Digital volume control

[maharadza]

I want to control 4 audio channels, and I don't know how to do it
As I say, I want to control 4 audio channels, so I think that pga4311 is enough for my amplifier, but I can't find any projects where that pga is used. Can somobedy help me, with that pga, and how to control it?
p.s. In electronics my knowledge is to low, that that volume control I build on own..

[DragonMaster]

There's probably a circuit in the datasheet.

You could be interested in a relay volume control too. You can add as many channels as you want. Dig in the archives and you may find a couple. If not, I can find you a topic with one, but I'm too lazy to look for it right now.

[wa2ise]

If you are into tubes build something like
or look at these tube remote volume control (variable gain) circuits

[RCBandwidth]

Maharadsa: I can suggest a device to control 4 channels, You can use potentiometers to control the volume,This is not a digitally controlled amplifier like the PGA series from TI,however since your electronics skills are not up to speed you may find this this circuit a bit more approachable from a beginners standpoint.The device is the SSM2164 from Analog devices.Take a look at fig. 24 in the datasheet as a good starting point.

Here is the link:
http://www.analog.com/UploadedFiles/...786ssm2164.pdf

Regards Bob C.

[pwillard]

How about this... http://stiftsbogtrykkeriet.dk/~mcs/

Look at the relay pot. Digitally controlled Resistor divider done with relays.

Build 4 relay boards and control all with 1 controller.

[maharadza]

Hm, I think that you don't understand me
I have 4 amplifiers, so it is 4 channels(source of signal will be pc sound card, one right and one left side), and I want to control all that channels with one potentiomer, and I don't know how to do it...
I tried to find any project on the internet, because my knowledge is too low to build it , but i haven't find any information which I can use for my amplifier.

[DragonMaster]

Hm, I think that you don't understand me
I have 4 amplifiers, so it is 4 channels(source of signal will be pc sound card, one right and one left side), and I want to control all that channels with one potentiomer, and I don't know how to do it...
I tried to find any project on the internet, because my knowledge is too low to build it , but i haven't find any information which I can use for my amplifier.

Use one of the schemes posted here.

For the tube design wa2ise posted, add more tubes.

For the datasheet RCBandwidth posted, it would seem an ideal solution for you. You hook up all the VC pins together to control all the channels at the same time. Look in the datasheet, there are some schematics.

[I_Forgot]

Originally posted by maharadza
I have 4 amplifiers, so it is 4 channels(source of signal will be pc sound card, one right and one left side), and I want to control all that channels with one potentiomer, and I don't know how to do it...
I tried to find any project on the internet, because my knowledge is too low to build it , but i haven't find any information which I can use for my amplifier.

Necessity is the mother of invention. If you don't know how to do it, learn how. If you don't want to learn how, pay someone else to do it for you. If you don't want to pay someone else, give up the idea.

Unless all four channels are playing the same audio, you cannot use a single pot to control the volume for four amplifiers.

If there's a PC involved, why not just control the volume from the sound application that is driving the sound card? The scroll wheel on a mouse is by default linked to the volume control on winamp (at least it is on my computer, and I didn't do anything special to make it do that)...

If you don't want to do that, then you need to use multiple electronic pots. There are several (check Dallas Semiconductor) that require only up and down buttons for input. You would use as many of them as you have audio channels and connect the up and down button inputs to each other and to a single pair of buttons. If you want more control than that, you're getting into PGA teritory requiring some knowledge of microcontrollers and a more complex circuit.

You get more flexibility with the uC approach... you will be able to set balance between channels, you can program ramped mute and unmute, add IR or RF remote control, use a rotary encoder for input, and etc. This all depends on your ability with electronic hardware, programming skill, imigination, time available to work on it, and a little money. Working with uCs requires some minimal investment in programming hardware.

TI has a complete development system including the USB programming hardware for one of their small, flash uCs for $20. For a little more than that you can get a programmer for PIC uCs made by Microchip. There is a ton of on-line help for PIC development.

Like any other big problem, it is best solved by breaking it into small pieces. Decide what you need the thing to do, then start translating that into hardware. Figure out what hardware to use and how to connect it- use data sheets, ap notes, and as a last resort, ask questions on a forum like this (this place is really NOT for beginners). Then start working on the programming. Decide what the software needs to do then break it into manageable chunks, and work on each chunk. Before you know it, it will all be working.

I_F

[abid_rehan]

have a look at this preamp+vol control+ poweramp
setup is a 5.1....
Completed Multichannel High End Preamp

[sagarverma]

there is a very nice circuit using a tda series ic.
it provides for standard tone controls along with multistep vol. control and ability to take care of four channels(one at a time)

the circuit can be obtained from
www.electronicsforu.com for a measly sum in the 'circuits for sale' section