(audio cable) - a cable with two linear connectors (usually mini-jack type). With its help, you can connect an MP3 player, smartphone or other audio file carrier that has the required input to the car radio. If buying an AUX cable seems too simple a solution and you want to stretch your hands, you can make such an accessory yourself.
You will need:
- two pairs of headphones (it is important that these headphones have no creases at the plug),
- soldering iron,
- rosin,
- insulating tape.
1. Cut off the part of the wire with the plug from the headphones. Choose a comfortable length, because a cable that is too short is inconvenient to use.
2. Strip the wires at the cut ends a couple of centimeters.
3. Twist wires of the same color together. IN in this case we will get three bundles: red + red, blue + blue and all copper. In some headphone models, the wire may not be in a blue sheath, but in a green sheath.
4. The connected wires must be soldered and dipped in rosin for reliability. After this, each wire must be secured with electrical tape and then the entire junction area must be wrapped with electrical tape.
If it doesn’t turn out as neatly as you would like, and you have a speaker housing from some old headset, put him to work. Such a housing will cover the winding area well.
You don’t have the desire or time to “reinvent the wheel” - contact the Partner online store. Here you can find the most popular models, such as
How to connect AUX?
Today on the radio tape recorder market, almost all of them are made with a built-in linear input - AUX. But there are still manufacturers who install this option only as an additional option.
A linear AUX input may be needed when you need to connect a variety of external devices - a smartphone, player, TV, microphone, etc. In other words, this is an input that makes it possible to play audio and video films using portable devices through the car audio system.
Any radio is equipped with such a function, but the only hindrance is the lack of an input. However, this is a solvable problem, since you can do and understand how to connect the AUX input to the radio yourself, without the help of technical service specialists.
How to make an AUX port
For manufacturing you will need the following tools:
- headphones with a standard 3.5 mm jack;
- soldering iron and solder;
- necessary connectors;
- wires.
If your car has a radio that comes standard, it most likely already has a line-in input. That's why:
- Find the connection pinout. There we see three contacts for connecting the left and right channels.
- We manually check that only the necessary wires are disconnected. You don’t have to worry about your safety: the voltage is very low, so there will be no electric shock. We check each of the wires with our finger. To do this, we turn the volume of the car radio higher, and when we touch the wire, we hear a hum from the speakers.
- Now you need to solder the headphone jack. This can be done directly, or you can solder tulip-type connectors (which will make it possible to connect different devices through adapters).
- As a standard, we will connect devices to the car radio using a cable with AUX ports on both sides.
You don't have to buy this cable. If you have non-working headphones at home (and this is a fairly common situation, since headphones tend to break often), do not hesitate to cut the cable. We'll be connecting them, so keep in mind the length you'll need. So:
- We cut the headphones so that there are wires at one end and 3.5 mm jack connectors at the other ends. We get two identical cables.
- We strip the wires from the side where there are no jack connectors.
- Having stripped the wires, we see that there are three wires of different colors (in both cases this is a standard color) - white, blue and green.
- twist the same-color wires of the two cables to make a double-sided cable.
- take a soldering iron and solder, secure the contacts.
- Next we isolate the contact using electrical tape
- We connect one end of the cord to the car radio connector, and the other to the connector of our device.
Today, most devices are made with a standard headphone jack - laptops, tablets, smartphones, portable TVs and much more. Therefore, using your cable, you can easily make the connection.
To listen to music on the car radio, you will need to select AUX mode. Next, open the audio player on your phone or tablet and turn on the desired song. Now the music will not sound from the phone speaker, but will be played by the car’s audio system.
There are essentially three simple methods to make a Line-in connector to your car radio.
1. If your car radio is standard, it is quite possible that it has a built-in AUX input.
To connect AUX (Line-in) - external source sound, you will need to find the wiring connector for the standard car radio.
Using the standard Mitsubishi colt radio as an example, you can find three contacts on the car radio connector, which are responsible for the incoming signal to the right and left channels.
All you need to do is unscrew the car radio and solder the wires to these contacts accordingly.
