In order for your Android phone or tablet to host a USB device such as an Arduino, you need an On-The-Go (OTG) USB cable. You can buy these for a few bucks online, but if you have an old USB cable around it’s easy and more fun to make one!
Projects from Make: Magazine
Make Your Own On-The-Go (OTG) USB Cable
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Steps
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Step #1:
- All you need are two donor USB cables, one with a female type A end like you’d find on a USB extension cable (shown in the first photo here) and one with a male micro B end (second photo). When you’re finished, you’ll have a cable that plugs into your phone on one side and accepts a standard USB cable on the other.
- First, cut your 2 donor cables to expose the red, black, white, and green wires within, and strip the insulation off the tips.
- Match up the wire colors from both sides of your soon-to-be Frankencable and solder them together. Insulate the soldered joints from each other using shrink tubing, electrical tape, or hot glue. Don’t forget to connect the braided shielding as well — that’s the uninsulated stranded wire that surrounds the 4 colored wires.
