SCART plugs and sockets

Ever wondered about the SCART sockets and plugs which you can use to connect all your AV equipment together?

For starters, SCART stands for "Syndicat français des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radio et Télévision". They can also be known as Peritel or Euroconnectors on older equipment.

SCART cables have up to 21 pins on them, (20 plus the exterior metal case to the plug). They carry video and audio information between the components of the AV stack. Because they are bi-directional, information can flow both ways between equipment.

Low cost cables sometimes only have some of the pins connected, which gives just basic sound and video transfer capabilities. The more expensive, fully wired cables can handle component Red / Green / Blue video signals, and also special signalling pulses which can automatically switch the TV to widescreen when a widescreen transmission is detected at the satellite box.

A typical SCART pin arrangement. Pin 21 is the external metal shield for the plug

PIN Number	Function

1	RH Audio - Out
2	RH Audio - In
3	LH Audio - Out
4	Audio Common, 0 Volts
5	Blue Return, 0 Volts
6	LH Audio - In
7	Blue Out, 0.7V p-p, 75 Ohms
8	Function Switch Out / 16:9 Switching
9	Green Return, 0 Volts
10	Not Connected
11	Green Out, 0.7V p-p, 75 Ohms
12	Not Connected
13	Red Return, 0 Volts
14	Not Connected
15	Red Out, 0.7V p-p, 75 Ohms
16	RGB Switch
17	Composite Video Common, 0 Volts
18	RGB Switch 0 Volts (Pin 16 Return)
19	Composite Video - Out
20	Composite Video - In
21	0 Volts (General Return)

However, it is very possible to find that some equipment uses some of the pins in special ways - especially older equipment.

Dont ever assume that SCART socket on 2 pieces of equipment are "normal" ones. You might end up putting 12V from one piece of equipment into a section of the second item that really doesnt want 12V into it... If possible check the manuals - if available - if you want to connect old equipment together.

You sometimes find that Auto-Switching from pin 8 is annoying. I found this out myself a while back when I was trying to SCART all my equipment together. I found that the video was overriding all the control outputs from the other equipment. It is possible to just cut the wires connected to pin 8 on both plugs. Then the AV selection is done manually.

(I ended up taking the easy route out, setting everything up with rf inputs and outputs - our TV is 10 years old and doesnt handle RGB signals very well anyway!)

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