Zune to iPod Docking Adapter

[AnimeAddict]

Just to clarify, I know that this is considered hardware, and technically a no-no, yet the other adapter treads seemed really ignorant.

Apple has the largest market share as far as dedicated speakers/controllers/docks/ect for the iPod line of PMP's. This is no real suprise as the accessories market is just as large as the players themselves. But lets get down to the facts.

iPod supports many functions from the bottom connector. Player control, charging, video out, and audio out.
The Zune supports charging, conrol, and audio and video out.

An adapter that fits snugly over the zune to emulate an iPod interface is not likely, it would make the device too tall, and cause physical compatibility issues, some of the docks are really funky. One possible solution would be to place a female iPod connector on a flexible cable that interfaces with a "board" that receives and interprets the commands. The board then goes on to "translate" to the Zune commands and passes the information to another flexible cable that is terminated in a male zune connector.

The audio and video signals do not need to be altered in any way, as I understand composite video is composite video, no matter how you fudge the connectors. The same applies for audio. However charging is a different matter I have been led to believe. Someone said that the iPods charging voltage is different. I do not belive this is the case, mainly because they both share the 5.0v DC power supplied by the USB port. However if this is not the case then iPod uses a dmall DC to CD converter, which are cheap and plentiful nowadays. The same could be applied to the adapter.

The obvious hurtles are not insurmountable, but they are numerous.

1. Get iPod connector pinout.
2. Get Zune connector pinout
3. Source iPod female connectors
4. Source Male Zune connectors

The altec Lansing engineers sure have access to all this information, and although such an adapter would be ugly, it would also be functional. Who knows, it may be pretty if one had access to a design team...

Feel free to post your thoughts!

[Dragod]

There's someone working on this on zB right now.. He posted like 2 or 3 days ago.

[AnimeAddict]

I saw someone asking about it, but no one implementing a solution. Feel free to link to the other topic.

[Sexified Loveandhatejw]

Yea i made one, the soldering is a bitch and i think it doesn't work anymore but i could use it on like ihome and stuff, ill rebuild.

[AnimeAddict]

Well please fill us in! I would love to do this as a project.

[plympton]

I picked up a Belkin iPod shuffle dock adaptor from Buy.com for $5 shipped ($15 - $10 Google discount - you can do as many of those as you have e-mail addresses, it seems)

The iShuffle (original - stick style) has a USB port with 9 pins - 4 normal + 5 for ??

I'm checking into what wires are what - at a minimum I can make a cable that goes from headphone -> "usb" cable for the shuffle. What I'd like to do is modify a Zune cable to add the extra signal wires and route power to the Zune.

Not sure how to get the ipod shuffle 9-pin USB connector without killing a shuffle, however... that, and I hear the Zune has some kind of handshake necessary for outputting audio through the dock connector ... ? Anyone?

-Dan
plymptonia /at/ yahoo -dot- com

[yensed]

Originally Posted by plympton

Not sure how to get the ipod shuffle 9-pin USB connector without killing a shuffle

Perhaps THIS could be of help?

[AnimeAddict]

Neo Car Audio claims to be developing an adapter just as I describe.

on their website it is the sixth module down on the right, however they offer no explanation thus far.

[Soundman98]

here are the pinouts for both units---the pinouts for ipod connectors are everywhere, but there is very limited info on the zune pinout

ipod pinout

Pin Signal Description
1 GND Ground (-), internaly connected with Pin 2 on iPod motherboard
2 GND Audio & Video ground (-), internaly connected with Pin 2 on iPod motherboard
3 Right Line Out - R (+) (Audio output, right channel)
4 Left Line Out - L(+) (Audio output, left channel)
5 Right In Line In - R (+)
6 Left In Line In - L (+)
8 Video Out Composite video output (only when slideshow active on iPod Photo)
9 S-Video Chrominance output for iPod Color, Photo only
10 S-Video Luminance output for iPod Color, Photo only
11 GND Serial GND
12 Tx ipod sending line, Serial TxD
13 Rx ipod receiving line, Serial RxD
15 GND Ground (-), internaly connected with pin 16 on iPod motherboard
16 GND USB GND (-), internaly connected with pin 15 on iPod motherboard
18 3.3V 3.3V Power (+)
Stepped up to provide +5 VDC to USB on iPod Camera Connector. If iPod is put to sleep while Camera Connector is present, +5 VDC at this pin slowly drains back to 0 VDC.
19,20 +12V Firewire Power 12 VDC (+)
21 Accessory Indicator/Serial enable Different resistances indicate accessory type:
1kOhm - iPod docking station, beeps when connected
10kOhm - Takes some iPods into photo import mode
500kOhm - related to serial communication / used to enable serial communications Used in Dension Ice Link Plus car interface
1MOhm - Belkin auto adaptor, iPod shuts down automatically when power disconnected Connecting pin 21 to ground with a 1MOhm resistor does stop the ipod when power (i.e. Firewire-12V) is cut. Looks to be that when this pin is grounded it closes a switch so that on loss of power the Ipod shuts off. Dock has the same Resister.
22 TPA (-) FireWire Data TPA (-)
23 5 VDC (+) USB Power 5 VDC (+)
24 TPA (+) FireWire Data TPA (+)
25 Data (-) USB Data (-)
26 TPB (-) FireWire Data TPB (-)
27 Data (+) USB Data (+)
Pins 25 and 27 may be used in different manner. To force the iPod 5G to charge in any case, when 'USB Power 5 VDC' (pin 23) is fed, 25 must be connected to 5V through a 10kOhm resistor, and 27 must be connected to the Ground (for examplein 1) with a 10kOhm resistor.
28 TPB (+) FireWire Data TPB (+)
29,30 GND FireWire Ground (-)

