Two USB ports on Phantom 3 Controller

[flax]

Hi everybuddy, I just got myself the Phantom 3 yesterday and I really want to connect the controller to a normal laptop that runs android using "Virtual Machine" on linux. Got the DJI pilot app up and running, but no matter how I try, it just wont connect to the controller. It keeps on stating 'USB cable disconnected'

My laptop doesnt have a micro-usb port but plenty of normal ones, so I thought just to connect the mirco-usb end of the cable to the controller (since it has a normal USB port and a micro-USB port) and stick the normal sized end into the laptop. This means I am using the other controller's usb port than the one that you would normally use to connect it to a phone/tablet with.

Are these two ports not interchangeable? About this the DJI User Manual only states : "To connect your mobile device to the remote controller using a USB cable, plug one end of the cable into your mobile device and the other end into the USB port on the back of the remote controller"

Not much help there, and no explanation to what each of those USB ports do and whether or not they are interchangeable. (They should be?)

Am not sure there is a question in here, so I am just posting my findings for the heck of it.

Compliments on this forum, it's pretty.
Nice to meet you all

 

[Morgon]

Does your Virtual Machine pass through the USB ports on your computer? Many times, you have to specifically enable that.

For connecting to the controller, you should be using the standard USB port, not the micro-USB; that's just for firmware upgrades (according to the manual).

 

[flax]

Does your Virtual Machine pass through the USB ports on your computer? Many times, you have to specifically enable that.

For connecting to the controller, you should be using the standard USB port, not the micro-USB; that's just for firmware upgrades (according to the manual).

Hmm pity!

Yep, the USB ports got passed through.
I didnt stumble upon the 'only for firmware upgrades' bit, though I was contemplating that possibility.

Thanks for your help

 

[acherman]

If you're a Linux and VM android person, I would have expected more knowledge about USB and host controllers, etc. [emoji16] Anyway, I'm not sure it's possible. There are some cables you can get for connecting USB-A to USB-A (host ports), but for some reason I think it's just for transferring files. Not sure it would work for control stuff. Maybe I'm way out to lunch here.

 

[acherman]

You might be better if waiting for that Inspire 1 style board for the controller and use the HDMI out. Assuming your laptop has HDMI in. Lots of people are waiting for that.

 

[flax]

If you're a Linux and VM android person, I would have expected more knowledge about USB and host controllers, etc. [emoji16] Anyway, I'm not sure it's possible. There are some cables you can get for connecting USB-A to USB-A (host ports), but for some reason I think it's just for transferring files. Not sure it would work for control stuff. Maybe I'm way out to lunch here.

Or maybe it's the solution, couldn't find that type of cable sadly, but certainly worth a try, cheers!

 

[acherman]

Not sure it will work for this, but something like...
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030305&p_id=8488&seq=1&format=2