4 pins for the speaker?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GT
  • Start date Start date
G

GT

Why does the PC speaker header need 4 pins and why is the speaker connector
4 pins wide, but only use pin 1 and 4. I have a black (neg) wire on pin 1
and red (pos) wire to pin 4.

Can the motherboard handle 2 speakers (stereo perhaps?)
 
GT said:
Why does the PC speaker header need 4 pins and why is the speaker
connector 4 pins wide, but only use pin 1 and 4. I have a black (neg) wire
on pin 1 and red (pos) wire to pin 4.

Can the motherboard handle 2 speakers (stereo perhaps?)
Click to expand...
Your motherboard manual should be able to tell you.
 
meerkat said:
Your motherboard manual should be able to tell you.
Click to expand...

I think they [motherboards] are all the same. The manual just indicates
which pins are for the speakers - doesn't say why there are 4.
 
GT said:
meerkat said:
Your motherboard manual should be able to tell you.
Click to expand...

I think they [motherboards] are all the same. The manual just indicates
which pins are for the speakers - doesn't say why there are 4.
Click to expand...
Most likely to keep one from confusing the fan, switch and speaker
connectors from each other.
 
GT said:
meerkat said:
Your motherboard manual should be able to tell you.
Click to expand...

I think they [motherboards] are all the same. The manual just indicates
which pins are for the speakers - doesn't say why there are 4.
Click to expand...
Most likely to keep one from confusing the fan, switch and speaker
connectors from each other.
 
Pen said:
GT said:
meerkat said:
Why does the PC speaker header need 4 pins and why is the speaker
connector 4 pins wide, but only use pin 1 and 4. I have a black (neg)
wire on pin 1 and red (pos) wire to pin 4.

Can the motherboard handle 2 speakers (stereo perhaps?)
Your motherboard manual should be able to tell you.
Click to expand...

I think they [motherboards] are all the same. The manual just indicates
which pins are for the speakers - doesn't say why there are 4.
Click to expand...
Most likely to keep one from confusing the fan, switch and speaker
connectors from each other.
Click to expand...

Fair point - I didn't think of that as my speaker connector says spk on it,
but I guess they don't all have that.
 
GT said:
Why does the PC speaker header need 4 pins and why is the speaker
connector 4 pins wide, but only use pin 1 and 4. I have a black (neg) wire
on pin 1 and red (pos) wire to pin 4.

Can the motherboard handle 2 speakers (stereo perhaps?)
Click to expand...

They've been like this since the original PC. +5v, gnd, sound and a
"missing" pin so you couldn't plug it in backwards. That's why there's four.
 
Noozer said:
They've been like this since the original PC. +5v, gnd, sound and a
"missing" pin so you couldn't plug it in backwards. That's why
there's four.
Click to expand...

However, for the longest time most cases have only used two wires, not
three.

But you're right, going back to pre-486 days (as far as my opening-cases
history goes) it was always so. Speaker headers have four pins.

I've actually seen some PCs, can't remember all of them except one was an
IMB ~400MHz Celeron, that output Windows sound to the PC speaker. The
speaker was a little more robust than the usual 0.5W thing but not
significantly so.
 
GT said:
Why does the PC speaker header need 4 pins and why is the speaker connector
4 pins wide, but only use pin 1 and 4. I have a black (neg) wire on pin 1
and red (pos) wire to pin 4.

Can the motherboard handle 2 speakers (stereo perhaps?)
Click to expand...

Sometimes the speaker wire to the motherboard will even have pin 2 or 3
blocked out. If's that's the case then just cut the connector in half or
drill through the blocked pin 2 or 3 on the speaker connector. It
doesn't matter which way you connect it either as either way will work.
 
Sometimes the speaker wire to the motherboard will even have pin 2 or 3
blocked out. If's that's the case then just cut the connector in half or
drill through the blocked pin 2 or 3 on the speaker connector. It
doesn't matter which way you connect it either as either way will work.
Click to expand...


Anyone who doesn't have drill bits that small (since what
you'd typically find in a hardware store or generic drill
bit pack is no smaller than 1/16", way too big for this
purpose) can instead heat up a needle hot enough to melt
it's way into the blanked position on the connector, then
use a knife to trim away any flared material remaining on
the surface.
 
Sometimes the speaker wire to the motherboard will even have pin 2 or 3
blocked out. If's that's the case then just cut the connector in half or
drill through the blocked pin 2 or 3 on the speaker connector. It
doesn't matter which way you connect it either as either way will work.
Click to expand...

For the perfectionists out there... There actually is a correct connection
for the speaker wires.

Pin 1 is the sound
Pin 2 is the key - the missing pin
Pin 3 is GND
Pin 4 is +5v

The connections should be the +5v pin to the + on the speaker, and the sound
pin to the - on the speaker. The PC makes noise by toggling pin 1 to ground.

Of course it will work the other way, but the polarity on the speaker will
be backwards.
 
Yep, Thanks for the heads up.
Anyone who doesn't have drill bits that small (since what
you'd typically find in a hardware store or generic drill
bit pack is no smaller than 1/16", way too big for this
purpose) can instead heat up a needle hot enough to melt
it's way into the blanked position on the connector, then
use a knife to trim away any flared material remaining on
the surface.
Click to expand...
 
Noozer said:
cool,


For the perfectionists out there... There actually is a correct connection
for the speaker wires.

Pin 1 is the sound
Pin 2 is the key - the missing pin
Pin 3 is GND
Pin 4 is +5v

The connections should be the +5v pin to the + on the speaker, and the sound
pin to the - on the speaker. The PC makes noise by toggling pin 1 to ground.

Of course it will work the other way, but the polarity on the speaker will
be backwards.
Click to expand...
 
Back
Top