I want to use a 4-pole 3.5mm jack as if it were a mic-and-headset combo in order to hardware-disconnect the microphone in a laptop computer when it's not required.
So: when you plug in an ordinary mic-and-headset combo, is it detected by hardware or software?
And when you mute the mic with the little mute button in the cord, does it make the mic open circuit or short circuit?
Sorry there's no mention of Brexit in my question: I'll try and do better next time!
Thanks,
Nick
JOOI, why a hardware solution instead of disabling the microphone in Device Manager?
Maybe the OP doesn't trust the OS to do so?
Because a software solution can be easily undisabled, deliberately or accidentally. And because you'd be scrambling for Device Manager or its equivalent every time you wanted to use/stop using the mic while a jack can be pulled out and pushed back in a moment.
Nick
Fair enough, thanks.
soft, it's cheaper
measure it and tell us. If it shorts and you're paranoid, switch resistance can go high over time, and can be unreliable to begin with.
NT
So anyone can use the device to configure it instead of faffing about with control panel applets I'd suspect.
I do not know how they are wired. Creative seem to use these a lot on their usb sound card boxes. Certainly the hardware ie plugged in or not is detected by a switch on the connector, but I don't think its inteligent enough to know much more about it otherwise when a microphone or earphone went intermittent the state would change and it does not. Brian
Probably hardware, using a contact operated by the jack when it's plugged in.
Well, it shorts. And guess what? Even though the Device Manager recognises the headset and switches default to the external mic, it doesn't switch off the internal one.
It's the same on this HP laptop and my Motorola smartphone and I used a cheap Dollarama four-pole headset combo and a proper branded Sony one and got the same result every time.
Nick
May explain why the only (external) hardware solution I've seen was Blu Tack over the mic. I was told that there was also a v small bit of foil under the Blu Tack to stop it going down the hole but that may just have been a bit of self-parody :)
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