Audio cable on CD-ROM/CD-RW

[moikulta]

Hello all,
I would like to ask if anyone can point me in a direction where I could actually see in writing that the audio cable from the aforementioned drives, is used primarily for signal from ear phone connection on outside of drive, if in fact this is true? I am attempting to install both of previously mentioned drives on IDE-2, however, I only have one audio connection to my MOBO. Is the function of this audio connection absolute? What are some other config's that I may consider? Also, I do have a connection on MOBO for DVD, but I am not sure if that would work. Thanks.

[Reid]

CyberGuys (http://www.cyberguys.com/) have a $7.95 adapter for connecting two CD audio outputs to a single connection. Search their site for dual cd.
http://www.cyberguys.com/IMAGES/p2336A.JPG


[This message has been edited by Reid (edited 02-22-2002).]

[Paleo Pete]

The 4 pin audio out on the back of a CD drive and the headphone jack on the front plate are two differnet animals, and I'm pretty sure different circuits. The audio out on back of the drive is a low impedance line signal designed to go to an amplifier, which is the sound card, the headphone jack is a higher impedance speaker signal, designed to work without amplification for headphone use.

the only way to use the audio out would be with a switch similar to the one Reid posted info about. Without such a switch you can only use one of the drives to send an audio signal to the sound card. The headphone jack would not work for that purpose, it would send the wrong type of signal. (The signal is too strong, it would be highly distorted unless the volume was turned down almost all the way.)

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[moikulta]

I want to thank both of you for your time in answering my question. I wasn't exactly sure of the relationship between the output jack for the drives, and the audio cable, and if one was needed for the other to work. In addition, I was wanting to set up the dual CD drives, and was curious as to what the extra little pigtail was that was included on the cable. It doesn't fit into the analog side of the drive, and I don't see where it could connect into the MOBO. But, thanks again, I will look into the dual adapter, since that is what I really want for now, but the added knowledge of the rest of how it works would be good too. Take it apart and see how it works!

[Reid]

Originally posted by moikulta:
was curious as to what the extra little pigtail was that was included on the cable.

The audio cables often have two connectors (like in the picture above) because there are two common types that may be used on a sound card. They are wired in parallel and the unused one is just left disconnected.

Here is a link to CD-ROM Audio Connections (http://www.epanorama.net/documents/pc/cdrom_audio_wire.html).

[This message has been edited by Reid (edited 02-23-2002).]

[moikulta]

Thanks Reid, the information you gave is helpful. Also, link to cyberguys was good too. There are good deals there. Once again, the PC Guide is a great site to be a part of.