What can you do with this port?  The manual doesn't really say much.*

It would be nicer if it was a 2nd Powerlink port since I just discovered I don't have a long enough powerlink cable to connect my speakers but I'd be fine if the Beoport active had 2 powerlink ports.  Grrrrr...

*The socket marked PC is used in 

BeoLink PC setups only. Please 

refer to the User’s guide enclosed 

with the BeoLink PC kit.

From what was said in an other thread, you can connect what you want on that port, like an iPod or a non B&O TV and when you press PC on your Beo4 in that room, its sound will be played on the speakers connecter to the Beolink Active.

... the pin layout of the PC input is quite unusual! It has been described in my posting of 2010/2/26: 

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/15997.aspx

Holy crow that's actually really cool.  And it'll solve a problem I have which is having other speakers for my mixer/music stuff.  Looks like I can just get this cable http://soundsheavenly.co.uk/bando-beolinkrca.htm and be good to go.

dilznik:

Holy crow that's actually really cool.  And it'll solve a problem I have which is having other speakers for my mixer/music stuff.  

DIN 8 pin <> 2 Cinch female ~ 0.2m cable adaptor -  B&O-Item # 6271020 - might be the right thing to connect
your equipment ...  

It is really cool.  It solved a huge problem for me -- using my BeoLabs with a TV with only fixed audio output and also listen to my other ML sources on the same speakers.  I got my cable from B&O, but I'm sure the one you link to is good as well (I've bought a couple different cables from sounds heavenly and they worked exactly as advertised).

Stan

Side question... will it still work with that PC setting even without the ML cable attached?  Because I can get the cable for the PC port easily enough but I have to wait to install the ML to that back room and would like to be able to use the speakers with my computer.

Another issue...  in that other thread it says:

11048437:

hi guys....

 

finally, I can confirm that the DIN cable for the PC input on the beolink active has :

pin5 - right(left) in channel

pin2 - left(right)  in channel

pin6 - ground

 

regards....

Is this the same pinout as the old-style-AUX-->headphone or RCA cables?  As in, are the pinouts 2, 5, 6 the same with the PC port as with the AUX port?  Because that's what my dealer is attempting to sell me.

NO.  They are not the same.  I originally went down this path with my dealer as well.  There's a thread from a few years back that has the actual B&O part number.  From this old thread:  "B&O America have a cable 0898126".

This is what I ordered and what worked.  Here's the link to the thread as there may be other tidbits to glean...

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/15997.aspx?PageIndex=1

Stan

=========================================================

DEFINITELY WRONG !!!!!!!!!

11048437:

hi guys....
finally, I can confirm that the DIN cable for the PC input on the beolink active has :

pin5 - right(left) in channel
pin2 - left(right)  in channel
pin6 - ground

DEFINITELY WRONG !!!!!!!!!

NO JOKE:
Just found out B&O Item#6271020 "Cable PC input adaptor for BeoLink Active" is
NOT WORKING PROPERLY due to wrong pin-config - (only left channel in bad quality)

I've already notified B&O support about this issue

=========================================================

THE FOLLOWING PIN LAYOUT (as already posted by me on 2010/2/26 12:28) IS THE RIGHT ONE 

2. LEFT IN
4. RIGHT IN
7. GROUND / SHIELD

Tested again, just 5 minutes ago, using:

BeoSound 2 >> custom made cable - 3,5 Jack/DIN8 >> BeoLink Active  ... 

and it's WORKING PERFECTLY !!

==========================================================

Once again my complete posting of 2010/2/26 12:28 AM :
http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/15997.aspx

Maybe I just missed the "final" statement about the pin configuration, but
I found a lot of guessing about it in the various Beolink Active- PC Input
threads - and the pin config is quite unusual ! 

"PC-Socket" on BeoLink Active 1636 - pin configuration - (Source: BeoWise)

1. SL-config
2. LEFT IN
3. Left out
4. RIGHT IN
5. Right out
6. Data -
7. GROUND / SHIELD
8. Data +

To listen to a locally connected source like a BSd 2/6 / iPod / ... 
you just need a "playback cable" -  in most cases fitted
with a 3.5mm jack.

