Anyone recognize this cable?  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: WimWalther
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2023, 04:10:16 pm
content: One end is mini DIN-8, the other has 2x female RCA (red & white) and a female 3.5mm TRS phone jack.T, R, S, white & red emerge on separate pins on the DIN-8. The shells of white & red are common to the DIN-8 shell.The DIN-8 molded body has the word "FIX" molded into it.I'm thinking it's for audio, possibly a proprietary interface from a digital movie cam, or?

author: EPAIII
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2023, 07:26:54 am
content: Looks like a breakout cable for a A-V system of some sort. Composit video and L and R audio channels.Or a "breakin" for an input connector.That style of multipin connector was used on a number of less expensive A-V items of equipment. It was less expensive than the BNCs and XLRs used on professional and broadcast equipment. And only one cable was easier for a hobby user to connect. The six pins are probably the three signal wires and the three shields. The RCA colors are not what I would expect, but if I had to guess, I would say that the white was probably for the composit video.What item of equipment it was designed for, I can not say. I don't think there were any real standards.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2023, 08:03:40 am
content: There were lots of cables similar to this made for many computer video cards that had composite TV in/out,for for dedicated TV capture cards, and for security camera capture cards.Lots of possible uses for the outputs, AV out, Composite video out, AV in, Composite video out. The 3.5mm TRS connectors were commonly used for the IR sensor that received the commands from the included IR remote that came with TV capture cards.It could be for a security camera capture system. The TRS is the 12V power and one RCA is video and one is audio.The PCI card would have like 4 of these on the back for 4 different cameras.But usually those ones had DC jacks rather than TRS. But I have seen TRS used for power before. Its stupid though because it's easy to short the power out when inserting the plug.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2023, 08:13:04 am
content: Looks like composite video/audio in/out adaptor for some ATI Radeon graphics cards from 2000's.https://pinoutguide.com/Video/ati_video_pinout.shtml

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2023, 08:14:51 am
content: Another thing it might be is audio output on a dedicated MIDI card.The MIDI signals would be on a different cable, this one would just be line level and audio level outputsThere are literally 1000 of different cables for computer related things that terminate in some sort of a mini-din connector.

author: WimWalther
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2023, 12:55:41 am
content: Thanks, folks. These are all reasonable suggestions, though I'm personally leaning towards an audio-only interface: L & R stereo on white/red RCA and Mic input on the TRS.Point of this.. I want to scrap it for the inline female RCA jacks and I wanted some assurance that I wasn't about to destroy some special / uncommon item.