I'm using two ASP1000s as monoblocks. I ordered the Parts Express wiring kits. Since they each have their own power supplies, I won't need ANY of the bus wires. No need to even connect that wire bunch. Am I correct? And lastly, in the signal wires bunch, do I need to ground the green wire to earth, if I'm only using the DC V out, and not necessary for the XLR wires to work? Thank you.
Yes, there's no need to connect anything to the DC-BUS unless you need auxiliary power for some other device, such as a buffer or preamp.
For the rest of your questions, please see my post #8 and post #12 here -
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/class-d/365540-icepower-asp500-kit-ghent-module-partsxpress.html#post6477396
For the rest of your questions, please see my post #8 and post #12 here -
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/class-d/365540-icepower-asp500-kit-ghent-module-partsxpress.html#post6477396
I planned to mount the amps directly to my wood wall, directly beside the speaker. Making my speaker cables only a foot long. BUT there is not a metal case for things to ground to. Do I need to make a metal bottom to form between the amplifiers and the wood walls? I've read people have wired the boards up and placed them on carpet behind their speakers. Where did they ground ? Thanks
Ah, in that situation the bare minimum technical (and safety) requirement is that the earth wire from your AC supply cable should be connected to the "EARTH" connection at header P3. This will give you a "protective earth" connection, and also let your AGND/PGND plane see true earth.
This may suffice, but in my opinion it's less than ideal. The ICEpower modules include a switch-mode power supply, and like all SMPS's, they utilise an EMI/RFI drain to earth. But without a metal case your EMI/RFI management is less effective. You may suffer no ill effects, such as hum/buzz, but it's uncertain.
Hello again linuxfan. Plz don't think you're wasting time with me. I went and purchased 1/8" aluminum sheet for mounting the amplifiers. For clarity, what all should be grounded to the chassis base, now that I have one? Thank you again
So you mean you will mount the ICEpower to the aluminium sheet, then attach the aluminium sheet to your wooden wall?
Sadly this will not provide any form of electrostatic shielding between the ICEpower module and your speaker ... but hopefully ICEpower's high standards of RFI suppression mean this won't be a problem.
I still don't like the idea of an amplifier module being fully exposed in a domestic setting, especially if there's a chance that a small child might have access to this area. Mains voltage is exposed at several points on the 1000ASP board, particularly near the fuse. I will proceed on the basis that you understand, and will manage, this risk.
The 1000ASP's metal base is also its heatsink. When mounting in a metal case the heatsink should make firm metal-to-metal contact with the case either via the full-length slots on each side, or screwed firmly to the floor of the case. Then heat will be conducted from the heatsink to the case, and heat is dissipated via the case itself.
But you are attaching the 1000ASP only to a metal "floor" without walls or roof. You don't have the additional surface area provided by walls and roof. Worse, this base might then potentially be attached to a wooden wall - thus conducting most of the heat directly to the wall!
So what I suggest is to not attach the 1000ASP's base directly onto your aluminium sheet, but instead to use 12mm metal standoffs between heatsink and aluminium sheet. I would say that 6x standoffs are sufficient. Now there's very little metal-to-metal contact between heatsink and sheet, so heat will be vented to the 12mm air gap, and this hot air can easily rise and escape.
Now the aluminium sheet can more safely be attached to your wall. Better still, use some spacers between aluminium sheet and wall.
Mains wiring is simple: active, neutral, and earth from your AC supply cable go to the marked pins of P3. I would make up some form of strain relief clamp for the AC supply cable, attached to the aluminium base, close to P3.
Some people would suggest to also run the earth wire to the aluminium sheet, but if you already have firm metal-to-metal contact between amplifier heatsink and aluminium sheet, I don't think it's necessary.
Sadly this will not provide any form of electrostatic shielding between the ICEpower module and your speaker ... but hopefully ICEpower's high standards of RFI suppression mean this won't be a problem.
I still don't like the idea of an amplifier module being fully exposed in a domestic setting, especially if there's a chance that a small child might have access to this area. Mains voltage is exposed at several points on the 1000ASP board, particularly near the fuse. I will proceed on the basis that you understand, and will manage, this risk.
The 1000ASP's metal base is also its heatsink. When mounting in a metal case the heatsink should make firm metal-to-metal contact with the case either via the full-length slots on each side, or screwed firmly to the floor of the case. Then heat will be conducted from the heatsink to the case, and heat is dissipated via the case itself.
But you are attaching the 1000ASP only to a metal "floor" without walls or roof. You don't have the additional surface area provided by walls and roof. Worse, this base might then potentially be attached to a wooden wall - thus conducting most of the heat directly to the wall!
