Connecting OTG Card Reader Via Magnetic Micro-USB Cord

[LordJohnGrey]

My tablet specs are:

I use a magnetic micro-usb charger which also has data transfer capabilities. I use this, as a micro-usb port in an older tablet became loose and unusable.

I'm using micro SD cards in my cameras, and have been popping them into the sd card slot on my tablet to transfer the images.

However if it is possible, I would much prefer to connect an otg micro SD card reader to my tablet via a magnetic USB cable.

I've tried connecting the OTG card reader directly via the micro-usb port, and this works perfectly. However, I don't want to keep using the micro-usb port to do this, due to wear & tear occurring on the port.

If I have the magnetic micro-usb cable connected to the tablet, and use a USB A female to female connector to connect that cable to the OTG SD card reader, my tablet doesn't connect - due to a lack of a USB power source?

Would a mains powered USB hub, with my tablet's USB cable plugged in, and the OTG SD card reader plugged into the hub, enable my tablet to connect to the SD card?

Is there a simpler solution?

Thank you for any help

 

[Traveller]

Was your older tablet using a mini-USB connector? If so, that explains the source of the port loosening up. Mini-USB connectors are rated for approximately 500 insertions before deforming. Micro-USB is far more robust, being rated at about 10,000 insertions. Example: the Micro-USB connector on my Samsung Galaxy S4 from 2014 is still going strong today in 2021, and the cable had been inserted and removed daily for two years until I retired it after upgrading to a Nexus 6. To me, the simple solution is to not worry about the port loosening up. The tablet will likely stop working before the connector gives up.

As for using a hub and connecting the OTG reader, it likely will not work as Android I don't think supports USB hubs.

Finally, regarding the tablet you have now, it's a pretty good one despite being nearly two years old now, though you really should take the update to Android 8.1 Lenovo has available for it. I have the same tablet and in approximately eighteen months since I bought it I have not had an issue with the port: I don't use a magnetic adapter.

 

[LordJohnGrey]

Was your older tablet using a mini-USB connector? If so, that explains the source of the port loosening up. Mini-USB connectors are rated for approximately 500 insertions before deforming. Micro-USB is far more robust, being rated at about 10,000 insertions. Example: the Micro-USB connector on my Samsung Galaxy S4 from 2014 is still going strong today in 2021, and the cable had been inserted and removed daily for two years until I retired it after upgrading to a Nexus 6. To me, the simple solution is to not worry about the port loosening up. The tablet will likely stop working before the connector gives up.

As for using a hub and connecting the OTG reader, it likely will not work as Android I don't think supports USB hubs.

Finally, regarding the tablet you have now, it's a pretty good one despite being nearly two years old now, though you really should take the update to Android 8.1 Lenovo has available for it. I have the same tablet and in approximately eighteen months since I bought it I have not had an issue with the port: I don't use a magnetic adapter.

Yeah, I absolutely love this tablet. Thank you for reminding me to update, I keep ignoring that message

Previous was another Lenovo, a Tab 2 A10-70. And I am completely blaming operator error on how the micro-usb port got loose. But I do love using just a magnetic charger cable now.

 

[Traveller]

In a Micro-USB connector you have two pins for power (+5V, -5V) and two pins for data; the fifth is unused unless you have a Garmin GPS. Based upon your descriptions the cable must only have the two power pins connected, which explains why the OTG adapter doesn't work with the coupler and the cable.

Your options I think are to either look for a cable that can support data transfer through the magnetic attachment or continue using the MicroSD card slot as you have been.

 

[LordJohnGrey]

Thank you - I'm using this magnetic cable:Wilino v3
And I agree that the problem is the cable. When connected for charging for data transfer on a PC, it lights up.

It doesn't do that when I have it connected to the tablet, coupler and otg SD card reader. So obviously it needs a power source from somewhere.

I appreciate all your help