NeoPad Battery Mod - 24+ Hours Battery Life - 3 x 2200mAh - DOES NOT WORK

[erexx]

Please know that at this time this does not work.
I will update the thread when I find a safe way to recharge the batteries used

I was disappointed with the results of my previous NeoPad Battery Mod.
http://forums.maxconsole.net/showthread.php?p=822396#post822396
Seemed like a waste to only get 20% out of a whole other lithium battery by feeding back through the 5v

So I decided to try and figure out if there was a way to send the juice to the Battery input instead.

I also wanted to add another Battery.
This would give me 3 x 2200mAh batteries.
Hook them up in parallel and we get a 6600mAh 3.6v Lithium Battery.
In theory it should last between 24-27 hours.
They should recharge as normal from the PSP's 5v DC trickle charge.

This is alot like Siggen's Tripple Battery mod idea with internal slim batteries.
However, I have had this idea for long time but it didn't involve anything as pervasive as hard modding the PSP.
I know that the PAD isn't a very popular accessory.

I just wanted to share my mod and some information that might help anyone else trying to add battery life to the device.

It seems to charge fine and I haven't run into real any problems yet...
The external batteries do have to be reset, turned on and off, occasionally for the PSP battery meter to read correctly.

During my mod I ran into a snag that I wasn't expecting.

I am not sure exactly why but i think it has something to do with the way the PSP boots.
 
The PSP will not turn on if it does not receive a valid serial number.
Or more basically, if the middle pin, 2, is not connected at the same time the initial 3.6v is applied to pins 1 and 3.
So it is impossible to power the PSP on pins 1 and 3 using battery input power alone.

The solution is to power up the PSP on a single standard battery and then turn on the extra power with a switch.

Once the PSP is on the switch can be turned on or off and the PSP can be shutdown and restarted normally.

The only time the switch to the external batteries ever needs to be used again is if the PSP is ever completely run down on battery power or if the batteries are disconnected.

Here are some pics from the MOD minus the switch I need to finalize the mod.
I will post that as soon as I find the perfect one.


NeoPad external battery mod.
24+ Hours Battery Life
3 x 2200mAh = 6600mAh


Get the wire I want to use from an 80pin IDE cable.


Make little loops on one end of the cable.


Align the Loops around the battery header.
Not shown here are some small strips of masking tape that I used to help hold the wires in place.


Usually Red is for positive but I Reversed the loops here by accident. (Yikes!)
Please know that:
Pin 1 is Negative
Pin 3 is Positive


Snap the battery in place and it holds everything snuggly into place:


The battery cover still slips cleanly into place:


Remove the 5v DC wiring harness from the NeoPad


Wire up the second battery in parallel with the first.


At this point I decided to replace my two wire power connector with a strip of 5 wires from the 80wire IDE  cable.
It just seemed a whole lot stronger and I did want to risk a short.
So I used the 3 extra wires to simply separate the positive and negative wires from each other a little more.

Turn on the PSP with a single internal battery.


Connect the NeoPad Battery pack to the PSP.


Check the battery PSP meter
24 hours... Much Better!


No switch no reset the battery pack for now
Looks Ugly as hell.


But its time to take a break and recharge my batteries.


I will post a pic with the final switch in place.
It should look a lot better... not to mention safer.

[erexx]

I read the rest of Siggen's Tripple Battery mod thread.
A 5v kick start is all that the PSP needs (plus at least one real battery)

Turns out that I really don't need a switch to turn on/off the battery pack.
The PSP will start with 5v and then it will run on the battery pack without problems.

The 5wire ribbon running from the PSP to the NeoPad Battery pack


The PSP clipped into the NeoPad


The remaining loose ribbon easily tucks into the handle.

[SYSTEM aka (Cyberpyrot)]

that is awsome good job erexx!!!

[Tec_]

not bad at all, this would rock for some serious gaming, or watching some movies on a long flight.

[griff]

very intriguing....good job

[TheGrandPubaa]

How do you charge the external batteries? Just plug the PSP up to AC and it charges all three? Is it really that convenient?
*edit- I just reread the top and noticed that you said it should work just like that. Have you confirmed this, or is it still theoretical?*

Great mod, man. I'm seriously considering doing it myself, if it's really that simple(and safe).

[nez]

not bad man you just gave me an idea i have some thing laying around i can use thanks again.

[Maximize]

So how come you couldn't use the regular power connector supplied with the neo controller, and then dump the batteries supplied with the neo and wire in your extra lithium units.  I like that you made it work, I have been considering doing this with my vector controller.

[Tri-edge]

So how come you couldn't use the regular power connector supplied with the neo controller, and then dump the batteries supplied with the neo and wire in your extra lithium units.  I like that you made it work, I have been considering doing this with my vector controller.

