Palm Multi-Connector

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message.
This article has been tagged since March 2007.

The Palm Multi-Connector (also Athena Connector) is a power, audio and data interface connector used by

Palm LifeDrive
Palm Tungsten E2
Palm Tungsten T5
Palm Treo 650
Palm Treo 680
Palm Treo 700p
Palm TX

Palm, Inc. has a non-standard connector policy:

some machines connect via Palm Universal Connector (Old Standard for Palm Handhelds)
some machines use a standard Mini USB (Some Low-Budget Handhelds)
some machines use a Multi-Connector (New Standard for PalmOne and Palm Handhelds)

The Connector can be used to charge the device, transfer data to a computer, HotSync, and play audio. It is the new standard to replace the previous Palm Universal Connector, which performed similar functions but did not have an audio output capability.

This port has also been used to connect to an external microphone or to GPS units

The connector is divided in two sections: the longer one has thirteen pins numbered from left to right; the shorter one has three pins, on the left (14), top (15) and right (16).

NOTE: These pinouts are actually the OPPOSITE of the pinout documentation at palm.com. Also, these documentation fails to document the Ground pins that are actually counted as part of the system. To get an "accurate" pinout, please sign up for a developers account on palm and look for 'palm one developer's guide'

Pin Signal Description

MIC_IN
AGND
SPKR_R
SPKR_L
POWER_OUT
HOTSYNC
RXD
TXD
Reserved
DGND
USB_D-
USB_D+
VBUS
VDOCK_RTN
ADAPTER_ID
VDOCK

Pins 7 and 8 have TTL levels and can't be directly connected to the RS232 port. Pins 13 and 16 are connected to the +5V of the USB port; pins 10, 14 and 15 are connected to the USB GND. Pins 11 and 12 are the USB differential signals.

The Multi-Connector has received criticism from users who were familiar with previous connectors such as the Universal Connector. Users have been frustrated with the requirement to update their Universal Connector cables, cradles, keyboards, sleds, and attachments as they are incompatible. Another criticism is that the connector is fiddly, harder to remove and feels fragile.