# Help! DIY front panel audio pinout questions



## morkus64

Ok, I think I understand what to do with most of it. If the pinout is as follows (HD Audio, i assume):

 2-4-6-8-10
 1-3-5-7-9

 1=MIC2-L
 2=AGND
 3=MIC2-R
 4= FRONT CTL
 5= LINE2-R
 6=SENSE1 RETURN
 7=FRONT SENSE
 8=NC
 9=LINE2-L
 10=SENSE2 RETURN

 Obviously 1&3 would go to the mic jack and 5 and 9 would go to the headphone jack.

 Would 2 be the ground for the mic? Where is the ground for the headphone?

 What do I do with the rest??? It would make sense to me that the front sense just gets connected to the sense 1 return - complete the circuit, right? what about sense 2 return though. Am I not getting something here?

 Any help would be MUCH appreciated. TIA!


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## MisterX

Do you know what motherboard model number is?

  Quote:


 Would 2 be the ground for the mic? Where is the ground for the headphone? 
 

AGND = audio ground. 
 It is the ground for the Mic and the headphones. 

  Quote:


 It would make sense to me that the front sense just gets connected to the sense 1 return - complete the circuit, right? 
 

I would be inclined to believe....
 5 is the signal 6 is the return. 
 9 is the signal and 10 is the return.
 Was there a jumper installed between each pair of "pins" when you started?


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## morkus64

No jumper there already. If they are the returns for the line in jack, what do they connect to? That would make 5 connectors for a jack with only three (stereo 3.5mm audio jack)


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## MisterX

If you want the front channel output on the motherboard to mute when you plug the headphones in you will need a closed circuit type jack 
 (Like those available from radioshack)

 Wire it like this----> 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 If you don't want the front channel output on the back of the board to mute when you connect the phones you can use a "standard" 3 pin jack

 wire it like this----> 





 (red is right, left is green, black is ground)


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## morkus64

Thanks so much! 
 how about the mic - would that just me a standard 3 pin jack connecting to pins 1 2 and 3?

 I'm assuming pin 2 can do double duty as ground for both jacks - having two wires come into it?

 Last question then is what to do with pins 4 and 7?

 From intel's site:

 4 PRESENCE# Active low signal that signals BIOS that an Intel® HD Audio dongle is connected to the analog header. PRESENCE# = 0 when an Intel® HD Audio dongle is connected

 7 SENSE_SEND Jack detection sense line from the Intel® HD Audio CODEC jack detection resistor network

 all from: Desktop Boards - Front panel audio header pinouts


 Thanks so much for all your help, MisterX


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## MisterX

Quote:


 how about the mic - would that just me a standard 3 pin jack connecting to pins 1 2 and 3? 
 

Yup, you you need a "3 pin jack"
 Pin one connects to the "left" terminal on the jack 
 (left corresponds to the tip on the plug)
 Pin two connects to ground terminal on the jack
 (ground corresponds to the sleeve on the plug)
 Pin three is actually the mic bias with a "AC'97 configuration" and it connects to the "right" terminal on the jack
 (right corresponds to the ring on the plug)


  Quote:


 I'm assuming pin 2 can do double duty as ground for both jacks - having two wires come into it? 
 

Yes, you can also just connect the wire from the mic jack to the headphone jack.
 Or you may even be able to get away with just grounding them directly to the case. 
 (which if you are attaching a jack with a metal ground ring to a metal panel gets done anyhow)

  Quote:


 Last question then is what to do with pins 4 and 7? 
 

For a AC'97 implementation (which is what I suggested above) you can simply ignore pins 4 and 7. 
 (4 is actually a second ground with this configuration but running that extra wire is a PITA so I would skip it)

 The caveat to this approach is the software doesn't know when the headphones are present and it will not automaically change the speaker settings.
 (for instance....it will not change from 5.1 speakers to headphones when you plug in the phones, you will have to do that manually)

 You need jacks that have an isolated switch if you want to use a "HD" style implementation. 

 FWIW there is better explination of how this all works in chapter two of this document----> 

http://www.formfactors.org/developer...5CA2928604.pdf


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## morkus64

Well, I got the cable built, but guess what! Apparently the mobo does NOT support AC97, but rather ONLY hd audio. (Yargh!)

 Any suggestions on how to go about building an HD Audio cable / where to get the bits and pieces?


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