Hi Russ,
I have an issue with my BIII SE Pro, but I'm not sure whether it's a firmware thing, or something that I did to my system.
Here's what's happening: I'm using a true sync firmware with BIII SE Pro 9038 and a Mercury. So once I turn off the Automute feature via onboard swithces, and after stopping the playback, I have DC on the Mercury output.
Just to clarify - when DAC boots up, there is no DC, it only appears after stopping the playback. And goes away when playback is started again.
It may, of course, be happening because of my heavily modded Cronus (what's left of it), but could you please check that firmware cannot be the reason for it?
Maybe someone else had this problem? Or could check it out? Just remember to unplug you headphones or speakers 🙂
Thanks,
Fedor
I have an issue with my BIII SE Pro, but I'm not sure whether it's a firmware thing, or something that I did to my system.
Here's what's happening: I'm using a true sync firmware with BIII SE Pro 9038 and a Mercury. So once I turn off the Automute feature via onboard swithces, and after stopping the playback, I have DC on the Mercury output.
Just to clarify - when DAC boots up, there is no DC, it only appears after stopping the playback. And goes away when playback is started again.
It may, of course, be happening because of my heavily modded Cronus (what's left of it), but could you please check that firmware cannot be the reason for it?
Maybe someone else had this problem? Or could check it out? Just remember to unplug you headphones or speakers 🙂
Thanks,
Fedor
In order to install the Trident-SR 3.3V Series Regulator on a Buffalo II (100 mhz), what do I need?
- a placid hd 2.1 supply? (I own a normal Placid from 2010)
- remove ferrite beads?
- update firmware (it is the one from 2010) to listen dsd?
- I already own an AVCC-SR Dual 3.6V Series Regulator Module
Thanks for your help
gf
- a placid hd 2.1 supply? (I own a normal Placid from 2010)
- remove ferrite beads?
- update firmware (it is the one from 2010) to listen dsd?
- I already own an AVCC-SR Dual 3.6V Series Regulator Module
Thanks for your help
gf
To run a new Buff Pro 38 in sync mode with Cronus, I've omitted the XO regulator and connected mck from Cronus to the Buffalo but I can't get lock. Does the stock firmware support this mode or would I need to flash new firmware or do anything else?
Should be...
This mode works fine with the stock firmware, I run this way all the time, with the onboard XO disabled, and the master clock coming for the Cronus via u.fl cable. You have another problem.
This mode works fine with the stock firmware, I run this way all the time, with the onboard XO disabled, and the master clock coming for the Cronus via u.fl cable. You have another problem.
nope...
No problems visible at least.
What actually happens, no lock at all, or stutters or???
And, is it working fine in async mode running from the onboard XO? Be sure to have this working before trying to go sync as this will rule out many other possible issues. I put in a socket for the onboard clock regulator to make it easy to take in and out.
Does the mute LED stay lit?
It should work with auto muting engaged, but just in case turn off auto muting. Also, double check that you have the switches set for I2S input and not SPDIF. Double check everything in the Intergration guide and make sure you are not missing something simple.
What Clock rates do you have in the Cronus?
No problems visible at least.
What actually happens, no lock at all, or stutters or???
And, is it working fine in async mode running from the onboard XO? Be sure to have this working before trying to go sync as this will rule out many other possible issues. I put in a socket for the onboard clock regulator to make it easy to take in and out.
Does the mute LED stay lit?
It should work with auto muting engaged, but just in case turn off auto muting. Also, double check that you have the switches set for I2S input and not SPDIF. Double check everything in the Intergration guide and make sure you are not missing something simple.
What Clock rates do you have in the Cronus?
It was working in async mode but now I'm having a problem with the VDD regulator. I accidentally swapped it with the XO regulator (installing each in the wrong positon). Now that I've moved them back, I'm measuring 345mv between gnd and out of the VDD regulator. Does this sound like a blown regulator? I wouldn't think running in the XO position temporarily would have caused any damage.
Despite this, I was having the lock issue when I was using the correct regulator. It wouldn't lock at all and sounded like a radio hunting for a channel to lock onto. I wouldn't get any audio signal coming through. I have the 45.1584/49.152MHz Cronus clocks.
Despite this, I was having the lock issue when I was using the correct regulator. It wouldn't lock at all and sounded like a radio hunting for a channel to lock onto. I wouldn't get any audio signal coming through. I have the 45.1584/49.152MHz Cronus clocks.
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Uh oh!
I am worried that you could have damaged the DAC chip... It has been awhile for me to build one of these, but the VDD is the one that is supposed to be 1.3 VDC right? So it should measure 1.3 VDC. The XO reg is 3.3 VDC, if you powered it up with that (3.3 VDC) in the VDD position, it could have damaged the DAC chip (I do not know if there is any protection against over voltage there).
I am worried that you could have damaged the DAC chip... It has been awhile for me to build one of these, but the VDD is the one that is supposed to be 1.3 VDC right? So it should measure 1.3 VDC. The XO reg is 3.3 VDC, if you powered it up with that (3.3 VDC) in the VDD position, it could have damaged the DAC chip (I do not know if there is any protection against over voltage there).
If a 3.3v regulator is bad, it will give the same result regardless of which 3.3v location in which it is installed. Try swapping the two 3.3 regulators and measure again. If the ~340mv measurement doesn’t move, not good. [I believe others have made the mistake of injecting 3.3v into VDD and not suffered DAC damage, so fingers crossed...]. It is probably a good idea to carefully re-audit the supply voltages from the top of the Tridents.
It was the 1.3v regulator that went bad. Brian kindly sent an older 1.2v regulator which solved the problem. I will try with a shorter u.fl cable at some point.
To confirm again, the only changes I need to perform to use an external clock are (i) hook up external clock u.fl cable and (ii) omit the XO trident? There are no dip switch settings or other changes to the Buffalo or Cronus I need to make?
To confirm again, the only changes I need to perform to use an external clock are (i) hook up external clock u.fl cable and (ii) omit the XO trident? There are no dip switch settings or other changes to the Buffalo or Cronus I need to make?
Excellent. Here are the switch configurations: GitHub - twistedpearaudio/Buffalo-III-SE-Pro-On-Board-Firmware
I haven't tried synchronous mode with the firmware in place. You might experiment with turning off the OSF...
Good luck!
I haven't tried synchronous mode with the firmware in place. You might experiment with turning off the OSF...
Good luck!
Yes...
Just de-power the onboard XO by removing the XO Trident, and add the XO cable from Cronus to BuffPRO. Then you will be operating with Sync clocking. Sync clocking basically means that the bit clock, data, word clock, and master clock are all from the same XO: this changes the way the asynchronous sample rate converter in the ESS chip works (it still oversamples, but it just does so synchronously). So you do not need to turn the OSF off, you can use it either way.
Of course you do need to set the switches for I2S input.
Just de-power the onboard XO by removing the XO Trident, and add the XO cable from Cronus to BuffPRO. Then you will be operating with Sync clocking. Sync clocking basically means that the bit clock, data, word clock, and master clock are all from the same XO: this changes the way the asynchronous sample rate converter in the ESS chip works (it still oversamples, but it just does so synchronously). So you do not need to turn the OSF off, you can use it either way.
Of course you do need to set the switches for I2S input.
Reviving a dormant thread:
I'm wondering if it would be possible to supply both AVCC on the 9028 with a completely separate supply. I'm thinking either a 3.3V LiFePO4 cell for both, or 1 cell for each AVCC L and R.
Has anyone tried this? Or tried powering the AVCC pins of the 9028/9038 independently from the rest of the BIII board?
I'm wondering if it would be possible to supply both AVCC on the 9028 with a completely separate supply. I'm thinking either a 3.3V LiFePO4 cell for both, or 1 cell for each AVCC L and R.
Has anyone tried this? Or tried powering the AVCC pins of the 9028/9038 independently from the rest of the BIII board?
I have not tried powering it from a LiFePO4 cell, but it is certainly possible to power each channel independently.
Does the 38pro, or any TP-DACS, require a specific turn on timing ?
I'd like to not kill my dac.
I killed my previous non-pro by trying to
power the I/V board with a battery and somehow
by powering the I/V first, then the dac supplies, killed the dac.
I'd like to not kill my dac.
I killed my previous non-pro by trying to
power the I/V board with a battery and somehow
by powering the I/V first, then the dac supplies, killed the dac.
I don't think so, though I have always controlled the AC input to the PSUs with a single switch. I don't know why powering the output stage first would cause any issues, unless you were getting some sort of power spike to the output stages of the DAC.
I am trying to get HQPlayer and Roonn working to upsample everything to DSD with the Amanero/Cronus/BuffPro III. I've set HQPlayer to SDM (DSD) output and make the various setting selections but songs still show up as outputting in PCM every time.
This is probably a software issue I need to figure out, but for those that are upsampling to DSD how have you done it?
This is probably a software issue I need to figure out, but for those that are upsampling to DSD how have you done it?