Retrocomputing - How to connect HD audio case header to AC97 on board?

[ruthan]

Hello,
im almost done with creation of ultimate Win98 machine.

Im trying to use new case for retro computer, case has HD audio header, board has AC97 audio, its possible somehow connect it and use case frontpanel? Is there some HD->AC97 header convertor, or can broken header to pieces and connect it pin by pin, or is lost case and i cant use case HD audio panel?

Here is header info from mainboard manual:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2741044/SpawnAudio/2017-03-06 17.25.28.jpg

Case is:
Xigmatek Midgard III Midi Tower Black

When i connect header to board and try to connect headphones i got reset.

 

[bruceb]

Look at this site: https://www.moddiy.com/products/AC'97-to-HD-Audio-Adapter-Cable.html
You should be able to find something that will do the job.

This is the pinouts on the HD side:

This link shows all the connections:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/boards-and-kits/desktop-boards/000005512.html

 

[Paperdoc]

Yeah, that's what I found, too. It shows two problems:

1. The case you have and its connector cable are set up only for the Azalea HD Audio connection system, and NOT for the Legacy AC97 audio system.
2. Your mobo connection diagram seems to be NEITHER Azalea HD nor Legacy AC97 audio. So even if you could buy an off-the-shelf adapter to convert a AC97-style mobo port to something that might work for HD audio, it still would not do the job.

Your best route MIGHT be to buy and install a third-part audio card that does have a standard Azalea HD audio output port that you could plug your front panel cable into, and just not use the mobo audio system.

 

[ruthan]

Your mobo connection diagram seems to be NEITHER Azalea HD nor Legacy AC97 audio. So even if you could buy an off-the-shelf adapter to convert a AC97-style mobo port to something that might work for HD audio, it still would not do the job.

Its strange because even driver claims to be AC97 and is standard PC board for retail and pc builders.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/intel/conroe865pe/

 

[ruthan]

bruceb: I dont fully understand this, do you know which cable color should be connected to which pin? For example - red to pin 1, blue to pin 2 etc?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Your mobo connection diagram seems to be NEITHER Azalea HD nor Legacy AC97 audio. So even if you could buy an off-the-shelf adapter to convert a AC97-style mobo port to something that might work for HD audio, it still would not do the job.

Its strange because even driver claims to be AC97 and is standard PC board for retail and pc builders.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/intel/conroe865pe/

First of all, the adapter cable is a dollar.

https://www.moddiy.com/products/HD-Audio-to-AC'97-Adapter-Cable.html

So you've already spent more time worrying about this than you should have.

The motherboard connection is basically AC97 - except for the "BACKOUT" R and L channels where the AC97 spec has the "NC" pins. (They're just dedicated grounds, though - don't worry about it.)

If you were trying to DIY in a hurry and just need audio output, you can crosswire FRO-R to Line_R, FRO-L to Line_L, AGND to AGND, and that'd be it for audio out. (Ignoring the microphone ports and the sensor/AVCC stuff on the HD audio side. Sorry, I don't remember the colors.