Bios beeps volume too low to hear.
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From: John on 10 May 2010 16:03 On Mon, 10 May 2010 08:26:17 -0700, Mike Easter wrote: > John wrote: > >> Though I haven't come across a solution, >> the exercise has been very interesting. > > How can you be sure that your good-eared wife's report to you, "You're > right, honey, it is very very quiet." wasn't just a matter of spousal > tactful support? > > :-) Well, in our part of the World we don't use the term "Honey" and if you knew my wife you'd know it's hard getting *tactful* support of any kind when it comes to me, even after nearly fifty years of marriage (anniversary tomorrow). :-)
From: PeeCee on 12 May 2010 07:57 "John" <invalid(a)invalid.com> wrote in message news:1j9lyy3958eav$.3xo4vxepyxh2$.dlg(a)40tude.net... > On Sat, 08 May 2010 20:46:11 -0700, Mike Easter wrote: > >> Paul wrote: >>> VanguardLH wrote: >> >>>> My guess is that the problem was with a soldered-on button piezo >>>> speaker, >>>> not with one connected to a 4-pin mobo header (which will usually take >>>> a >>>> magnetically-driven speaker). >> >>> There is no piezo. Just the white PANEL header in the lower left corner >>> of >>> this photo. The SPKR pins are on the lower right of the PANEL header. >>> Four pin spacing (as shown in the manual). >> >> The OP got the buzzer/tweeter with his Lian Li case, it didn't come on >> the mobo. >> >> I got a buzzer with a Cooler Master case and it was just what I needed >> for the mobo the case was intended for. >> >> I assumed that the 'industry' practices or standards were that the >> responsibility for the mobo speaker lay with the case mfr/supplier, like >> the little case wired coil speakers of the past, and that the case >> people had assumed/ taken on/ the responsibility and decided to save >> money with little buzzers to 'stick onto' the mobo. >> >> >> John wrote: >> > The case is Lian Li PC-K58B and came with a small bud like speaker >> > that fits direct to the motherboard. > > Just to clarify the situation the existing buzzer is the same as shown on > the link that Vanguard supplied: > http://www.pcpartscollection.com/mosp.html > > I managed to source a replacement from an old computer a friend had in his > garage but I'm afraid it made no difference to the volume. > > I'm an elderly person with some hearing defect so to check that it wasn't > my hearing I got my wife (who can hear a pin drop at 50 metres) to listen > when I booted up. She remarked that though she could hear the beep it was > faint. I then tried three other computers (friends) to see if the volume > was better or the same as mine, and found that they all had very faint > buzzer beeps. In fact the owners of the other computers were unaware that > computers beeped on boot up and had never noticed a beep when booting the > computer. > > I read with interest the points that Paul made, but my expertise is not up > to changing the motherboard circuit wiring. I wonder is it possible to > amplify either a cone speaker or a piezo buzzer, between the motherboard > connection and speaker/piezo? John I was recently asked to build a morse key 'sounder' for my local museum. In the process of creating a suitable sounder I initially experimented with one of those Piezo beepers commonly used on motherboards. I found it interesting that the frequency output by the average Piezo sounder was sufficiently high to make it difficult to hear. I know from recent hearing tests that my hearing falls away very quickly over 2 KHZ. (Damage as a result of 35 + years industrial noise) So the 3KHZ + of these Piezo sounders was way to high to hear unless I put my hearing aids in. I suspect this might be the reason you are having difficulty hearing it as well. Older PC's using the 8 - 32 ohm speaker and circuit Paul spoke of operated at a lower frequency from memory, so would have appeared louder to older ears. If you feel you 'must' amplify then a simple LM386 audio amplifier kit like this one: http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=KC5152&CATID=25&form=CAT&SUBCATID=557 capacitively coupled to the beeper output from the motherboard will make quite a 'loud' beep to a normal 8 ohm speaker. To be candid though I would not bother trying to mod the motherboard to amplify the Beeps from your motherboard. Hacking into the motherboard is not something I would recommend unless you have good soldering skills/tools and commensurate electronic skills. Also the only time you really need to hear the beeps is when there is an error, the normal post POST beep occurs about the time the video appears on the screen any way. In an error situation the beep codes will be continuously repeated, and you can bend down and get nearer to the source to record what they are. Best Paul.
