Vol_ctrl pins on Live! Value CT4832

Bajas · Jul 8, 2004, 07:23 PM

Regarding the "vol_ctrl" pin assignments on SB Live! cards ( SB Live! & Audigy Pinouts and http://skyscraper.fortunecity.com/an...37/volume.html ) I have the SB Live! Value (CT4832), and I found that the actual pins were missing from the card. There are contact points with curcuits running to them, but I will most likely have to solder the wires onto these points. Also, I found only three of these contact points, while there was supposed to be four of them.

Are the two GND points perhaps merged into one, making a total of three points?

And will the volume control work? The pins were obviously left out on this card on purpose.

**dj_stick** · Jul 8, 2004, 09:18 PM

well there ARE only 2 pins on the actual vol-ctrl connector

Code:

VOL_CTRL connector pin assignments (for PCI cards)

Pin	Description	I/O
1	VOLDECB	In
2	GND	-
3	VOLINCB	In
4	GND	-

Copyright © 1998-2000 Creative Technology, Ltd.

but i think pin2 on most cards - includign my old sb-live and my audigy card - is not connected… try bridging these solder-points to see if the volume goes up or down

Bajas · Jul 8, 2004, 09:44 PM

All right, it worked

. Thanks for the help. Now I just need some sort of volume knob to hook up to this thing. These Live cards never stop surprising me

.

Bajas · Jul 8, 2004, 10:06 PM

It seems pin 3 is the one that's completely gone on my card, and the VOLINCB pin has become no. 4, so VOLDECB and VOLINCB share the same GND pin. The hwinfo.hlp file on the driver cd says that the 3-pin setup was used only on the isa Soundblaster cards, and 4-pin on pci cards. That certainly isn't the case here.

None of the Vol_ctrl features seem to exist on my Live! 5.1 SB0220 though.

**dj_stick** · Jul 8, 2004, 11:43 PM

hmm for volume control - it is a digital system, so you need topush buttons
press one buttun for up, one for down, and both for mute/unmute

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 07:21 AM

Yes, I've thought about this too. A normal volume knob is just a resistor. I've seen surround receivers with digital volume control, and they had volume knobs with notches, almost like the scroll wheel on a mouse. One notch up, and the receiver went one desiBel up, one notch down and it went down one dB. I've had no luck finding these knobs for sale anywhere, though.

If I use buttons, does the sound card autorepeat if I hold one of them down? Because in that case, I'll go with buttons.

**dj_stick** · Jul 9, 2004, 07:30 AM

yes if you keep the connection the volume keeps changing

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 07:53 AM

Thanks for the information. Buttons it is, then.

**dj_stick** · Jul 9, 2004, 08:01 AM

easiest way to do this is to sever one of those cd-audio cables and use that to connect the buttons to the card

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 08:20 AM

I actually hoped that I could do so, I even have a spare CD cable, but the stupid pins aren't there. I don't understand why Creative didn't put pins on those contacts.

**dj_stick** · Jul 9, 2004, 08:32 AM

try bridging the contacts with the computer on to see if they actually work

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 08:56 AM

They do work, tried and true, but the pins aren't there, just three "solder-points" or something like that. Makes it a bit more difficult than I had hoped for. All the other contacts have pins sticking out of them, the only ones that don't are Vol_ctrl and CD_S/PDIF.

**dj_stick** · Jul 9, 2004, 09:14 AM

perhaps a direct solder onto the card?
ruins your warranty and chance to sell the card later on though…

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 09:40 AM

Yes, I don't think Creative likes the thought of their customers soldering wires onto their cards, but mine is about 3 years old now anyway, and I kind of like this card. Think I'll keep it for a few more years to come.

I think I'll have to ask some of my buddies to do the actual soldering for me. They have far more experience on the subject. I'll probably just burn a hole through the PCB.

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 09:45 AM

Perhaps I could use a few left over Molex plugs at the other end of the cables, and on the cables to the switches, to make it easier to connect/disconnect the equipment in the future. Just have to dye the plugs in a different color so I don't hook any of them up to the power supply by mistake.

