Question about Audio Jack

I’m just getting into hardware, circuitry experimentation so try to go easy on me… The question I have is in regards to this audio jack: ( http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/produc … ts_id=8032 ).

Is this designed mount to a prototype board or something else? Also, why does it have 5 connection? I assume the center is the ground, and either one or both of each connection on each side is left or right?

It’s intended for PCB mounting. One of the connections is probably for a switch to disable loudspeaker output.

Leon

So this wouldn’t mount to a perf or breadboard? Also another question… Are perf and breadboard spacings standardized?

skonen:
So this wouldn’t mount to a perf or breadboard? Also another question… Are perf and breadboard spacings standardized?

Usual spacings are 0.1". Items like that usually have metric spaced pins.

Leon

This is just a guess, but the outside two pins are probably there for support when you mount the jack on a PCB. The others are self-explanitory…

The pinout and dimensions are described in the datasheet, guys. No need to guess.

It looks like it’s a metric-dimensioned part, but all the pins are spaced at multiples of 2.5mm, so it ought to fit on a standard 0.1"-center perfboard (2.54mm) esp. if you cut off the unused pins. I usually don’t have very good luck getting these things to stay on solderless breadboards though, even when the pin spacing is right, because the flat pins don’t fit into the breadboard very well.

Oddly, it looks like the middle two pins, #3 and #4, are the unconnected ones (presumably only there for extra mechanical strength). It doesn’t have a loudspeaker-disconnect contact.

Just so you guys know, this post is from way back in October…

D’oh! :slight_smile: