ipod dock connector

[ljcrabs]

Is it possible to use the dock connector with custom hardware? The reason i'm asking is because I got an idea to solder the end of an ipod cable to a NES controller for use with ROMS.

[saratoga]

Is it possible to use the dock connector with custom hardware?

If you design the hardware properly, sure.  The dock cable has USB, line out, a serial port, etc.

The reason i'm asking is because I got an idea to solder the end of an ipod cable to a NES controller for use with ROMS.

Theres no support for USB or serial on the ipod yet, so you won't be able to do this unless you get those working first.

[ljcrabs]

With a dock-connected hardware, is it the ipod software or hardware that handles commands, eg mute/next track etc? i.e. do ipod remotes work on rockbox?

Bunch of stuff about it:
http://www.ipodlinux.org/Dock_Connector
http://www.ipodlinux.org/Apple_Accessory_Protocol
http://www.ipodlinux.org/Serial_Port
http://www.ipodlinux.org/Remote

[Flid]

At a guess... Apple hardware handles the initial "talk" between iPod & the connected accessory, and then Apple software decides what to do with the information. As far as I am aware, no progress has been made on how to access serial information transmitted through the dock port.

Also....
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/IpodAccessories