From: John on 12 May 2010 10:14 On Wed, 12 May 2010 23:57:44 +1200, PeeCee wrote: > "John" <invalid(a)invalid.com> wrote in message > news:1j9lyy3958eav$.3xo4vxepyxh2$.dlg(a)40tude.net... >> On Sat, 08 May 2010 20:46:11 -0700, Mike Easter wrote: >> >>> Paul wrote: >>>> VanguardLH wrote: >>> >>>>> My guess is that the problem was with a soldered-on button piezo >>>>> speaker, >>>>> not with one connected to a 4-pin mobo header (which will usually take >>>>> a >>>>> magnetically-driven speaker). >>> >>>> There is no piezo. Just the white PANEL header in the lower left corner >>>> of >>>> this photo. The SPKR pins are on the lower right of the PANEL header. >>>> Four pin spacing (as shown in the manual). >>> >>> The OP got the buzzer/tweeter with his Lian Li case, it didn't come on >>> the mobo. >>> >>> I got a buzzer with a Cooler Master case and it was just what I needed >>> for the mobo the case was intended for. >>> >>> I assumed that the 'industry' practices or standards were that the >>> responsibility for the mobo speaker lay with the case mfr/supplier, like >>> the little case wired coil speakers of the past, and that the case >>> people had assumed/ taken on/ the responsibility and decided to save >>> money with little buzzers to 'stick onto' the mobo. >>> >>> >>> John wrote: >>> > The case is Lian Li PC-K58B and came with a small bud like speaker >>> > that fits direct to the motherboard. >> >> Just to clarify the situation the existing buzzer is the same as shown on >> the link that Vanguard supplied: >> http://www.pcpartscollection.com/mosp.html >> >> I managed to source a replacement from an old computer a friend had in his >> garage but I'm afraid it made no difference to the volume. >> >> I'm an elderly person with some hearing defect so to check that it wasn't >> my hearing I got my wife (who can hear a pin drop at 50 metres) to listen >> when I booted up. She remarked that though she could hear the beep it was >> faint. I then tried three other computers (friends) to see if the volume >> was better or the same as mine, and found that they all had very faint >> buzzer beeps. In fact the owners of the other computers were unaware that >> computers beeped on boot up and had never noticed a beep when booting the >> computer. >> >> I read with interest the points that Paul made, but my expertise is not up >> to changing the motherboard circuit wiring. I wonder is it possible to >> amplify either a cone speaker or a piezo buzzer, between the motherboard >> connection and speaker/piezo? > If you feel you 'must' amplify then a simple LM386 audio amplifier kit like > this one: > http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=KC5152&CATID=25&form=CAT&SUBCATID=557 > capacitively coupled to the beeper output from the motherboard will make > quite a 'loud' beep to a normal 8 ohm speaker. Thanks, I'll try this out.
