Front panel audio; why is there jumper on MOBO connectors?

[Wilson]

http://tinypic.com/iel2kk.jpg

Two have those little blue jumpers on them. I have a USB audio combo that I
am fixing to install on the front of my comp. Why are these blue things on
my MOBO?

 

[Paul]

http://tinypic.com/iel2kk.jpg

Two have those little blue jumpers on them. I have a USB audio combo that I
am fixing to install on the front of my comp. Why are these blue things on
my MOBO?

Have a look at page 20 here (section 2.3.6):
http://www.formfactors.org/developer/specs/fpio_design_guideline.pdf

"2.3.6 Jumpers

A feature of the front panel headphone jack is that rear panel
audio output connectors are disabled when headphones are plugged
in. This feature is implemented through the front panel audio header
shown in Figure 2 and Table 6. If the front panel interface board
is not connected to the front panel audio header, pins 5 and 6,
and 9 and 10 should be jumpered on the front panel audio header.
If these jumpers are not installed, the rear panel audio connectors
will be inoperative."

Paul

 

[Dave Balcom]

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 13:52:43 -0600, "Wilson"

}http://tinypic.com/iel2kk.jpg
}
}Two have those little blue jumpers on them. I have a USB audio combo that I
}am fixing to install on the front of my comp. Why are these blue things on
}my MOBO?

I am not sure what the jumpers are for but I removed them to connect the
front panel audio (Antec 1050B) to my Asus A8N SLI Premium MB and it
works fine...

Later,
Dave

 

[Wilson]

Thank you. So no matter what, I need to leave those blue thing alone? Even
when I put in the front panel audio and connect the wires, I still leave the
blue jumpers on?

 

[Mistoffolees]

Thank you. So no matter what, I need to leave those blue thing alone? Even
when I put in the front panel audio and connect the wires, I still leave the
blue jumpers on?

When installing the front panel audio, the blue pins will have
to be removed. There will be 2 pairs of connectors that go
over them, for the Left and Right line-outs. Presumably, the
front panel connector continues the bridge, which is broken when
the front panel is used, disconnecting the rear [speaker] outputs,
as would occur when headphones are plugged into the front.

 

[C]

Thank you. So no matter what, I need to leave those blue thing alone? Even
when I put in the front panel audio and connect the wires, I still leave the
blue jumpers on?

Incorrect.You must remove the jumpers to connect the front audio
connector.They are there only if you do not have front audio to
connect.

 

[Paul]

And if you connect to front audio/mic ports.

It doesnt cut the back ports off.

You can listen to both at the same time, if u use
headphones on the front ports.

I've connected this case's front audio/mic to the mobo
front panel connector.

The line out is connected to the tv's audio inputs.

And whatever I play, the sound comes thru the front port
thru headphones, and also thru the TV. At the same time.

 

[milleron]

And if you connect to front audio/mic ports.

It doesnt cut the back ports off.

Well, yes, when connected in a standard prescribed way, it does. In
fact that's the whole idea of the front panel headphone jack. It's
supposed to cut the rear output off. Why would one want the speakers
going while using headphones?

You can listen to both at the same time, if u use
headphones on the front ports.

Are you using a PCI sound card instead of the onboard audio?

I've connected this case's front audio/mic to the mobo
front panel connector.

The line out is connected to the tv's audio inputs.

And whatever I play, the sound comes thru the front port
thru headphones, and also thru the TV. At the same time.

IF you have the front audio/mic ports connected to the motherboard's
FP_AUDIO connector, AND you have the TV connected through the
lime-colored line-out (front speaker) rear-panel jack, BUT you still
hear computer sound through the TV when you have headphones plugged
into the front-panel jack, then you must have a non-Intel-standard
front-panel audio cable. Please describe what case you're using and
whether you've modified the case's cable. Did you, in fact, remove
the two factory-installed jumpers on the FP_AUDIO connector before you
plugged your case's cable in there?
Ron

 

[Paul]

These are homebuilt PC's Milleron.

I made both of them up.

I dont know the name of this case.

It hasnt got a name on it.

I didnt change any cable from the front audio...

They're connected as is, straight to the front panel audio
connector on the mobo.

I have removed both the jumpers from the connector on the mobo. This is what
the headphone socket on the case plugs into for left and right channel.

The mobos are ASUS. This one P4P800, the other
the P4S8x-x. Both have FPA connectors onboard.

All it says in the P4P800 manual, is there's a FPA connector, doesnt say
it's Intel.

 

[milleron]

These are homebuilt PC's Milleron.

I made both of them up.

I dont know the name of this case.

It hasnt got a name on it.

I didnt change any cable from the front audio...

They're connected as is, straight to the front panel audio
connector on the mobo.

I have removed both the jumpers from the connector on the mobo. This is what
the headphone socket on the case plugs into for left and right channel.

The mobos are ASUS. This one P4P800, the other
the P4S8x-x. Both have FPA connectors onboard.

All it says in the P4P800 manual, is there's a FPA connector, doesnt say
it's Intel.

snip

Yeah, if plugging in the front-panel headphones does not interrupt
output to the rear-panel speaker jack, then your cabling and
front-panel wiring are definitely NONstandard. The way your rig is
functioning is definitely not per Intel spec.

Without a front-panel cable hooked up, those jumpers are the only
thing that allows output to the rear panel jacks. When you remove
them, the cable you install serves that function, but plugging
headphones into the front-panel is supposed to SWITCH OFF that
connection. That's the entire idea of this setup. If it wasn't
supposed to work this way -- that is, if the rear-panel output weren't
designed to be "interruptible," there would be absolutely no reason
for the factory-jumpered points to be part of the connector in the
first place. Think about it.

Your front-panel cable is jumpering those connectors, thus allowing
output to the rear-panel, but the way the front panel is wired is
FAILING to interrupt that connection when the headphone jack is
inserted. This is a design or manufacturing defect.


Ron

 

[Paul]

Oh well, I'm not fussed about it, the front audio
and mic work, and the back audio works fine.

Thats all I'm worried about.

 

[milleron]

You mean that you actually prefer to have the speakers on when you're
using headphones or do you mean that the only front-panel device you
use is the mic?

Oh well, I'm not fussed about it, the front audio
and mic work, and the back audio works fine.

Thats all I'm worried about.

Ron

 

[Paul]

The audio/sound from the back is only going to the TV

There are no speakers connected to this PC itself.

(The only way I can hear sound is from the headphones/front connection on
the case).

I have to change the AV on the TV to actually get sound
to go from here to the TV. Coz, the sound/video is connected from this
computer to the TV.