# Front Panel sound



## krishnenduk (Sep 17, 2005)

hi,

My motherboard is MSI 915G Combo. It has CMEDIA AZALIA sound chip which supports multistreaming functionality. The sound output can be taken from frontpanel as well as backpanel audio connectors. But the frontpanel connectors are provided as pins in this motherboard. I got a Mercury KM08 ATX cabinet which has frontpanel ports. But how can I connect the pins?? The cabinet have wires to connect the pins to frontpanel.

There are 7 wires for front panel connectors in cabinet which are


1) Line out FR
2) Line out RR
3) Line out FL
4) Line out RL
5) MIC IN(R)
6) GND
7) MIC Power (L)


MSI says that frontpanel audio connector is compliant with Intel Front Panel I/O Connectivity
Design Guide.

The Intel front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide have

Front Panel Audio Header Signal Names

Pin Signal Name Description

1 AUD_MIC Front Panel Microphone input signal
2 AUD_GND Ground used by Analog Audio Circuits
3 AUD_MIC_BIAS Microphone Power
4 AUD_VCC Filtered +5 V used by Analog Audio Circuits
5 AUD_FPOUT_R Right Channel Audio signal to Front Panel
6 AUD_RET_R Right Channel Audio signal Return from Front Panel
7 HP_ON RSVD for future use to control Headphone Amplifier
8 KEY No Pin
9 AUD_FPOUT_L Left Channel Audio signal to Front Panel
10 AUD_RET_L Left Channel Audio signal Return from Front Panel




Please help me to connect the pins to the frontpanel connectors of the cabinet!!!!


----------



## Keith Sebastian (Sep 17, 2005)

If you look carefully, the front panel wires (from you case) should have letter markings (like FR, FL, GND, MIC etc) on the plugs (thin long rectagular tubelike plugs that plug onto the pins on the motherboard). 

Now, I recall this from memory and with specific reference to my ex motherboard and an AOpen case. Your case may or may not have markings on the plugs of the front panel audio connectors. Have a look.

Also, search for webpages with pictures of front panel connector wires. Sometimes you can find out just by looking at the color coding and a bit of trial and error.

Keith


----------



## Keith Sebastian (Sep 17, 2005)

OK, my bad. Didn't read your post right. Looks like you know what the case connector wires stand for. But not the motherboard pin configuration. Just have a look at the manual.

If you've lost the hard copy, you can find a downloadable one here - 

*www.msi.com.tw/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_detail.php?UID=604&kind=1

Keith


----------



## krishnenduk (Sep 18, 2005)

*frontpanel sound connector*

hi keith,

In my mobos manual the front pannel connection design is given as,


Pin1 - PORT 1L - Analog port 1-left channel
Pin2 - GND - Ground
Pin3 - PORT 1R - Analog port 1- Right channel
Pin4 - PRESENCE# - Active low signal
Pin5 - PORT 2R - Analog Port 2-Right Channel
Pin6 - SENSE1_RETIRN - jack detection return from front pannel jack1
Pin7 - SENSE_SEND - jack detection sense line 
Pin8 - KEY - connector key
Pin9 - PORT 2L - Analog Port2-left channel
Pin10 - SENSE2_RETIRN - jack detection return from front pannel jack2


how can I connect it to frontpanel connectors in cabinet????


----------



## Keith Sebastian (Sep 18, 2005)

> There are 7 wires for front panel connectors in cabinet which are
> 
> 1) Line out FR
> 2) Line out RR
> ...





> my mobos manual the front pannel connection design is given as,
> 
> Pin1 - PORT 1L - Analog port 1-left channel
> Pin2 - GND - Ground
> ...



Your motherboard supports auto jack sensing, and this complicates things a lot wrt connections. To get basic stereo out from front try this - 

Connect 

1) to Pin3
3) to Pin1
6) to Pin2

Leave the rest open and see if front line-out works. The rest is trial and error.

-Keith


----------



## krishnenduk (Sep 18, 2005)

*jack sensing pins*

hi keith,

very very thanks for the reply and advice. I was very confused with the
connections. Now i connected the pins with respect to your advice.
My sound chip supports multistreaming functionality. Now I can hear 2 songs
from my frontpanel as well as backpanel at the same time. Very very thanks...


If you dont mind, can you please explain jack sensing pins. for what functionality these pins are used?


----------



## Keith Sebastian (Sep 18, 2005)

Glad to be of help.  

Jack sensing allows you to plug speakers, headphones, mics into any of the jacks on your soundcard/motherboard.

Say for example you want to use 1 set of speakers and 2 sets or earphones. Plug the speakers into LINE OUT, first set of earphones into LINE IN and second set of earphones into MIC IN. All of them will work simultaneously, i.e. all the three jacks will work as LINE OUT.

Here's a better explanation I lifted from somewhere else - 

".................many of these jacks can do double-duty by allowing the computer to adjust what they're used for (better known as jack sensing). Jack sensing, allows the sound card to automatically detect what's plugged into each port and assign the audio accordingly. For example, if you wanted to connect a set of headphones, a line-in and a microphone to these connectors, the computer would automatically detect what's there and assign each jack a function automatically. If they are to be used in a surround-sound configuration, the microphone port might be reassigned to handle rear-speaker output."



> If you dont mind, can you please explain jack sensing pins. for what functionality these pins are used?


These pins have no specific function. They are dynamic, and will work as mic, line in/out, rear or surround out, sub out etc. based on what is plugged in.

Keith


----------



## krishnenduk (Sep 18, 2005)

*thanks keith*

very very thanks keith..

see ya, bye


----------