In order to make sure that these are exactly the wires that are needed, you can turn on the car radio and touch each of them individually with your finger. By turning the radio volume up, you will hear a characteristic hum in the speakers of the right or left channel (depending on which channel wire you touch). Don't be afraid that you will get an electric shock. The entire circuit is powered by a low-voltage voltage of 12 volts - which cannot penetrate the resistance of your skin. But also remember that you do everything at your own peril and risk, and the background signal from your fingers can damage the amplifier.
Subsequently, you can solder either tulip-type connectors to the wires to connect different devices using adapters. Or you can directly solder a headphone jack, which can be connected to any portable devices.
2. You can open the car radio and try to find the marks on its diagram that are responsible for wiring the Line-in input.
They are often marked like this:
Line GND - common minus of the linear input,
Line-L or L-in - input of the left channel of the linear input (positive contact)
Line-R or R-in - input of the right channel of the linear input
You can check whether you have identified the contacts correctly by touching them with your finger. You should still hear noise in the right or left speakers of the radio.
Often these contacts are present on printed circuit boards and there is simply no tulip-type connector soldered to them, because the presence of this connector is an option when choosing different models the same car radio.
It is to these contacts that you can solder wires and, accordingly, make connectors for the linear input.
3. Entrances can be found sound signal directly next to the amplifier chip inside the car radio.
First, let's understand the essence of the process. The signal from your CD or radio module (let's call them sources) in your radio goes to the amplifier and external outputs. All of the above are separate modules (devices) inside the radio.
All these devices are often connected into a single unit and soldered to a common printed circuit board, however, the essence of the processes occurring between them does not change.
It also happens that the amplifier is placed on a separate board (as a separate module) and all sound sources are connected to it, as well as power. A separate amplifier block is usually a guarantee good quality, since it is not affected by the power supply decoupling of the general circuit, as well as unnecessary interference from other devices.
It is very easy to understand what an amplifier looks like. It is usually screwed to a radiator (a large piece of metal) on the back of the radio, often with fins for greater heat dissipation. Sometimes an amplifier chip is also installed on sidebar radios.
The main thing to remember is that the amplifier chip is usually one of the largest and needs serious heat dissipation, that is, it must be screwed to a large radiator. The radiator, in turn, must stick out to give off heat.
If you find your amplifier chip inside the radio, you need to read its model and just find technical information(datasheet) on it on the Internet.
Let's look at a specific example of searching for an amplifier chip using the Alpine CDE-9841 car radio as an example
Usually on the diagram the amplifier is marked as - AMP, POWER AMP (in our rare case, POWER IC). Often on the diagrams you can find this microcircuit by common features. Often such microcircuits have four speaker outputs and four audio inputs. (naturally, if the car radio is four-channel and if all four channels are contained in one chip, sometimes each pair of channels is divided into a separate chip).
If nothing is clear in the diagram, you can try to go from the opposite direction, find the outputs for the speakers, and from them get to the amplifier itself. They are often connected directly to the amplifier.
In our case, we found the TA8263BH chip, which acts as a four-channel amplifier for our radio.
Already on the diagram itself we can see that the inputs and outputs of the amplifier are marked with colors and signatures.
Accordingly, in our case
IN 1 - 11 leg of the microcircuit
IN 2 - 12 leg of the microcircuit
IN 3 - 15 leg of the microcircuit
IN 4 - 14 leg of the microcircuit
PRE-GND - common ground 13 leg
For reliability, we will download the datasheet for the TA8263BH chip - a four-channel amplifier.
In it we will already see an example of a finished ( working diagram) amplifier.
As we can see in a typical circuit, a pass-through capacitor is usually placed at the inputs of the amplifier, which either cuts D.C. which may appear at the amplifier input, or cuts frequency range which the amplifier will reproduce (take away) at the input.
Therefore, we recommend that you take another look at the car radio circuit, find where the necessary legs of the microcircuit of our amplifier are soldered, and along the path determine where the capacitors are soldered. Accordingly, behind these capacitors and soldered wires are necessary to connect the audio signal of an external device.
You can check the correctness of the input wiring using the same testing method - touching each wire with your finger while the radio is turned on. The background sound will tell us which wire is responsible for which channel.
