Front panel line in/mic to X-fi XtremeGamer- weird pins

Goldfish4209

Member
Nov 21, 2007
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I have a (what I would call) standard front panel audio connector, green and pink jacks. The problem is, the header has 7 pins that are all seperate, so I have no idea how to connect it to the sound card. Further, the sound card header has 9 pins in 2x5, and the pinout on the creative website doesn't match my front panel. Any ideas?
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
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The last time I checked, you needed an adapter to fit the headers of the X-Fis. You'll have to Google for it, I don't have a link handy.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
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If you want to get fancy, you can follow the instructions detailed here

If not, you can just patch up connections with some stray wires (make sure you don't short anything if you go with this method!)

Here's the X-Fi pinout (which happens to be the same as the Audigy 2 pinout)

1 - Analog Ground
2 - Analog Headphone Out Left
3 - Audio Backpanel Mute -- short to ground to mute the backpanel (when headphones are plugged in)
4 - Analog Headphone Out Right
5 - same as #3
6 - Mic input from front panel
7 - No Connection
8 - VREF out -- voltage reference for Mic
9 - MIC IN MUTE -- ground when mic isn't plugged in, +12VDC when mic is plugged in
10 - Audio cable detect -- will be ground when headphones are plugged in (not normally used)

If you don't really trust your DIY skills, just know that pins 1, 2, and 4 for a headphone connection.
 

Goldfish4209

Member
Nov 21, 2007
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Huh? When it comes to these I'm totally lost. These are my pins:

1. Ear R- Orange

2. Line R- Green

3. Line L- Yellow

4. Ear L- Red

5. Mic in- Brown

6. Mic VCC- Black (comes out of the mic in pin)

7. GND- Black

Any ideas?
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
Originally posted by: Goldfish4209
Huh? When it comes to these I'm totally lost. These are my pins:

1. Ear R- Orange

2. Line R- Green

3. Line L- Yellow

4. Ear L- Red

5. Mic in- Brown

6. Mic VCC- Black (comes out of the mic in pin)

7. GND- Black

Any ideas?

The pinout I gave you was the pinout of the Creative card's front panel connection (on the card, it's directly opposite the "golden fingers"; what you're looking for is the line of 10 pins. The pin closest to the metal plate of the card (the side that sticks out the back of your comp) is pin 10.) What you want to do is connect the Creative card's pins to the corresponding pins on your case's front audio connections.

If you're still confused or don't want to DIY this whole thing, the link LOUISSSSSS provided is great. I might buy one myself, actually...
 

Goldfish4209

Member
Nov 21, 2007
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Well, I'm still confused. I have a 2x5 header with 10 pins facing the front of the case. If it's possible, can you tell me which pin should go in which header pin?

This is pathetic. A nerd can't figure out which pins go where.

The actual problem is that I have no idea which are the corresponding pins. I came up with this on the creative site:

http://193.95.171.83/SRVS/CGI-...ttp://us.creative.com/

(If that doesn't work search front panel pinout X-fi and click the first one)

What's ESNE_SEND? What's PRESENCE#? SENSE1_RETURN? I'm truly stumped, and I usually can work my way around these things.
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
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It turns out the XtremeGamer has a standard Intel HD Audio Header Block on the card, so things are making a little more sense now. Without knowing what kind of case you have though, it's hard to say what goes where. From your Creative page, I'm guessing the following:

(X-Fi pin to case pin)
1. Mic in
2. GND
3. Mic VCC
4. None
5. Ear R
6. Line L
7. None
8. None
9. Ear L
10. Line R

It's entirely possible I'm wrong here though.
 

PHOENIXZERO

Junior Member
Mar 14, 2008
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Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
http://www.performance-pcs.com...4_83&products_id=21700

i believe this'll do the trick

No, it won't because I ordered it (using the link you posted) without paying enough attention to the connector for the sound card or the description. Unless there was a revision of an older model that changed it, the card has nine pins in 2x5 formation for the female end of the cable as the OP indicated for the front panel connector. Unless I've missed another connector input, it's completely wrong and I'm now out $26.55 for a useless cable. Ugh, I hope they're good with returns....

THIS is the one that looks like what's needed though I'm not totally sure on that as to how the wires are set up and the needed placement in relation to the pins on the card..

http://www.performance-pcs.com...h=83&products_id=21039

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bang my head until I slip from consciousness.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
Originally posted by: PHOENIXZERO
Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
http://www.performance-pcs.com...4_83&products_id=21700

i believe this'll do the trick

No, it won't because I ordered it (using the link you posted) without paying enough attention to the connector for the sound card or the description. Unless there was a revision of an older model that changed it, the card has nine pins in 2x5 formation for the female end of the cable as the OP indicated for the front panel connector. Unless I've missed another connector input, it's completely wrong and I'm now out $26.55 for a useless cable. Ugh, I hope they're good with returns....

THIS is the one that looks like what's needed though I'm not totally sure on that as to how the wires are set up and the needed placement in relation to the pins on the card..

http://www.performance-pcs.com...h=83&products_id=21039

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bang my head until I slip from consciousness.

