AC adapter causes XT to boot and go into file transfer mode

[Peobody]

Weird behavior this morning with my XT. I have been using it a lot off the bike. It's battery was down to approx 80% so I decided to charge it back to full however when I connected it to an AC adapter using the original Garmin cable it booted up then tried to go into file transfer mode, hanging there with a dim screen. I unplugged it then tried again with the same result. I changed AC adapters and the XT then booted up without going into file transfer mode. So, I have one comment and one question.

Comment: An AC adapter can make the XT think it is connected to a PC. Weird!

Question: When shutting the XT down while it is connected to an AC adapter, shouldn't it display a notice advising that it would continue charging? Perhaps I misremembering when that notice appears.

[Rofor]

The Zumo XT do not charge, when it is turned off(!)(long press on the power button) while on a AC adapter! It only charges, when you send it 'at sleep'(short press on the power button) - and than there is the message that it's charging!

[Peobody]

Thanks @Rofor !!

[danham]

I don't know the details, but in general the way the XT decides whether to be charging or moving data is by what pins go up or down 5 volts, per the USB standard. This is why some USB cables can't do data because they don't have that pin connected. So it's possible that the first AC adapter sent a data signal.

-dan

[Peobody]

So it's possible that the first AC adapter sent a data signal.

The AC adapter is by Apple. I routinely use it to charge my iPhone, Cardo headsets, and Samsung Galaxy Tab A tablet so I was surprised when it made the XT go into file transfer mode. Output is 5v according to its label. Oh well! The takeaway is that if you attempt to charge your XT and it goes into file transfer mode, try a different AC adapter.

[jfheath]

That behaviour was common with the 590 and 595. Sometimes it was difficult to have it powered while using it. Different cables helped sometimes.

Typically, the XT will recognise that it is going into data communication mode and give a 20 second countdown before it does so. On that screen you can confirm you want to transfer data or reject it. Save 20 seconds of your life for doing something more important like watching paint dry. Maybe you didn't notice the countdown ?

XT Connect USB.png (65.21 KiB) Viewed 1113 times

The left hand screen pops up as soon as I plug in the USB cable to either a power USB socket or to the USB socket on my computer.

The right hand screen is the only place that I can think of that may have any effect on this (though I am not convinced).
That is in the hidden system config menu - long press the circular speedo after tapping the speed button on the map screen,
then Configuration and Settings -> MTP Settings.

You'd probably want to show .System. (Not advisable for everyone - beyond here there be dragons which eat important data)

"MTP Mode" has three options. One is USB Ethernet. I don't know what these do - although I have seen USB Ethernet adaptors. Whatever - mine is set to MTP autodetect. (Media Transfer Protocol).


The XT2 does it differently. It recognises the USB cable connection but you have to press a button which appears on some screens if you want it to go into data transfer mode.

[lkraus]

I wish a Zumo would work like our old TomTom. With a computer connection, you could switch between normal use and transfer mode as often as you would like, and could be unplugged without a reboot.

[Peobody]

Typically, the XT will recognise that it is going into data communication mode and give a 20 second countdown before it does so.

For me, this typical behaviour had always occurred when connecting to a PC but not when connecting to an AC adapter, until I found an AC adapter that caused atypical behaviour. I hadn't tested what would happen if I cancelled out of the "USB connection detected..." prompt and then put the XT to sleep so I just tried it to see if the "Charging the battery..." notice would appear. It did. It appears that this AC adapter is charging, it just triggers the USB connection prompt not triggered by other adapters.