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I need to connect a barcode scanner to my tablet computer. It works great with the barcode scanner connected to the micro USB port.

However while the barcode scanner is connected, the USB port on the tablet cannot be used for charging.

Is there a way to connect the barcode scanner to the tablet that allows the tablet to be connected to a wall outlet at the same time?

edit

To clarify: the tablet has only 1 USB port (micro USB). That USB port is the only way to charge the tablet while the tablet is powered on. So when another device (my barcode scanner) is connected to the tablet via said USB port, I cannot keep the tablet in charge. At some point I have to disconnect the barcode scanner from the tablet's micro USB port so I can charge the tablet.

fixer1234
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Sébastien
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  • I'm not familiar with that particular setup. Can you clarify why you can't charge while the scanner is connected (user manual says you can't, you tried it and it doesn't work)? How do you know it isn't working? If you plug in the charger while the scanner is connected and then disconnect the scanner, does charging start? – fixer1234 Sep 26 '14 at 15:26
  • @fixer1234 please see my edit and thanks for your interest, this is beginning to feel like a tumbleweed post... – Sébastien Sep 26 '14 at 19:50
  • USB hard drives often use a "Y" cable for extra power; one of the plugs taps off extra power and has a signal pass-through where another device can be plugged in so you don't lose two connections. You would need something like that plus USB to micro USB adapters plus maybe some gender changers. It would be a kluge, but it would work. See if the scanner can use an external power adapter (would eliminate the load on the tablet battery). If you have some soldering skill, you could make your own adapter. – fixer1234 Sep 26 '14 at 22:42
  • If you are just adding or tapping power, you don't need any special circuitry like you would find in a USB hub (and I don't believe you can pump power backwards through a hub, so that wouldn't be a solution). – fixer1234 Sep 26 '14 at 22:42
  • @fixer1234 Not sure what your comment means... What *do* I need? An adapter (what kind)? – Sébastien Sep 26 '14 at 22:47
  • I'll stick this in an answer because it will probably exceed what I can put in a comment. – fixer1234 Sep 27 '14 at 01:23

1 Answers1

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Ready Made

As a first step, look for something that somebody already offers that will do the job (you can't be the only person who needs to charge the tablet while something is plugged into it). Third parties sell solutions when there is a need. If you can't find a commercial product, then step 2:

Build Your Own

Approach: What you want to do is the reverse of what is commonly done for external hard disks, but you would do it the same way using a "Y" cable. As background, these Y cables became a popular solution for USB 2.0 external hard disks because the power available from a USB 2.0 port often isn't adequate. Two of the wires in a USB port are for power, the remaining ones are for the signal. The Y cable connects a second USB cable to the first that just picks up power from a second USB port. The signal is transferred at one port but two ports are providing power.

You want to transfer the scanner's signal at your one port but add power to that port at the same time. The solution is to use the same kind of cable used for hard disks, but use it backwards; the tablet will be at the receiving end instead of a hard disk.

Note that the "Y" cables are much more common for USB 2.0 connections, so you need to check the specs for all of the components. You can use this approach for devices other than a scanner. If the tablet has a USB 3.0 port and you are connecting a high bandwidth device, the Y cable and any adapter cables on the signal path need to be USB 3.0 in order to contain the connections needed for high speed data transfer. USB 2.0 components will work but will limit the data transfer to USB 2.0 speeds.

Designing the solution: The goal is to create a Y cable with the right connectors to match your devices. How you accomplish that depends on what adapters are readily available to you. In your case, the scanner cord has a male micro USB connector as does the power pack. The tablet has a female micro USB connector. It becomes a puzzle to create a "Y" cable with a male micro USB connector to go into the tablet and two female micro USB connectors to receive the scanner and power cords.

I did a quick search at Amazon.com and found this as an example of a "Y" cable:

Y cable

It has a male micro USB connector to go into your tablet but two male USB connectors where your scanner and power pack need to connect. So we need something to turn the male USB connectors into female micro USB connectors. A little searching finds this adapter:

adapter

The instructions for the Y cable will identify which connector is the extra power connector and that is the side of the "Y" you plug your power pack into.

I was surprised that this could be put together from only three parts. Often, you need a motley collection of connector format changers, gender changers, etc.

Diagram

fixer1234
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  • I want to do the same thing using a windows tablet. In theory I should be able to add a usb hub (where the scanner is connected) to add multiple flash drives or usb devices as keyboard and mouse. Right? – sebastian Nov 26 '15 at 20:20
  • Yes, but keep in mind that it won't give you a "powered" hub. The hub will still be limited to the power of a single USB input if you don't connect it to an external power adapter. – fixer1234 Nov 27 '15 at 03:52
  • Looking back at this old post, I realized that this approach might not work. If the tablet USB is in host mode, it may not charge. It might require an "accessory charge adapter" for that. For an explanation, see: [Windows tablet otg simultaneously charge?](http://superuser.com/a/1124354/364367). – fixer1234 Oct 30 '16 at 05:23