I think because he wouldn't be able to charge them without taking them out.  This way let's "supposedly" charge all three at once.

[erexx]

How do you charge the external batteries? Just plug the PSP up to AC and it charges all three? Is it really that convenient?
*edit- I just reread the top and noticed that you said it should work just like that. Have you confirmed this, or is it still theoretical?*

Great mod, man. I'm seriously considering doing it myself, if it's really that simple(and safe).

Thanks!
Charging seems to work fine.
The whole pack "charged completed 100%" through the PSP's 5v DC
I am still in the processes of discharging the entire pack so I can see how long all 3 take to charge from 0%.

So how come you couldn't use the regular power connector supplied with the neo controller, and then dump the batteries supplied with the neo and wire in your extra lithium units.  I like that you made it work, I have been considering doing this with my vector controller.

If I understand what you are saying, that is the way I did it the first time.
This had a few draw backs.
The power gain from draining the battery back through the 5v DC on the PSP was poor.
For a single 2200mAh lithium replacing the 4AAA's, the gain as same... only about 20%.
I wasn't too pleased with the results... considering the cost and potential of the new lithium battery.

Running the power through the battery DC seems to be more efficient.
I didn't know if it really would be or not... just made sense that it should.
so I just tried it to see what the result would be.

[Neokage]

Awesome man 
I'm thinking too in doing a mod like this ... 24 hours battery 

[redryno1221]

beat me to it I also was going to do this mod b4 my psp died  ... good tut though

PS you should make a plug so you can go without the pad if you don't have the space or whatever...

[TheGrandPubaa]

I agree on the plug idea. Some easy way to disconnect the batteries safely so you can swap UMDs or take it on the go.

[l30]

very nice mod, might make the PAD a more popular accessory

[erexx]

How do you charge the external batteries? Just plug the PSP up to AC and it charges all three? Is it really that convenient?
*edit- I just reread the top and noticed that you said it should work just like that. Have you confirmed this, or is it still theoretical?*

Great mod, man. I'm seriously considering doing it myself, if it's really that simple(and safe).

Thanks!
Charging seems to work fine.
The whole pack "charged completed 100%" through the PSP's 5v DC
I am still in the processes of discharging the entire pack so I can see how long all 3 take to charge from 0%.

Bad News.
I finished discharging and recharging the pack.
Your suspicion's are correct.
The whole pack "charged completed 100%" through the PSP's 5v DC, But it was only the first battery that charged.
The other two batteries will not charge like this.
I am using the official sony batteries unmodified.
I think the circuit boards will not allow the batteries to be recharged without all three pins.
Before starting the project I charged all 3 batteries individually in a PSP.
I am going to have to go back to the native 5v DC inputs.
Basically using the neo pad as it was designed, except using sony batteries instead of aaa's
I am not brave enough to hardwire the batteries to the positive and negative leads without the charge/discharge circuits.

Looks like I am going to use the 5v DC anyways.
This should make the mod much more simple to implement and use overall.
Or I could stay with what I have or use a switch that allows for external changing and then internal discharge.
I would have to charge the pad separately.
Hummm I don't know...

[FaT3oYCG]

you could just mod it to use a :censored:e load of aaa or aa batteries that are rechargeable but why wont you do it without the circuit boards it wont make a difference as the third pin on the battery is the serial pin nothing else ???

either one of those ways would be fine - using a psp battery with no circuit board is the same as using aaa or aa batteries as they dont have one anyway

[crazyrockdude101]

dude this is nice
  good mod

[FaT3oYCG]

nice mod again but take note to what i said

[TheGrandPubaa]

Is there any way to charge the two batteries seperately with the PSP charger, kind of like this pack? It wouldn't be quite as convenient, but the added battery life would make it a worthy tradeoff, no?

[Maximize]

that blue raven unit would be hot with some grafted hand grips, maybe even speakers in the grips

[erexx]

nice mod again but take note to what i said

I thought the boards are also part of the battery making them safe to charge and discharge at a safe rate.
Isn't there a chance they could explode when charging or discharge at too high a voltage if I do this?

At this point I don't have much choice because I am wrong about the batteries taking a charge directly from the DC power pack.
They will not. (big mistake on my part)

Without the ability to "safely" recharge the batteries this project is a failure

[erexx]

Is there any way to charge the two batteries seperately with the PSP charger, kind of like this pack? It wouldn't be quite as convenient, but the added battery life would make it a worthy tradeoff, no?

