is a Fuze to iPod accessory adapter possible?

It doesn’t matter who makes it… there are almost none out there…   but go into any store and you’ll find iPod accessories…

THAT"S the value in the adapter… and would help sell Sansa’s superior product. Compatability is key!

It strikes me that there is little legal exposure, a connector shape and pinout is not legally protected AFAIK

Message Edited by timn on 04-18-2009 08:45 PM

@timn wrote:

It doesn’t matter who makes it… there are almost none out there…   but go into any store and you’ll find iPod accessories…

 

THAT"S the value in the adapter… and would help sell Sansa’s superior product. Compatability is key!

 

It strikes me that there is little legal exposure, a connector shape and pinout is not legally protected AFAIK

Message Edited by timn on 04-18-2009 08:45 PM

I agree with you… I think something should be made but… I posted thisin December 2008 and got no reaction. We will see what happens.

Thanks for the note… I’ll shutup now on the topic

I’m very interested in your thoughts of an adapter.  Trying to upgrade my car stereo with the ability to use my Fuze seems to be impossible.  If you make any progress, please post your findings.       Thanks Louis 

I bit the bullet and got the Altec-Lansing iM413  but for $30…   but still, if there was an adapter I could have gotten I might have opted for something different.

I picture a 30 pin “barrel” labelled IPod on one end and Sansa on the other, the sansa end plugs into the player, the IPod end goes to whatever IPod accessory you have… inside the wires are rerouted appropriately. Maybe the thing is 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch high with a snap-on plastic support to hold the fuze in place and reduce the stress on the connector.

And I still say having these available would be a boon for Sansa. A better quality player compatable with the 100’s of different IPod accessories should sell quite well. Heck, the adapter could even come with the thing, or you might find them hanging on a peg near the IPod accessories at the retailer.

Maybe I’m wrong…

Message Edited by timn on 06-12-2009 12:45 PM

Creative sued Apple and won a shed load of bucks so it is not so simple as it sounds. If only Apple had made things compatable they would have saved $100 million plus all the development costs, and maybe sansa would have followed and we would be so happy!

If anyone does make a crossover plug I will buy one.

I would certainly buy one! My question is what is the reason for Sandisk using the pinout they do on the Sansa devices? You would think they would have made it the same as the iPod so that there would be fewer reasons to NOT get the Sansa.

There really are SO many accessories (some I wouldn’t really call accessories) for the iPod! Most HTIBs (Home theater in a box) and receivers come with some form of iPod dock. Heck, even some TVs are now coming with an iPod dock! It seems that just about anything that can play audio is iPod compatible.

@bassmannate wrote:

I would certainly buy one! My question is what is the reason for Sandisk using the pinout they do on the Sansa devices? You would think they would have made it the same as the iPod so that there would be fewer reasons to NOT get the Sansa.

 

Perhaps Apple has a patent on their connector, and Sandisk wasn’t allowed to use it.

That’s kinda what I was shooting at.

Apple absolutely has a patent on their proprietary connector. Licensing this connector to other MP3 player makers would negate the huge advantage they currently have in accessories. It seems like locking customers in with proprietary connectors and formats has always been attractive to MP3 player manufacturers.

So, since the Ipod interface is proprietary and the ratio of Ipod to Sansa owners wanting/willing to buy docking assessories is (a wild guess) at least 50 to 1 or higher then perhaps

Sansa should offer some manufacturer a premium (engineering investment) to create a line of docks/speakers that works with their connector. Then for any new product (i.e. SlotRadio) or the older products with the connector they can advertise “A complete line of accessories is easily available through us or at many retailers”.

This would, IMO, boost sales significantly, but I could be wrong.

@timn wrote:

So, since the Ipod interface is proprietary and the ratio of Ipod to Sansa owners wanting/willing to buy docking assessories is (a wild guess) at least 50 to 1 or higher then perhaps

Sansa should offer some manufacturer a premium (engineering investment) to create a line of docks/speakers that works with their connector. Then for any new product (i.e. SlotRadio) or the older products with the connector they can advertise “A complete line of accessories is easily available through us or at many retailers”.

This would, IMO, boost sales significantly, but I could be wrong.

