iPod Dock Pinout
Feb 6, 2006 at 7:57 AM Post #31 of 73
Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomBoy
The stamps on the envelope from Ridax were in Kronor, so I can see how the shipping might take a while. I was surprised to get mine as soon as I did.


My envelope was also in swedish kronor, and the senders name was "Ridax programutv". So laopo_paypal@hotmail.com
and Ridax are one and the same!

Hans.
 
Feb 16, 2006 at 10:46 PM Post #33 of 73
Well, I wired in a couple of sockets to pins 11 and 21 to try various resistors for the Accessory Indicator. I know the picture looks like it all must be shorted out, but trust me, its not. None of my previous work survived the hot glue, so its all new pins.

ipodcable.2.jpg


No luck at all. Plug it in, the iPod starts charging untill I start a movie. It might continue to charge if I start a song, but will stop charging within a few minutes while playing tunes.

The ameter shows about 100ma draw while its charging which drops down to 0 when it stops, so the little blinking batery is telling the truth.

I've tried 10K 500K and 1M.

I am using a 5V 2A wall wart. I tried using a 6V 4A through a 5V regulator thinking I didn't have enough juice- no difference.

It will still charge the iPod up to full if I don't try to play anything.

My iPod will play a movie and take a charge at the same time using Apple's cable pluged into a powered USB hub with no computer. Apple's cable only has the 4 USB pins on it.

I am getting better at soldering those little tiny pins. The trick is to tin the wire, tin the pin (clamped in a hemostat), put a tiny bit of flux on the wire, place the wire on the pin, then just touch it for a moment with the iron.
 
Feb 16, 2006 at 11:28 PM Post #34 of 73
Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomBoy
What a tease!
tongue.gif


That is a fabulous looking cable, Hans! The connector does look much cleaner than the one I've ordered. I'd love to know more about your source.


Just want to tell that those connectors are among the ones I am selling (I am the one you have linked to earlier in the discussion). The connector showed in the last picture is the one called "slim/thin" in the iPodLinux discussion and can be ordered just like the others. You can also purchase them directly on-line now here
 
Feb 16, 2006 at 11:41 PM Post #35 of 73
Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomBoy
No luck at all. Plug it in, the iPod starts charging untill I start a movie. It might continue to charge if I start a song, but will stop charging within a few minutes while playing tunes.


I have heard from others, that the iPod needs something like 2.5V on pin 25 (USB data) to go into charging reliably. A better option would be to use the Firewire power pins as it is regulated input (can accept much higher voltage), don't know which is the minimum voltage on the Firewire power pins though.

The 2.5V on pin 25 is just something someone else told me, I don't know anything about it really.
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 12:09 AM Post #37 of 73
I've posted a plea for help on the ipodlinux.org forums: http://ipodlinux.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7015

Ridax, thanks for the tip (and for the prompt shipping of the very reasonably priced connectors!), but the pinout guide shows pin 25 as being USB Data (-). I've tried poking the giant, clumsy tips of my multimeter into my Apple USB connector and I did see a small negative voltage for just a moment before my hand sliped. I'll try to rig up a better test, but I hesitate to bust open a $20 cable or send positive voltage where negative belongs. Pin 27 is USB Data (+).

Anybody know more about how USB works? Is there really a negative signal?

I guess I could just make a duplicate of the apple cable with a spare USB cable and another of Ridax's connectors. Stay tuned...
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 12:48 AM Post #38 of 73
You guys might want to check out these two older threads...

Number 1
Number 2

WHat seems to be the verdict in terms of the connectors? The thicker one or the thinner one? Is there reoom in the thinner one to stuff a mini jack for lineout (would seem to be as I think this is what Turbo uses).

Thanks,

Chris
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 3:46 AM Post #39 of 73
Thanks, Pars, but the other threads don't address charging via the USB pins, though the jack in the connector looks like a neat idea. There are some very small smt jacks out there that I bet would work in the little iPod connector. (The one in Turbo's pictures is the larger, $2.00 one.)

I made a copy of Apple's connector using an old USB cable and another dock connector. It works fine- I can start a movie and it keeps charging. Putting the volt meter on pins 25 and 27 (USB data + and -) shows nothing either between 25 and 27 or from either to USB ground.

I don't have a logic probe though and I'm guessing that if I did I might see a conversation like, "Hey, I'm an iPod and I want some electricity!", "Hey, iPod! I'm a Belkin powered USB hub. You can have 500ma if you want it!", then silence. My computer isn't connected to the hub and it still works fine.

I'm a little hesitant to just throw a constant voltage on the USB data ports. Maybe I should just find the cheapest powered hub out there and Frankenstien that into my amp?

I'm betting that just throwing 12V at the Firewire pin would work without all this fuss, but I dont want to do something that won't work with the next iPod. (See earlier post from BleckLord about the Nano not supporting Firewire.)
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 4:08 AM Post #40 of 73
In the first link Turbo had a diagram showing a 500K resistor from pins 30 and 21, and a jumper from pin 30 to 11. These are labeled enable dock serial connector in his diagram. I'd ohm out your working cable pin to pin and see what it's got, but guessing, I would say the the resistor and jumper plus what you already have might do it.

There are alot of other links in those threads... not sure if you read them all or not (I haven't yet). I may poke around with one of my son's cables here... damn those pins are small
rolleyes.gif
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 4:24 AM Post #41 of 73
I've tried the 500K resistor- no love. Mine's between pin 21 and 11, but it should be functionally equivalent to Turbo's diagram. 11 and 30 are both ground.

The Apple cable that works only has four pins going to the USB connections- pins 16, 23, 25, and 27.

I'm using this page http://ipodlinux.org/index.php/Dock_Connector as a reference for what pin does what.

If someone has the Apple USB power adapter and is willing to pop it open, I'd be curious to see what's in there.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...More=M9837LL/A
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 8:07 AM Post #42 of 73
Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomBoy
I'm betting that just throwing 12V at the Firewire pin would work without all this fuss, but I dont want to do something that won't work with the next iPod. (See earlier post from BleckLord about the Nano not supporting Firewire.)


The newer iPods (nano and video) can be charged through the Firewire cable/pins, just like the previous iPods. They just can't be synced through Firewire but still support charging. So using the Firewire-port for charging would be my choice.

As for the USB Data - and +, I don't think you should interprete these as absolute plus and minus voltages, but instead as a balanced signalling there putting a positive voltage on Data+ and negative on Data- indicates a 1 and putting a positive voltage on Data- and negative on Data+ would indicate a 0. Thus a positive voltage on Data- would be a quite "normal" state and nothing to worry about.
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 9:02 AM Post #43 of 73
Apparently the price for the connectors has gone up
2.63USD and 25% VAT extra makes 3.29US$ whereas a while ago we paid 2.50$ no VAT?

That requires some action I think.

Power-buy ourselves maybe?

pm me if there is an interest.

Rgds Hans.
 
Feb 17, 2006 at 9:10 AM Post #44 of 73
Quote:

Originally Posted by hoosterw
Apparently the price for the connectors has gone up
2.63USD and 25% VAT extra makes 3.29US$ whereas a while ago we paid 2.50$ no VAT?
That requires some action I think.
Power-buy ourselves maybe?
pm me if there is an interest.
Rgds Hans.


No, the price generally has not gone up. It is still US$ 2 for the thick and US$ 2.50 for the slim if you order the old way (except now VAT is charged within EU). The prices you are quoted are from the WEB shop, that is 5% higher due to processing costs there.
 
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