DIN connector
DIN connector is as diode plug a slang term for circular connectors with the standards DIN 41524 ( 3 - and 5 -pin), 45322 (5 -pin with 60 ° spacing), 45326 (8 -pin) and 45329 ( 7 - pin) correspond to (replaced by EN 60130-9 ).
They are used mainly in Europe in many areas of electrical and electronic systems for different purposes. In the area of home electronics is their use, except in the MIDI area declined sharply since about 1990. With PCs, there was for the keyboard, a version with DIN plugs. In industrial applications, however, it is used as before.
DIN connector have a round sheet metal or cast iron housing, the front ends in a collar with a diameter of 13 mm. Inside is an insert with three to 14 contact pins to the 8 -pin connector on a circle and at the 6 - to 8 are arranged -pin connectors also near the center of the circle. An embossed into the collar bead serves as an additional aid against twisted insertion. The electrical load is a maximum of 3 A at 34 VDC.
Pin assignment of DIN audio connectors
The pin assignment for audio devices is as follows:
The graph shows the exterior view of a connector; on the solder side of the connectors are of course reversed. In many plugs the numbers are stamped on the solder side of the plastic so no risk of confusion.
In consumer electronics, the 3- pin DIN socket came with the tube radios and early mono devices used to do with the rise of home tape recorders recordings regardless of the volume setting can. The tap of the audio signal by the demodulator ( diode ) finished pin 1 for recording and led to the designations diodes and diode plug cable. Could choose to listen to the tape recorder or a turntable can be connected with Kristalltonabnehmersystem About the high impedance input pin 3.
The first generation stereo record player used the unused pin 1 on the turntable for playing the right channel. Since this caused compatibility problems, sat down soon occupancy 3 5 instead of 3 1 by. Nevertheless, in many turntable inputs of an amplifier from the factory to find a jumper from pin 1 to pin 5 to support both variants of turntables.
Variants
Especially in the HiFi range up into the 1980s, the 2 -pin speaker plug to DIN 41529 ( colloquially "LS - plug " or " dash-dot- plug " ) was popular. In contrast to the other variants shown he is not shielded and has a round and a flat contact. The former carries the signal, the latter mass. The chassis connectors were available in 3 versions:
- Without auxiliary contact
- With auxiliary contact at the round contact, which shuts down the internal speaker with insertion of a plug
- With two holes for the round contact, one with auxiliary contact; by turning the plug the internal speaker could either be kept in operation.
Areas of application
The variant with three pins is used for mono audio devices, five pins ( 180 ° ), however, come with stereo audio devices, MIDI ports and PC keyboards used. The five - and six -pole versions in 240 ° were in Germany. Combined as connectors for video and audio signals ( AV connector, 5 poles for mono, 6 stereo ) the predecessor of the SCART socket In car radio this version was provided for connecting external audio sources. Commodore computers ( such as the Commodore 64 home computer ) depending on the model had a five -or eight- pole design for video and audio signals, a six-pole for the IEC bus, could be connected to the printer, and disk drives, and a seven-way for the power supply.
As a headphone plug four - and five-pin DIN connector were cube-shaped contact arrangement (commonly called square plug ) are used. In keeping with the coding of the connector housing, the connector has two staggered by 180 ° grooves. By appropriately inserting the headphone plug ( in a correspondingly designed switching jack), the speakers may be either started or switched off when headphones are in use.
In the seven - and eight-pin DIN connectors, there are two mechanically not among its plug compatible versions. The eight pin connectors, there is a 270 ° opening angle (according to DIN 45326 ) and one with 262 ° opening angle, in which the contact pins 1 to 5 according to a five-pin DIN socket (DIN 41524 ) are arranged. Furthermore, there is still DIN plug 10 contacts, which are in some video equipment used, as well as those with contacts 12 and 14, which are frequently used in the audiovisual field for the control of projectors.
DIN connectors are still often used in industrial plants. There are versions with a union nut for locking and shielding, as well as those with bayonet locking. These plugs are also available as a tread-resistant and even waterproof ( IP68) versions. In the past, such screw- DIN connector for old ( German ) microphones were used (3 -pin for phantom-powered microphones, 6 -pin for microphones with tube preamp ); in the jargon, these plugs are known as small Tuchel or Kleintuchel. The Kleintuchel the conceptual opposing large Tuchel, however, is not compatible with the treated here DIN connectors. Today, virtually exclusively XLR connectors are used for microphone cabling instead of the Tuchel.
DIN connector in East Germany (GDR)
The levels and impedances were unlike the DIN plug in the Federal Republic of Germany. The entrance was 1 V / 1 M and was therefore suitable for the connection of high impedance Kristalltonabnehmern ( KS22/KS23 ) turntables. DIN connectors were also provided for the connection of video recorders for export televisions ( 4000 series ). They are six poles interpreted (Audio -L, Audio -R, video, mass, switching voltage, 12 V), as well as bi-directional - with applied switching voltage inputs from the outputs.
DIN plug in West Germany ( Federal Republic of )
5 - and 6 -pin DIN connector with 240 ° ( instead of 180 ° ) also found use as a connector for VCR. The growing market share of imported equipment forced the German manufacturers to adapt and use RCA and TRS connectors instead of DIN connectors. In the video section, the SCART connector had prevailed in its place occasionally a cluster RCA connector was used. The disadvantage of this is that you can easily swap the plugs.
Pros and Cons
Advantage of the DIN connectors in the audio sector is its ease of use, since the assignment of left and right channels as well as recording and playback connections is fixed and all signal lines are summarized for a device with a plug. This, however, the flexibility is also limited because different pin assignments (for example, crossed connection with direct dubbing between two tape devices ) can be realized only by means of adapters.
Another disadvantage is the spatially dense arrangement of contacts in the DIN plug, which can easily lead to crosstalk between the two channels of a stereo signal or between front and rear band signal of a tape deck. The optimum design of pin-1 ,4- inputs in current rather than as a voltage adjustment also requires other types of input stages. Only then the noise and crosstalk can be optimal. Other solutions also allow the combination with a microphone input. A line level can be easily adjusted with a high impedance output resistance for the DIN connection ( to 1 uA or better more for full scale ), the use of Dolby C or HighCom the tape noise is reduced so much that only with line inputs ( RCA) or provide optimized DIN receptacle connector best signal to noise ratios can be achieved.
One advantage of DIN over RCA connectors is their separately connectable shielding. The separation of signal ground and shield for example, can help to avoid ground loops and generally electromagnetic interference. When RCA can just multiple and geometrically separate ground connection to ground loops (and crosstalk ) lead.
The mechanical stability of the DIN plug and sockets, at least in the home, limited; apart from expensive ( semi-) professional versions they are not proofed; on the other hand see Tuchel. Compared to downstream systems such as mini - DIN but they are still to be regarded as robust.
Alternatives
For audio devices DIN connector were practically replaced completely by RCA plug. The only exceptions are still a few British and German manufacturers from the "high-end " segment. In computer keyboards were DIN connector through PS / 2 ( mini-DIN) with identical signals, later replaced by USB ports ( other signals, different protocol ). In a four-pole version, the smaller mini- DIN connectors are also used for S -video connections, where they are called usually hosiden connector according to the original manufacturer.
For compact audio devices ( like MP3 players ) and computers held DIN plugs today especially (mini) jack use.
In the audio studio technology XLR connectors are used, which can be practically considered as larger, more robust, for rough use in daily life of live performances suitable version of DIN connectors. According to their application, they are assigned to symmetric signals.