Charger frog with four bulbs. How to charge batteries with a frog

In everyday life, situations are not uncommon when the battery of a phone, or any other gadget, is discharged, and the charger has disappeared somewhere. In this case, a universal charger or “frog” charger in the common people will help out, and how to use it will be described in this article.

How does the frog charger work?

The device looks like a small plastic box, shaped like the aforementioned amphibian. The body of the device is equipped with two contacts in the form of antennae, which provide connection and battery charging. These antennae are movable, which makes it possible to connect batteries of different configurations, but all of them must be lithium. Universal “frog” charger for batteries of mobile phones and other gadgets is divided into three types depending on the type of connection: five-volt, connected to a USB cord, twelve-volt, connected to a car, and 220-volt, powered from a standard outlet.

This device has "+" and "-" polarity. It can be adjusted both automatically and manually by pressing special buttons.

How to charge the battery with a "frog" charger?

Here is a step by step guide:

Remove the battery from the mobile device and open the charger by pressing the clothespin.
Extend the whiskers of the device to the required distance and connect to two battery terminals.
Now you need to make sure that the polarity is correct. Those who want to know how to use the “frog” charger for the phone need to press the button located on the left side of the device - the “TE” button.
The illuminated diode under the words "CON" and "FUL" will confirm that the battery is connected correctly. If they do not light up, then the connection is incorrect, or the battery is completely discharged.
For those who are interested in how to use the universal frog charger in this case, it is recommended to turn the battery manually, or press the right button to reverse the polarity.
If after this there is no result, then we can conclude that the battery is completely discharged, or the whiskers do not touch the terminals.
If everything is done correctly, then after connecting the device to the network, the diode under the inscription "CH" will light up. After 2-5 hours, depending on the capacity of the battery, the diode under the inscription "FUL" will light up, warning that the battery is ready for use.

Do not be upset if it turned out that the battery is completely discharged. After its five-minute charge in the frog, you can insert it into your native device and then charge it in the usual way.

The technical devices of the new generation amaze with their diversity. For example, have you ever thought that there are so many cords for charging various devices that there are not enough fingers to count? And each device needs only its own charge. But there are also universal chargers that can charge any piece of equipment, be it a phone or a camera. This article will consider the universal charging "frog".

"Frog", but not an amphibian

A frog is not only a useful animal, but also a colloquial name for a charger. It is very simple and convenient to use. Operates at the expense of an electric power source with a voltage of 220 volts.

Benefits of clip-on chargers

Charging "frog" has the following advantages:

Versatility. The type of charger under consideration is suitable for all batteries of mobile phones, cameras, camcorders, PDAs, MP3 players and other small-sized equipment that operates using a lithium battery.

Ease of operation. To use charging, no additional knowledge, skills and experience are needed. However, before using the "frog" to charge the battery, you need to navigate the markings and clearly understand which indicator is talking about what. Read more about labeling below.
Ease of use. The "frog" for charging batteries is suitable for use wherever you need it. The main condition is the presence of an outlet.
Compactness. The overall characteristics of the charger are minimal, which allows you to carry it with you in a backpack, bag or even a pocket.

What is a "frog"?

Charging "frog" outwardly looks like a small box, which in its shape resembles a frog, with an attached plug for an outlet. On the case there are two contacts in the form of antennae, designed to connect and charge lithium batteries. A feature of the device, which provides it with versatility, is that the contacts are movable. That is why you can charge batteries of various configurations.

Types of "frogs"

Depending on the type of connection, “frog” charging happens:

connected to a USB cord, and then to a PC - five-volt;
automobile - twelve-volt;
working from a standard socket - 220-volt.

The classic option is a "frog" for charging batteries, designed for a voltage of 220 volts. On the reverse side of the cover of the device there are two sliding pins, which are parallel to each other. They must be separated by a distance that corresponds to the distance between the contact areas of the lithium battery.

Universal charging "frog" has a polarity of "+" and "-". Depending on the model of the charger-clothespin, it is adjusted either automatically or manually by pressing special buttons.

Deciphering the marking

On the case, the charging “frog” is marked. Ignorance of the designations excludes the possibility of the correct operation of the charge as a whole.

"TE" - connection health indicator.

"CON" - the LED is active if the battery is connected correctly when pressing "TE".

"PW" - indicates the presence of a network connection. Can become active when the battery is fully charged.

"CH" - is in a flashing state throughout the entire time when the battery is being charged.

"FUL" indicates that the battery is fully charged.

"CO" - indicates that "+" and "-" are mixed up.

Charging "frog": how to use?

Using the frog charger is nothing complicated and supernatural, however, in order to ensure its proper and efficient functioning, it is necessary to follow the operating instructions.

