Front Panel Audio Problem

[cart0181]

Hello,
I'm sure this topic has been covered before, but all I have been finding is situations "similar" to mine, but not quite the same.
Ok, I bought a Logisys FP801SL (Not to be confused with Logitech) deluxe front panel that included some audio ports and mounts in a standard 5.25" drive bay. The problem is I can't seem to figure out how to get the audio pins connected correctly to my motherboard. I really have spent a lot of time on this myself, reading/trying different things. Please help.

Goal: Plug in a set of headphones to the FRONT panel and have the speakers turn off in the process. And vice versa. The speakers should be connected to the port in the BACK of my computer, where they've always been.

Front Panel Connectors:
Mic
Mic Power
Ground
Line in R
Line in L
Ground
Line out R
Line out L
Ground

Motherboard Header:
AUD_MIC
AUD_GND
AUD_MIC_BIAS
AUD_VCC
AUD_FPOUT_R
AUD_RET_R
HP_ON
AUD_FPOUT_L
AUD_RET_L

I'm pretty sure this is a fairly standard arangement for a motherboard audio header. Through some research, I've determined AUD_MIC_BIAS is where I should be connecting the power for the mic. Also, the AUD_VCC means +5 volts and HP_ON should be a headphone amp on signal. So far I have not been using the AUD_VCC or HP_ON pins. I've been letting the "extra grounds" dangle. So far the best I can do is lose the rear ports and have to connect everything in the front, so I have to physically disconnect the speakers from the front to plug in the headphones. No good! Sad

I could really use some help from someone experienced at connecting front audio ports. Thanks in advance.

 

[Zepper]

Some motherboards have audio settings in the BIOS that change the front panel header pinouts from multichannel to the old two channel. I think it was Gigabyte I saw that on but others may do it too. See if that isn't your problem. Because, as you say, it really shouldn't be that difficult...

But most front panels don't have the type of jack that will cut out the rear speakers if you plug headphones in, etc. It is more like a simple line out jack than anything else, so all you can connect is FPout-L and R, L and R grounds, mic in, bias and ground. Frontx.com has cables that will allow you to do it properly (plug in headphones and speakers disconnect - unplug the phones and the speakers come back - but I'm not sure they have ones that do that function at the header, they have their own speaker jack to mount on a card slot cover plate and they have pre-drilled plates if you need). Also if all the grounds for the front panel cables aren't conntected together somehow at the front panel, then you will have to connect ALL the ground leads from the front panel to ground somewhere - maybe you have some free ground pins on other headers near the FP audio header. You will have to have an ohmmeter test them or be able to get at where all the wires go at the front panel to see if all the grounds are connected to a common bus there.

.bh.

 

[cart0181]

But most front panels don't have the type of jack that will cut out the rear speakers if you plug headphones in, etc.

Do you know that for a fact through experience? I'm not being rude, it's just surprising to me since every other electonics product I've ever seen functions in this way. But I have ZERO experience with after market front panels for the PC.

 

[Zepper]

All the ones (internal on cases and a Silverstone add-on front I/O panel) I've ever had or recall working on were just like a stereo line out jack - no internal switch - if it had the internal switch, it would be larger and have at least five wires coming off of it instead of the typical three - look at the size of the switching jack on frontx.com. My right satellite speaker has a headphone jack that does cut out the speakers - it has a mic jack also. Here is a stereo jack with switch: http://www.allelectronics.com/...NE_JACK_W_SWITCH_.html - here is one without switch: http://www.allelectronics.com/...DPST_N.C._SWITCH_.html - there are other stereo jack types that are cable or panel mounted that are even more compact.

Check out http://www.frontx.com and see the cables they have.

.bh.

 

[coolpurplefan]

There was a pretty old thread on techsupportforum or hardwaresupportforum or something like that. I can't remember the name. But, I know I had a weird Enermax case that had a bizarre front panel audio connector and someone posted the answer.

