Can't get a signal into CDSPDIF IN on 4380

Michael Berg · Feb 9, 2006, 01:58 AM

Hi. I'm trying to get a signal into the CD-SPDIF In input of a 4380 SBLive card. The actual connector is not installed, but I put in my own connector. But I can't get a signal in. Anyone know why not? I have no problem putting a signal into Coax/Optical SPDIF in on the AUD-EXT connector.

Thanks,

Mick Berg.

Doug W · Feb 9, 2006, 03:11 PM

Hopefully that is a typo there CT4380, which is the AWE64 pnp ISA card. You mean the CT4830 right?

I have never connected anything external to the S/PDIF ins of the cards. I have connected SPDIF outs of Creative cards to SPDIF Ins of other Creative cards.

According to dj_stick's pinout of the CD_SPDIF
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/audio-general-technical-discussion/51505-soundblaster-live-audigy-1-2-x-fi-pinouts.html

CD_SPDIF In connector pin assignments
Pin Description I/O
1 GND -
2 SPDIF In
Copyright © 1998-2000 Creative Technology, Ltd.

Is that how you wired up your connector?

Which sliders did you mess with in the kX mixers to try to get a signal? Or did you set up a custom DSP?

miguel · Feb 9, 2006, 03:11 PM

I think the connector is cut somewhere on the board for 4830 cards, not just the missing pins. Someone could confirm though, good luck.

Doug W · Feb 9, 2006, 03:20 PM

The first time I used multiple cards, I hooked up a CT4830 to another CT4830 and it worked.

This was my hookup:

The SPDIF cable is connected at the CT4830 Send Card,
to Pin 17 (white conductor-SPDIF#0 out),
Pin 18 (black conductor-Gnd).

The SPDIF cable terminates in the CD-SPDIF connector
of the CT4830 Host card (black cable to the left).

miguel · Feb 9, 2006, 09:32 PM

Well Doug W, so your card had the pins soldered into the spdif in connector?

I have a 4830 (live player 1024, i think) and mine only has one working spdif input located in the AUD_EXT socket. The others there didn't work and the spdif-in connector was "castrated" so I tried soldering pins myself there but it didn't work. So back then I did a search in the forum and I think it was travelrec who pointed that some cards only had one available spdif input.

I seem to remember he commented about getting one himself and tinkering around it, but I'm not quite sure. At least in my mind I left with the impression that without some hardware mod, these "castrated" lives only had one spdif input located in the AUD_EXT. I can't tell the exact pins but as Michael says it corresponds to Coaxial/Optical in kX.

regards
miguel

Doug W · Feb 10, 2006, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Well Doug W, so your card had the pins soldered into the spdif in connector?

No, actually I used the SPDIF out 0 on the AUD_EXT of card 1 into CD_SPDIF plastic connector of the card 2. Maybe I misunderstood the first post by Michael Berg. I thought he meant that he made a connector on the outside of the computer and used a cable to hook it up to the CD_SPDIF of his CT4830. But I think on rereading it, his CD_SPDIF connector didn't exist and he wired it up.

At the moment, I have 2 CT4830s:

One has an external yellow SPDIF out connector but no internal CD_SPDIF connector
the other has the internal CD_SPDIF connector but no external yellow SPDIF out.

Michael Berg · Feb 16, 2006, 02:38 AM

Hi everyone.

Thanks for your interest in this problem.

My 4830 cards are physically missing the actual CDSPDIF In connector, but the PCB traces and all the components are there, as far as I can see. I will try to buy a card that has the connector, and see what is going on. There are also some other places on the AUD-EXT connector where it seems likely that a SPDIF signal could be injected, but unfortunately they appear to be not supported by KX.
I really want to get this to work, so I appreciate all the help. There must be a simple explanation!

**dj_stick** · Feb 16, 2006, 03:12 AM

the AUD_EXT inputs are definately supported by kX, i use them myself

pinouts are available here:
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/showthread.php?t=51505

Maddogg6 · Feb 16, 2006, 03:18 AM

On my CT 4832 - there is at least the SPDIF OUT - that I am using... AFAIK - there is a SPDIF IN as well - according to the AUD_EXT connector. No Live drive 'faking' was needed or anything - is this a card model specif bug with KX - I would think the Live bugs would have been pretty much worked out by now.
Even the A2 ones are pretty well ironed out for the most part..

Acording to the pinout I used - I connected to Pins 16 (gnd) & 17 (SPDIFO#0)
Id think using Pins 14 (gnd) & 15 (SPDIFIN#0) would work - but it may depend on WHAT is feeding the SPDIF signal - you *may* need to 'condition' that signal before feeding it to the sound card if its comming from an external source like A mic preamp w/ Digital out. Which AFAIK - the liveDrives do contain this circuitry.
I seen circuits on the web for doing so - a pretty simple circuit.

