Venue 11 Pro keyboard docks will not charge

You may notice that Venue 11 Pro keyboard docks will not charge when connected to a tablet that has AC attached.

NOTE: This issue only occurs if the keyboard battery is depleted below 5%. In normal operation, if plugged into A/C power when low battery notification appears, the battery will charge without issue.

If the battery of your keyboard dock has been completely drained of a charge (zero capacity), or depleted below 5% charge, your Venue 11 Pro tablet will be unable to determine its battery status. Our design requires a minimal charge (5%) to be present on the battery for proper detection and charging to occur.

If no charge is present the battery can’t be detected properly, and for to prevent the system from charging a non-Dell authorized battery the tablet will not charge the keyboard dock battery to prevent possible non-Dell authorized battery issues.

Depending on the Venue 11 Pro model, this will be displayed differently.

• On the 7130, Windows will report battery #2 Not present but the LED doesn’t do anything.
• On the 7140, Windows will report battery #2 Not present and the LED on the tablet will flash amber to indicate a charging problem.

Connect AC direct to the keyboard dock

This is not a hardware failure. This is working as it was designed to function.

To resolve, connect an AC adapter directly to the Micro-USB port in the hinge of the keyboard dock for 20-30 minutes to ensure the battery charge is above 5%. The keyboard battery should fully charge via direct connection to the Dell AC adapter in approximately 2 to 4 hours (depending on battery depletion.)

NOTE: The keyboard Micro-USB power port is located in the hinge of the keyboard. To access this port the tablet must be removed from the keyboard.

Once the keyboard dock battery has a charge it will work properly (and charge) when attached to the tablet.

NOTE: Dell recommends power policies to be implemented in the Windows to manage low battery states effectively. Users should be warned to find an alternate power source when any battery get to 5%. (Connect the AC Adapter to the system) If any battery then goes to 3% or less, the system should be automatically shutdown to prevent the keyboard battery from going into low voltage protection mode.

If the battery still does not charge, then you will need to contact technical support about a keyboard replacement or purchase depending on your warranty status.

If the process described here does not resolve the issue

1. Charge a Venue 11 Pro (5130) to 100% while not connected to the travel keyboard.
2. Leave the system connected to the AC Adapter and power it down.
3. Connect the travel keyboard and immediately turn the system on.
4. Access the BIOS and verify that the keyboard was detected.
5. Allow the keyboard to fully charge.

I did notice that the BIOS may not detect the keyboard immediately, or that I needed to power it down and back on (and directly to the BIOS) while connected to the keyboard.

If this does not work, both the American and Canadian depot are capable of recharching or replacing the keyboards. The system does not need to be sent with the keyboard.

If these steps do not correct the problem, please contact Dell Technical Support.