Dock connector
A dock connector is a connector used to attach a mobile electronic device simultaneously to multiple external resources. The dock connector will typically carry a variety of signals and power, through a single connector, to simplify the process of docking the mobile device. A dock connector may be embedded in a mechanical fixture used to support or align the mobile device or may be at the end of a cable.
The dock connector was originally associated with laptops, but other mobile devices use the concept.
Laptops
Docking connectors for laptop computers are usually embedded into a mechanical device that supports and aligns the laptop and sports various single function ports and a power source that are aggregated into the docking connector. Docking connectors would carry interfaces such as keyboard, serial, parallel, and video ports from the laptop and supply power to it.
Mobile devices
Many mobile devices feature a dock connector.
Dock connector can be used to interface with accessories such as external speakers, including stereo systems and clock radios. Automotive accessories for the mobile devices include charging cradles, FM transmitters for playing audio through the car's speakers and a GPS receiver. There are dock connector cables that offer additional capability such as direct integration with the car's audio system and controls.
Apple 30-pin dock connector
|
30-pin connector | |||
| Type | Data and power connector | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Production history | |||
| Designer | Apple Inc. | ||
| Designed | 2007 | ||
| Manufacturer | Apple Inc | ||
| Produced | 2003 - 2014(discontinued)[1] | ||
| Superseded | yes | ||
| Superseded by | Lightning (12 September 2012) | ||
| General specifications | |||
| Pins | 30 | ||
| Connector | 30 pin | ||
Apple's proprietary 30-pin connector was common to most Apple mobile devices (iPhone (1st generation), iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 1st through 4th generation iPod Touch, iPad, iPad 2, and iPad 3 from its introduction with the 3rd generation iPod in 2003 until the Lightning connector was released in late 2012. Originally, the Apple dock connector carried USB, FireWire, some controls and line-level audio outputs.[2] As the iPod changed, so did the signals in the dock connector. Video was added to the connector. FireWire was phased out of the iPods, which led to a discontinuity in usage of the dock connector. As a result of the popularity of Apple's iPod and iPhone devices using the connector, a cottage industry was created of third-party devices that could connect to the interface.[3] With the discontinuation of the sixth-generation 160 GB iPod Classic and the iPhone 4S, the last Apple products to feature the original 30-pin connector, the connector was also discontinued in September 2014.[1][4]
Apple Lightning connector
 Lightning connector | |||
| Type | Data and power connector | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Production history | |||
| Designer | Apple Inc. | ||
| Designed | 2012 | ||
| Manufacturer | Apple Inc | ||
| Produced | 2012 | ||
| Superseded | 30-pin dock connector | ||
| General specifications | |||
| Pins | 8 | ||
| Connector | lightning | ||
| Pin out | |||
 | |||
| pins on lightning connecter | |||
| Pin | grnd | ground | |
| for pinout details, see Lightning (connector) | |||
Apple introduced a 8-pin dock connector, named Lightning, on September 12, 2012. The iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, the fifth and sixth generations of the iPod Touch, seventh generation iPod Nano, all iPad minis, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro use the Lightning connector. Apple Lightning connector pins can be accessed from both sides of the connector allowing insertion with either side facing up.[5] The Lightning connector replaced the 30-pin dock connector used by previous generations of iPods, iPhones, and iPads.
Samsung 30-pin dock connector
| Type | Data and power connector | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Production history | |||
| Designer | Samsung | ||
| General specifications | |||
| Pins | 30 | ||
The Samsung Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Note 30-pin dock/charging connector is very similar to - although not identical with - the non-proprietary PDMI connector. It is unrelated to the Apple 30-pin connector.[6]
Korean standard cellular phone 24-pin and 20-pin dock connectors
| Type | Data and power connector | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Production history | |||
| Designer | Korean Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) | ||
| Produced | 2001 | ||
| General specifications | |||
| Pins | 20 (24 pre-2007) | ||
the 2001 Korean Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) "Standard on I/O Connection Interface of Digital Cellular Phone" defined a 24-pin electromechanical interface specifications for cellular phone charging, wired data communication, analog audio, etc.[7] The 2007 updated version has only 20 pins but added composite video output support among other changes.[8]
Portable Digital Media Interface (PDMI)
 | |||
| Production history | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designer | CEA | ||
| Designed | February 2010 | ||
| General specifications | |||
| Length | 22 mm | ||
| Width | 2.5 mm | ||
| Hot pluggable | Yes | ||
| External | Yes | ||
| Audio signal | Analog stereo, digital DisplayPort (1-8 channels, 16 or 24-bit linear PCM; 32 to 192 kHz sampling rate) | ||
| Video signal | Digital 2-lane DisplayPort 1.1, 4.32 Gbit/s data rate | ||
| Pins | 30 pins | ||
| Data | |||
| Data signal | USB 3.0 SuperSpeed + 1 Mbit/s for the DisplayPort auxiliary channel | ||
| for pinout details, see PDMI (Portable Digital Media Interface) | |||
The Portable Digital Media Interface (PDMI) is a 30-pin interconnection standard for portable media players. It was developed by the Consumer Electronics Association as ANSI/CEA-2017-A, Common Interconnection for Portable Media Players in February 2010. The standard was developed with the input or support of over fifty consumer electronics companies worldwide.[9]
Other dock connectors
- iRiver 18-pin dock connector
- Olympus m:robe series 18-pin dock connector
- Cowon iAudio 22-pin dock connector
- Sony Walkman WM-Port 22-pin dock connector
- Panasonic D-snap port (24-pin)
- Microsoft Zune 24-pin dock connector
- Tatung Elio 26-pin dock connector
- Creative Zen 30-pin dock connector
- SanDisk Sansa 30-pin dock connector
- Philips GoGear 30-pin dock connector
- Toshiba Gigabeat 40-pin dock connector
- Sony NW-A1000/3000 42-pin multi-connector
See also
References
- 1 2 Casey Johnston (9 September 2014). "Pod classic is dead, and the 30-pin connector along with it". ars technica.
- ↑ The Apple 30-pin Dock Connector.
- ↑ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2245786,00.asp
- ↑ Apple iPhone 4s discontinued, iPhone 5c becomes cheapest option
- ↑ Apple iPhone 5 features; Apple.com
- ↑ "Samsung Galaxy Tab Connector". Kineteka Systems. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
- ↑ "Standard on I/O Connection Interface of Digital Cellular Phone" TTAS.KO-06.0028 released in March 2001. Later updated in 2002 (/R2), and in 2007 (/R4)
- ↑ TTA certifies first 20-pin battery charger for mobiles, Telecompaper.com, 2008-07-25
- ↑ CEA-2017, Common Inerconnection for Portable Media Players