I do final test on EVMs with TAS5518 or TAS5508, but don't know much outside
test procedure. I'll be watching this thread to see if I can learn anything useful.
I had a beast of a time just figuring how to map inputs to outputs with the GUI.
I'm no TI engineer, nor do I work for TI, just a tech at a contract manufacturer.
This chip is usually followed up by one to three big power devices with heatsink,
I was under the impression 5518 was just a driver, not an amp used by itself.
Am I wrong, can it drive an output by itself? Your thread seems to imply...
test procedure. I'll be watching this thread to see if I can learn anything useful.
I had a beast of a time just figuring how to map inputs to outputs with the GUI.
I'm no TI engineer, nor do I work for TI, just a tech at a contract manufacturer.
This chip is usually followed up by one to three big power devices with heatsink,
I was under the impression 5518 was just a driver, not an amp used by itself.
Am I wrong, can it drive an output by itself? Your thread seems to imply...
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I think TAS3308 might do that? I'm not at work, I can't say for sure thats the
EVM I'm thinking of. Put into the ribbon cable between INPUT USB and one of
the big amps with TAS5518 and 5 or more output channels...
I know the engineer of that EVM, I could ask Monday or Tuesday...
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5518 cannot drive high output power by itself. It just generates pwm signals. Some of them are designated for driving line level stuff, or headphones (like the 3308), and you could probably use the rest of them to drive low level audio too (headphones possibly). But for main audio signals, they need to be amplified (also like the 3308, I think).
The 5518 can also do some filtering, so you can make a crossover within the 5518.
It looks like the 3308 can do some more advanced processing, for some fancy effect (but it might just be that it can handle larger filters or that the filters are predesigned and easy to implement using the GUI, where with the 5518 you have to compute the filter coefficients yourself)
The 3308 COULD be connected to the 5518 (the 3308 EVM does output some I2S signals), however it would be a little redundant. The 5518 would then run it through all its processing and generate PWM signals. The 3308 outputs PWM signals that could be fed to the same output stages that the 5518 feeds.
They keep coming out with new processors, I'll have to take another look at them all and see what's new... I haven't checked them out in a while. The 3308 looks neat, and I haven't seen the GUI before...
The 5518 can also do some filtering, so you can make a crossover within the 5518.
It looks like the 3308 can do some more advanced processing, for some fancy effect (but it might just be that it can handle larger filters or that the filters are predesigned and easy to implement using the GUI, where with the 5518 you have to compute the filter coefficients yourself)
The 3308 COULD be connected to the 5518 (the 3308 EVM does output some I2S signals), however it would be a little redundant. The 5518 would then run it through all its processing and generate PWM signals. The 3308 outputs PWM signals that could be fed to the same output stages that the 5518 feeds.
They keep coming out with new processors, I'll have to take another look at them all and see what's new... I haven't checked them out in a while. The 3308 looks neat, and I haven't seen the GUI before...
A hint and a question
I've quickly read this thread and I have a tip and a question for you all looking for direct digital amplification:
the tip is that this amplifier -you can read about it in this thread- has a second PWM input, and sounds very good, specially for the price. It's a DDX based (so like Apogee).
The question is: have you some news about some TAS5518 kit? (I don't... all what I've found is this thread!) Would be possible through some forum mechanism to get a stock of pre-assembled boards? What I [and others] need is a board that manages I2C-S/PDIF signal and modulates it in PWM, in order to feed that or other amplifiers....I think this board could be very cheap...
Can you help me in some way?
I've quickly read this thread and I have a tip and a question for you all looking for direct digital amplification:
the tip is that this amplifier -you can read about it in this thread- has a second PWM input, and sounds very good, specially for the price. It's a DDX based (so like Apogee).
The question is: have you some news about some TAS5518 kit? (I don't... all what I've found is this thread!) Would be possible through some forum mechanism to get a stock of pre-assembled boards? What I [and others] need is a board that manages I2C-S/PDIF signal and modulates it in PWM, in order to feed that or other amplifiers....I think this board could be very cheap...
Can you help me in some way?
You just want a board that uses the TAS5518 with SPDIF inputs to produce PWM outputs?
How many SPDIF? Optical? Coaxial? Just pins? No I2S?
The I2C is used for configuration of the TAS5518, do you really want I2C, or would an isolated USB or isolated RS232 connection be more useful?
I'd be happy to design such a board, it's very simple, if you can help with determining the requirements.
How many SPDIF? Optical? Coaxial? Just pins? No I2S?
The I2C is used for configuration of the TAS5518, do you really want I2C, or would an isolated USB or isolated RS232 connection be more useful?
I'd be happy to design such a board, it's very simple, if you can help with determining the requirements.
Oh! Thank you legomanww!
What I need is an 8 channel PWM modulator. I try to explain me better: I need this board to connect a digital source such as a Creative Soundblaster (now is Audigy 2zs, in feature could be this or something better, also non Creative -as an example Xonar). A2ZS has 4 stereo S/PDIF outputs, X-Fi has optical out...finally could be useful a multi-interface(S/PDIF, I2S, optical...because I really don't know what I will use; at least main interfaces) with USB to control the chip (when I wrote I2C I was meaning I2S...ghgh).
