 
>
>it's where you download apps, equivalent to Apples App Store

Download? Where's the download option?
It's install or uninstall.

I'd be happy to download and install it myself, though 
this isn't as easy as it could be. Tablet couldn't 
even see two .apk files in an APPS folder that I created 
using usb file transfers from PC. Apparently the file 
system partially mirrors itself without giving instructions 
on navigating on one side or the other - can't get there 
from here. Tap, Tap, Swipe, Swipe, Tap, Tap, TAP-TAP 
Bloody TAP. 

And what's this locating service that must be enabled  
before an app will run? Not just enabled, but set to 
High-Def (all com modes). And if it's so 'HighDef', 
then why does the tablet tell me that I'm currently 
located at the intersection of two parallel streets?
. . . when I didn't even ask?

Ok , Ok, I'll wait till the right toy comes along.
Where are the junk shops when you need them?

RL