CD-ROM Audio Connector

Motherboards and audio cards generally seem to use JST's PH-series 2mm connectors, which are very very cheap (I just recently went on a very similar quest!). The specific part you would be looking for is PHR-3 (for the shroud), SPH-002T-P0.5S or SPH-004T-P0.5S for the crimp pin (depends what wire gauge you want to use), and B3B-PH-K-S for a through-hole top-entry socket. Also available in through-hole side-entry and SMD top- and side-entry versions. There is also an IDC version of the pin. Lots of possibilities!

Note: For your _specific_ application, it seems to be more common to use a 4-pin connector, with two center ground pins. I don't know why! Appropriate parts are PHR-4 and B4B-PH-K-S.

Thanks!

The 3 pin connector is exactly this series. But the 4-pin connector is something else -- a polarized, latching connector. I see two types of cables discussed out there.. One is nominally called "ATAPI-to-ATAPI" which has 4 pin latching plugs on both ends, and another nominally called "ATAPI-to-JST" which has the 3-pin JST PH plug on one end and the 4 pin latching plug on the other. What I actually want to do is put both headers on the board to deal with both possibilities. Any idea what this polarized, latching 4-pin connector is?

OK.. For posterity.. I *believe* the 4-pin "ATAPI CD-Audio Connector" (aka "MPC3 Audio Connector") is this:

MOLEX P/N 70553-0003

This (or it's equivalent) is on the drives, and it's on newer motherboards.

As Lewin said, there is a 3-pin header that's used on older PC's:

JST P/N B3B-PH-K-S

And sometimes, just to make things even more impossible, there is another

JST P/N B4B-PH-K-S

A sanity check is in order, of course. This is a deceptively complex mire.

Hi Ian,

Wellll... I haven't seen a connector like this recently, but older sound cards used to have a 100-mil latching Molex C-Grid connector, the Digi-Key part number of an equivalent _right angle_ _through hole_ header is WM4902-ND. You want the "G" version shroud, which has the latch.

If you search for that part number, you'll get to page 97 of Digi-Key's catalog. Page 96 is the page you actually want to look at, with the illustrations and all. .

Interesting. Your results differ from mine. The JST 4-pin you mention is the one I've seen more often (the one I recommended in fact :). The motherboards I have around here - various vintages - have either that or the 3-pin connector.

I've only seen the Molex connector on quite old audio cards - 1998 vintage. And on those cards, it was paralleled with the JST 4-pin connector.

OK. I think you're right. The Molex is really an older connector. It's nice for this application because of the latch, but I am putting all three of these connectors on the board to cover all bases:

JST P/N B4B-PH-K-S (L-G-G-R) JST P/N B3B-PH-K-S (L-G-R) MOLEX P/N 70553-0003 (L-G-G-R)