How to use the "frog" to charge the battery? Step by step instructions are given below:

1. Turn off the mobile device and remove the battery from it.

2. Open the "frog" charging by pressing the clothespin.

3. Insert the battery into the "frog" so that the two terminals match. In the case when the charging device is equipped with four terminals, two side terminals are used.

4. Press the "TE" button. As a rule, it is located on the left side of the charger.

5. Check the correct connection by looking at the corresponding indicator ("CON"). It should be noted that the indicator LED may not light up not only as a result of incorrect connection of the terminals, but also due to the fact that the battery is completely discharged. If the latter option takes place, then the “frog” for charging the phone and the battery of the device are connected for about 5-7 minutes to an electrical power source - an outlet.

6. Connect to the network. Accompanied by an active "CH" indicator.

7. Disconnect the terminals after the "FUL" indicator, which is on the left, lights up.

How to check if it works

There is a verification algorithm that will help make sure that the “frog” charging is working properly. Let's see how to use it.

The key to the correct functioning of the device is the correct polarity. To check it, you must click on the button located on the left. If the lights near the "CON" and "FUL" indicators light up, the connection to the terminals is correct. Inactive indicators indicate a connection error. In this case, click on the button on the right.

Be extremely careful, because the indicator lights may not light up not only for the above reason. For example, the tablet's battery will move and the pins of the clothespin will not come into contact with the intended pads.

If the test was successful and everything that is needed blinked, then the "frog" for charging the battery is safely connected to the outlet. “PW” and “CH” should light up. Upon completion of the charging process, the LED next to the "FUL" indicator is activated.

The total time required to fully charge the battery of a phone, camera, player, set-top box or other device from the world of technology depends on the battery capacity. On average - from 2 to 5 hours. At the same time, if it takes, say, 3 hours to fully charge the battery of your device, and the “frog” was connected to the network, for example, 5 hours, there is no reason to worry: the clothespin charger automatically stops charging the battery when the last maximum possible charge level is reached .

Do it yourself!

Making a “frog” exercise with your own hands from scratch is quite difficult and problematic, and for many it is not at all possible. But to remake from a non-universal old-style charger is quite realistic.

First, let's decide what fixtures, materials and tools should be at hand.

Source materials:

an old charger designed to charge just one model of a removable battery;
a piece of plastic;
spring from a regular clothespin;
two paper clips;
wire.

Tools:

pliers;
hacksaw;
stationery knife;
drill;
drill;
glue "Moment".

Work technology:

Voila! Miracle device done!

Such a "frog" is suitable for charging the phone of absolutely any brand, model and modification.

This method is usually used for emergencies, but you need to be prepared for anything.

The "frog" charger is designed for charging. Visually, it is a compact unit, on one side of which there is a plug for an outlet, on the other - a slot for a battery in the form of a contact clip. The terminals connecting the “frog” to the battery are movable, so almost any removable battery can be charged in this way.

The charger in most cases has an indication that will show whether the battery is connected to the frog correctly. If the contacts are connected correctly, the battery will start charging. If not, the corresponding indicator will light up. As a rule, the main reason for the lack of charging is reversed polarity.

What devices can be charged with a "frog"?

Of course, such a charger cannot be used if the battery is integrated into the smartphone case. Many budget models do not charge batteries with a capacity of more than 2000 mAh. As a rule, information about capacity, characteristics and limitations can be found on the case or in the documentation.

A frog charger will also be needed for those who have purchased rare phone models or Chinese analogues of branded gadgets. They may be equipped with non-standard charging connectors or other complexities, which will make it difficult to find a power adapter in case of a breakdown or loss of the original accessory from the kit. In this case, charging "frog" will help.

You can also charge with this accessory:

camera or camcorder battery;
battery from a car on a remote control;
radio battery;
and almost any lithium battery.

This method has two significant drawbacks. Firstly, the battery will have to be removed from the phone for the duration of the power supply, which means that it will not be possible to use it until the required battery charge level is reached. Secondly, the charging process is usually much slower than from.

How to use the frog charger?

First of all, turn off the gadget and remove the battery. The terminals of a discharged battery must be clamped with the corresponding antennae on the charger case. Now it can be connected to the network. If the indicator lights up green, then the battery is connected correctly.

The time it takes to recharge the battery varies depending on the battery level and capacity. On average, the “frog” charges the battery of a smartphone for 2-3 hours.

How to "frog" disperse the battery?

In addition to the functions described above, the frog charger sometimes helps to start non-working batteries. If the device has been discharged for a long time, then there is a possibility that it will not be possible to revive it with regular charging.

