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Q: Microphone Through TRRS Jack Not Detected in Windows

The problem has been around for quite some time now, i.e., since the so-called TRRS jacks were introduced in MacBooks. In these, a single 3.5 mm jack connector is used to combine a stereo pair OUT with a mono microphone IN.

People are frustrated by the fact that the microphone on their headset is properly detected in OS X, but not in Windows/Bootcamp.

 

It appears that the problem stems from Microsoft's HDAudio.sys driver:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/jj123860.aspx#jack

 

The workaround mentioned in the article above does not work due to the particular way the TRRS jack and the audio chip (cs4206, cs4207 and cs4208) are wired in the MacBooks: only a single jack detection event is possible, and if one is detected, a value is set in the chip, which reports the presence of a microphone. In this configuration, HDAudio.sys sees only one detection event associated with the headphones, and there is no way a second event associated with the microphone can be triggered physically.

 

So, it would seem that Microsoft has to rectify the way their HDAudio.sys behaves with respect to these TRRS jacks.

 

That being said, Apple provides a driver for the cs420x chips in their BootCamp packages. Assuming that it reads the status of the audio chip and transmits both the jack detection event and the associated values to the HDAudio.sys driver, it should be possible for the BootCamp driver to emulate those two trigger events slightly spaced in time that HDAudio.sys needs for now.

 

Does anyone know whether Apple, Microsoft, or both, are working on this particular issue?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), Windows 8, null

Posted on Jan 8, 2015 2:24 PM

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Q: Microphone Through TRRS Jack Not Detected in Windows

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  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Sep 26, 2015 5:44 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y
    Level 7 (24,012 points)
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    Sep 26, 2015 5:44 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y

    Is there a reason, that you want the specific 4208 (AB93) installed? I suggest you install the drivers from the BC Drivers package valid for your specific Mac model.

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Sep 26, 2015 6:37 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 26, 2015 6:37 PM in response to Loner T

    From what I've read on various forums is that, that particular driver supports the microphone on the apple headphones, i.e. supports the TRRS port for microphone. For some reason, in the original poster's case, on a 2013 Retina mac it supports it, but the 2012 retina doesn't get the same driver thus no mic support (even though the hardware is virtually the same)

     

    I keep trying to download Windows Support Software through the Boot Camp assistant, but its deathly slow and every so often it stops downloading and says there was a Network Problem then I have to restart the download

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Sep 26, 2015 7:18 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y
    Level 7 (24,012 points)
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    Sep 26, 2015 7:18 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y

    1. Try a wired connection, if possible.

    2. The issue is not the specific driver, but Windows itself. Previous versions of Windows do no correctly handle the notifications from the driver for the microphone part.

    3. The default driver for your specific hardware will also work.

    4. If BCA does not work to download the driver package, you can try https://github.com/timsutton/brigadier and download it manually. Here is a log. Please see Apple Software Update not finding Bootcamp 6.0 driver package as an example.

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Sep 26, 2015 7:45 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 26, 2015 7:45 PM in response to Loner T

    I appreciate your help. I actually found Boot Camp Support Software was saved on my Bootcamp partition and repaired all the installs... I now have Cirrus Logic CS4206B (AB 40) installed. It does not recognize the mic from the Apple headphones. Should I try to uninstall the driver or delete the device and start from there? I just want it to support the mic. When I uninstalled the driver the mic did show up for like 10 seconds previously then disappeared for some reason leaving the internal mic the only option, then all of my audio playback and recording device drivers reverted to "High Definition Audio Device"

     

    I have played around with the Device Manager and it appears that when I disable the driver "Cirrus Logic CS4206B (AB 40)" under "Sound, video and game controllers" it also disables all of my sound devices.Capture.JPG

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Sep 26, 2015 7:40 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y
    Level 7 (24,012 points)
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    Sep 26, 2015 7:40 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y

    Can you check the PlayBack and Recording settings under Device Manager for the list of devices that show up?

     

    Using a BT version of TRRS (almost) with a Motorola S9, I get. The Driver supports it correctly, it is Windows which fails to acknowledge TRRS.

     

    W8.1-Motorola-S9-1.PNG

     

    Can you check if there is a faint red light in your Audio jack? Do your headphones work even though the microphone does not?

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Sep 26, 2015 7:56 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 26, 2015 7:56 PM in response to Loner T

    When I have my Apple headphones with mic plugged in this is what playback displays. Only the internal mic appears under the recording tab. BTW I updated my previous response with an image of my devices. Yes the headphones do work, the mic doesnt show up though, the red light is no longer there since I repaired the boot camp drivers.

