Simple G90 to TRRS Cord

This will just be a quick post to share the cable I built for interfacing PC audio with my Xiegu G90 for digital radio modes.

Following the pin out provided in the G90 manual, I spliced a Mini DIN8 connector to a TRRS plug, which I can then plug into a tiny USB soundcard (as pictured)

Mini DIN8	TRRS
AF In	Tip
Not Connected	Ring
Ground	Ring
AF Out	Shield

I initially intended to break open the USB soundcard and attach the Mini DIN leads directly to the headers, but using the TRRS plug provides a little more flexibility. The TRRS plug is quite snug, so I can use it like a direct USB to G90 cord most of the time, but still separate it if I ever want to plug the G90 directly into a different audio interface, or if I want to temporarily use the USB soundcard for something else. This essentially replaces the CE-19 board, which, itself required building custom audio cables, anyway. This does not replace the serial connection, which is still required if you want to use CAT controls. By manually setting the frequency and using VOX, however, you can operate most digital modes with just this single cable.

It’s admittedly a pretty simple project to dedicate a blog post to, but I think it’s always worth showing that you don’t need to pay for a fancy, purpose-built “TNC” when PC audio interfaces are a dime-a-dozen these days. For extra points, you can throw a small USB isolator into your radio bag in case you ever need to plug into a noisy USB port, and you’re good to go.

Until next time, netizens!