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Headphone jack wiring problem
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Zebidee:

--- Quote from: Kevin Mullins on June 27, 2009, 01:48:46 pm ---
--- Quote from: Zebidee on June 27, 2009, 10:14:06 am ---Use the rear audio jack of your PC, as use of the front jacks sometimes cuts the signal to speakers (I've never seen the rear jack do this?). 

--- End quote ---

If you stop and think about it any of the rear ports are designed for you to plug something directly into it and for that something to have all the audio going straight to whatever that may be. (speakers, amplifier, etc)
So if you plug say headphones into one of those jacks.... all the audio will be going to just the headphones. Nothing to the cabinet speakers. You can't just plug them into two different ports, like audio out and line out, because that would obviously defeat the purpose, they would both be on all the time.

I think what you'll want to do is "split" the audio from the audio out port kinda like a Y fashion. Using the headphone jack as a switch per say going to the cabinet speakers and such. So say you take the negative side of the "cabinet" audio and wire the headphone jack so that it makes or breaks that connection depending on whether headphones are plugged in or not. (makes with no headphones - breaks with headphones)

--- End quote ---

I think that Y splitting your audio signal like this is a bad idea. You would make a bunch of problems. You should (generally) aim to have the audio signal pass through each component in series, and this is good practice in electronic circuit design. This is the only best way to properly control where the signal goes and what strength it is.

As the OP said, he wants to be able to get the audio working to the speakers until a headset is plugged into the jack. Not many people want audio coming out of speakers at the same time as it comes out of the headset. If the OP really wants both cab speakers and headphones going at the same time then all they will have to do is create a "bridge" for the ground signal, so that it can get past the jack.

Every headphone jack is different and they can be wired differently. You should make sure that you know how yours works before installing it. However, when wired properly, most will cut the ground signal from anything further down the audio line (i.e. your speakers).

I've done this many times so have a look at the guide (link above). Basically, use a series/linear (component to component) wiring plan. The audio jack should go after the volume control (if you have one), so that you can control the volume for both speakers and headphones.

Kevin Mullins:

--- Quote from: Zebidee on June 27, 2009, 10:41:53 pm ---I think that Y splitting your audio signal like this is a bad idea. You would make a bunch of problems. You should (generally) aim to have the audio signal pass through each component in series

--- End quote ---

Yes, this is also what I was meaning by "Y". Different terminology same result.
Would look much like your potentiometer drawing. Except where there you have a pot there would be a headphone jack. I should have chosen my wording better. (split, Y, etc)


--- Quote from: Zebidee on June 27, 2009, 10:41:53 pm ---As the OP said, he wants to be able to get the audio working to the speakers until a headset is plugged into the jack.

--- End quote ---

That was one of my points as well........


--- Quote from: Zebidee on June 27, 2009, 10:41:53 pm ---Every headphone jack is different and they can be wired differently. You should make sure that you know how yours works before installing it.

--- End quote ---

Which is also why I wasn't trying to go into specifics about the actual wiring of the jack itself, only the principal.


--- Quote from: Zebidee on June 27, 2009, 10:41:53 pm ---I've done this many times so have a look at the guide (link above).

--- End quote ---

Sorry, but I found no information about a phono jack of any sorts there.
I did however totally understand everything I did find there, thanks.


--- Quote from: Zebidee on June 27, 2009, 10:41:53 pm ---The audio jack should go after the volume control (if you have one), so that you can control the volume for both speakers and headphones.

--- End quote ---

Good point. I didn't think to ask if they planned on even having an external volume control or if they were just gonna use the software controls.

 :cheers:

I hope somebody makes some use of the confusion.  :laugh2:
daywane:

--- Quote from: Kevin Mullins on June 27, 2009, 03:04:28 pm ---
--- Quote from: daywane on June 27, 2009, 10:36:34 am ---I have a set of speakers that have a headphone jack built in them.
the sound still comes out speakers also

--- End quote ---

That makes no sense then..... in other words it kinda defeats the purpose.
Are you using true stereo headphones or just cheapo mono headphones?
Stereo has three silver sections, mono has two.
Sometimes if you plug the wrong one into the wrong type of jack (i.e. a stereo or mono jack) then weird stuff like that may happen.


--- End quote ---
LOL. yes I do know the difference.
my speakers has a stereo plug in front also, I can plug in head phones and hit mute on speakers.
The first time I used them I thought the speakers would not work with head phones plugged in. I was shocked that they still worked. I the hit mute and only head phones worked.

Kevin Mullins:

--- Quote from: daywane on June 28, 2009, 12:48:01 am ---LOL. yes I do know the difference.
my speakers has a stereo plug in front also, I can plug in head phones and hit mute on speakers.
The first time I used them I thought the speakers would not work with head phones plugged in. I was shocked that they still worked. I the hit mute and only head phones worked.

--- End quote ---

Ah..... yeah, that would throw me off a bit too.
Zebidee:

--- Quote from: Kevin Mullins on June 28, 2009, 12:12:54 am ---I hope somebody makes some use of the confusion.  :laugh2:

--- End quote ---

Likewise!   :dizzy:

What I was trying to promote was a a linear or logical approach using discrete components in series. In other words, run the signal through vol pot and/or audio jack before it gets to the amplifier, rather than trying to modify the amp itself or splitting signals (or hairs).

The guide doesn't cover audio jacks because there are many different ways to do this, many of which do not involve actually directly wiring up the audio jack. In fact, my favourite way involves re-using the little front-panel PCBs that many PCs have, mounting that behind a control panel fascia and extending the cable by a metre or so (anything over two metres might start to cause problems).

Maybe I should do a page on making little admin control panels from top to bottom, complete with headphone jacks, volume controls and USB ports. Here is an example of one I installed into an existing hole for a coin mech:


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