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A docking station, also called a docking
port, is a device that can be used to allow a portable PC to use the
normal hardware devices associated with desktop computers. This device
is designed to allow the notebook unit to fit into it. When a notebook
is inserted into the docking station, the extension bus in the docking
station plugs into the expansion connector in the notebook. Usually, a
docking station provides standard PC expansion slots so that such
non-notebook peripheral devices as network adapters, sound cards, and
so on, can be used with the system. When a notebook computer is in a
docking station, its normal Input/Output devices (display or monitor,
keyboard, and pointing device) are disabled and the docking station's
peripherals take over. This makes it possible for the notebook to use
a collection of desktop devices, such as an AC power source, CRT
monitor, full-sized keyboard, mouse, modem, and standard personal
computer port connectors, which otherwise would not be available to
it.
The notebook and the docking station communicate with each other through a special docking port connector in the rear of the notebook. However, most docking stations are proprietary, which means that they can only be used with the portable they were designed to work with. What accounts for the proprietary nature of these products are two important factors:
Because there are yet no standards for portable systems, the chances of two different manufacturers locating the connectors in the same places or even designing the same case outline are very slim.
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