Agreed, I think they attempted that with Belkin and Griffen, but Im not sure that worked out. I know Altec Lansing makes most Docks but again I dont know how well that works out for them. 

Getting the two different platforms to work together is most definitely possible, but we have the larger issue of proprietary formats, I’m afraid.  Apple is the 500-pound gorilla in this battle, I’d wager. 

To produce a product that interfaces with the Apple connector, one must also tackle the licensing issue.

For a prospective manufacturer, the lure of the huge Apple market share is obvious.   I am sure that they are very active in licensing and royalty concerns.

Bob  :wink:

:dizzy_face: oh my gosh! there is one by belkin, it’s not on the website, but i found it at walmart on sale for about 15$. :cry: but i am ashamed i passed up what might have been the only chance i had to get one. I thought i might find it again but it seems it is almost nowhere to be found, do not check the belkin or Walmart websites it isn’t on there, the best i can give you is just to go to a really big walmart close to a big city and search the electronics section. Im really sorry but i think this is the only way to find it. i have been searching the internet all day and have come to nothing close to what i saw, it was a device that fit over the ipod jack and converted to a thingy on top that was a fuze jack, i really dont have the best explination for it but basically it made it so say your friend’s ihome, could be converted to an “i-fuze”? thats the best I got I’m still looking though because I’m pretty ashamed I didnt buy it when i had the chance

“”“I picture a 30 pin “barrel” labelled IPod on one end and Sansa on the other, the sansa end plugs into the player, the IPod end goes to whatever IPod accessory you have… inside the wires are rerouted appropriately. Maybe the thing is 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch high with a snap-on plastic support to hold the fuze in place and reduce the stress on the connector.”“”

Oh my gosh this is exactly what i saw at walmart it is made by belkin just follow my other post for the rest

Hi everyone, im trying to find the complete pinout for fuze, does anyone have it??? i want to make a control remote aplication, but cant find the complete an detailed pinout. :cry:

Found these links, cannot validate their correctness

http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/sandisk_sansa_pinout.shtml

http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod_pinout.shtml

(second is for those wanting to experiment making their own adapter)…

I looked at the first link, but have no idea what ‘control’ signals look like or what pins they go in on

Has anyone bought the Belkin adapter I’ve seen mentioned?  Does it work?

Message Edited by timn on 11-05-2009 02:07 PM

I’ve never seen a full pinout for the Fuze. The pinouts.ru for Sansa referenced to above is not for the Fuze. It may be for the View.

The lineout is easy to adapt with only the enable pin and lineout pins being needed. Note also that there are variants along the Sansa line that use the same connector. My DIY Cable works on the Fuze and E200V2, won’t work on the E200v1 or View. I assume this because of a different L/O enable pin is used on those models.

Serial communication for remote is unknown as far as I can tell. I think the Sansa Dock has remote capability, but I do not have one to disect and figure out.

Note, for those wanting to adapt to iPod docking equipment. You probably won’t get control functions to work due to differing serial protocol. And, BEWARE!!! If you try to adapt to the charging circuit. If the device uses the 5v USB pins, you should be able to adapt easily. But, many devices use the 12v firewire charging for the iPod. If you connect to that, it’s bye-bye Fuze! The Klipsch SXT does exactly that, as I’m modding one right now. I have sound on the line out, but I have to whack the charge circuit down to 5v from 12v with a regulator circuit. I also need to modify the dock connector to fit the Fuze, as the iPod connector does not key the same as Sansa.

Went in to a Panasonic dealership who confirmed that Apple have patented/licensed the pin configuration on the adpater. I said that as Panasonic [and Toshiba] helped invent the SD card format surely they should support a product that uses that storage means rather than apples hard drive. Don’t think any conversion lead will happen. Its not in apples interest and SanDisk are primarily a memory card manufacturor. Roll on the 1TB micro SD card!

It should be possible using these

http://www.chargeconverter.com/shop/connext.htm
http://www.chargeconverter.com/shop/connnopod.htm

and the pinouts (need to verify the Sansa ones, may no be for the Fuze)

http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/sandisk\_sansa\_pinout.shtml
http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ms\_zune\_pinout.shtml
http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod\_pinout.shtml

Maybe someone/place could manufature a batch if we order say 100? There has to be a market for these!