How do buttons on earphones work?

Рет қаралды 80,653

Ай бұрын

How do the buttons on wired earphones work? It is not immediately clear since the 3.5mm plug has just four connections, and they're already used by the left and right audio channels, the microphone and the common ground.
But on Android devices, a simple voltage divider circuit is used to send different voltages to the microphone pin when a button is pressed. Different voltages are interpreted as different commands. Clever!
#electronics #buttons #diy

Пікірлер: 35

@Jiyoon02 Ай бұрын

The moment you said "voltage divider" it clicked and made sense. It's such a simple technique, but I like it when engineers solves a seemingly complicated problem with an simple and creative solution that just works.

@LeftyMaker Ай бұрын

I think that if you pick the resistor values carefully, you can even make the buttons work when pressed at the same time. I'll probably give it a try one day

@hrld0 Ай бұрын

@@LeftyMaker Please give it a try today! I'm waiting for such contents. Thank you

@geoffmooregm Ай бұрын

This goes way way back. I remember my ond Discman had similar controls on the wires. It only had 2 contacts on the minijack, but I would assume it worked in the same way.

@LeftyMaker Ай бұрын

It is likely, although I remember those Sony Diskmans having additional connectors - maybe 4 or so lined up on the outer side of the jack

@gentleclash Ай бұрын

I used to think that they short the ground with other 3 pins for the function.

@OculuKabak Ай бұрын

guess what, some headphones (1 button) short microphone with the ground

@BastienHTSE 16 күн бұрын

Thank you for answering a question that I never think about but I'm glad you answer! 😀

@LeftyMaker 14 күн бұрын

I was hoping to get a comment like this

Ай бұрын

We need to fix the 4p 3.5mm plug. Mic and gnd need to be swapped.

@LeftyMaker Ай бұрын

I think I've seen adapters for this

@OculuKabak Ай бұрын

why?

@apaltado Ай бұрын

so interesting!!!! great video

@IND3CISIV3 Ай бұрын

So that’s why the apples buttons don’t work with my laptop 💀

@OculuKabak Ай бұрын

that really depends on audio interface and the OS

@555-xd1fo 21 күн бұрын

Thanks

@aerohk Ай бұрын

So the audio input volume would drop when the button is pressed?

@cryingwater Ай бұрын

You would hear a click

@delavanty 21 күн бұрын

The buttons literally send a pulse of the music down a wire, wach button has a different resistance causing a different pulse and the computer figures it out in its hardware

@stefan-bayer Ай бұрын

How does it Apple with their EarPods?

@Traper_T Ай бұрын

Wire less digital strem of data it's nothing special to put in couple bits to volume control

@OculuKabak Ай бұрын

bluetooth data

@georgefloydtv. Ай бұрын

EARpods not AIRpods

@kreuner11 Ай бұрын

@@Traper_T no! the old wired ones

@Traper_T Ай бұрын

@@kreuner11 ok I forgot times when apple was adding earpods but wasn't that similar volume system or they have to use something different and non compatible like ussula?

@garretreed9709 28 күн бұрын

I want to understand this but don’t know electrical jargon

@savagesarethebest7251 23 күн бұрын

I think that this is how wired remote controls from the 70s worked, I found one and opened it up and I was disappointed that it was just a lot of resistors, maybe a diode or two. But potted ICs are the worst, just so boring and you can't learn anything from looking at it.

@LeftyMaker 22 күн бұрын

Interesting! I've never seen a wired remote control (not for a TV, at least), but you could be right.