Do not forget that with this wiring you are connecting directly to the amplifier, that is, without a preamplifier. This means that you will no longer be able to control the sound from an external source by adjusting the volume of the radio, or changing the filter settings.
All sound adjustments will now be made only from your mobile device. It's both convenient and not very convenient - it's up to you to decide.
Like these ones simple methods make new functionality for your car radio, good luck in your endeavors.
If you have any additional information write to us in the comments.
Many modern manufacturers of musical equipment place inputs labeled “AUX” on it. This input is found on TVs, radios, and stereo systems. Car receivers and media systems are increasingly receiving an “AUX IN” input. This input has a more scientific name - “line input”. The old marking is “CD-IN”.
Some technical details
The linear input receives a signal with an amplitude of 0.5 - 1.8 V. This signal magnitude is supported by sound-reproducing devices with a linear output. The socket is marked “AUX OUT” or “CD OUT”. The signal supplied to the headphones has the same magnitude. Therefore, the headphone output of the headphones connects perfectly to the AUX IN input.
The design of all of the above sound-reproducing devices includes a sound amplifier. It is to this that the signal from the linear input is directly supplied. Using this algorithm, the signal generated by the MP3 player and iPod is amplified. Then amplified signal reproduced by loudspeakers.
Using this method, you can listen to music collections collected on a player, tablet or phone through the car speakers. We connect the car receiver or radio via “AUX IN” to the playback device.
The connection of digital devices is controlled through the menu; analog devices have a standard switch. Because the First level It is difficult to control the volume; it is recommended to set it to the minimum level before connecting.
The presence of an “AUX” connector will give a second wind to outdated analog equipment. For example, a cassette recorder can be connected to a modern music center or player.
"AUX" in the car
IN modern world saturated with portable communication devices, the owner of a smartphone cannot imagine life without his buzzing friend. To meet market demands, automakers are increasingly focusing on integrating phones and the car. A huge number of phone functions are enhanced and supported by powerful information system modern car.
The very first and most popular supported function was the playback of audio information. The presence of an “AUX” input in a car, in addition to the above-mentioned ability to play your favorite collections of music and other audio files (educational audio courses, audio books, etc.) on the road, has other advantages.
Relative, but the advantages of having an “AUX” input in the car.
1. No need to spend money on mp-3 discs.
2. The player, if necessary, can fully replace a flash drive.
There are three options for connecting an external device to the AUX input. Two of them involve a waste of money: purchasing a standard adapter with a 3.5 mm mini jack contact or a Bluetooth audio adapter. The third way is for enthusiastic car radio enthusiasts: you can solder the adapter yourself. You will need two plugs, a wire from headphones, a soldering iron and a little patience.
After freeing from external insulation we will see three wires. The same color, closer to the plastic base in the plugs is the base. The other two (green and red) are to the right and left channels. We solder them to the “tulip”, the common one to the metal bases, and from the channels to the connector pins. After the connection is completed, we call and isolate.
The second option seems the most attractive. “AUX”-bluetooth adapter is a hardware dongle that can be connected to any 3.5 mm jack, including. "AUX" stereo system. With its help it is carried out wireless transmission sound stream.
Among the advantages of this option:
No wires in the cabin.
A good codec supplied with the kit can improve the quality of the played songs.
Pairing devices is done by pressing one button, then the adapter itself will do everything.
You can connect several external devices at the same time.
Among the disadvantages:
You still need to buy an adapter.
It requires recharging.
Thus, through the “AUX” input, you can connect portable devices (phones, laptops, etc.) to the standard media system of your car.
Car enthusiasts are well aware that standard radios, even in production cars such as the Ford Focus 2 and Chevrolet Lacetti, have always had poor functionality. With the use of all kinds of smartphones, tablets, and MP3 players in the modern world, we are accustomed to listening to music anywhere we are. But what to do in a situation when you want to listen to music in the car, but there is no way to connect the gadget via aux on the CD radio. More precisely, there is simply no factory version of it. And what to do in this situation? Are there instructions on how to make aux on any radio? We'll figure out.
What are aux inputs and outputs?
