CRD865 Series Quick-Release Dock for MDT865
Full-featured removable vehicle docking stations for the MDT865 rugged tablet. The CRD865 series provides extended I/O beyond the entry-level CRD865-BAS family — adding dual independent RS232 channels, RS485, GPIO control, multi-camera video input, and additional USB OTG expansion depending on the configuration selected.
The series covers four cable configurations — TYPE-A, TYPE-B, TYPE-E, and TYPE-F — that differ in serial channel count, GPIO capability, camera hub support, and USB OTG expansion. All configurations share the same physical cradle, the same pogo-pin tablet interface, DC12–36V vehicle power, RJ45 Ethernet, and USB-C charging. The difference is in the cable harness and the interface set it exposes.
All Configurations at a Glance
Summary: TYPE-A is the serial-rich configuration (dual RS232 + RS485 + GPIO). TYPE-B combines dual serial with a 4-channel camera hub. TYPE-E maximizes USB expansion (3× OTG). TYPE-F pairs a single serial channel with the 4-channel camera hub.
CRD865 TYPE-A — Dual RS232, RS485, and GPIO with Camera on Cradle
The most serial-rich configuration in the CRD865 series. Provides two independent RS232 channels, one RS485 multi-drop bus, four GPIO lines, and one camera input on the cradle. Suitable for deployments that run multiple serial peripherals — weighbridge, printer, diagnostics — alongside RS485 sensor networks and GPIO-based control.
Interface Summary
Typical use: Weighbridge (RS232) + receipt printer (RS232) + RS485 temperature sensor network + GPIO-controlled relay outputs. Single camera input on cradle for rear-view or equipment monitoring.
CRD865 TYPE-B — Dual Serial with 4-Channel Camera Hub
Combines the dual-serial interface of TYPE-A with a 4-channel AHD camera hub for multi-camera mobile digital video recording. Provides two independent RS232 channels, one RS485 bus, four camera inputs with four trigger lines, and one additional camera input on the cradle itself. Suitable for fleets that require multi-camera recording alongside dual serial peripherals.
Interface Summary
Typical use: Fleet safety recording with 4-camera coverage plus one additional on-cradle camera, dual serial peripherals (weighbridge + printer), and RS485 sensor network — all from a single removable dock.
CRD865 TYPE-E — Single RS232 with Triple USB-A OTG
Maximizes USB peripheral expansion with three USB-A OTG ports. Provides one RS232 serial channel and up to three simultaneous USB devices — keyboards, scanners, card readers, cameras, or the optional EXT-USB-CAN-01 CAN Bus adapter. Suitable for deployments where USB peripherals outnumber serial devices.
Interface Summary
Typical use: USB keyboard + barcode scanner + card reader, all connected simultaneously alongside one RS232 peripheral. Also supports EXT-USB-CAN-01 for CAN Bus access on one of the OTG ports while leaving the other two free.
CRD865 TYPE-F — Single RS232 with 4-Channel Camera Hub
Pairs one RS232 serial channel with a 4-channel AHD camera hub and one additional camera input on the cradle. Provides four camera inputs with four trigger lines for multi-camera mobile digital video recording, alongside one serial peripheral and USB OTG expansion. Suitable for deployments that need multi-camera coverage without the dual-serial complexity of TYPE-B.
Interface Summary
Typical use: Multi-camera fleet safety recording with one additional on-cradle camera, alongside a single RS232 peripheral (diagnostics dongle or weighbridge) — without requiring dual serial channels.
What the 4-Channel Camera Hub Enables
The 4-channel AHD camera hub (available in TYPE-B and TYPE-F) allows the tablet to capture video from up to four cameras simultaneously — driver view, road view, side view, and rear view — for mobile digital video recording (MDVR). Trigger lines allow specific camera events to be marked or activated based on vehicle signals such as brake, turn indicator, or door open. TYPE-A and TYPE-B additionally provide one camera input directly on the cradle for a fifth camera or a dedicated equipment view.
Typical Applications
Continuous in-cab and road-facing video capture for incident review and driver coaching.
Camera coverage for reversing, lane changes, and side-mirror blind spots.
Vehicle signals mark or activate specific camera events — brake, turn, door, hazard.
EXT-USB-CAN-01 — USB to CAN Bus Adapter Cable
Adds CAN Bus capability to any CRD865 series configuration through its USB-A OTG ports. One adapter cable supports up to 2 CAN Bus channels, enabling hardware-level vehicle network access without changing the dock. TYPE-E supports up to three OTG devices simultaneously, allowing CAN Bus expansion alongside other USB peripherals.
Key Specifications
Note: Connects to the dock cable's USB-A OTG port and presents a CAN Bus interface to the Android OS through the standard SocketCAN driver stack. CAN Bus termination and baud rate configuration are handled at the software level.
Explore EXT-USB-CAN-01 →How to Choose a CRD865 Configuration
TYPE-A — Select if your deployment requires dual independent RS232 channels, an RS485 sensor bus, and GPIO control, alongside a single camera input. This is the most serial-rich configuration.
TYPE-B — Select if you need the dual-serial interface of TYPE-A combined with 4-channel camera recording. Adds a camera hub and trigger lines on top of the TYPE-A interface set.
TYPE-E — Select if your deployment centers on USB peripheral expansion. Provides three USB-A OTG ports and one RS232 channel — the maximum USB capacity in the series.
TYPE-F — Select if you need 4-channel camera recording with only a single serial peripheral. Combines the camera hub of TYPE-B with a reduced serial interface.
If CAN Bus is required, the optional EXT-USB-CAN-01 adapter adds up to 2 CAN Bus channels through any CRD865 configuration's USB-A OTG port. For an entry-level dock with fewer interfaces, refer to the CRD865-BAS series. For a permanently mounted dock, refer to the BKT865 series.
Wiring examples shown — not all configurations. Pin-out details, cable lengths, and cable part numbers may vary by production batch. For the full datasheet with dimensioned drawings and CRD865 cable specifications, contact our engineering team.
Compatible Tablet Platform
This quick-release dock is designed for one tablet model only
The CRD865 series is built specifically for the MDT865 mechanical and electrical interface. It is not compatible with the MDT880 or MDT1065.
Compare cradle variants across the full tablet lineup — interfaces, cable options, and configuration differences in one view.
