Anyone know what sort of *consumer* kit would be using a 5-pin
(TRRRS) phone plug?

I've got a cable that is terminated in a pair of three pin
(TRS) phone plugs on one end with what I am *guessing* is
a 5 pin phone *jack* on the other.

Sleeves of both plugs are tied together and the mechanicals of
the cable indicate the mating *jacks* will be located within a
few inches of each other. Insulators between sleeve/ring/tip
are color-coded -- red on one plug and green on the other.

I suspect this is something fairly common (but I'm not big on
mainstream consumer kit).

I'm not keen on casually discarding it as it may have some
possible future value to me (doesn't take much space to store!)

On 10/14/2022 12:51 AM, Don Y wrote:
> Anyone know what sort of *consumer* kit would be using a 5-pin
> (TRRRS) phone plug?
>
> I've got a cable that is terminated in a pair of three pin
> (TRS) phone plugs on one end with what I am *guessing* is
> a 5 pin phone *jack* on the other.
>
> Sleeves of both plugs are tied together and the mechanicals of
> the cable indicate the mating *jacks* will be located within a
> few inches of each other.  Insulators between sleeve/ring/tip
> are color-coded -- red on one plug and green on the other.

Hmmm... perhaps just a 4-pin jack (TRRS) and used for a headset
(mic+headphones)? That would agree with the color coding on
headphone and microphone jacks (for the male plugs) -- though
I would have thought the mic connector to just be two conductor
(and not three).

I'll have to see if I have a wired headset to test that theory...

Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> Wrote in message:r
> On 10/14/2022 12:51 AM, Don Y wrote:> Anyone know what sort of *consumer* kit would be using a 5-pin> (TRRRS) phone plug?> > I've got a cable that is terminated in a pair of three pin> (TRS) phone plugs on one end with what I am *guessing* is> a 5 pin phone *jack* on the other.> > Sleeves of both plugs are tied together and the mechanicals of> the cable indicate the mating *jacks* will be located within a> few inches of each other. Insulators between sleeve/ring/tip> are color-coded -- red on one plug and green on the other.Hmmm... perhaps just a 4-pin jack (TRRS) and used for a headset(mic+headphones)? That would agree with the color coding onheadphone and microphone jacks (for the male plugs) -- thoughI would have thought the mic connector to just be two conductor(and not three).I'll have to see if I have a wired headset to test that theory...

Android phones and our dell optiplex's use the TRRS plugs.

Cheers
--

----Android NewsGroup Reader----
https://piaohong.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/usenet/index.html

On Friday, October 14, 2022 at 5:48:13 PM UTC, Martin Rid wrote:
> Don Y <blocked...@foo.invalid> Wrote in message:r
> > On 10/14/2022 12:51 AM, Don Y wrote:> Anyone know what sort of *consumer* kit would be using a 5-pin> (TRRRS) phone plug?> > I've got a cable that is terminated in a pair of three pin> (TRS) phone plugs on one end with what I am *guessing* is> a 5 pin phone *jack* on the other.> > Sleeves of both plugs are tied together and the mechanicals of> the cable indicate the mating *jacks* will be located within a> few inches of each other. Insulators between sleeve/ring/tip> are color-coded -- red on one plug and green on the other.Hmmm... perhaps just a 4-pin jack (TRRS) and used for a headset(mic+headphones)? That would agree with the color coding onheadphone and microphone jacks (for the male plugs) -- thoughI would have thought the mic connector to just be two conductor(and not three).I'll have to see if I have a wired headset to test that theory...
>
> Android phones and our dell optiplex's use the TRRS plugs.
>
> Cheers
> --
>
>
> ----Android NewsGroup Reader----
> https://piaohong.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/usenet/index.html

I had a digital watch from 30 yrs ago (?)
with "built in" FM radio (Armitron?).
well, partially built in. All the analog stuff
and another dry cell was inside a "blob of plastic"
--that was inline & connecting the headphones to the watch.
The volume control was on this blob.
The connector to the watch was
a 3.5mm TRRRS. The tuning dial was on
the watch. So I guess some kind of extra
signalling was used for "tuning."

Never saw another example of a TRRRS.

Rich S.

