Docks don't pass USB data?

[wkearney99]

I have both a media desktop dock and a car dock. It appears neither of them pass a USB data connection? Only power?

Does anyone else out there have the docks? Can you confirm whether or not a data connection works via USB through the dock?

I'd really like to have the desktop dock pass both data and power.

 

[DANOinSD]

I just got both delivered today, I will try them out and confirm tonight.

 

[dazoe]

If that's true then I'll never buy one. I develop apps as a hobby and use my media dock with my old Droid.

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums

 

[DANOinSD]

Docks

Yeah, the HDMI dock doesn't pass USB thru, I tried the stock cable, and some other ones and nothing. I also grabbed the car dock, and tried it's split Audio/USB cable and it doesn't pass USB either (with the HDMI or Car dock). Never mind the car dock also doesn't come with a charger. Seems like Moto/Verizon cheaped out on this stuff, and still charged a mint for it. Gonna return my stuff and wait for some knock offs that'll do the same and save myself $100 or more.

 

[dazoe]

Some one should design one in blender 3d and share the plans so we can have our own build with a service like shapeways...

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums

 

[wkearney99]

Yeah, the HDMI dock doesn't pass USB thru, I tried the stock cable, and some other ones and nothing. I also grabbed the car dock, and tried it's split Audio/USB cable and it doesn't pass USB either (with the HDMI or Car dock). Never mind the car dock also doesn't come with a charger. Seems like Moto/Verizon cheaped out on this stuff, and still charged a mint for it. Gonna return my stuff and wait for some knock offs that'll do the same and save myself $100 or more.

Damn, that's bad news. The car dock I can understand just being power. But the desktop? Trouble is it'll no doubt be quite a while before any third party docks come out. I'm guessing the HDMI part of it will run afoul of licensing issues. I don't actually need the HDMI out, just USB pass-thru. So a desktop dock that did USB and maybe a 2nd battery charger would be nice.

 

[clintfisher]

Disassembly pics

Ya, what a bummer that this thing doesn't pass USB data! Here's the big kicker, there's a LOT of stuff in that cradle. I expected an ID resistor and maybe a charge controller. Not so. Looks like audio passes through USB ( and I hypothesize that the audio has hijacked the data lines and that's why we can't do USB ). I took a bunch of pictures of the innards and have posted it here: Droid3 HD Dock Model CSD-8106 - a set on Flickr

 

[cyber3dx]

FWIW, I modified my D1 Multimedia cradle to accept the D3. Check it out: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-3-accessories/172898-d3-d1-oem-dock.html

 

[REMilk]

I have both a media desktop dock and a car dock. It appears neither of them pass a USB data connection? Only power? ...... I'd really like to have the desktop dock pass both data and power.

With the OG Droid, magnetic proximity fields were used to recognize when the OG Droid was docked and depending on the location of the magnetic proximity field, which dock screen to display, the one for the home/multimedia dock or the car dock.

Magnetic proximity fields are NOT used by the Droid 3 to determine when the Droid 3 is docked. The determination of docking is based on an electronic signal/current from the usb pins that are normally designated for data. This redefinition of the usb pins for docking is the reason that you cannot access data when docked.

Ways around this include, but are not limited to:

• cyber3DX method of D3 in D1 OEM Dock
  
• http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-3-accessories/172898-d3-d1-oem-dock.htmlTake the cable from an OG Droid multimedia dock and put it in the Droid 3 multimedia dock.
• Buy a third-party desk stand, there are several available

With any of these methods, you will need a way to manually trigger the multimedia dock screen. I use the app "Alarm Clock Plus" to the trigger the multimedia dock app. (I use this when I travel to access the multimedia app on the Droid 3.

In one way, this change reduces manufacturing costs of the Droid 3 as the hardware used for the magnetic proximity is not is the phone and no magnets are needed for either dock. There was probably just a slight initial cost in the manufacture of the dock usb cable to switch the pin connections. The software costs for determining the docking may have been a wash as a method was needed.

It is a change to the docking approach that I feel and many others should have been better communicated by Motorola.

My wife has ordered a Droid 3 Multimedia stand as she will not be using this only on a night stand. I have ordered an "ezeStand XL", for my Droid 3.

Just my opinion based on all that I have read about this new feature.
Bob