Powercore 20100 turning off

#1

Hi Support

We recommend Anker supplies to our customers at PilotAware.com
Just recently in the last couple of weeks we have received reports that the PowerCore 20100 is automatically turning itself off when using the USB cable we supply
Our cable is a 20AWG USB to Micro-USB (to power a Raspberry Pi), but for some reason using this cable may be causing the supply to automatically turn off after a couple of minutes
Using the anker supplied cable - does not, unfortunately the Anker cable is unsuitable, as it introduces a voltage drop due to the power cables being not as thick as 20AWG

Do you have any idea why this may be happening, has there been a recent design change - we have over 3000 in use in the field, and this has only just started to occur

Thanks
Lee

#2

Hi @lee.moore,

I would recommend reaching out to the customer support team at support@anker.com as they can likely get you a faster answer.

I’m just curious if the Raspberry Pi’s are going idle when the issue occurs? The power bank will turn itself off when the draw decreases below a certain point as it “thinks” that the device is done charging.

2 Likes
#3

I think you are correct, the question is what is this cutoff threshold, the current draw will not drop below 600mA
also, why does this not happen when using the Anker supplied cable ?

Thx
Lee

#4

I do apologize, but I’m not an Anker employee and I don’t have the exact specifications on the cutoff value or of the cable, but I would assume 5V 500mA and up should keep the power bank on as this is commonly used for charging. The technicians at support@anker.com should be able to get that information for you and troubleshoot this issue.

2 Likes
#5

Check the pull up resistor values for the two cables. It may be significantly different.

#6

we now have many customers reporting this issue with the latest devices
something has clearly changed in the design, but trying to find out what is proving difficlut :frowning:

1 Like
#7

I am one of the pilot aware customers having this issue. If I use the pilot aware lead with the battery pack i get power to the unit for a short time but there are no status lights on the battery pack. If I use the anker lead or any other lead the unit stays pwered and the lights on the power pack remain on. Can you assist otherwise I need to return the power pack as its not compatable. Pilot aware are saying its not their equipment.

#8

It would seem that there is some custom logic in the newly provided USB cable with the 20100, can I ask
Do you add any other PCB/Chip or detection module inside your Micro USB Powerline cables
Or is this literally a wired connection ?

#9

I have a 20100 as well, and connected it to a Raspberry Pi 3B+, but it resulted in the lightning bolt in the top right corner of the monitor, warning of a power issue. I recently tried it with a Homespot bluetooth receiver, that requires 5V @ 1A. It powers the device for an hour or so, then starts shutting off after 30 minutes or so, then after a few restarts, that drops down to every 10 minutes or so. I also noticed the lights kept turning on for a few seconds, then turn off for a minute or so. And it’s 3 out of 4 lights, so it should have enough of a charge still. I then tested with a PowerCore 10000 PD, using the USB-A port, and it runs for a few hours, then shuts off every hour or so. But if I use the Homespot’s supplied USB-A to micro-USB cable and walwart power supply, it stays turned on, so it’s not the device.

#10

I charge my iPhone with it and it sleeps a lot. I have to turn it on every ten minutes, give or take