Lightning or USB-C to 30-pin connector adapter

[slothead]

My wife has an old iPad that she uses for various tasks and doesn't feel the need to upgrade to new hardware. For whatever reason she has a hard time keeping it charged with the old resources. I am trying to find an adapter that will allow her to charge her old iPad with the outputs of the newer chargers like the Lightning or the USB-C chargers that we have around the house.

Is there such an adapter?

 

[giradman]

My wife has an old iPad that she uses for various tasks and doesn't feel the need to upgrade to new hardware. For whatever reason she has a hard time keeping it charged with the old resources...Is there such an adapter?

Hello - first tell us which specific iPad model she owns and from the title, I'm assuming that the old 30-pin power adapter is being used?

The iPad chargers use 10 or 12 watt power adapters (basically, 5 V x 2 Amps), so that is what you should be using. Have you tried a different charger w/ the iPad or the charger(s) she uses on a different iDevice to determine whether it is defective?

Finally, depending on the age of the iPad and the number of 'cycles' the battery has seen, the issue may be the battery - if possible, I would suggest testing w/ other chargers and also taking the device to an Apple store (or a reliable authorized Apple dealer) to have the battery tested. Dave

 

[slothead]

Dave, it's a pretty simple question really... Did you look at the post title? It doesn't really matter what model iPad it is (or if it is even an iPad), I just need an adapter that will carry (charging) current from a female Lightning to a male 30-pin (or the corresponding gender of the USB-C input) to charge a device that is representative of the old iPad configuration. Thanks for your input though.

It's very possible that the wife will replace her iPad and if that happens my query is moot.

 

[scifan57]

Apple offers adapters to connect a 30 pin charging cable to the Lightning port on a newer iOS device. As far as iknow an adaptor to connect a lightning cable or a USB-C cable to a device with the 30pin dock connector does not exist, at least as an authorized accessory.

 

[twerppoet]

With the exception of the newest USB-C chargers, all Apple's iOS chargers have standard USB ports. The Lighting cable uses same port on the charger side that the 30-pin cables uses. So, if you want to use a newer charger, just plug the 30-pin cable into it. No need for a fancy adaptor that would only add extra complexity.

(The excpeption would be the oldest 30-pin cables that came with older iPod (music player) models. These used Firewire ports on the charger and cable.)

If the problem is the 30-pin cable itself, apple still sells replacements for them; or any Apple approved third party cable should work.

There is no point in getting the 29W USB-C charger. Charge rate is controled by the iPad's hardware, and 29W exceeds the charging capacity of pretty much every iPad except the newer Pro models. The USB/Lighting 12W chargers should be more than enough

NOTE: The USB-C 29W charger is for the new Macbooks; though it has been used for quick charing 12.7" iPad Pros, that is not it's intended puprose.

 

[scifan57]

The reason that the MacBook 29W charger can fast charge the 12.7" iPad Pro is that, unlike the Lightning connector on any other iOS device, the Lightning connector of the 12.7" iPad Pro is USB-C compatible and fast charging requires that USB-C compatibility.

 

[slothead]

You guys got it. I want to use the 29W supply to charge the old iPad. Is there any chance that will NOT work (different voltage, overcurrent violation, et al)?

 

[scifan57]

You guys got it. I want to use the 29W supply to charge the old iPad. Is there any chance that will NOT work (different voltage, overcurrent violation, et al)?

You'd be wasting your money as the 29W charger will not charge an older iPad any quicker than the charger the iPad originally shipped with. It won't harm the iPad , it just won't charge any faster. The only iPad that supports quick charging with the 29W charger is the 12.7" iPad Pro.

If your wife is having trouble keeping the old iPad charged maybe the battery has worn out and needs replacement.

 

[slothead]

You'd be wasting your money as the 29W charger will not charge an older iPad any quicker than the charger the iPad originally shipped with. It won't harm the iPad , it just won't charge any faster. The only iPad that supports quick charging with the 29W charger is the 12.7" iPad Pro.

If your wife is having trouble keeping the old iPad charged maybe the battery has worn out and needs replacement.

Not that I don't believe you, but why do you say it won't charge faster? It's got to have a higher current output rating since it has a higher wattage (and assuming that the output is 5v like all iDevices), 29W/5V=5.8A (less any conversion losses).

 

[scifan57]

Not that I don't believe you, but why do you say it won't charge faster? It's got to have a higher current output rating since it has a higher wattage (and assuming that the output is 5v like all iDevices), 29W/5V=5.8A (less any conversion losses).

It won't charge an older iPad any faster because the charging port on the iPad is not USB-C compstible, unlike the charging port on the 12.7" iPad Pro which is USB-C compatible. The power output of the 29W charger, when connected to a USB-C compatible device with the proper USB-C cable, is 14.5 volts. When connected to a device that is not USB-C compatible, the power output is just over 5 volts. It's the higher voltage and the proper charging circuitry in the USB-C compatible device which allows for faster charging rates.

 

[giradman]

Not that I don't believe you, but why do you say it won't charge faster? It's got to have a higher current output rating since it has a higher wattage (and assuming that the output is 5v like all iDevices), 29W/5V=5.8A (less any conversion losses).

Hi again - the maximum power input that the iPad will accept is 10-12 watts - using a higher powered adapter will not decrease the charge time and may even cause damage although the 'protective' safeguards built into the device will likely be protective.

Concerning my initial post which you seemed to have dismissed as of 'no value' and failed to respond to my questions, the model of your wife's iPad and its age is important - the first iPad was released in 2010, i.e. 6 years ago - the second a year later w/ a 30-pin adapter (which I owned until replacing w/ an iPad Air 2 in 2014) - the age of the battery and the recharging cycles (check HERE for an explanation) are likely the important issue and not whether your can SUPER-CHARGE the device.

