AST PowerStation III Docking Station 501681-001 Serial Parallel MIDI Ports

AST PowerStation III Docking Station 501681-001 Serial Parallel MIDI Ports

The AST PowerStation III Docking Station (part number 501681-001) is a full-featured desktop docking station designed for AST PowerStation III series notebook computers. It expands a compatible laptop's connectivity with a comprehensive set of legacy ports and expansion bays, allowing a portable computer to function as a desktop workstation when docked.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: AST Research
• Model: PowerStation III Docking Station
• Part Number: 501681-001
• Form Factor: Desktop docking station
• Laptop Bay: Full docking cradle with eject lever and locking mechanism
• Rear Ports: Serial (DB9), Parallel (DB25), Monitor/VGA, PS/2 Mouse, PS/2 Keyboard, Audio In, Audio Out, Headphone, MIDI/Game port
• Expansion Bays: Internal expansion bay slots visible on rear panel
• Rear exhaust fan for active cooling
• Power input: AC power cable attached (adapter/brick not included)
• Included: Docking station only — no power adapter, cables, or laptop

Applications

The AST PowerStation III Docking Station dates from the early-to-mid 1990s, the era when AST Research was a major PC manufacturer competing alongside Compaq and IBM. Docking stations of this type let business users keep a full set of desktop peripherals — monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and audio devices — permanently connected, so a notebook could be quickly inserted and used as a desktop machine, then removed for travel without recabling. The PowerStation III's MIDI/game port and audio ports also made it usable with musical instruments and gaming peripherals of the era. Today these units are sought by collectors of 1990s computing hardware and by anyone still maintaining legacy AST PowerStation III systems.