tim447
03-01-2004, 09:21 PM
Okay - much googling has turned up no info on the 3G dock pinout. So, after spending some time going blind counting the tiny pins in the dock connector and listening for the beep of an ohmeter, here's a quick and dirty layout of the dock connector. (Apologies for the ugly ascii - I could slap together a gif if people would like.) Unfortunately, this means you need to rewire the ipod->firewire connector before you can get a single-cable car solution.
Dock connector, shown with pins in connector down. (Looking down at the dock with the line out port to the back, or at the cable with the symbol facing down.)
xCBAxxxxxxxxxxxxxx11x5x6x3x422
Line out plug: -wire---------[C|B|A> <-tip
RCA Adapter: -red/right----[C]=B>
RCA Adapter: -white/left---[C]=A>
6-pin Firewire: (from http://www.interfacebus.com/Design_Connector_Firewire.html)
|-------\
| 2 4 6 |
| 1 3 5 |
|-------/
Key:
x=unused
C=line out- common ground/shield
B=line out- right
A=line out- left
1=Firewire power (12v)
2=Firewire ground
3=Firewire twisted pair B- (differential signals)
4=Firewire twisted pair B+
5=Firewire twisted pair A- (differential signals)
6=Firewire twisted pair A+
The dock takes A,B, and C and reroutes them to the line-out port, and the six firewire pins are power and data. So, to turn a firewire data + power cable into a audio + power cable, all that should be necessary is to open up the 30-pin side of the cable, and switch the audio pins onto three of the data pins. Then make your female firewire connector the same. As an aside, I'm sure you'll want to use separate grounds for 2 and C!
Unfortunately, this means you can't just take a stock docking cable and get sound and power through it. It also means the average mortal will never be able to control the ipod, power it, and get sound through one cable. (Which would have been awfully nice!)
No idea why Apple hasn't made this public... but now it is! Go ahead and use the info, and if anyone makes an adapter for this, please tell me about it! (Since it may happen before I come up with one of my own. ;) ) iPodAdapterCableNO@SPAMhotmail.com...
(BTW - the usual disclaimers apply... use this at your own risk!)
Also, for an image of the inside of the dock connector, (which I only found after all that work) go here: http://www.ipoding.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album07&id=dock_con_labeled&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
One last link, a person who modified a pocketdock to add a lineout and has some more info: http://www.ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14897
Dock connector, shown with pins in connector down. (Looking down at the dock with the line out port to the back, or at the cable with the symbol facing down.)
xCBAxxxxxxxxxxxxxx11x5x6x3x422
Line out plug: -wire---------[C|B|A> <-tip
RCA Adapter: -red/right----[C]=B>
RCA Adapter: -white/left---[C]=A>
6-pin Firewire: (from http://www.interfacebus.com/Design_Connector_Firewire.html)
|-------\
| 2 4 6 |
| 1 3 5 |
|-------/
Key:
x=unused
C=line out- common ground/shield
B=line out- right
A=line out- left
1=Firewire power (12v)
2=Firewire ground
3=Firewire twisted pair B- (differential signals)
4=Firewire twisted pair B+
5=Firewire twisted pair A- (differential signals)
6=Firewire twisted pair A+
The dock takes A,B, and C and reroutes them to the line-out port, and the six firewire pins are power and data. So, to turn a firewire data + power cable into a audio + power cable, all that should be necessary is to open up the 30-pin side of the cable, and switch the audio pins onto three of the data pins. Then make your female firewire connector the same. As an aside, I'm sure you'll want to use separate grounds for 2 and C!
Unfortunately, this means you can't just take a stock docking cable and get sound and power through it. It also means the average mortal will never be able to control the ipod, power it, and get sound through one cable. (Which would have been awfully nice!)
No idea why Apple hasn't made this public... but now it is! Go ahead and use the info, and if anyone makes an adapter for this, please tell me about it! (Since it may happen before I come up with one of my own. ;) ) iPodAdapterCableNO@SPAMhotmail.com...
(BTW - the usual disclaimers apply... use this at your own risk!)
Also, for an image of the inside of the dock connector, (which I only found after all that work) go here: http://www.ipoding.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album07&id=dock_con_labeled&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
One last link, a person who modified a pocketdock to add a lineout and has some more info: http://www.ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14897