Let me try to explain, recharging cycles (i.e. 100% recharge whether done one step or in multiple steps) impact on the battery's lifespan - the iPad batteries are stated to maintain at least 80% of their charge after 500 cycles, meaning that a new charge on an older battery will just not last as long - I believe this is the issue w/ your wife's device - she has an older 'dying' battery that you need to have checked - I assume that replacement or a new iPad will be the answer.

Now to go a step further, you can check the 'cycles' on the iPad own - there are a number of apps that can report your 'cycles' on the iPad, one is Battery Health on the iPad (which may no longer be available?); the other is CoconutBattery which is an app on my Apple laptop - when I USB cable my iPad Air 2 and select the device, a report is given (see image below) - this is stating that my iPad battery has gone through 307 complete recharge cycles and the health is about 58%, which is a little disturbing to me, i.e. as stated above I would expect more than 80% - I'll recheck. BUT, my point is your iPad is even OLDER, and the battery has likely gone through many more cycles and is the likely explanation of your initial complaint. SO, my original queries were directed at likely the problem of your request and not some silly notion to use a super charge to up the capacity of a dying battery. Dave
.

 

[slothead]

These last two posts have been very significant. The bottom line is that with an output of 14.7v (and I guess only a couple amps of current available), I will not be trying to charge the iPads (and my 5V assumption was obviously wrong). That's just way too much of a voltage differential for my comfort level. 'Nuff said about that.

Dave,
I'm sorry you might have felt offended by my not answering your questions (no offense was intended), but I didn't think the questions were relevant (and still don't) or at least not as relevant as other details that you didn't address (and my incorrect assumptions). I appreciate your app recommendations.

There are way too many variables associated with these batteries (and not my area of expertise anyway) to deal with the charging (and discharging) characteristics, so I'm terminating my research on this topic. There just isn't enough data to make any sense of my wife's iPad battery life (hers is the first Retina model - and it is not as old as my first iPad - the model that preceded the Retina version - which still seems to work just fine).

I continue to be amazed by the performance of these Apple batteries.

 

[twerppoet]

Not that I don't believe you, but why do you say it won't charge faster? It's got to have a higher current output rating since it has a higher wattage (and assuming that the output is 5v like all iDevices), 29W/5V=5.8A (less any conversion losses).

Edit: I should have finished reading the thread before replying. This is mostly redundant, but I'll leave it her anyway, partly because redundant isn't all bad, but mostly because I already typed it.

Charging rate is controled by the device, not the charger. This is to prevent devices from overheating, damaging the battery, or even catching fire.

Once you surpass the charging rate of the device it does not matter how much extra current the charger can supply. That said, most iOS devices are capable of charging somewhat faster than what the included charger can supply, but it's not massivly faster. 29W is massive overkill for older iPads. A 12W or 15W charger is more than sufficient for what extra chargiing speed is available.

That said, if you can find an adaptor, it won't hurt to use it. Just don't expect miraculously faster charing.

Hold in mind this is all about charing speed. The iPad's maximum charge or ability to retain a charge are entirely dependent on the health of it's battery and how it's being used. Make sure she is not using the screen at full brightness. That is the most common culpret when it comes to rapid batter drain.

 

[slothead]

Edit: I should have finished reading the thread before replying. This is mostly redundant, but I'll leave it her anyway, partly because redundant isn't all bad, but mostly because I already typed it.

Charging rate is controled by the device, not the charger. This is to prevent devices from overheating, damaging the battery, or even catching fire.

Once you surpass the charging rate of the device it does not matter how much extra current the charger can supply. That said, most iOS devices are capable of charging somewhat faster than what the included charger can supply, but it's not massivly faster. 29W is massive overkill for older iPads. A 12W or 15W charger is more than sufficient for what extra chargiing speed is available.

Hold in mind this is all about charing speed. The iPad's maximum charge or ability to retain a charge are entirely dependent on the health of it's battery and how it's being used. Make sure she is not using the screen at full brightness. That is the most common culpret when it comes to rapid batter drain.

The device doesn't always control the charging (as many folks have learned the hard way), in many applications constant voltage sources with overcurrent protection limit the risk of overcharging. However I understand that you were stating this for my benefit, and I appreciate the effort.

You guys know a lot more about iPads, iPhones and Apple electronics than I do, especially the newer ones, so I will defer to your judgements and recommendations in many many cases. What I won't do is subject a 5V battery to a 15V charger, that would be a recipe for disaster unless you knew that the source was current limited and would limit power dissipated in the battery. It would not surprise me to learn that some of these battery fires had been affected by this.

I agree that the 29W charger is overkill, but I've not found many Apple chargers between the 10-12W and the 29W limits. In the early days I used the same chargers for my iPhones and iPads (and iPods) interchangeably and learned that the iPad chargers could charge the iPhones faster than the their own chargers. At the same time, the iPhone chargers would get pretty hot when trying to charge the iPads, which is a result of trying to draw too much current out of constant voltage source).

I guess I've said enough for now, but in closing let me add that I think that we all should be more specific in these discussions that talking mostly in generalities. A lot of these statement could easily be used out of context and result in young folks trying somewhat dangerous experiments.

Thanks,

 

[scifan57]

In regards to the various apple chargers available, there are only three available from Apple. The small iPhone charger, the 12W charger normally used for iPads, and the 29W charger for the MacBook which can also be used to charge the 12.7" iPad Pro. Apple has never offered a charger more powerful than the 12W charger but less powerful than the 29W charger.

The only way that a more powerful charger hooked up to a less powerful device can cause harm to the device is if there's already a hardware defect in the charging circuitry of the device being charged.