From: Paul on 12 May 2010 11:36 John wrote: > On Wed, 12 May 2010 23:57:44 +1200, PeeCee wrote: > > >> If you feel you 'must' amplify then a simple LM386 audio amplifier kit like >> this one: >> http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=KC5152&CATID=25&form=CAT&SUBCATID=557 >> capacitively coupled to the beeper output from the motherboard will make >> quite a 'loud' beep to a normal 8 ohm speaker. > > Thanks, I'll try this out. If you want to try that out, you'll still need a way of wiring it to the motherboard. The Molex hard drive connector, has available on it +12V and ground. So you can pick up power for the amplifier there. While looking around for a solution, I did run into another one of those, but it looked like it wouldn't deliver enough power to the speaker, unless it was running off +12V. So +12V would be a good choice for this purpose. If you need crimp pins and a 1x4 plastic connector housing, you can get them here. Or, a local electronics store may have them (not Radio Shack). My one good electronics store here, doesn't stock those. http://www.frontx.com/order_c.html 1x4 to make a "SPKR" cable http://www.frontx.com/cpx075_3.html Strip of pins, to populate the 1x4. A single strip of ten, should be enough to account for mistakes. They're cheap enough, that you can afford to buy extras. http://www.frontx.com/cpx076.html The same crimp pins, might fit over the Jaycar terminals. To get power for such an amplifier, buy a Molex "Y" cable, with two 1x4 connectors on one end, and one 1x4 on the other end. If I need Molex connectors for projects, I cut those up to obtain male or female power connectors, with the wires on one end already in place. The wire gauge may be too large to crimp comfortably in the small pins, but you'll be able to work out something there. To get a signal for the amp, you still need to install a load resistor across the SPKR terminals, and then your coupling capacitor goes on "the end that wiggles". To insulate the wiring when finished (any exposed wire), look for "Polyolefin" tubing, otherwise known as shrinkwrap. You apply a little heat, it shrinks, and grabs whatever is underneath. Once shrunk, the insulation won't slide off on you. I keep about five different sizes here. Buy the tubing a bit on the big side, because if you try for a tight fit, the wire gets caught in it. You should be careful, to insulate the +12V supply lead. If that shorts to any exposed ground, "sparks will fly". Wrapping electrical tape around stuff, may sound like a good idea, until the day it falls off. Shrink wrap is better than electrical tape, because it uses no heat-sensitive adhesive. Paul
From: John on 12 May 2010 13:05
On Wed, 12 May 2010 11:36:42 -0400, Paul wrote: > John wrote: >> On Wed, 12 May 2010 23:57:44 +1200, PeeCee wrote: > >> >> >>> If you feel you 'must' amplify then a simple LM386 audio amplifier kit like >>> this one: >>> http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=KC5152&CATID=25&form=CAT&SUBCATID=557 >>> capacitively coupled to the beeper output from the motherboard will make >>> quite a 'loud' beep to a normal 8 ohm speaker. >> >> Thanks, I'll try this out. > > If you want to try that out, you'll still need a way of wiring it to the > motherboard. > > The Molex hard drive connector, has available on it +12V and ground. > So you can pick up power for the amplifier there. > > While looking around for a solution, I did run into another one of those, > but it looked like it wouldn't deliver enough power to the speaker, > unless it was running off +12V. So +12V would be a good choice for this > purpose. > > If you need crimp pins and a 1x4 plastic connector housing, you can get > them here. Or, a local electronics store may have them (not Radio Shack). > My one good electronics store here, doesn't stock those. > > http://www.frontx.com/order_c.html > > 1x4 to make a "SPKR" cable > http://www.frontx.com/cpx075_3.html > > Strip of pins, to populate the 1x4. A single strip of > ten, should be enough to account for mistakes. They're cheap > enough, that you can afford to buy extras. > > http://www.frontx.com/cpx076.html > > The same crimp pins, might fit over the Jaycar terminals. > > To get power for such an amplifier, buy a Molex "Y" cable, with > two 1x4 connectors on one end, and one 1x4 on the other end. If > I need Molex connectors for projects, I cut those up to obtain > male or female power connectors, with the wires on one end already > in place. The wire gauge may be too large to crimp comfortably > in the small pins, but you'll be able to work out something there. > > To get a signal for the amp, you still need to install a load > resistor across the SPKR terminals, and then your coupling > capacitor goes on "the end that wiggles". > > To insulate the wiring when finished (any exposed wire), look > for "Polyolefin" tubing, otherwise known as shrinkwrap. You > apply a little heat, it shrinks, and grabs whatever is underneath. > Once shrunk, the insulation won't slide off on you. I keep about > five different sizes here. Buy the tubing a bit on the big side, > because if you try for a tight fit, the wire gets caught in it. > > You should be careful, to insulate the +12V supply lead. If that > shorts to any exposed ground, "sparks will fly". Wrapping > electrical tape around stuff, may sound like a good idea, until > the day it falls off. Shrink wrap is better than electrical tape, > because it uses no heat-sensitive adhesive. > > Paul Paul, Thanks for all the time you've spent on helping me find a solution to my little problem. Hopefully the little device that PeeCee recommended might just fit the bill. In regards the links that you have provided in this message I'm please to say I have all the items already in my spare parts toolkit. I would also like to express my appreciation to everyone that has given advice and information, thank you all. |