Install the aux input on the radio. How to make a Line-in (linear input) to a car radio with your own hands? AUX wiring. Car radio circuits. Self Installation Guide

A car radio in a modern car has long ceased to be a luxury. To monitors modern devices display speed, air conditioning readings, external head lights, and this list is constantly growing. But the developers usually do not provide for connecting something of their own, such as an mp3 player. But if you want, you can make the AUX connector available!

What is AUX input and where is it used?

Line input, or as it is now called “AUX,” has long appeared in household audio equipment. Home amplifier, depending on the model, has from one to several of these.

4 line inputs (AUX) are clearly visible in the lower left corner

Home audio equipment is still used according to the same principle, connecting it to a computer. To use this feature in your car, you will have to slightly modify the standard radio.

Connecting a smartphone to the radio can lead to an accident if someone suddenly calls it.

How to connect an aux to a radio with your own hands

Materials

flat screwdriver (for removing the radio);
soldering iron with accompanying materials;
wire with 3.5 jack (can be used from old non-working headphones). ;
multimeter (for checking).

Set of tools for work

Preparing the car radio

Soldering input

The input must be connected to the preamplifier chip.

To be able to control the sound using the radio, the signal must be fed to the inputs of the amplifier. If you want to control only from your phone, you can use the outputs. In the instructions for the radio (or on the network), find its wiring and solder the wires.

red - right channel;
green left;
the remaining common wire and braid, if there is one, are soldered to the board body.

If there is no diagram, inspect the board. Sometimes it may have designations like “L-CH” - left channel, “R-CH” - right channel.

This is what a typical amplifier circuit looks like. Highlighted in yellow necessary contacts. 1,2 - inputs, 18–21 - outputs, 15 pin (below 18) - ground. Thus, by sending a signal to pins 1–2, using an amplifier, you can distribute the sound to four speakers. He also deals with bass settings, adding frequencies, etc.

Several photos of how wiring is done in a standard jack (3.5)

If you took the wire and plug separately, a regular 3.5 jack is assembled at the free end. Red is right, green is left, and connect the remaining ones to the plug body.

Examination

The assembled circuit needs to be checked.

To do this, reduce the volume on the radio as much as possible (external sources tend to “roar”).
Then plug the plug into the smartphone or player.
Select any audio recording on it.

A correctly connected input will output sound from your device to the car speakers.

Assembly

Place the cassette player in place and assemble the radio.
The wire is brought out to a convenient place on the dashboard (an ashtray is often used if there are no smokers).

By assembling this option, they also solve the problem of the connecting wire, which arises when you want to use the “AUX” built into the radio.

Video

The video shows the installation of the “AUX” jack in a Ssang Yong car.

Using external adapters and cables

The review would be incomplete without adding that in today’s market a driver can find many devices whose functionality can not only provide line input. There are models with USB support AUX and Bluetooth. Installing such a model is no more difficult than described above. In the video below, the owner connects such a device without disabling support for factory devices.

If your radio does not support connecting external sound sources, every car enthusiast can add this option.

Modern cars are fully adapted to the modern consumer - from autopilot to digital outputs for connecting a navigator or smartphone. But what can be made from a radio if there is no line output– AUX connector? The answer is simple - do it yourself.

What is AUX output for?

An AUX output is needed to connect a smartphone or tablet to the system so that you can listen to music through the car speakers. At the entrance there is a signal with an amplitude of 0.5 - 1 V, which is transmitted to the speakers under the influence of an amplifier speaker system and starts to sound louder.

Many car owners still don’t know what aux in a radio is or whether they have it at all. This thing is very convenient, since you can use it not only to listen to music. Some cars are equipped with such systems, by connecting your phone to which you can calmly talk with your interlocutor without using your hands. It is very convenient, and most importantly – safe!

What you need to upgrade your radio

Before you make an AUX output on the radio, you need to purchase everything you need, namely wire and plug. If you have old headphones, you can use those too. The most important thing is that there should be no damage to the wire. You can check the integrity by “ringing” a multimeter.

The plug of any headphones has stripes that divide it into 3 parts. The part that is located at the base is the widest and belongs to the common wire, which differs from the channel conductors (the left channel has a green conductor, the right one has a red one). The remaining two parts of the plug belong to these same channels. You will also need a soldering iron, solders, a multimeter and a few hours of free time.

Did you know? French company Parrot invented the first car radio based on Android OS - Asteroid. This is a car radio only in its format. The device can be considered laptop computer with a three-inch screen with which you can play games or track your route by opening the navigator. Also on this device you can open a directory of gas stations, you can track the location of speed cameras and much more.

How to solder AUX to radio

Having received all the parts and tools, you can proceed to soldering. The installation process is discussed using the example of Toyota Avensis.

Removing the radio and disassembling it

Before you remove the aux on the radio, it needs to be removed and disassembled. The sequence of actions is as follows:

This completes the dismantling.

Important! You need to disassemble the device on a clean work surface, and not on your knees. Otherwise, dust and dirt may get inside, as a result of which the radio may stop working.

The breakdown is like this:

This completes the dismantling and disassembly process.

Board diagnostics

When you disassemble the radio, you will get full access to the board. It needs to be examined carefully. Check the print path for signs of charring. If there are traces, then you also need to check the fuses. Restoring a printed track is a process of medium complexity; there is a lot of information about it on the Internet.

Important! Be sure to check the plan for serviceability. Especially if you have been using the radio for a long time. You can carry out diagnostics using a computer, but it is better to entrust this matter to professionals.

Soldering process

How to solder aux to the radio? Yes Easy! After disassembling the radio, you need to find two points on its board with marks RCH and LCH. These points are the stereo output channels from the player on head device. Then proceed like this:

If you are thinking about how to make aux on a cassette player, then everything is just as simple, but the soldering process is a little different. On the front of the cassette player there is a volume control, which has 3 outputs arranged in a row. To the extreme ones you need to solder a wire 20-25 cm long. Also, ideally, there will be a shielded wire that will not cause interference, but you can also take a regular stranded wire (diameter 0.2 - 0.8 mm).

After soldering, the radio needs to be assembled. In the case of a cassette device, the wires simply need to be brought out. Or you can make a hole in the side wall that will not be blocked by the bracket and from which the wires will come out. In principle, you can make several holes in the bracket, which then need to be secured with ties. Then find the 3-pin audio jack.

After connecting, you need to secure the socket in a convenient place. After installation, it’s tedious to check the operation of the device - turn on the radio and check if all the speakers are working. To play music from a phone or tablet, you need to turn on the CD to activate the player channels, then connect the tablet or smartphone. The player's signal will be muted by the system, and the signal from the external device will be output.

Is it possible to connect a flash drive via AUX

It is impossible to connect a flash drive directly via AUX. There are many on sale different adapters, with which you can listen to music from this digital media.

Did you know? if you have Google tablet Nexus 7, then you can make it in your car yourself and on-board computer, and a car radio. There is a video on the Internet of installing this tablet in Dodge RAM. With the help of such a tablet, you can play music, navigate using a navigator, and even connect to the Internet, but only if you have a smartphone to distribute. If you turn on the Bluetooth adapter, the tablet will act as an on-board computer.

Enjoy the benefits modern electronics. You don't have to give up these little privileges.

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Owners of cars with standard radios or with car radios equipped with a minimum number of options are trying to expand functionality head audio device.

Most effective way is connecting the phone to the radio. How to do this and which method is better to choose will be discussed in this article.

How to connect a smartphone via AUX input

Connecting a phone via the AUX input of the car radio is the simplest and most in an accessible way connections.

Most modern car radios have a line-level, or AUX, input. The standard signal amplitude value for this input is from 250 mV to 1 Volt. The amplitude of the smartphone output signals to the headphones is more than 1 Volt. Thus, the output signal of the headphones is quite enough to “drive” the car radio amplifier to full power.

In order to make the connection, you need to purchase an audio cable. Modern smartphones, are mainly equipped with a standard Jack headphone output. Android phones have a 4-pin Jack, the thin end of which is used to connect a microphone. It is compatible with a standard 3-pin jack connector, which does not have a microphone input. Most car radios have a 3.5 mm AUX input. The cable length is usually selected from 1.0 to 2.0 meters. A long cable is necessary if the playlist is controlled by a passenger located in the back seat.

The AUX connection has the following advantages:

versatility;
control of the playback sequence from a mobile phone, on which you can create a unique playlist, including from video files;
ease of control on touch screen telephone;
using AUX mode you can organize speakerphone in a car;
Possibility of playback on simple radio tape recorders.

The disadvantages of the connection include:

the need to adjust the output signal levels of the smartphone and the volume of the radio;
during playback via the AUX input, the phone is not recharged via USB (it is not recommended to charge a device connected via the AUX input due to the possibility of its audio amplifier failing);
interruption of music playback during calls and conversations on the phone;
Some car radios have an AUX input on the rear panel.

If the amplitude of the output signal from the phone is more than 1 Volt, this may lead to nonlinear distortions(usually in the form of a wheezing sound) generated by the AUX input stages. When coordinating levels, it is necessary to set the volume level of the mobile device to the minimum position, and the volume of the car radio to the maximum. Then turn on music playback on the phone and increase the volume by mobile device until reaching maximum level sound in the car speakers.

When playing through the AUX input, the appropriate mode must be set on the car radio.

Video - activating AUX mode in the SWING Skoda Octavia radio:

Connection via USB input

When connecting a phone via the USB input of the radio, the connection occurs through a digital output-input, and not an analogue one, as in the previous version. To connect you will need a universal cable.

After connecting the corresponding cable contacts to the connectors of the phone and car radio, the message “USB connection” appears on the mobile device; you need to select the “data transfer” mode. The radio is set to USB playback mode.

As a rule, the USB port is located on the front panel of the car radio.

Benefits of playing via USB:

the phone is used only as a storage device, retaining all its functions;
During playback, many devices charge the mobile device;
there is no need to negotiate playback levels.

A disadvantage is the fact that many car radios (mostly manufactured before the 2000s) cannot find audio files in the complex hierarchy of the phone's memory.

New car radios allow you to organize playback control via the USB input in such a way that the playlist sequence will be controlled from a mobile device.

How to connect your phone to the radio via bluetooth

A connection via a Bluetooth connection can be organized if the phone and radio have the corresponding functions. You can check whether the car radio has such a function in the menu.

It is also necessary to check that both devices have the same Bluetooth communication protocols (including A2DP). IN modern radios This protocol is usually supported; older smartphones may not support streaming.

If the radio does not support Bluetooth, you can purchase a Bluetooth dongle (adapter), in which case the connection is made using such an additional device.

Communication between the radio and the phone via Bluetooth can be organized both from the telephone side and from the car radio side. In this case, both devices must activate Bluetooth. Then you need to search for all Bluetooth devices within communication range. Next, select the appropriate device, give a connection request, and exchange the code.

Video - how to connect your phone to standard radio in a NISSAN TIIDA, NOTE, QASHQAI car:

Advantages of Bluetooth connection: no cable required, wireless connection.

Disadvantages: difficulty setting up the connection, possibility of interference.

Connection Precautions

When connecting via the AUX input, it is not advisable to charge the phone at the same time; there are cases of failure of the phone amplifier cascades due to faulty wiring and radio.

Do not connect the AUX output of your phone to the car radio when maximum volume on the phone.

When connecting the phone to the car radio via a USB input, it is advisable to make sure that the voltage does not exceed 5 Volts, otherwise the phone’s USB port or charging module may fail.

To do this, you need to check the voltage between pins 1 and 4 of the USB connector. It should be 5 Volts. This can be done using a multimeter.

Even today there are some modern cars that are equipped with radios without USB connector, not to mention old cars. This state of affairs does not suit many car owners, which prompts them to search possible solutions. One of available options equip the standard USB radio- connect the input yourself, this is not difficult to do, but not all car radios accept this solution.

What is a USB input on a car radio?

Many car owners are faced with a situation where the standard radio in the car does not read music from a flash drive. And the whole problem is that the device simply does not have a USB input, i.e. it was not originally provided. Moreover, this situation is relevant not only for old cars, but also on modern foreign cars you can often find such distinctive feature. Almost everyone will agree that you want to listen to music in the car without any restrictions, but you can’t burn a lot on a CD. Yes, and disks in a car today are somehow inconvenient and outdated. What to do, is there a solution to the problem? After all, replacing a radio is not the cheapest pleasure and not everyone can afford it. Below we will try to understand the situation in detail and find the optimal solution.

How to make and connect a USB input to a radio

Today only electronic devices and the devices do not exist and, of course, the problem outlined above did not remain aside. It is not necessary to change the standard radio; it is enough to simply improve the device. Exist different variants, which we will consider.

USB adapter from mp3 player for standard tape recorder

For this method we need the simplest mp3 player that can read music files appropriate format from both a memory card and a flash drive. Important Feature: The player must have an audio output (jack) for headphones. It is from this that the signal will be taken and sent to the radio. It is worth noting that to perform the procedure you need at least minimal skills in working with a soldering iron in order to avoid short circuits with solder during the soldering process and damage to the insulation of wires, elements, etc. We implement the player as follows:

We disassemble the radio and remove the CD drive from it or tape mechanism(if the radio is cassette).
We take power from the standard device to power the player, the board of which is first removed from the case.
Depending on the player's supply voltage, you will have to implement a voltage converter circuit. For example, on-board network the car has 12 V, and the player is powered by Li-ion battery 3.6V.
We take the sound signal from the output of the player and feed it to the AUX input of the radio. The connection requires a shielded wire, i.e. the wires must be braided. On the radio board you need to find the audio input contacts. We solder the wire from the player to them.
We install the player board inside the radio, since after removing the CD drive, space will be freed up. For convenience, the USB connector itself is located in a hole intended for cassettes or disks.
The wires must be connected carefully to avoid a possible short circuit.
To control the player, the buttons are connected to unused buttons from the CD drive.
All that remains is to assemble the radio, install it in place and you can enjoy the music, for which you just need to activate the AUX mode.

Thus we have collected USB adapter on one's own. With this connection method, the volume level on the radio should be lower, which will eliminate the loud signal when high level input signal.

DIY adapter

Let's consider another option for connecting a flash drive. In this case, you will need a plug from standard headphones, tulip-type connectors and 4-core copper braided wire. The adapter will be made from these elements. For the procedure to be successful, the radio must have an AUX input. Before starting work, make sure that the headphone wire is not broken. For this reason it is called a multimeter. The whole process is as follows:

We remove the insulation from the headphone wire and see the red and Green colour, which correspond to the right and left channels (we cut off the headphones themselves). These conductors must be stripped and soldered to the middle contacts on the tulip connector.
The braid of the main wire is connected to the steel base of the “tulip”.
The finished adapter should have the following wiring: a signal from the right and left channels is supplied to the middle contacts of the “tulips”, and the steel base is the common contact.
To the external connector sound signal radio, we connect an adapter with which you can connect any device: tablet, smartphone, player, etc.
All that remains is to activate the AUX mode and you can listen to music.

How to make an AUX jack

From the above, you can understand that the radio must have an AUX input. But what if there is no such connector, how to connect in this case external source signal? There is a way out of this situation, and you can do everything with your own hands. For this we need:

audio jack (standard 3-pin stereo jack);
wire for connections (2 in the screen);
soldering iron and everything necessary for it (solder and flux);
multimeter

Once everything is prepared, you can begin dismantling the device. Let's look at the whole process using the standard Toyota Avensis radio as an example. To remove it you need to:

Pry the decorative strip from the end on the right, pull it along its entire length and remove it.
Remove the connector from the button responsible for heating the rear window.
The radio is secured with two bolts. To unscrew them you need to use a screwdriver with a magnet. Otherwise the bolts will fall behind the panel.
To provide Free access, the handbrake needs to be raised.
Move the selector to the central position and press Shift button Lock, while the ignition must be turned off. In the corner we pry up the selector panel by snapping the pistons.
Disconnect the connector going to the ashtray and remove the panel.
More fastening bolts will be visible from below, which we carefully unscrew.
We take out the radio so that access to the connectors on the rear panel is provided.
Disconnect all connectors.

Remove the brackets (left and right).
Using a flat-head screwdriver, pry up the plastic locks on the front panel, and then remove the panel itself.
There is a seal under the panel, which we also remove.
We unscrew the bolts that connect the front panel to the side walls and the player. After which the walls can be removed to the side.
Filming back cover radio and top player.
You need to carefully lift the player, after which two cables will be visible and accessible. We take them out of the connectors and remove the player.

This completes the disassembly process of the device. But before you connect the AUX connector, you need to understand the board and find two points (RCH and LCH). These points correspond to two channels (outputs) of the player to the head unit. After the points are found, perform the following actions:

Take 3 wires of different colors ( the best option- shielded pair of cores) of small cross-section and length of about 0.5 m.
We connect one of the wires by soldering to ground.
We solder the remaining two wires to the right and left channels. For soldering, use a low-power soldering iron of 25–30 W.
After the wires are soldered, you should write down which color wire corresponds to which channel.
The wires are wrapped in heat-shrinkable tubing.

If there is a question about implementation AUX connector into a cassette player, the process is not complicated. On the front panel of the device there is a volume control with 3 pins arranged in a row. We solder wires 25 cm long to the outer terminals. It is advisable that the wire be shielded, which will avoid interference. The wires from the device are routed outside. Alternatively, you can make a small hole in the side wall for them. All that remains is to connect the audio connector and our marking will come in handy so as not to get confused with the channels. When the wires are soldered to the connector, select a convenient place to attach it.

Upon completion of installation, check the functionality of the speakers in radio mode. To submit external signal(from an mp3 player, smartphone or tablet) use an appropriate audio adapter that connects the audio output of one of listed devices with AUX input of the radio. In this case, you need to turn on the CD on the radio to activate the channels.

Video: How to install AUX using a Kenwood radio as an example

Connecting a flash drive to AUX - is it possible?

Many people ask the question: is it possible to connect a flash drive directly to the AUX input of the radio? The answer is simple - you can't. And all because the flash drive needs power, plus there is simply no sound signal output from this type of media. To play music from a flash drive, you must have a reader. Those who buy an adapter of this type: an audio jack on one side, a USB jack on the other, connected by a piece of wire, will be disappointed. Such an adapter will not work for the same reasons as listed above. In this case, it is necessary to purchase a special adapter, which is not just a piece of wire, but a device assembled in a separate housing.

So we looked at possible ways obtaining a USB connector for connecting a flash drive to a CD or cassette player. In fact, there is nothing complicated about this procedure. The main thing is not to rush during the soldering process, perform the actions carefully and connect the wires to the appropriate points. At the same time, the costs, compared to purchasing a new radio, are minimal.

In order to be able to connect a flash drive to the standard radio, it is not necessary to buy a new expensive device. It is enough to make simple modifications and you can listen to music both from a flash drive and from other signal sources. This will require minimal skills in working with a soldering iron and a step-by-step procedure.

Many modern devices for playing music they have a connector labeled AUX IN. This connector is available on stereos, radios, and televisions. The AUX IN input is also available on car receivers. Scientifically, this input is called “linear input”. On old ones cassette recorders or radio receivers it was marked CD IN. These inputs are designed for tulip-type plugs (sometimes also called “bananas”).

The amplitude of the signal supplied to the linear input can vary within 0.5 - 1V. A signal of this magnitude is produced by any reproducing devices that have a linear output jack. This jack is usually labeled AUX OUT or CD OUT. The same is the magnitude of the signal supplied to the headphones. Therefore, the headphone output can also be connected to AUX input IN.

From the line input the signal is fed directly to the amplifier audio frequency, which is integral part any of the above sound-reproducing devices. Thus, relatively weak signal Coming from, for example, an MP3 player or iPod, it is easy to amplify and play through loudspeakers. Are you driving in a car and want to listen through the speakers to a collection of your favorite songs collected on the player? No problem! Just connect the playback device to the AUX IN jack car receiver or tape recorder.

How to do it? The easiest way is to buy a special mini-jack adapter cable - “tulip”. This adapter is inexpensive and is sold at almost any kiosk that sells headphones and other similar accessories.
If you don’t have money or you simply feel like a “homemade” person, then such an adapter can be soldered manually. The plug and wire can be taken from damaged headphones. We'll cut off the headphones, but the wire should be fine. Therefore, before starting work, “ring” it with a multimeter.

Three parts are clearly visible on the headphone plug contact. The wide part closest to the plastic base is the common wire. If you remove the insulation from the ends of the headphone wire, you will find one conductor of the same color in both wires. This is the common wire. The green and red wires are the left and right channel wires, respectively. We will solder all these conductors to the “tulip” connectors in the following order. We solder the common wire to the metal bases of the “tulip” connectors, and each of the channel conductors to the middle terminals of the connectors. After soldering, you should “ring” the connection again and, if everything is in order, insulate all contacts.
All is ready! We insert the “tulips” into the AUX IN connectors and switch the amplifier to AUX IN mode. For new receivers, radios or televisions, this switching occurs through the menu. If you use old devices, for example, cassette recorders, switching is done with the FUNCTION switch, which is set to the CD IN position.

Modern playback devices, for example MP3 players, produce a fairly strong output signal. To prevent the amplification device from “screaming” too loudly, reduce the amplifier volume to minimum before connecting. Once connected, it is easy to adjust the volume to the level you need.

Likewise, it is possible to connect any playback device to any device that includes an audio amplifier. MP3 players, laptops, TVs can be connected to music centers, home theaters, cassette recorders...

By the way, if you have an old but serviceable cassette player collecting dust on your shelf, which you were once proud of, but now, in the era of digital music, you hardly use, “revive” it by connecting an MP3 player or iPod to AUX IN.