 

[VinDSL]

Heh!

These front panel audio connectors are always a pain! It's one of the things that haven't been standardized...

The one that always frosts my butt are the jumpered HP I/O mobo pins! :|

In a perfect world, you remove the shunts, plug in the front panel L/R headphone wires and all is good... When you plug in the HP, the rear header goes dead, and sound comes out of the HPs only, right?

However, many times, the front panel HP jack isn't standard, so the rear header stays dead whether or not the HP is plugged in, or the rear header stays live, yada, yada... the cheaper the case, the worse the problem!

I wish case manufacturers would get their act together!

As Zepper (sorta) said, FrontX is the way to go!

My LanParty mobo actually came with a FrontX front panel! Yeah DFI!!!

 

[cart0181]

@VinDSL- Aha! So there are really (at least) TWO variables!? One, being the mobo pins and Two, being the front panel HP jack itself. Am I getting you right VinDSL?

@Zepper- I am in the process of studying the FrontX products. I visited their website and printed hard copies of the product descriptions/wiring help. It has been the most informative place I have found so far. Thank you very much for that. Through it I have gathered that I (think I) have a standard AC97 header which (I think) seems to support the "cut off" feature by definition. Please, correct me if I'm wrong here. So, if I'm getting VinDSL's post right, as long as I have the correct type of front panel jack, I should be able to accomplish what I want to do.

 

[VinDSL]

If you'll pardon the pun, it sounds like you're getting it...

Look, it's like this - I'm listening to streaming talk radio right now - it's coming out the back of my computer, and going to my Harmon/Kardon amp...

If I plug my Koss HP in the front of the amp, the speakers go dead. When I remove the HP, the speakers come back on. The front panel on your computer should work the same thing, but most of them don't... at least in my experience.

Yes, the audio header functions on mobos are pretty much standard (although colors and placement varies) - cases are a whole different matter!

If you have a $29 Enermax case, I *guess* Enermax figures the typical owner won't even bother hooking up the front panel audio connectors - dittos for the case fans and those stupid drill hole grills... sooo...

Mountain Mods, on the other hand, doesn't even include front panel audio connectors on their $400 U2-UFO cases, 'cause they know ever setup is different - but they provide lots of massive 120mm blowholes!

Keep playing around and you'll figure it out! This is all normal B.S.

 

[WoodButcher]

The jack is not your prob, as zepper mentioned many are "switched" like this which is a mini-jack, but most cables Ive seen have a short jumper wire at the mobo connection so your front and rear work in tandem. It would not be difficult to make a proper cable yourself.

 

[rise]

Originally posted by: VinDSL
I wish case manufacturers would get their act together!

seriously. we should have some AT'ers with connections to some of these case co's. hell, even if they could standardize their own line it would be a marketing point.

 

[coolpurplefan]

Originally posted by: VinDSL
Heh!

These front panel audio connectors are always a pain! It's one of the things that haven't been standardized...

Well, they're sort of standardized. On my Coolermaster Centurion 5 case, there's one cable that goes to the front audio panel and it has two connectors. One if for Realtek '97 and the other is HD Audio. For whatever reason, with the Asus K8N4-E Deluxe, I had to use the Realtek '97 connector even though the manual says to use the HD. For the Abit AT8 32X motherboard, only the HD Audio connector works.

I have to say the onboard sound for that mobo sounds real nice. And I have JBL Duet speakers that sound nice as well. I mean, you can hear people breathing in movies and music...

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: coolpurplefan
I have to say the onboard sound for that mobo sounds real nice... I mean, you can hear people breathing in movies and music...

Hello!?!?!

What kind of movies do you watch?

 

[cart0181]

Hello!?!?! What kind of movies do you watch?

ROFL!

