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Hardware

DIY Dell Inspiron Docking Stations? 21

Posted by Cliff from the extending-the-life-of-your-hardware dept.
scompt asks: "I've been looking around for some information on building a custom docking station for my Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop. The barrier is obviously the odd, jumbo connector on the back. Does anybody know the pinout of it? Hacking the insides of a laptop is almost a lost cause, but opening up the docking connector might provide a nice way to expand a previously dead end box."
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DIY Dell Inspiron Docking Stations? More

DIY Dell Inspiron Docking Stations?

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  • I picked up a docking station for my Latitude CPt at the local Good Will (salvation army, etc) for 10 bucks with monitor stand. Not saying your local will have it, but it's always a chance.
    • You found a docking station at a Goodwill? The technology at all of the ones around my area stops about twenty years ago.
      • But on the good side I've found some great Atari games at mine...
      • Mmmm...that's not all bad. Once I found a genuine, pristine Simpson analog multimeter...mirrored scale, all the necessary features, and great to look at. All that and the tangy scent of Bakelite, for just ten dollars.

        Of course there's the time I found a barely used HP professional-grade inkjet printer for $20.

        But these times are few, many people are hanging on to old hardware a lot longer now. Good time to check the thrift stores is a couple weeks after Christmas.
  • It would no doubt be easiest to start with one- you get the connectors and can reverse engineer what they do.

    Hmmm. The C-Dock II's that I had when I used a Dell (Lattitude but I think the inspirons use the same connector) had 2x PCI slots, all the ports replicated, a network card, and a copy of the CD bay. What else were you planning to hack into it? ;-)
    • The C Dock II or III will not work with the Inspiron 8000 -- The "lock hook" on the docking station has no place to insert to the back of the Inspiron 8000. The hole that would normally accept this on the 8000 is covered. Breaking it out and attempting to insert the 8000 into a Dock III or III could potentially damage the laptop, the dock, or both.

      The most the 8000 will take is an APR (Advanced Port Replicator). NOT a full-size dock.

      Proof? See
      http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/search.asp ?Page b4Search=search&searchType=AND&keyword=port+8000&c ategory_id=2999 ..and FWIW I work at Dell, testing laptops and I have an 8000 in front of me.

      • Re:I suggest getting hold of one (Score:1, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Take the tab off the C-Dock and reflash the BIOS with the equivalent Latitude version and it apparently works then. You might want to ask stonent [slashdot.org] - he's done it before.
      • Nope. I've done it. here [attbi.com] All the current Latitudes have the same motherboards as the current Inspirons. 8000 > c800. 8100 > c810. 4000 > c600, 4100 > c610 etc etc.
      • You can pop off the plastic part that covers the hinges easily. Just use a thin metal screwdriver or pry stick. If you search on the Dell website you can find the service manual for the 8x00 Inspirons and it will tell you exactly how to open it up.

        The metal piece that covers the hole where the C Dock hook goes into is screwed into the plastic part.
    • I initially wanted to make an external power switch for when I've got the laptop hooked up to monitor/keyboard/mouse, so I don't have to have the laptop sitting there taking up space. From there, I figured whatever other features that were offered through the docking interface could be done yourself too.

  • Solutions.... (Score:4, Informative)

    by AntipodesTroll ( 552543 ) on Wednesday September 04, 2002 @10:47AM (#4195051) Homepage
    Like what you are looking for are probably beyond your expertise.

    Note that the high-density connector on the back of the Inspiron is not something you can solder onto a piece of single-sided veroboard from Radio Shack, and expect to be able to put PCI slots on it. And for less complicated applications, using something like the USB or Parallel port is a better idea.

    If you *must* have better expansion on your I8K than what the (cheap, but spartan) Inspiron port replicator provides, there have been reports of people connecting Cdocks (for Latitudes) onto their I8k's and flashing their system BIOS with a Latitude image. But you apparently lose some Inspiron-specific functionality and its unsupported.

    For more info, which is what I suspect this Ask Slashdot is actually asking about, try google. Some good I8K hacking resources are http://home.attbi.com/~stonent/ and all the good stuff linked off there, and the I8200 FAQ at http://www.geocities.com/thebithead/I8200FAQ.htm and Dell's own website has quite good docs and infor for messing around inside your I8k. As for hacking inside the I8k, I think you'd be suprised about what you can do, see Dell's I8k forums about what is possible.

    As for making your own replicator, forget it unless you have access to sophisticated routing and simulation software, and access to manufacturing things like 4-layer PCBs and such. If you must hack, buying an I8k replicator is a good start, and they arent expensive unless you have unreasonable expectations.
  • ... lots of folks selling the APR there.

    I got one for about $45 I think.

    mm
  • You must have a really good reason for wanting to do this. If it's just for kicks, I say forget it. It'll be a very expensive pointless hobby.

    By the time you sourced the parts, made the circuit board, and did the mechanical work to make the docking possible, you've spent far more than you would pay for the docking station.

    Just buy a used docking station. You can even get aftermarket "USB docking stations" (if they suit your needs).

    BTW, if your intent was to have custom IO ports for your laptop, you can get USB-based IO port/DAQ devices. Not terribly cheap, but easier.
  • You don't need to "hack the insides." Just go to Dell's website and access the documentation for your i8K. It contains the pinouts plain as day. You will need to register or you may not be able to see the link, but I don't see what the fuss is all about. Unless you don't want to register, but you gotta give something to get something. Pinouts [dell.com]
  • Here
    I have collected a lot of information about Dell Latitudes and inspirons and made a website about it. Even how to use a Latitude Dock with an Inspiron Here. [attbi.com] Enjoy! Remember dell charges like $500 for C/dock II's but you can get them off of ebay for $50
    • My main website is available from clicking the link in the title, it has other info on upgrades and other neat stuff. I'm also accepting pics of people's Dell laptops to be used on my site. I'll credit your name if you send me yours, please have something interesting on the screen of course. Linux, Solaris, or BSD would be nice.
  • You can buy the Dell 8000 dock for like $100 new on eBay, if not less by now. I bought one about 2 years ago. It is a nice, functional piece of hardware. Why dick around?
  • Just as an aside, we were recently informed by Dell that Post 1/1/2003 they are going to have a New (Read not "C" dock compatible) dock for all new systems.....

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