     

    ***Just to try it out I uninstalled the Cirrus Logic CS4206B driver under sound and controllers and my sound stopped working. I restarted the computer and it automatically reinstalled the same driver.

    Capture.JPG

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Sep 26, 2015 8:06 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 26, 2015 8:06 PM in response to Loner T

    Okay, so I uninstalled it again, but this time had it delete the driver info. After I restarted it didnt reinstall the driver and said "high definition device" again. No microphones were detected (including the internal one.) I went to the Cirrus Logic driver folder in the boot camp folder and tried running the CS4208B.exe and it didnt do anything, but when I ran the CS4206B it reinstalled the AB 40 varient of it again. It seems the driver .exe files check for which macbook you have and installs the driver Apple deems appropriate for your computer.... so I dont know how to forcibly install a different one.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Sep 26, 2015 8:44 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y
    Level 7 (24,012 points)
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    Sep 26, 2015 8:44 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y

    PICKLEB0Y wrote:

     

    Okay, so I uninstalled it again, but this time had it delete the driver info. After I restarted it didnt reinstall the driver and said "high definition device" again. No microphones were detected (including the internal one.) I went to the Cirrus Logic driver folder in the boot camp folder and tried running the CS4208B.exe and it didnt do anything, but when I ran the CS4206B it reinstalled the AB 40 varient of it again. It seems the driver .exe files check for which macbook you have and installs the driver Apple deems appropriate for your computer.... so I dont know how to forcibly install a different one.

    The driver is determined based on Vendor ID and Product ID exposed by the underlying firmware/hardware. You cannot change it under normal circumstances.

    You have the correct driver. Under W10, it should recognize TRRS. If it does not, try to insert slowly in the audio jack, which may generate separate interrupts.

     

    Microphones do not show up in Playback devices, they are Recording devices.

     

    W8.1-SoundDevices-RecordingTab.PNG

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Sep 26, 2015 8:55 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 26, 2015 8:55 PM in response to Loner T

    Yeah thats what I said previously, that the mic doesnt show up under recording devices. So it sounds like there isnt anything I can do if I want the Apple Headphone Mic specifically to be recognized

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Sep 26, 2015 9:13 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y
    Level 7 (24,012 points)
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    Sep 26, 2015 9:13 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y

    See the post by hanshan44 in this thread. In that case, it is working.

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Sep 27, 2015 10:34 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 27, 2015 10:34 AM in response to Loner T

    Yeah, he just has a different driver from me so the mic on the Apple headphones isnt supported with my driver Maybe other TRRS headsets do work because they run with their own drivers, but my friend with an Alienware computer supports the Apple headphones. Maybe I can ask him to see what 3rd party driver supports the apple headphones mic. I guess I'll first test other TRRS headsets and see if they are supported before I go that route. Thanks

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Sep 27, 2015 10:44 AM in response to PICKLEB0Y
    Level 7 (24,012 points)
    Safari
    Sep 27, 2015 10:44 AM in response to PICKLEB0Y

    If the headset works properly on the OS X side, it ensures that the hardware has no issues.

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Sep 27, 2015 11:08 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 27, 2015 11:08 AM in response to Loner T

    It does work OS X side, definitely a software limitation. I wish there was a way to unpack the Cirrus Logic 2408 .exe found in the drivers folder and install the specific AB 93 variant just to see if it would work with my hardware. Otherwise the .exe checks for the hardware that Apple deems appropriate for the driver and installs the driver automatically. when I run the 2408.exe nothing happens, it says its already installed (even when its not, apple requires the mid 2012 retina to use the 2406 driver) So unless theres a way to bypass the hardware check, the Cirrus Logic driver.exe decides which one to install

  • by Blandman512,

    Blandman512 Blandman512 Oct 1, 2015 2:17 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y
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    Oct 1, 2015 2:17 PM in response to PICKLEB0Y

    I too am having this issue with TRRS on 2012 Mac Minis. OSX works without a hitch, but Windows on Bootcamp even with the latest cirrus drivers there is no working option under recording devices. The playback device for the TRRS devices works great, and I've tried with both Apple headphones and Plantronics headsets with TRRS adapters (takes headphone/microphone plugs and merges them into one TRRS plug).

  • by PICKLEB0Y,

    PICKLEB0Y PICKLEB0Y Oct 1, 2015 7:56 PM in response to Blandman512
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 1, 2015 7:56 PM in response to Blandman512

    Yeah I tested it with another headset with TRRS and the mic isn't recognized in windows, but recognized in OS X so it is definitely the driver limiting the functionality, not the port it self... seems like Apple for some reason doesn't want the 2012 models to support that functionality even though the hardware does support it. Quite frustrating considering I know my computer's hardware has the capability.

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