Well guys, thanks for the help. This morning I decided to get desperate and "transplant" a new audio jack into my front panel. After another couple of hours of soldering and messing around, I still couldn't get it to work right. I'm just going to wait for my next PC to have the "high tech" feature of speaker cut-out. Maybe my Vista Quad-Core system will be up to the challenge. I was going to try to exchange this POS front panel for a different one, but unfortunately I've had it for more than 30 days. So, I've jumpered the pins again on the mobo so I can have the speakers connected to the rear where they belong. I did connect the microphone pins however, so at least I'll have that up front in case I want to use "teamspeak" or "ventrillo" or similar from time-to-time.

Until next time:
DON'T BUY LOGISYS FRONT PANELS!!! :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

I mean, seriously, couldn't they afford the extra 2 cents to buy switching jacks?

 

[SinfulWeeper]

There is nothing wrong with the logisys front panel connection or it's jack. The problem is much more symple then you think.
Judging from your motherboard header....
AUD_MIC
AUD_GND
AUD_MIC_BIAS
AUD_VCC
AUD_FPOUT_R
AUD_RET_R
HP_ON
AUD_FPOUT_L
AUD_RET_L

You are likely using a HP/Compaq computer. If that is the case. They use a JAUD1 front panel connection. Only it does not even comply with the Intel specification, they had their motherboards modified at the factory level.

The logisys front panel follows what has been accepted as the industry standard. Mainly the only difference being from Intel's standard is that they include S/PDIF connection on the motherboard. HP/Compaq for the most part follow the JAUD1 intel specification, but they had it modified slightly... so even they are not within spec. I had upgraded my MS 6577 v4 motherboard just like 6 days ago to an Abit IS-10.

From a web page mentioned here, I bought a http://www.frontx.com/cpx075_4.html connector as I screwed up my HP front panel header removing the pins from the header. While I had them out, there was a few wires crimped together so back to frontx I fo and get a few http://www.frontx.com/cpx076.html. I did not read the quanities correctly, I ordered 10 of them and lo and behold I got 100 of them little things. No biggy, doing a bunch of wiring on some panaflo L1A's I have. Anyways back to point. After a few trial and errors, I found the set of wires on pin #4 that was the culprit. After getting a female terminal on to it, I plugged it in a bingo. Everything worked fine.

Sounds like you have a similar motherboard from HP/Compaq. Just an FYI. All major OEM's lock their customers in. HP/Compaq has a bunch of stuff made to their standards which do not follow industry standards so that you mainly only buy parts from them instead of aftermarket stuff. Used to be Gateway was the worst. But they have since eased up and started following more industry standards but not completely. Dell right now is the worst of going their own way. To my knowledge, only their CPU/Memory/Optical drive headers/expansion cards follow industry standards. I recently worked on a dell, the PSU was not standard size in any form factor, the motherboard connector was totally different following their own voltage theme, their rear panel was higher and in a different area then any motherboard I ever seen, and their case... good luck getting a standard 5? 1/4 drive to fit. Holy jebus Dells suck teh major cockage. Anyways yes Logisys does suck for components like power supplies and cases. But their accessories are decent, like your front panel device. Do not cut them short because it dont work on a computer that decides it is best to lock in their customers by making sure you buy stuff from them. BTW, good luck on finding that stuff if you do not have a part number... lol

 

[cart0181]

@SinfulWeeper
You should have just asked me what motherboard I have. It's nothing to do with HP/Compaq, sorry to burst the bubble. It's a PCchips M848a. And I still believe Logisys sucks. I will never buy them again. I do appreciate your effort though. Sounds like you had quite a project there yourself. I'll remember to double-check my quantities when I inevitably order from frontx. Thanks.

Update: Since I had no more patience to work with this rediculous thing, my Dad decided he would take a crack at it. I brought it to him and through some fancy soldering or other electronic magic, he wired it up so the back panel will be ALWAYS ON instead of ALWAYS OFF as it had been. It's still not exactly what I wanted, but it will do until I get something better. Now I'll be able to plug in my headphones, have them work, and I'll just have to manually turn off my speakers. Again, thanks to all who have tried to help me on this.