What is it - OTG in the phone: how far can you expand the functionality of the gadget

OTG function in the phone - what is it and how does it work

Many do not know what it is - OTG in a phone, and assume that this is just such a cable. But this is a bit different. OTG is an extensible specification for USB devices that contains a set of protocols and rules that compatible gadgets and cables must have. The abbreviation stands for On-The-Go, which can be translated as "On the go."

It is based on the ability to connect to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, other USB devices via an OTG adapter. What does it mean? The fact is that initially for mobile gadgets, the USB protocol allowed a smartphone to be either an external storage device or just a device with a battery that needs charging. That is, a tablet or smartphone always acts as a secondary device when connected via USB. OTG changed this approach, allowing mobile gadgets themselves to become a USB host, which will be the main one, that is, peripheral devices will already be connected to it. Naturally, for this, the gadget itself must support, that is, be able to work in this mode and connect to the periphery through a special adapter. What it is - USB Host OTG support, and which gadgets have this, we will tell you further.

Which smartphones support the technology

For some reason, although the technology has been around for a long time, very few devices support it. And as such, there is no OTG mode in gadgets, in fact, it only shows that support either exists or not. Even stranger is the fact that the function is not always indicated in the specifications of the device, although there is a possibility to connect at the hardware level. In general, all gadgets can be roughly divided into three groups:

• supporting. Those devices on which it is clearly indicated, although also not always, that there is an OTG or USB host;
• there is a possibility of support, however, the connection is not realized by the standard software. That is, you need to install custom firmware or special applications;
• not supportive.

Here is a small list of new smartphones that have OTG support:

• Vivo S8, 6, Y81;
• BQ 5512 Strike Forward;
• Oukitel K7;
• Doogee BL9000;
• Xiaomi Mi6X, Redmi 5;
• Alcatel 3L 5034D;
• LG Q Stylus +;
• Nokia 6.1;
• Asus ZenFone 3 Max;
• ZTE Blade V9;
• Samsung Galaxy S9 +;
• Huawei P smart, Honor 9 Lite.

What if my phone doesn't support OTG? Unfortunately, nothing can be done if it is not provided by the manufacturer in hardware. Alternatively, you can use wireless interfaces to connect other devices.

How to know if a specific phone supports OTG

First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the specification of the smartphone. This can be done either on the manufacturer's website or in the user manual. True, it may not be indicated there. As such, there is no function to enable OTG on Android, the connected peripherals are either detected or not.

You can also install special software for detection on Android, which is abundant in Google Play. Well, the most reliable way is to check the gadget on the spot along with the OTG cable, which can be bought almost everywhere and with any peripheral device.

OTG cable - what is it and how to connect it to the phone

The USB OTG cable, which can now be easily purchased anywhere, is an adapter that has a microUSB plug for a smartphone on one end and a regular USB for peripherals on the other. The ones for the periphery are of the "mother" type. By the way, it can be not only in the standard USB type A form factor. There are type B, as well as micro and mini versions. By the way, you can learn more about what it is - OTG, cable and device specifications on the official USB website.

What devices and how can I connect to the phone

All peripherals with a USB port can, in theory, be connected to a smartphone. These can be mice, keyboards, flash drives, external hard drives, joysticks, modems, cameras and much more.

Hard disk and flash drive

Despite the fact that in many gadgets a flash drive can be read from a special slot, OTG is required for the same procedure via USB. And if there are practically no problems with flash drives, then with hard drives it is not so simple. The drive may run out of power and will need to use a commercially available external powered cable.

According to research by a number of authoritative magazines, not only USB hard drives, but also 2.5 '' hard drives without additional power, up to 1 TB, can be easily connected to premium smartphones. In general, OTG can be used for storage, but this does not mean that all hard drives support this format. Most often, an additional power supply output is still required.

Mouse and keyboard

These two peripherals are more relevant for tablets with large diagonals, on which it is inconvenient to work with one hand while typing. However, you can also connect them to smartphones.

You can connect a mouse and keyboard via OTG either separately via a cable or together, but you will have to integrate a USB hub into the circuit. In general, this technology has serious competitors in this regard - wireless mice and keyboards that connect via Bluetooth and have their own power supplies. Maybe that's why OTG technology is not so popular?

Game joystick and printer

The joystick is a necessary solution for both tablet and smartphone. After all, it is not always convenient to play games with the basic set, which, in fact, is the soft buttons on the screen. The external joystick is especially relevant when using various console emulators on devices - Dandy, Sega or others.

The printer as a whole can be connected in the same way as with a PC. Naturally, it must have its own power source. In addition, you may need special software installed on the phone from the manufacturer.

3G and 4G modem and cameras

Despite the built-in support for these standards by almost all more or less modern smartphones, it may be necessary to connect an external modem. This can be an alternative solution for tablets in which there is no SIM card slot. True, in this case you have to download and install specialized software.

How to make an OTG cable with your own hands

You can assemble the simplest cable for home use from old gadgets and adapters.

What materials and tools are needed for work

We will need any microUSB male plug, USB Mom type A and a soldering iron. MicroUSB can be taken from an old charger or a cable from a smartphone. USB "Mom" from a USB extension cable. The soldering iron can be replaced with a glue gun.

Step-by-step instructions for making an OTG cable for a phone

The first thing to do is cut the USB extension cable to the correct size. The microUSB plug will have to be disassembled to gain access to the contacts.

Then you need to solder the wires from the USB extension cable to it according to the following scheme:

On the top of the circuit there is a simple cable pin arrangement, and on the bottom there is an OTG. The only difference is that the two microUSB pins GND and Sense must be closed together, then the device will recognize the cable. After soldering or gluing, the plug should look something like this:

Usually in a USB cable the colors are arranged as follows: red - 5 + V, black - GND, white - for data "-", green - for data "+".

In fact, that's it. Additionally, the newly made OTG cable for the smartphone can be securely secured from above with electrical tape, and it will be ready to use. If you know interesting ways to make OTG cables, then you can suggest your solutions in the comments.