Cannot use Micro-USB port on Venue 11 Pro?

I have the Dell Venue 11 Pro (5130, Bay Trail Atom). I plugged in an OTG cable into the micro-usb charging port and it is not functioning as a USB port. It seems, it is only for charging the tablet. Please update this message if you find otherwise. Thanks.

Sorry —

The User Guide for the 5130 V11 contains a typo — referring to both USB ports as "USB3.0/2.0 x1 combo connector"

Both versions of The Administrator's Guide get it right, calling the micro-B port: "micro USB power connector"

You may nominate a person you would like to see flogged for that screw-up, via the Feedback link @ the bottom of the Dell.com home page...

@DELL-BRIAN B — Glad to see you back, Brian; I don't want to appear ungrateful, but it gets worse... in the "Charging the Tablet" section of that 5130 User's Guide, on the same page, the manual 1st states:

CAUTION: Use only the power adapter and power cable that came with your tablet. Using unauthorized power adapters or power cables may cause severe damage to your tablet.

Then, quickly does a 180° by stating:

NOTE: You can also trickle charge the tablet via micro-USB connection. The battery takes up to 24 hours to fully charge depending on the power output of the USB port. The trickle charging also works with other non-Dell adapters.

(As a result, I cannot shake-off this mental image of delegates from Dell's Engineering and Legal Departments facing-off in a tug-o-war, across a moat filled with bovine effluvia; we may need to wait 'til Spring, to find out who won...) 

@DELL-BRIAN B — Glad to see you back, Brian; I don't want to appear ungrateful, but it gets worse... in the "Charging the Tablet" section of that 5130 User's Guide, on the same page, the manual 1st states: CAUTION: Use only the power adapter and power cable that came with your tablet. Using unauthorized power adapters or power cables may cause severe damage to your tablet. Then, quickly does a 180° by stating: NOTE: You can also trickle charge the tablet via micro-USB connection. The battery takes up to 24 hours to fully charge depending on the power output of the USB port. The trickle charging also works with other non-Dell adapters. (As a result, I cannot shake-off this mental image of delegates from Dell's Engineering and Legal Departments facing-off in a tug-o-war, across a moat filled with bovine effluvia; we may need to wait 'til Spring, to find out who won...)

The assumption here was that you would use the detachable micro USB to USB cable that is part of the AC adapter.   The wording "The trickle charging also works...non-Dell... is definitely confusing though.   I'll ask them to correct that as well.

Thanks!

The Venue 11 micro-USB port is intended for charging the tablet; there's also a full-size USB 3.0 port for data transfer. If you need to use both USB ports for data, you'll need to connect the 2nd device thru an "OTG" adapter attached to the micro-port (it needs to be self-powered or low-powered). 

C2G Mobile Device USB Micro-B to USB Device OTG Adapter Cable - USB adapter - 6 in : Connected Classroom | Dell

Enroll (free) in Dell's Member Advantage program, and the shipping is free.

(Dell must lose money, selling the adapter this way; why not just include one in the box? — And, don't get me going about the <ADMIN NOTE: Substitute character removed as per TOU>  User Guide...)

I thought this was a problem until I spotted the full size USB socket.

Wait, doesn't this last post expressly contradict every other post in this topic, including Brian from Dell's? Don't get me wrong, I'd certainly like to use the micro-USB port for data, but all signs seem to point to that not being possible....

So is it possible to charge with the full size usb port?

I know the keyboard battery can charge it through what seems like a version of usb.

Wanted to put in my $.02 as I understand it and someone can PLEASE tell me if I'm wrong.

The way I understand it is our charging bricks can optionally output 5V@2A (or there abouts - and about 10W) when used with any normal USB device, so as to safely charge a phone.  When plugged into our tablet the data pins are shorted* and that tells the power brick to unleash 19.5V@1.5A (or there abouts), thusly outputting the 24W it's capable of.  Our tablets don't generally charge off of 5V, which is why, at best, you can trickle charge on a regular adapter.  This shorting of the data pins prevents the use of the port for OTG.  My old ASUS tablet was similar, but it used USB3 spec cable to give it more pins and allow functionality while still telling the charger to BOOOOST!

*Now here's where I'm not clear...and DELL, please, PLEASE tell me how this is working, because I'd REALLY like to build a portable battery pack that would actually charge this (I know a thing or two about electronics so I promise not to fry it and call in the warranty).  Does it just short the data pins or is there a level of resistance to trigger the charger boost?  I'd test it myself, but I don't have all the right equipment available right now to measure the USB pins. I have the equipment...just not right now...today.  The other question is will the port take 19.5V no matter what (no connection at all to the data pins.... just +/- pins being fed voltage)?  Actually, can you just send the spec for charging this thing?  Pinout, acceptable V/I input, etc?

FYI, I have the 7140 version of this.

Any answer to this yet?

www.laptop-junction.com/.../inside-dell-ac-power-adapter-mystery-revealed

https://hclxing.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/hacking-a-dell-power-adapter-final-not-really/

"UniqueWare Add-Only Memory": the 'handshake' permitting the full 24W from the adapter floats a communication signal on the (+) DC connection.

Soldering a micro-USB plug to a 65W dell adapter (note: the adapter cable must only use two wires: one for ground, one for +19VDC), from 1999 worked for me.

Any Dell adapter with a power-rating greater than 23W should be hackable into a working Venue adapter, if it uses the same "one-wire" protocol.

In discerning between regular USB charging (5V/2A), and Venue-specific charging (19V/1.2A), the stock adapter plays it safe, refusing to allow the higher voltage without a properly-executed "handshake". I avoided that by building a 19V-only adapter, which will likely damage regular USB devices.

Just to clarify...so you were able to build a 19v "Dumb" charger with MicroUSB output or a female USB port (just the +/- leads attached, none of the data wires attached to anything) and the tablet charges just fine?

Good day Brian,

I have the Venue 11 7130 and I just last month I realized that a multiple USB does't work in order to connect 2 ssd or more devises at same time  and this is what I would like to use :

http://www.ebay.it/itm/Moltiplicatore-Hub-Splitter-4-Porte-Femmina-USB-2-0-per-PC-Computer-/262752261940?hash=item3d2d415734:g:gDEAAOSwEzxYR925

pls. also note that  i saw the nice Dell docking station but I don't need it .

so what can I do to make working the multiple usb hub?

please help me

thanks

Filippo