In Russia and some CIS countries they are called linear outputs. They are small connectors that can be supplied with voltage from 0.4 - 1.9 volts. In Western countries, this connector is labeled aux out or cd out.
If your device has connectors such as aux input or aux output, then in most cases such a player is equipped with an audio signal amplifier and is capable of working with other external devices. By connecting a smartphone or MP3 player through this connector, you can listen to audio files through the car speakers.
But the saddest thing is that not all old-style radios have such outputs. And if you want to listen to your favorite music from your own media, the owner will have to buy a radio with an aux input installed, or make aux on standard radio having paid a lot of money in the first and second options.
After some thought, the thought often arises that there may be a possibility of making such a connector yourself. Let's consider the options.
Installing an aux input on the CD radio
In fact, most radio tape recorders are equipped with aux connectors, but for some reason the manufacturer did not consider it necessary to display them on the front panel. To solve the problem of outputting an aux output on a CD radio, a car enthusiast will need a certain number of consumables and tools:
- medium Phillips screwdriver;
- insulating tape;
- special keys to get the radio;
- USB cable from the computer controller;
- jumper from a computer hard drive;
- a small piece of cable with a 3.5 mm plug.
Using a knife, carefully remove the decorative plate by prying it by the edge. Using a screwdriver, unscrew the two screws that secure the grille and lift it up. Using special keys, remove the radio.
Having pulled out the radio, we see a white rectangular connector on the back of the case. You need to connect to it USB plug with cable and jumper. The computer controller cable consists of three cores: the left channel, the right channel and the screen. We connect the wires of the left and right channels to a two-core cable with a 3.5 plug and insulate it well using insulating material. We install the car radio in place. We bring the cable with the plug into the car interior.
How to make aux on a stock radio
Unfortunately, not all standard-installed radios have external aux connectors. So, with a greater degree of probability, the radio will have to be disassembled in order to get to the main board of the player. For this we will need the following materials and tools:
- insulated wires with a cross-section of 0.5 cm and a length of 40 - 50 cm;
- 3.5 mm plug;
- heat shrink tubes;
- soldering iron;
- medium Phillips screwdriver;
Using a knife, carefully remove the decorative plate above the radio, prying it by the edge. We also use a knife to pry it up and then remove the decorative panel near the gear lever with our hands. Unscrew the fastening screws securing the radio. We remove the radio and disconnect all the wires to back wall housings. Remove the cover of the player by unscrewing the bolts holding it and remove it from the case.
Once you have access to the board, inspect it carefully. You need to find three points labeled LCH, RCH (left and right channels) and GND (“ground”). Using a soldering iron, we attach three wires to the three points found and put them into the heat-shrink channel. We assemble the player in the reverse order, and take the cable we made to a convenient place in the car. Solder a 3.5 mm plug to the end of the cable.
Making aux for a cassette player
Many will say that there are no such car radios left in nature. But this is not true. Of course, such rarities are not comparable to the quality of players from brands such as Bose, however, there are still connoisseurs of such outdated devices. And believe me, they also want to listen to their favorite tunes from their smartphone or MP3 player through an old cassette player in their car. And to be happy they need:
- wires, shielded 40 cm, cross section 0.5 cm;
- heat shrink tubes;
- 3.5 mm plug;
- medium Phillips screwdriver.
We remove the radio from the niche by unscrewing the mounting bolts. Unscrew the bolts holding the device cover. By removing the cover of the radio, we get access to the tape drive mechanism, which is secured with metal latches. By bending the latches, we remove the mechanism, thereby gaining access to the volume control.
We take it out and solder three common wires to it, for the left stereo channel and for the right stereo channel. We put the wires into a heat-shrinkable channel and assemble the car radio. Having installed the player in its place, we bring the wire into the interior or into the glove compartment and attach a 3.5 mm plug to it using soldering.
As we can see, you can install an aux output on any radio. Much, of course, depends on the manufacturer of the product and, of course, on the design components. IN modern models companies like Bose do not need to think about how to connect any mobile device. But unfortunately, there are still a lot of devices on the radio electronics market that require serious improvements.