If the battery is working, but shows a voltage of 0 V, you need to connect it to our accessory for 20-30 minutes. After that, you can rearrange the battery in the device and recharge with normal charging.

When you lose your native charger from a mobile phone or smartphone, inexpensive universal chargers for 3.7 volt lithium batteries come to the rescue, the so-called frogs(or toads). They have adjustable contacts, which are directly connected to the battery, previously pulled out of the phone. Of course, this creates some inconvenience (you need to constantly remove the cover, time gets lost), but sometimes this is the only way out when charging from a rare Chinese phone is lost.

Instructions for using the charger

Charger "frog" is designed to charge Li-Ion batteries that are used in cell phones, GPS receivers and cameras. It works from a network of 110-220 V. The output voltage is 4.2 volts, the current is 200 mA. The charge occurs automatically and is controlled by a microcircuit, and it automatically turns off when the required level is reached. Standard charge time is 1.5 hours.

It is necessary to clamp the battery into the frog so that the charger contacts are on the + and - terminals of the battery. If the battery has 3 or 4 contacts, you usually need to use 2 extreme ones. If the polarity of the connection is correct, then when the button is pressed TE(left) the first green LED will light up CON. If not lit, press the right button CO(polarity reversal) and press the first button again. On some frogs CON can burn when connected without pressing the button - also the correct polarity. There are also already models that automatically determine the polarity. Accordingly, there is no right polarity reversal button.

If everything is fine - CON lights up green, plug into a 220V socket. lights up PW and starts to burn or flash CH(charge - charge). When the charge is completed, the right LED lights up. FUL(full - full). If CON does not light up at all, the battery may have sat down to zero. Then connect arbitrarily in any polarity and plug it into the network for 5 minutes (not for long - it's not scary). If CH will blink, then the charge is on and everything is correct, otherwise change the polarity with the right button and see how it will behave then CH. If it burns right away PW And FUL then most likely the battery in the frog does not contact (so the LED lights up without a battery at all) - move it to the contacts.

Repair manual memory "frog"

As for a completely inoperative memory - here just look for a burnt part. But sometimes low-quality chargers come across when, when connected to the “frog” of the battery, the charge current is less than the specified one. Not 200 ± 50 mA, but several times less. Thus, the battery is simply undercharged. With a decrease in the charging current at the output, the final voltage on a “fully charged” battery also decreases. Hence the low battery life when installed in the phone. When the light signaling of the charger signaled the end of the charge, the voltage on the battery was only 3.9V. Why is this happening? Most likely it's a matter of parameter spread. A slight deviation in the values of the resistors entails a change in the overall characteristics of the device.

Schematic diagram of the memory frog

By replacing the fixed resistors R14 and R15 (the numbering of parts on the diagram corresponds to the numbering of parts on the printed circuit board) with a multi-turn trimmer brand SP3-39A with a nominal value of 10 KΩ, it becomes possible to accurately set the output current. After the replacement, I set the current to 250 mA, which roughly corresponds to the specified parameter on the charger case. You can, of course, set the charging current with a trimmer at will and another. When the light alarm of the device turns on, notifying about the end of the charge, the charging current decreases to 70 mA, and the voltage on the battery is set within 4.15V. The process of full charging lasts about two hours, that is, as well as when charging in the device with a native charger. Download the full version of the manual on the forum.

homemade frog

After analyzing several circuits of the Frog's memory, I settled on one of them. I decided to make it as a prefix for charging NOKIA (I think many people have them, and I have a few of them lying around) to charge the Li-ion battery 18650 . In the charger itself from NOKIA, the output from the transformer is almost 7V, which should be enough for the set-top box.

For the battery itself, you will need a battery compartment to mount it on the side of the case. On the cover - an output of four LEDs and a micro-toggle switch. In the meantime, a seal has been developed for the circuit on CMD and simple radio elements, with installation on top of the board. Download it.

The seal that is attached is already mirrored, send it to print immediately. The photo shows just the arrangement of the elements, as it should be.

Then I soldered a separate memory card, tested it - it works great! With the specified details, the output of the charger is 4.2V. I put the used battery on charge - the charge rises. The LM358 chip was installed soldered, taken out of nowhere. PSU used with an output of 6V 0.45A.

Schematic diagram drawn and tested - Igoran.

Discuss the article CHARGER FROG

A frog is a simple, but very useful device in everyday life. It is capable of charging lithium batteries of push-button phones, smartphones, camcorders and digital cameras, regardless of their shape. Frogs are inexpensive (especially Chinese models) and are very widespread in Russia.

Maintenance

What is a frog

The frog (or "toad" - as these devices are also called) is easy to recognize by two springy wires on the top cover, which are bred to the sides to the desired distance - thanks to this they can be docked with various batteries.