The output I need is PWM to feed 4 stereo T4 DDX amplifiers.
Tell me if I'm clear enough...
as you can see I'm not expert of digital interfaces, so if you can read audio cards specifications I've linked, you can understand which kind of interfaces could be most useful....
Thank you very much legoman!
What I need is an 8 channel PWM modulator. I try to explain me better: I need this board to connect a digital source such as a Creative Soundblaster (now is Audigy 2zs, in feature could be this or something better, also non Creative -as an example Xonar). A2ZS has 4 stereo S/PDIF outputs, X-Fi has optical out...finally could be useful a multi-interface(S/PDIF, I2S, optical...because I really don't know what I will use; at least main interfaces) with USB to control the chip (when I wrote I2C I was meaning I2S...ghgh).
The output I need is PWM to feed 4 stereo T4 DDX amplifiers.
Tell me if I'm clear enough...
as you can see I'm not expert of digital interfaces, so if you can read audio cards specifications I've linked, you can understand which kind of interfaces could be most useful....
Thank you very much legoman!
With the growing use of platforms like the MiniDSP and DACS with I2S output ng the I2S output this starts to look very interesting. Especially if the secondary PWM on Hifimediy's T4 actually works and makes this easily accessible whilst still leaving the option to use conventional analogue/Tripath modulation as well. It would be very flexible - ideal for an inveterate DIY fiddler 
I think I would be in for a six or eight channel I2S to PWM board if one materialises.
I think I would be in for a six or eight channel I2S to PWM board if one materialises.
Centvrion, I see you brought our discussion over here - very good. The TAS5518 looks like it could fit the bill.
Personally, I'm not interested in SPDIF input as it's flawed. I would only want I2S input i.e a PCM to PWM converter as simple as possible. If the idea of keeping the signal digital then best to use I2S as it is output directly from many USB transports.
The only problem I see with this is the requirement for I2C signalling to control this chip - is there a simpler chip option that can be set via hardware?
Personally, I'm not interested in SPDIF input as it's flawed. I would only want I2S input i.e a PCM to PWM converter as simple as possible. If the idea of keeping the signal digital then best to use I2S as it is output directly from many USB transports.
The only problem I see with this is the requirement for I2C signalling to control this chip - is there a simpler chip option that can be set via hardware?
I expressed my interest toward S/PDIF input/USB adjustable because I would like to use computer as source, and 8 channels because of the use of digital crossovers...
Anyway reading quickly datasheets those chips don't support S/PDIF, nor USB (am I right?). And I cannot find any sound card with 8 channels I2S output...
However am I right if I say that I can use some miniDSP solution to send an I2S signal from computer to one of these chips?
What about asking miniDSP company to realize such a board, with one of these chips?
Anyway reading quickly datasheets those chips don't support S/PDIF, nor USB (am I right?). And I cannot find any sound card with 8 channels I2S output...
However am I right if I say that I can use some miniDSP solution to send an I2S signal from computer to one of these chips?
What about asking miniDSP company to realize such a board, with one of these chips?
I2S has two channels. So you only need 4 I2S streams to have 8 channels of audio.
And yes, TAS5518/TAS5086 don't have SPDIF inputs, or USB. You have to convert all of the audio input into I2S, so if it's SPDIF you need to use an external converter (like DIR9001).
You'll need something to send configuration, regardless. It's not done via hardware jumpers with TAS5518 because there are SO MANY options that it would be unrealistic to break them all out.
And yes, TAS5518/TAS5086 don't have SPDIF inputs, or USB. You have to convert all of the audio input into I2S, so if it's SPDIF you need to use an external converter (like DIR9001).
You'll need something to send configuration, regardless. It's not done via hardware jumpers with TAS5518 because there are SO MANY options that it would be unrealistic to break them all out.
found (my) missing link
Found the beast I was looking for: exaU2I USB to I2S Interface.
With this I could send I2S signal from computer to 8 channels PWM modulator, or to a ES9018 Sabre32 Reference kit, such as the one from Twisted Pears.
Signal chain would be: PC>>>I2S 8ch>>>PWM modulator>>>digital amplifier>>>speakers>>>
That exaU2I seems to be a high quality device...
Found the beast I was looking for: exaU2I USB to I2S Interface.
With this I could send I2S signal from computer to 8 channels PWM modulator, or to a ES9018 Sabre32 Reference kit, such as the one from Twisted Pears.
Signal chain would be: PC>>>I2S 8ch>>>PWM modulator>>>digital amplifier>>>speakers>>>
That exaU2I seems to be a high quality device...
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I think they already havesuch boards, several ways really and pretty clearly have done their own research into what products to run.
They have a usb to spdif/i2s interface and also their MiniDigi spdif to 12s interface (which also does the probably needed sample rate conversion).
Then they have the MiniAmp that takes direct I2S input. Essentially I would l would be building a higher power and more flexible version 9of their MiniAMp. The have the higher power stuff as well in their plate amps, but they are too much power and too expensive for my use, also a different sort of approach.
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