DIYLaptopMods https://diylaptopmods.com Mods for Lenovo Thinkpad Sun, 29 Aug 2021 20:45:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://i0.wp.com/diylaptopmods.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-logo-v2-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 DIYLaptopMods https://diylaptopmods.com 32 32 214585418 Comparison of Charging results over type-C PD between Lenovo X230 and L380 https://diylaptopmods.com/2020/03/20/solutions-for-your-own-business/ Fri, 20 Mar 2020 01:06:18 +0000 https://diylaptopmods.com/2021/08/29/solutions-for-your-own-business/

As we have tried already to see how the lenovo X230 behaves when charged from a Xiaomi Power Bank 3 Pro we thought why not give it a go and try a ThinkPad L380 and then compare the results.

The test aim : 

1. How long it takes to fully charge a Lenovo Thinkpad L380 with the configuration i5 Processor , 24gb Ram.
2. How much juice is left in the Power Bank after this charge. ( we can only judge based on the LED indicators that are present on the power bank as we don't have other ways to read this information from the power bank .

The test setup is the same as before ( just with a different laptop) :
  1. Linux Operating System
  2. Battery drained to aprox 6%
  3. Laptop Shutdown (with the laptop powered on there can be many factors to influence how much current is drawn by the laptop. )
  4. Start charging and monitoring the process​
  5. Usb Charger Analyzer RuiDeng TC66C Connected between the Power Bank and the Lenovo Thinkpad L380 and connected to the PC with the purpose of monitoring and exporting the charging behaviour.
INSERT TEST PICS HERE
We have noticed on the laptop side:

1. Full charge time elapsed : 2h46min opposed to X230 where it took 1h46min6 seconds
2. Peak power drawn 28-31w
​3. Smooth charge at 15V while the X230 charges at 20V
4. Nothing seemed out of place during the charging process. 

We have noticed on the power bank side:

1. Battery level left around 50 % as opposed to X230 where about 25% was left.
2. No over heating but less warm than while charging the X230
3. Smooth power output

Conclusions : 

L380 Battery size capacity : 3980mAh (typ)
L380 Charge time : 2h6min
X230 Battery size capacity : 5130mAh ( typ for the 6-cell battery pack)
X230 Charge time : 1h46min

We consider this test very interesting especially in comparison with the Lenovo Thinkpad X230. They use the PD protocol in a different way and they give slightly different results. There are ups and downs for each but the most notable are X230 charges 40 min faster but drains 25% more the same power bank.

What do you think ? Do you have any other test suggestions? Get in touch and let us know πŸ™‚ . 

]]> 16 Charging a Lenovo X230 from a 45W Xiaomi Power Bank 3 Pro https://diylaptopmods.com/2020/02/27/make-your-delivery-faster-with-our-services/ Thu, 27 Feb 2020 01:06:18 +0000 https://diylaptopmods.com/2021/08/29/make-your-delivery-faster-with-our-services/

The test aim : 

1. How long it takes to fully charge a Lenovo Thinkpad X230 with the configuration i5 Processor , 16gb Ram, 6cell battery.
2. How much juice is left in the Power Bank after this charge. ( we can only judge based on the LED indicators that are present on the power bank as we don't have other ways to read this information from the power bank .

The test setup :

1. Lenovo X230( i5, 16gb ram, 6 cell battery) discharged to 6% battery level.
2. Power laptop off ( with the laptop powered on there can be many factors to influence how much current is drawn by the laptop. )
3. Usb Charger Analyzer RuiDeng TC66C Connected between the Power Bank and the Lenovo Thinkpad X230 and connected to the PC with the purpose of monitoring and exporting the charging behaviour.

charge-from-power-bank-0-to-full
Start
start2
Start
x230-charge-2_orig
x230-charge-4_orig
x230-charge-5_orig
x230-charge-6_orig
x230-charge-7_orig
x230-charge-8_orig
x230-charge-9_orig

The test results gave and interesting insight about what this laptop needs/requires during charging while powered off. 

We have noticed on the laptop side:

1. Full charge time elapsed : 1h46min6 seconds
2. Peak power drawn 33-35w
​3. Smooth charging
4. Nothing seemed out of place during the charging process. 

We have noticed on the power bank side:

1. Battery level left under 25 %
2. No over heating
3. Smooth power output

Conclusions : 

We consider this test a success but to be noted is the power loss during the DC-DC conversion in the power bank. This means that if you need to use the power bank for a full charger, we recommend that will power off the laptop, otherwise you might not get a full charge. We consider this test result a definitive improvement over the previous ways in which this kind of laptop needed to be charged ( over the barrel connector). 