Uhm... the one you linked to is just an extension for AC97. THe one Louissss linked to is a cable that goes from the normal, white X-Fi front panel connector to AC97 (not all the holes have to be filled).

Unless you have some sort of mutant X-Fi that actually has AC97 (in which case you do not need an adapter at all, unless you have an HD Audio case), the cable LOUISSS linked to will work.
 

bigsnyder

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2004
1,568
2
81
His card does not have the white connector. The connector he has is an actual standard intel HD audio front panel connector, so
the cable LOUISSS linked will not work. This is the only X-Fi card that actually uses a standard connector. You should not need
any adapter cables unless they are too short.

Here is the pin assignment you need.

The extremeaudio card also uses the same connector, but hopefully no one has bought that card! ;)
 

PHOENIXZERO

Junior Member
Mar 14, 2008
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Originally posted by: Aflac
Originally posted by: PHOENIXZERO
Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
http://www.performance-pcs.com...4_83&products_id=21700

i believe this'll do the trick

No, it won't because I ordered it (using the link you posted) without paying enough attention to the connector for the sound card or the description. Unless there was a revision of an older model that changed it, the card has nine pins in 2x5 formation for the female end of the cable as the OP indicated for the front panel connector. Unless I've missed another connector input, it's completely wrong and I'm now out $26.55 for a useless cable. Ugh, I hope they're good with returns....

THIS is the one that looks like what's needed though I'm not totally sure on that as to how the wires are set up and the needed placement in relation to the pins on the card..

http://www.performance-pcs.com...h=83&products_id=21039

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bang my head until I slip from consciousness.

Uhm... the one you linked to is just an extension for AC97. THe one Louissss linked to is a cable that goes from the normal, white X-Fi front panel connector to AC97 (not all the holes have to be filled).

Unless you have some sort of mutant X-Fi that actually has AC97 (in which case you do not need an adapter at all, unless you have an HD Audio case), the cable LOUISSS linked to will work.

Looking again and yeah that won't work and now I'm a bit more PO'd because like an idiot I went ahead and ordered the extension cable thinking my front panel had the had the inputs for a male connector. But that cable won't work either unless maybe there's another place on the mobo and you don't connect directly to the front panel.... I should have removed the cables from my front panel after I checked it out instead of plugging it back in. I think I need to take a closer look at my mobo (P4SD-LA, Stingray) and find something that will let me do what I need to do to get my front panel working with this card. I probably won't find anything and will just have to go about it the "uncool" way and use a Y-Cable/Splitter/whatever in the back.

My front panel is 2x7 and I need a female connector on that end as well as the one that would plug into the card, I'm pretty much screwed with my proprietary HP crap. Last pre-built PC for me at least.

I can't express how glad I am that this week is almost over... I need a nice coma.

*Continues the head bashing.*
 

bigsnyder

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2004
1,568
2
81
Ok, are you running a pre-built system like a dell or gateway? If not, what kind of case do you have?
Those connectors are not typical of most motherboards, they look proprietary. The audio connector
looks like it would still work without using the bottom two rows of pins, but without knowing the wiring
schematic for that connector it is a gamble.
 

PHOENIXZERO

Junior Member
Mar 14, 2008
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As I mentioned earlier, it is a prebuilt, HP A250N to be exact, annoying mini-ATX case and call (no more prebuilts after this one finally dies) and yeah it's just a propriety thing so I know I'm pretty much screwed and don't plan on taking a risk in making my own cable and screwing something up. Just going by the order of the connectors/inputs when it comes to what gets plugged in where I assume the one in the middle is for the headphones which is connected to the top part of the front panel connector, the one on the right is likely the mic as that's at the bottom which is my mic input on the front and the one on the left is probably the Line In since it's in the middle, of course the ground is I think is easy to spot figure out in the first pic. The FP connector is upside down since it didn't want to lay the other way. Anyway, that's what I assume the placement is I could always double check by looking at my mobo again as I think they were listed on it.


 

bigsnyder

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2004
1,568
2
81
Is this your motherboard? If so, the connector on the bottom right looks to be your standard audio front panel header even though the plug isn't which would support my theory about the last two rows of the connector not being used.
 

bigsnyder

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2004
1,568
2
81
No, I am saying that the front panel header on the motherboard is no different than the one on the xtremegamer card (at least that is my theory). If you have any wires in the part of the plug that would be hanging over then that is a different story.
 

kn0ck

Junior Member
Apr 1, 2008
1
0
0
I recently upgraded the mobo on the a250n for a friend, after some capacitors blew smoke.
That thing has a number of annoying cables, but I did manage to track the info down on the P4SD-LA, so I could map it out.

Go to http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/O...nual/oxford_manual.pdf
Page 12 (or 16 of 18 in acrobat) has the pin-out of the two main cables - items 8 and 9.

Technically, I believe that the a250n used the 'Stingray' name, but that was an HP name, from what I read around the net.
What I didn't expect, is that the line-in from the front, appears to route to the CD_IN port.

In the end, I got so annoyed with it, that I said, "too bad, use the rear panel" :)
 

bigsnyder

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2004
1,568
2
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That picture of the motherboard layout from your link is like the one I found on HP's site. Hopefully that manual link will help clarify. Thanks!