Something like here
http://www.andrewkilpatrick.org/mind/spdif/

miguel · Feb 16, 2006, 12:09 PM

It may be worse than just some cut paths in the pcb as I pointed before. In this old thread...

"Now I have a question. I also own a CT4830. This is a sound blaster live! Value. This cart has only one SPDIF input because it lags the F258 chip. Do you think it is possible (from a software point of view) to add this chip and enjoy two extra digital inputs? If possible...."

You can read the whole thing if interested, this guy conder seemed to know what he talked about and also mighty travelrec was helping out.

I can't encourage you to mess around your 4830 since I haven't done it myself. Of the "official" spdif ins in AUD_EXT only one works and as you know, soldering pins on the "castrated" cd_spdif in doesn't work either. Also these live cards are so cheap these days that It may not be worthy bothering into any modding.

regards
miguel

Michael Berg · Feb 16, 2006, 05:00 PM

Thanks Miguel. I guess I didn't look hard enough to spot the missing F258 chip. Now that the mystery is solved, I'm certainly not going to try messing about with the 4830 and will just get a card with the CDSPDIF intact. The problem only applies to one of the three cards, the other two are just used for the synths and their outputs are fed into the third card. Thanks again everyone for all the help.

Maddogg6 · Feb 16, 2006, 05:52 PM

I'm starting to think that the Live Value models - that have the CD SPDIF in tact - would be missing the AUD_EXT connector.

My card (SB Live! Value OEM) DOES have the AUD_EXT but no CD SPDIF on it.

So Im thinking with Lives - there may only be one or the other??

**dj_stick** · Feb 16, 2006, 11:31 PM

some live! value cards have a smaller SPDIF_EXT header rather than the AUD_EXT, which iirc only has one in/one out

ok i just checked my own thread i linked to

, it has four digital outputs, but only one input

Michael Berg · Feb 18, 2006, 07:30 PM

I found a CT4670 SBLive Value card in my box of soundcards, and this had a CDSPDIF IN connector at the top, and a COAX SPDIF IN (pins 5 and 6 on the SPDIF_EXT connector). So I got my two SPDIF inputs. But this card doesn't have any surround capability. (The Surrounder in KX does nothing.)I guess the card I really need is a SBLive 5.1 SBOO60 with all the connectors, they come up on EBay often enough (I actually just missed one literally by seconds).
I have an excellent book, "The SoundBlaster Live! Book", by Lars Ahlzen and Clarence Song (550 pages) with lots of diagrams of pinouts, comparison of features of the different models, etc.

Feb 9, 2006, 01:58 AM	#1
Michael Berg DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: LA Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Can't get a signal into CDSPDIF IN on 4380 Hi. I'm trying to get a signal into the CD-SPDIF In input of a 4380 SBLive card. The actual connector is not installed, but I put in my own connector. But I can't get a signal in. Anyone know why not? I have no problem putting a signal into Coax/Optical SPDIF in on the AUD-EXT connector. Thanks, Mick Berg.

Feb 16, 2006, 02:38 AM	Thread Starter #7
Michael Berg DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: LA Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Hi everyone. Thanks for your interest in this problem. My 4830 cards are physically missing the actual CDSPDIF In connector, but the PCB traces and all the components are there, as far as I can see. I will try to buy a card that has the connector, and see what is going on. There are also some other places on the AUD-EXT connector where it seems likely that a SPDIF signal could be injected, but unfortunately they appear to be not supported by KX. I really want to get this to work, so I appreciate all the help. There must be a simple explanation! Last edited by Michael Berg; Feb 16, 2006 at 02:45 AM.

Feb 16, 2006, 03:18 AM	#9
Maddogg6 Tail Razer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bernyurass, AZ - USA Posts: 4,027 Rep Power: 0	On my CT 4832 - there is at least the SPDIF OUT - that I am using... AFAIK - there is a SPDIF IN as well - according to the AUD_EXT connector. No Live drive 'faking' was needed or anything - is this a card model specif bug with KX - I would think the Live bugs would have been pretty much worked out by now. Even the A2 ones are pretty well ironed out for the most part.. Acording to the pinout I used - I connected to Pins 16 (gnd) & 17 (SPDIFO#0) Id think using Pins 14 (gnd) & 15 (SPDIFIN#0) would work - but it may depend on WHAT is feeding the SPDIF signal - you may need to 'condition' that signal before feeding it to the sound card if its comming from an external source like A mic preamp w/ Digital out. Which AFAIK - the liveDrives do contain this circuitry. I seen circuits on the web for doing so - a pretty simple circuit. Something like here http://www.andrewkilpatrick.org/mind/spdif/ Last edited by Maddogg6; Feb 16, 2006 at 04:58 AM.

