front panel connectors

[gimp]

i have a problem with the front audio & firewire cable pins on my case
(silverstone TJ03) not matching the motherboard (Albatron K8X800 ProII).
the front USB was easy enough though.

with firewire, the mobo manual has 2 grounds and a 'chassis ground',
whereas the case has labelled VP [white], VG [black] and shield [black].
is the shield or the white VP the chassis ground..? or doesn't it
matter if they're all grounds?

with audio... mobo manual has the following:

mic
mic_vref
ground
+5V
front_outR
rear_outR
front_outL
rear_outL

case has one less pin:

mic_power
mic_in
ground
R_out
R_ret
L_out
L_ret

i'm guessing the 'ret' is for the rear connectors...? not sure on the
mic pins?

[Charles Howse]

Previously gimp <anonymous@smeg.com> wrote: i have a problem with the front audio & firewire cable pins on my case (silverstone TJ03) not matching the motherboard (Albatron K8X800 ProII). the front USB was easy enough though.
with firewire, the mobo manual has 2 grounds and a 'chassis ground', whereas the case has labelled VP [white], VG [black] and shield [black]. is the shield or the white VP the chassis ground..? or doesn't it matter if they're all grounds?

Usually in the PC all different "grounds" are connected together.
It might make a difference ion the other side.
with audio... mobo manual has the following:
mic mic_vref ground +5V front_outR rear_outR front_outL rear_outL
case has one less pin:
mic_power mic_in ground R_out R_ret L_out L_ret
i'm guessing the 'ret' is for the rear connectors...? not sure on the mic pins?

No. "ret" is "return", i.e. the ground line dedicated to that signal
line. It does matter when you connect speakers or low-impedance
(resistence) headphones since you would get crosstalk from one channel
to the other via the ground line if it was shared. For high-impedance
targets it does not matter. So connect R_ret and L_ret to ground
at the mainboard side. Semms to me that the case is stereo while
the mainboard is surround. Connecting the L/R_out pins to the
front_outL/R pins should work as far as I understand surround
technology. You might want to configure the soundchip to output
stereo only in the driver.

mic_vref is probably mic_power, but most cheaper microphones use
phantom power (in-line DC over a resistor) where you do not have
an extra connection for power. "mic_in" should be "mic".

Arno

[gimp]

Arno Wagner wrote: Previously gimp <anonymous@smeg.com> wrote:with audio... mobo manual has the following:micmic_vrefground+5Vfront_outRrear_outRfront_outLrear_outLcase has one less pin:mic_powermic_ingroundR_outR_retL_outL_ret
So connect R_ret and L_ret to ground at the mainboard side. Semms to me that the case is stereo while the mainboard is surround.

yep that's right, the mainboard has Envy24 surround. but there's only
one ground pin on the motherboard for front audio [already taken] so can
i leave the _ret cables unconnected..?

mic_vref is probably mic_power, but most cheaper microphones use phantom power (in-line DC over a resistor) where you do not have an extra connection for power.

i hope so - i'll try it. one time i nearly melted down the front audio
panel of a case because the mic lines weren't connected properly :) i
think i must have mixed up vref and +5V.

[Charles Howse]

Previously gimp <anonymous@smeg.com> wrote: Arno Wagner wrote: Previously gimp <anonymous@smeg.com> wrote:with audio... mobo manual has the following:micmic_vrefground+5Vfront_outRrear_outRfront_outLrear_outLcase has one less pin:mic_powermic_ingroundR_outR_retL_outL_ret So connect R_ret and L_ret to ground at the mainboard side. Semms to me that the case is stereo while the mainboard is surround.
yep that's right, the mainboard has Envy24 surround. but there's only one ground pin on the motherboard for front audio [already taken] so can i leave the _ret cables unconnected..?

Usually not. You need to split that ground connection on the
mainboard side.

Arno