Back side of dock connector;
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29
Pins 1,2 connected on motherboard.
Pins 15,16 connected on motherboard.
Pins 19,20 connected on motherboard.
Pins 29,30 connected on motherboard.

If you disassemble the original apple-ipod-dock-connector-cable and look at the connector itself, on the back side, where it is soldered, you can see the number 1 and 30 (e.g. pin 1 and 30). In this description NUMBERING is INVERSEDin 1 is pin 30 and pin 30 is pin 2, so, don't look at numbers on connector.

The remote control, iTalk and other serial devices use Apple Accessory Protocol for communication with iPOD. This protocol was introduced with the 3rd generation iPods, and is also compatible with the 4th generation iPods and mini iPods. The connections uses a standard 8N1 (one startbit 8 data bits 1 Stopbit) serial protocol, 19200 baud (higher rates up to 57600 also possible, but speed faster than 38400 may cause problems with large amounts of data), delay of 12 microseconds inserted between end of the stopbit and the beginning of the next startbit (also working without this delay).
Electrical: high +3,3V low 0V
default line state: high. Codes used for communication with peripherals are here

This device may be connected to the firewire computer port by straight cable (TPB+/-, TPA +/- shoulde be twisted pairs in cable)


Zune Pinouts

Pin 01 - USB 5VDC(+) (common with Pins 2,3)
Pin 02 - 5VDC(+) (common with pins 1,3)
Pin 03 - 5VDC(+) (common with pins 1,2)
Pin 04 - Unknown (used on travel remote) 1.75 VDC (+)
Pin 05 - Unknown (used on travel remote) 1.75 VDC (+)
Pin 06 -
Pin 07 -
Pin 08 -
Pin 09 - Video (+)
Pin 10 -
Pin 11 -
Pin 12 -
Pin 13 - Audio L (+) (also audio on travel remote)
Pin 14 - Audio R (+) (Also audio on travel remote)
Pin 15 -
Pin 16 -
Pin 17 - Unknown (used on travel remote) these are likely our trigger
Pin 18 - Unknown (used on travel remote) these are likely our trigger
Pin 19 - Ground (common with Pins 22,23,24,and shield)
Pin 20 - USB Data (-)
Pin 21 - USB Data (+)
Pin 22 - USB Ground (common with Pins 19,23,24,and shield)
Pin 23 - Ground (common with Pins 22,19,24,and shield)
Pin 24 - Ground (common with Pins 22,23,19,and shield)

Trigger: Used when an accessory gets connected to inform Zune.

[Soundman98]

here is where I got the ipod pinout, and the zune pinout was on this forum
go to


pinouts.ru/Devices/ipod_pinout.shtml

[Federal111]

I don't see much use for this since the Zune already has most of the Ipod's docks and speakers or similar ones

[MadOx23]

Originally Posted by Federal111

I don't see much use for this since the Zune already has most of the Ipod's docks and speakers or similar ones

Are you serious? There are a hundreds more accessories for the iPod than there are for the Zune. Thats the one thing that makes me crazy about this. I love my Zune, but I hate the lack of integration and accessories. Damn, even the Sync information on Ford's site talks about iPods, and thats made by MS. You think they would get smart and work with Ford to offer a 4GB Zune with the Sync as a promo or something....

[stubblepoo]

jezuus thats alot of stuff to do

[gage006]

Is there any progress on this or anyone even working on it? I'm dying to use all my old iPod stuff with my zune. A nice adapter would be great. I'm surprised no 3rd party manufacturer has jumped on this.

[Darth Camel]

This would be really useful. I'd be able to use my iHome again.

[Lucifer]

the problem with an ipod > zune adapter cable is that you need to know the trigger locations and how the trigger works on the zune, and apparently few peope have done anything about zune's accessory trigger.

[soccerfreak24]

I want one so bad.. I was so excited when I saw this thread, to bad theres no solution yet. :-(

[saab900]

Originally Posted by Sexified Loveandhatejw

Yea i made one, the soldering is a bitch and i think it doesn't work anymore but i could use it on like ihome and stuff, ill rebuild.

So it does work? Thats awesome, that could save people alot of time and money!

[Darth Camel]

Can't some company make an adapter? I'd buy one. Or ten.

[Lucifer]

Originally Posted by Darth Camel

Can't some company make an adapter? I'd buy one. Or ten.

LOL counting in binary, are we?? 1 10 11 100 101 110 111 = 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

but anyway, I'd buy one as well... even if it were a $10 - $20 device.