Feb 16, 2006, 12:09 PM	#10
miguel DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 209 Rep Power: 0	It may be worse than just some cut paths in the pcb as I pointed before. In this old thread... "Now I have a question. I also own a CT4830. This is a sound blaster live! Value. This cart has only one SPDIF input because it lags the F258 chip. Do you think it is possible (from a software point of view) to add this chip and enjoy two extra digital inputs? If possible...." You can read the whole thing if interested, this guy conder seemed to know what he talked about and also mighty travelrec was helping out. I can't encourage you to mess around your 4830 since I haven't done it myself. Of the "official" spdif ins in AUD_EXT only one works and as you know, soldering pins on the "castrated" cd_spdif in doesn't work either. Also these live cards are so cheap these days that It may not be worthy bothering into any modding. regards miguel Last edited by miguel; Feb 16, 2006 at 12:12 PM. Reason: some italics here and there

Feb 9, 2006, 03:11 PM	#2
Doug W HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Montevideo, MN USA Posts: 973 Rep Power: 0	Hopefully that is a typo there CT4380, which is the AWE64 pnp ISA card. You mean the CT4830 right? I have never connected anything external to the S/PDIF ins of the cards. I have connected SPDIF outs of Creative cards to SPDIF Ins of other Creative cards. According to dj_stick's pinout of the CD_SPDIF http://www.hardwareheaven.com/audio-general-technical-discussion/51505-soundblaster-live-audigy-1-2-x-fi-pinouts.html CD_SPDIF In connector pin assignments Pin Description I/O 1 GND - 2 SPDIF In Copyright © 1998-2000 Creative Technology, Ltd. Is that how you wired up your connector? Which sliders did you mess with in the kX mixers to try to get a signal? Or did you set up a custom DSP?

Feb 9, 2006, 03:20 PM	#4
Doug W HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Montevideo, MN USA Posts: 973 Rep Power: 0	The first time I used multiple cards, I hooked up a CT4830 to another CT4830 and it worked. This was my hookup: The SPDIF cable is connected at the CT4830 Send Card, to Pin 17 (white conductor-SPDIF#0 out), Pin 18 (black conductor-Gnd). The SPDIF cable terminates in the CD-SPDIF connector of the CT4830 Host card (black cable to the left).

Feb 9, 2006, 09:32 PM	#5
miguel DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 209 Rep Power: 0	Well Doug W, so your card had the pins soldered into the spdif in connector? I have a 4830 (live player 1024, i think) and mine only has one working spdif input located in the AUD_EXT socket. The others there didn't work and the spdif-in connector was "castrated" so I tried soldering pins myself there but it didn't work. So back then I did a search in the forum and I think it was travelrec who pointed that some cards only had one available spdif input. I seem to remember he commented about getting one himself and tinkering around it, but I'm not quite sure. At least in my mind I left with the impression that without some hardware mod, these "castrated" lives only had one spdif input located in the AUD_EXT. I can't tell the exact pins but as Michael says it corresponds to Coaxial/Optical in kX. regards miguel

Feb 16, 2006, 05:00 PM	Thread Starter #11
Michael Berg DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: LA Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	Thanks Miguel. I guess I didn't look hard enough to spot the missing F258 chip. Now that the mystery is solved, I'm certainly not going to try messing about with the 4830 and will just get a card with the CDSPDIF intact. The problem only applies to one of the three cards, the other two are just used for the synths and their outputs are fed into the third card. Thanks again everyone for all the help.

Feb 16, 2006, 05:52 PM	#12
Maddogg6 Tail Razer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bernyurass, AZ - USA Posts: 4,027 Rep Power: 0	I'm starting to think that the Live Value models - that have the CD SPDIF in tact - would be missing the AUD_EXT connector. My card (SB Live! Value OEM) DOES have the AUD_EXT but no CD SPDIF on it. So Im thinking with Lives - there may only be one or the other??

Feb 18, 2006, 07:30 PM	Thread Starter #14
Michael Berg DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: LA Posts: 26 Rep Power: 0	I found a CT4670 SBLive Value card in my box of soundcards, and this had a CDSPDIF IN connector at the top, and a COAX SPDIF IN (pins 5 and 6 on the SPDIF_EXT connector). So I got my two SPDIF inputs. But this card doesn't have any surround capability. (The Surrounder in KX does nothing.)I guess the card I really need is a SBLive 5.1 SBOO60 with all the connectors, they come up on EBay often enough (I actually just missed one literally by seconds). I have an excellent book, "The SoundBlaster Live! Book", by Lars Ahlzen and Clarence Song (550 pages) with lots of diagrams of pinouts, comparison of features of the different models, etc.