**dj_stick** · Jul 9, 2004, 09:52 AM

that could work… but make sure u stabilise the cables attached on the card - you don't want them ripped off

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 10:00 AM

true... how can I stabilise them?

**dj_stick** · Jul 9, 2004, 10:01 AM

maybe soldering pins on instead of direc-connecting the wires
or gluing some sort of cable relief to the board

Bajas · Jul 9, 2004, 10:11 AM

I could try to have pins soldered onto the card. That way I would be able to use the cd cable you suggested earlier. Thanks very much for the help.

**dj_stick** · Jul 9, 2004, 10:23 AM

no worries

Jul 8, 2004, 07:23 PM	#1
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	Vol_ctrl pins on Live! Value CT4832 Regarding the "vol_ctrl" pin assignments on SB Live! cards ( SB Live! & Audigy Pinouts and http://skyscraper.fortunecity.com/an...37/volume.html ) I have the SB Live! Value (CT4832), and I found that the actual pins were missing from the card. There are contact points with curcuits running to them, but I will most likely have to solder the wires onto these points. Also, I found only three of these contact points, while there was supposed to be four of them. Are the two GND points perhaps merged into one, making a total of three points? And will the volume control work? The pins were obviously left out on this card on purpose.

Jul 8, 2004, 10:06 PM	#4
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	It seems pin 3 is the one that's completely gone on my card, and the VOLINCB pin has become no. 4, so VOLDECB and VOLINCB share the same GND pin. The hwinfo.hlp file on the driver cd says that the 3-pin setup was used only on the isa Soundblaster cards, and 4-pin on pci cards. That certainly isn't the case here. None of the Vol_ctrl features seem to exist on my Live! 5.1 SB0220 though. Last edited by Bajas; Jul 8, 2004 at 10:11 PM.

Jul 8, 2004, 09:44 PM	#3
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	All right, it worked . Thanks for the help. Now I just need some sort of volume knob to hook up to this thing. These Live cards never stop surprising me .

Jul 9, 2004, 07:21 AM	#6
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	Yes, I've thought about this too. A normal volume knob is just a resistor. I've seen surround receivers with digital volume control, and they had volume knobs with notches, almost like the scroll wheel on a mouse. One notch up, and the receiver went one desiBel up, one notch down and it went down one dB. I've had no luck finding these knobs for sale anywhere, though. If I use buttons, does the sound card autorepeat if I hold one of them down? Because in that case, I'll go with buttons.

Jul 9, 2004, 07:53 AM	#8
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for the information. Buttons it is, then.

Jul 9, 2004, 08:20 AM	#10
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	I actually hoped that I could do so, I even have a spare CD cable, but the stupid pins aren't there. I don't understand why Creative didn't put pins on those contacts.

Jul 9, 2004, 08:56 AM	#12
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	They do work, tried and true, but the pins aren't there, just three "solder-points" or something like that. Makes it a bit more difficult than I had hoped for. All the other contacts have pins sticking out of them, the only ones that don't are Vol_ctrl and CD_S/PDIF.

Jul 9, 2004, 09:40 AM	#14
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	Yes, I don't think Creative likes the thought of their customers soldering wires onto their cards, but mine is about 3 years old now anyway, and I kind of like this card. Think I'll keep it for a few more years to come. I think I'll have to ask some of my buddies to do the actual soldering for me. They have far more experience on the subject. I'll probably just burn a hole through the PCB.

Jul 9, 2004, 09:45 AM	#15
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	Perhaps I could use a few left over Molex plugs at the other end of the cables, and on the cables to the switches, to make it easier to connect/disconnect the equipment in the future. Just have to dye the plugs in a different color so I don't hook any of them up to the power supply by mistake.

Jul 9, 2004, 10:00 AM	#17
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	true... how can I stabilise them?

Jul 9, 2004, 10:11 AM	#19
Bajas DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	I could try to have pins soldered onto the card. That way I would be able to use the cd cable you suggested earlier. Thanks very much for the help.