On 14/10/2022 08:51, Don Y wrote:
> Anyone know what sort of *consumer* kit would be using a 5-pin
> (TRRRS) phone plug?
>
> I've got a cable that is terminated in a pair of three pin
> (TRS) phone plugs on one end with what I am *guessing* is
> a 5 pin phone *jack* on the other.
>
> Sleeves of both plugs are tied together and the mechanicals of
> the cable indicate the mating *jacks* will be located within a
> few inches of each other.  Insulators between sleeve/ring/tip
> are color-coded -- red on one plug and green on the other.
>
> I suspect this is something fairly common (but I'm not big on
> mainstream consumer kit).
>
> I'm not keen on casually discarding it as it may have some
> possible future value to me (doesn't take much space to store!)
>
>

You didn't say what the diameter was. If 3.5mm then some gamers headsets
and controllers use them, no idea what the extra signals are. If 4.4mm
then some fancy hi-fi equipment uses them for balanced audio
(L+,L-R+,R-,Gnd). If 6.35mm then was used for some light aircraft radio
headsets.

piglet

On Monday, October 17, 2022 at 2:39:05 AM UTC-4, erichp...@hotmail.com wrote:
> On 14/10/2022 08:51, Don Y wrote:
> > Anyone know what sort of *consumer* kit would be using a 5-pin
> > (TRRRS) phone plug?
> >
> > I've got a cable that is terminated in a pair of three pin
> > (TRS) phone plugs on one end with what I am *guessing* is
> > a 5 pin phone *jack* on the other.
> >
> > Sleeves of both plugs are tied together and the mechanicals of
> > the cable indicate the mating *jacks* will be located within a
> > few inches of each other. Insulators between sleeve/ring/tip
> > are color-coded -- red on one plug and green on the other.
> >
> > I suspect this is something fairly common (but I'm not big on
> > mainstream consumer kit).
> >
> > I'm not keen on casually discarding it as it may have some
> > possible future value to me (doesn't take much space to store!)
> >
> >
> You didn't say what the diameter was. If 3.5mm then some gamers headsets
> and controllers use them, no idea what the extra signals are. If 4.4mm
> then some fancy hi-fi equipment uses them for balanced audio
> (L+,L-R+,R-,Gnd). If 6.35mm then was used for some light aircraft radio
> headsets.

What about stereo headphones and stereo mic? But the OP doesn't know it is a five pin jack. So this is all pure speculation.

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
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On 10/14/2022 10:48 AM, Martin Rid wrote:
> Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> Wrote in message:r
>> On 10/14/2022 12:51 AM, Don Y wrote:

>> Anyone know what sort of *consumer* kit would be using a 5-pin> (TRRRS)
>> phone plug? I've got a cable that is terminated in a pair of three pin
>> (TRS) phone plugs on one end with what I am *guessing* is a 5 pin phone
>> *jack* on the other. Sleeves of both plugs are tied together and the
>> mechanicals of the cable indicate the mating *jacks* will be located
>> within a> few inches of each other.
>> Insulators between sleeve/ring/tip> are color-coded -- red on one plug and
>> green on the other.

>> Hmmm... perhaps just a 4-pin jack (TRRS) and used for a headset(mic+headphones)?
>> That would agree with the color coding onheadphone and microphone jacks (for
>> the male plugs) -- though I would have thought the mic connector to just be
>> two conductor (and not three).

>> I'll have to see if I have a wired headset to test that theory...
>
> Android phones and our dell optiplex's use the TRRS plugs.

I've not found a wired headset so I can't experiment.

[I wasn't aware that the "headphone jack" on android phones
actually brought out the mic signal. I'd only ever used headphones
with it! (something else that I will have to experiment with!)]

[[I also wasn't aware that the headphone (?) jack on optiplex's
also carried the mic signal (??) Each of my optiplex's has a
separate mic connector (redundant?)]]

But, that would make the most sense (as above). The cable
is undoubtedly used to allow a 4 conductor headset to be used on
a *PC* (the TRS plugs simply being selected "as expected"
for a PC and only 4 of the 6 possible conductors (I've already
noted that the 3rd and 6th -- sleeves -- are wired together)
are actually used.

This is consistent with the color scheme used on the insulators
and the closeness that the mating jacks must be to each other.

I'll order TRRS & TRRRS plugs with my next parts order just to check
the (molded) jack to verify this; I'd hate to carve up the jack
just to visually inspect it!

On 10/14/2022 11:46 AM, Rich S wrote:
> I had a digital watch from 30 yrs ago (?)
> with "built in" FM radio (Armitron?).
> well, partially built in. All the analog stuff
> and another dry cell was inside a "blob of plastic"
> --that was inline & connecting the headphones to the watch.
> The volume control was on this blob.
> The connector to the watch was
> a 3.5mm TRRRS. The tuning dial was on
> the watch. So I guess some kind of extra
> signalling was used for "tuning."
>
> Never saw another example of a TRRRS.

I've seen TRRS used to bring the 4 conductors of a USB
connector into a 3.5mm jack -- which also doubled as
headphone output.

I've also seen some overly *long* 3.5mm plugs (but can't
recall number of conductors).

"Standards are great -- everybody should have one!"