I really wish I would have gone this route.
It was on my mind.
There are other pads with removable battery bays built in.

you could just mod it to use a :censored:e load of aaa or aa batteries that are rechargeable but why wont you do it without the circuit boards it wont make a difference as the third pin on the battery is the serial pin nothing else ???

either one of those ways would be fine - using a psp battery with no circuit board is the same as using aaa or aa batteries as they dont have one anyway

As it turns out this does not work.
I tested recharging a battery without the circuit board and while at first it seemed to work,
About 20 minutes later it started smoking...
I quickly pulled the power cord but apparently it was not soon enough because it managed to kill the power supply.

[Neokage]

I'm sure this is gonna work ... keep on the good work, u gonna make it dud 

[nez]

wow man ya you might need the boards on thier to tell when it is done charging. that would stink haveing a fire . Why cant you have a seperate charging point for the two batteries. I looked through my old GBA stuff and found the hadle bars that have speakers and batteries and they charge seperate from the GBA. But they power the GBA. 

[erexx]

I tried all three pins.
Tried ground the second pin.
Tried recharging the lithium without the circuit board.

wow man ya you might need the boards on thier to tell when it is done charging. that would stink haveing a fire . Why cant you have a seperate charging point for the two batteries. I looked through my old GBA stuff and found the hadle bars that have speakers and batteries and they charge seperate from the GBA. But they power the GBA. 

It looked like it was working at first but it fried the battery and my spare charger
My guess is that boards are also part of the battery, making them safe to charge and discharge at a safely.

Maybe cannibalizing an official recharger somehow.
But I think I would rather just charge a couple of spares, keep them in my pocket and use them when I need too.

[Siggen]

Actually i have a new idea, as it seems my mod idea wont work to the full extent of what i was hoping.
This mod would remove the UMD tray and would charge the psp externally.
it would involve the removal of the whole tray, and the back cover.
Put in this http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7247 i just need to see if i can find the measurements of the size of this baby.
then take the wire from this, i would probably just solder it to the mobo 5v in plug, but it would surely be able to have something like this instead

[FaT3oYCG]

i just had an idea - sorry if what i told you ruined ur battery but i have done it to one of mine before and it worked fine - i think that if you overcharge it it still fills up coz the circuit board isn't on

well anyway seen as we now know that you need a circuit for the battery to charge and discharge properly you said that charging multiple ones didn't work and only charged the first

so my point is what if you hooked all three batteries up to one circuit board and then hooked that circuit board up to the psp - it should then work as it only passes through one circuit board so the psp should read all three as one battery with extremely large capacity - and just take a long time to charge

tell me what you think and maybe try it out

[Siggen]

Try to make this battery:


and then see how the extra battery's work

EDIT:
i also found this
the site is in norwegian, but its basically a retail version of what you are creating

EDIT 2(translation of product description):

Dette er et håndtak til PSP med innebygget batteri som gir PSP konsollen din lengre batterilevetid. Håndtaket gir også et mye bedre grep å holde i når du spiller som gjør at du får mindre påkjenning på håndleddene. Charger grips gir batteriet 1,5x lengre levetid enn orginalt. Håndtakene er svært enkle å ta av og på ved hjelp av påmonterte klips.

- Innebygd lithium-ion batteri gir konsollen opp til 1,5x (ca. 7 timer) lengre batterilevetid.
- Ergonomisk design gjør at konsollen blir mer behagelig å spille med.
- Enkel å ta av og på
- Bruk den orignale AC adapteren til å lade både psp batteriet og ladehåndtakene samtidig.
- Unikt design gjør at du får følelsen av å holde i en dual shock kontroller.
- Nyt spillene og filmene dine over lengre tid uten at du trenger å lade.

-Built in lithium-ion battery gives the console up to 1,5x (about 7hours) longer batterylife.
-Ergonomic design gives a better grip for the psp.
-Easy to take on and off
-Use the original AC adapter to charge both the PSP's battery and the charger-grip at the same time.
-Unique design gives the feeling of holding a Dual Shock controller
-Enjoy your games and movies over a longer time whit out the need to charge.

[Maximize]

yeah that is what he bought and attempted to increase the mah

[Siggen]

i think he added the batteries him self, the thing i linked has batteries in them when u buy em

[corrosion]

i just had an idea - sorry if what i told you ruined ur battery but i have done it to one of mine before and it worked fine - i think that if you overcharge it it still fills up coz the circuit board isn't on

well anyway seen as we now know that you need a circuit for the battery to charge and discharge properly you said that charging multiple ones didn't work and only charged the first

so my point is what if you hooked all three batteries up to one circuit board and then hooked that circuit board up to the psp - it should then work as it only passes through one circuit board so the psp should read all three as one battery with extremely large capacity - and just take a long time to charge

tell me what you think and maybe try it out

That is exactly what I wanted to do... I'll be putting batteries inside the umd drive slot.... when I get a spare psp I'll be doing this mod