It is these contacts that should be connected to the battery, previously pulled out of the phone. That is, the device is only suitable for removable batteries (which means that this device is useless for owners of the iPhone and many more modern models from other manufacturers).

The frog is able to transfer energy into lithium batteries in the simplest way. At the same time, in some cases, it can charge even faster than the charging that comes with the kit.

Types of universal chargers for phones

Now in stores you can find the following options for universal chargers:

automotive (attached to the cigarette lighter);
with a USB port (has a corresponding USB connector);
with household power plug (standard).

In addition, models have recently appeared on the market that simultaneously have both a USB port and a plug.

Also, all modern frogs can be divided into automatic and semi-automatic. The main difference between the first and second type is the number of LEDs: the “automatic” has three of them, the “semiautomatic” has four. The fact is that automatic models are able to independently determine the polarity, and therefore the polarity reversal button (usually it goes under the designation CO) is absent on them.

Frog charger circuit

The concept of a classic frog is quite simple. Two moving contacts connected to the battery come from the controller. The role of the controller is performed by microcircuits of a certain complexity. The task of the controller, in particular, is to compare the voltage on the battery with the internal reference. When these two indicators become identical, the controller will turn off the power supply.

Another significant detail of universal charging is a bridge AC / DC converter with a built-in key for connecting the battery to a power source (mains). It is located at the very beginning, before the controller and contacts. The purpose of this node is to convert AC voltage to DC.

Theoretically, the frog can be used with the same intensity as regular exercise. But in practice, it often acts as a backup charger. If the original memory is lost, then universal charging will allow you to stay in touch.

Sometimes, after losing the charger that came with the kit, it turns out that it is very difficult to find the right analogue. This is true primarily for old models of mobile phones that are no longer produced, but remain in use. A frog in this case can save the situation. And if for some reason the battery connector is broken, the toad can also help out.

Universal charging will certainly come in handy for those who have two or more phones of different models. Going on a trip, you can not take a bunch of power supplies with you, but get by with this one device.

Important! It is the frog that is used “to bring back to life” completely discharged lithium batteries in mobile devices. The universal charger controller is not able to block the supply of voltage to a deeply discharged battery, and in this particular case this is an advantage, not a disadvantage.

How the frog charger works

One of the obvious advantages of this device is its small size. This allows you to easily carry it in a backpack, bag or pocket and plug it into any suitable outlet. The classic frog is powered by 110-220 volts. In this case, the output voltage is much less (for example, 4.2 Volts). As for the strength of the output current, it is equal to several hundred milliamps.

The charge occurs in the device automatically and is controlled by a microcircuit. When the maximum possible charge level is reached, the device turns itself off. That is, nothing terrible will happen if, instead of the required three hours, the battery is in universal charging for a couple of hours longer. In general, the time to fully charge the battery (digital camera, smartphone, player, and so on) depends on the capacity. As a rule, we are talking about a period of 1.5 to 5 hours.

How to use the frog to charge the battery

Of course, such a device as a frog is accompanied by instructions from the manufacturer. But it is often written in a foreign language (in particular, in Chinese), and therefore the user has to figure it out on his own.

The battery must be inserted into the frog so that the contacts of the universal charger are located on the plus and minus terminals of the battery. If there are three or four terminals on the battery, the two most extreme of them should be used.

If the polarity has been chosen correctly, then when the TE (test) button is pressed, the green LED CON will light up. After that, you can safely insert the entire structure into the outlet. As a result, the PW (network) indicator should light up, and then the CH (Charge) indicator should light up. And when charging is complete, the corresponding FUL LED (full charge) will light up.

If the CON diode does not want to light up, then most likely you have a very dead battery in front of you. A battery with a nominal voltage of 3.6 Volts may well be discharged below 3.2 Volts, and in such a situation, the mobile phone will not show any signs of life even when the “native” charger is connected.

The solution is simple: the battery must be arbitrarily, in any polarity, connected to the frog and plugged into the network for five minutes - the CH diode should blink. The task of universal charging is to give a strong boost to the battery charge. And then it can already be charged in the usual way.

Attention! Sometimes, with a damaged battery, the frog may show a full FUL charge, even if this is not true. It is unlikely that you will be able to fix this on your own - you need to call a professional master or simply throw out the battery.

Precautions

Always insert the lithium battery between the contacts first. And only then the device can be inserted into the socket. If you act the other way around, you can get a noticeable electric shock.
There must be no flammable materials near the universal charger plugged into the socket.
The frog is designed for lithium batteries only and therefore should not be used to charge other types of batteries.
After the battery is charged, it is advisable to remove the universal device from the network.