What do you think ? Do you have any other test suggestions? Get in touch and let us know πŸ™‚ . 

]]> 18 DLM Testing process for Charging modules https://diylaptopmods.com/2020/02/22/make-your-investment-wisely/ Sat, 22 Feb 2020 01:06:18 +0000 https://diylaptopmods.com/2021/08/29/make-your-investment-wisely/

DLM Testing process for Charging modules

Because this project was born from passion for technology we wish to be as transparent as possible with you and the entire community. We will walk you thru our testing so you can see for yourself how we manage this process and if you have any questions we are here to respond πŸ™‚ .

We are testing from each batch of boards 3 random samples.

After the board (PCBa) is assemled we walk thru the following steps :
1. We check the board under a digital microscope to ensure all the connections are clean. ( We are doing this for absolutely all the boards.)
2. We use a Type-C Charger tester ( we use various but to list a couple : RuiDeng TC66C, King Meter Power-Z KM001) to check if the PD protocol was triggered and what voltage level we are pulling fron the charger.
3. Using a Digital Multimeter we are testing the output voltage of the module. We expect to see 20V at the out for a good working module.
4. We solder 2 wires, one on VOUT and the other one on GND in order to connect the module to our Load Tester. 
5. We start the load testing. The load testing is done in 3 stages :
a. We are testing for 1-2h 30W load.
b. We are testing for 1-2h 65W load.
c. We are testing for 1-2h 90w-100W load.
*We are using a digital load and therefore it is difficult to keep it load at precisely 100W due to the fact that the elements of the load heat up and slightly change their properties resulting in load variations.
6. We take the module and run the tests from steps 1  to 3 again.
7. We solder the connector for one of the laptops that we use for testing ( normally a Lenovo Thinkpad x230) and charge the laptop using the module. ( Dependes what is the charge level of the laptop when we start so we can not say we charge from an empty battery each time.)

If all the above steps are successful we consider the PCB batch is good and we can proceed to start the assembly of the modules. 

Below a few pictures from the load testing :

  • 60w
  • 62w
  • 80w
  • 46w-text_orig
  • x230-charge-2
  • x230-charge-9
]]> 19 The Birth of DIYLaptopMods https://diylaptopmods.com/2020/01/03/hello-world/ Fri, 03 Jan 2020 01:06:09 +0000 https://diylaptopmods.com/?p=1

It all started with our Mike P. while he was thinking how to minimize his travel kit and make it actually fit in the airlines carrry-on allowance. 
This is a challenge when you NEED more than 1 laptop for your activities and on top of that you start to add phones, power banks, headpones and this list can go on for while πŸ™‚ . It had to be a better way to travel as 2-3kg of chargers only is surely far from efficient. Mike was already using the fairly new USB Type-C connector to charge his phone and a few other gadgets but his legacy laptops ( that happen to be the ones he uses the most) were still using traditional chargers like barrel or square type connectors. Yes there are newer laptops that can take Type-C PD charging but in his eyes, nothing can replace the reliability and the pleasure to type on a Thinkpad X230 or X250. The challenge was on and he looked around for a solution that would suit his needs. The solution came under a board designed by a very smart engineer in the far east. This seems to be almost perfect but it needed a few extra parts around to make it fit in the laptop and allow the electronics to behave as normal due to some differences in the way charging works between the soultions ( original charger and the Type-C PD solution). After a little while he was so proud of the solution that he made a video and publish it online to share his finding with other people that loved Lenovo thinkpads but also to upcycle old laptops. This affair resulted in requests, from others that shared in a way or another is feelings for this laptops, for a product that would not require soldering, kapton tape, hot glue or anything similar. Back to his laboratory desk he thought thru a completly new board that would achieve the functionality but would fit in the exact same and footprint of the original charger port/module. This went on for a while as there have been a few challenges with finding good and reliable parts, finding the proper wire to board connector and finally getting a case designed and figure out a way to materialise the case. Abput a month passed and the product started to get shape in a board just about 10x11mm and packed with components that was wraped in an SLA 3D printed case and was able to fit in his laptop. As the community was very welcoming and looking forward to get such a product, Mike decided to focus his attention in developing more products and this is how DIYLaptopMods was born.

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