My solution was to replace the socket of a quality
headphone/microphone extension cable by a 8-pin 
(PowerLink) DIN plug

2. LEFT IN
4. RIGHT IN
7. GROUND / SHIELD

PS: Using a 8-pin plug makes sense! This avoids connecting the 
cable to standard DataLink by mistake! 

dilznik:

Side question... will it still work with that PC setting even without the ML cable attached?  Because I can get the cable for the PC port easily enough but I have to wait to install the ML to that back room and would like to be able to use the speakers with my computer.

unfortunately a BeoLink Active is an "intelligent product" - without ML attched it does not accept any source
commands, just option settings are possible  

So just to clarify before I blow something important up:

If I get one of these http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=P1162 and use pins 2, 4, and 7 (with the number to pin correlation shown here: http://www.beoworld.org/beotech/misc2.htm at the bottom) and then get one of these http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=P0025 and attach pin 4 to the tip, pin 2 to the ring, and pin 7 to the sleeve, then it should work, right?

I'm just clarifying because the threads are sort of confusing.  Thanks.

I have the cable but its not easily pulled apart to confirm pinouts. Steve from Heavenly Sounds may be able to make it.

Just a clarification.  Once connected you use the PC command on the Beolink Active to route sound to the local speakers. The sound is not able to be routed back thru masterlink to another room.  Masterlink was not implemented in a way to have multiple master audio devices.

beoaus.

beoaus:

I have the cable but its not easily pulled apart to confirm pinouts. Steve from Heavenly Sounds may be able to make it.

Just a clarification.  Once connected you use the PC command on the Beolink Active to route sound to the local speakers. The sound is not able to be routed back thru masterlink to another room.  Masterlink was not implemented in a way to have multiple master audio devices.

beoaus.

Absolutely right, you can listen to an additional local source (BeoSound 2, non B&O TV, ...) in that Link-Room,
but this additional source can not be distributed through the ML-Ssystm.

No necessity to pull your cable apart, trust me, "my" pin layout (it's the one described on Bang & Olufsen's
own BeoWise dealer information) works as described!

dilznik:

So just to clarify before I blow something important up:

If I get one of these http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=P1162 and use pins 2, 4, and 7 (with the number to pin correlation shown here: http://www.beoworld.org/beotech/misc2.htm at the bottom) and then get one of these http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=P0025 and attach pin 4 to the tip, pin 2 to the ring, and pin 7 to the sleeve, then it should work, right?

I'm just clarifying because the threads are sort of confusing.  Thanks.

Right !

BUT:
Soldering a DIN conector is an easy task compared to find a quality 3,5 Jack that "survives" soldering
and offers good cable retention.

Therefore I used a quality 3,5 Jack male / femal extension cable usually used for headphones/microphones,
cutted off the fem socket and replaced it by a 8 pin male connector like the one shown at the altronics site.

Inside most cables the insulation of the conductors are "white" for the left and "red" for the right channel.

On the "soldering side" of a good DIN connector, (I'm always using the ones B&O offers as a sparepart) 
you'll find the numbering of the pins as a little help

Just wanted to let you know, I got around to this a few weeks ago and made my own cable using Vienna's info above.  Grand total: $12AUD since I splurged for the B&O DIN connector before noticing Altronics had the exact same thing for $2.50.

It works like a champ.  I clearly need a proper workbench though...

dilznik:

I clearly need a proper workbench though...

Nah, just improve the Leatherman clamp with a rubberband around the handles like I do

tournedos:

Nah, just improve the Leatherman clamp with a rubberband around the handles like I do

Lucky I had two of them!  And those handy Dremel accessory boxes to keep the top one in place!

What is on the pin1  SL-config  ?

Thanks

Silou:

What is on the pin1  SL-config  ?

When BeoLink Active (type 1636-1639) was introduced in 1999,
the PC-Input was originally used to connect to BeoLink PC Office.
(predecessor of BeoLink PC/BeoPort)

As far as I remember, in the early days of PC integration data-communication 
between BeoLink PC Office and BeoLink Active was established via pin 1/ 6/ 8
= SL_config/ Data -/ Data +  ...  

Thanks you Vienna. But it's not very clear for me.

What's on the pin SL? A level 1 or 0 (to select the protocol?) Or is it the GND for the data?

Thanks

Nobody knows?