So what I suggest is to not attach the 1000ASP's base directly onto your aluminium sheet, but instead to use 12mm metal standoffs between heatsink and aluminium sheet. I would say that 6x standoffs are sufficient. Now there's very little metal-to-metal contact between heatsink and sheet, so heat will be vented to the 12mm air gap, and this hot air can easily rise and escape.
Now the aluminium sheet can more safely be attached to your wall. Better still, use some spacers between aluminium sheet and wall.
Mains wiring is simple: active, neutral, and earth from your AC supply cable go to the marked pins of P3. I would make up some form of strain relief clamp for the AC supply cable, attached to the aluminium base, close to P3.
Some people would suggest to also run the earth wire to the aluminium sheet, but if you already have firm metal-to-metal contact between amplifier heatsink and aluminium sheet, I don't think it's necessary.
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Mounting an ICEpower module exposed without any kind of shielding is a bit reckless. Keep in mind that you have rectified (and voltage-doubled in the US) mains on a big portion of the PCB, so app. 300-350V - you need to ensure that this is adequately protected. (EDIT: and 120VDC on the power amplifier part - not to be trifled with either).
As linuxfan writes there is also a heat sinking element to this. If you play loud for a longer period of time the module will need more radiating surface than just the build-in extrusion.
I hate to say this, but what you are proposing here sounds like the kind of DIY-project that ICEpower was for a long time actively trying to avoid being associated with by not selling to consumers...
As linuxfan writes there is also a heat sinking element to this. If you play loud for a longer period of time the module will need more radiating surface than just the build-in extrusion.
I hate to say this, but what you are proposing here sounds like the kind of DIY-project that ICEpower was for a long time actively trying to avoid being associated with by not selling to consumers...
Flaxxer, the Ghent Audio cases are very good, though somewhat pricey at $315 a pair -
ghentaudio --- ICEpower 250ASP/500ASP/1000ASP Case-kit
Or a pair of generic 2208 cases would be $80 + delivery -
Hifi JC2208 Full aluminum PSU chassis power amplifier box preamplifier enclosure | eBay
ghentaudio --- ICEpower 250ASP/500ASP/1000ASP Case-kit
Or a pair of generic 2208 cases would be $80 + delivery -
Hifi JC2208 Full aluminum PSU chassis power amplifier box preamplifier enclosure | eBay
I apologize for not being more clear. I was never going to leave the amplifiers hanging wide open to be able to be touched by fingers for pets. I was going to use aluminum extruded metal on the sides. Metal with lots of holes in it. I've already posted, or thought I had maybe that's my problem, that I purchased a big sheet of 1/8 inch polished diamond plate aluminum. I have enough to make a bottom and top with two end plates. These will be connected with aluminum tubing and screws sandwiching everything together. Only the sides will be open to air, yet covered by expanded aluminum metal.
I called and spoke 2A Tech at Parts Express today. They told me the amplifier is already grounded. They told me that can be placed on a carpet just as it is with all the wires hooked up and it will play just fine. So what is with all this screaming and fussing about grounding? Yeah, I'm going to make a star ground now that I've went and bought the $40 worth of diamond plate aluminum. But the only thing going to be grounded to the whole damn thing is the green earth wire from the signal input connector and a jumper from the negative on the XLR. That's all. The power AC input is already grounded. When I asked the tech about not using XLR connectors, but instead soldering and hardwiring my XLR cable straight to the factory XLR cable coming off the outboard, he said that works just fine. So why exactly is a ground from the normal XLR panel connector, ran to the chassis IF the XLR cable has a ground itself, AND is not necessary?
I can wire mine exactly like an online photo shows in a case. But I'd prefer making my own case and have. So I'm being safe. Asking questions before doing anything. But I'd like to understand the why... I like to learn. I want to understand the answers to my questions above.
Lastly .... I have seen hundreds of listening rooms, with monoblocks sitting inches behind the binding posts on the speakers. There is NOTHING crazy about my mounting. I own 3 stand mount pairs of speakers, and one floorstander, which the binding posts are 30" above the ground. Why not mount my amps close?
I called and spoke 2A Tech at Parts Express today. They told me the amplifier is already grounded. They told me that can be placed on a carpet just as it is with all the wires hooked up and it will play just fine. So what is with all this screaming and fussing about grounding? Yeah, I'm going to make a star ground now that I've went and bought the $40 worth of diamond plate aluminum. But the only thing going to be grounded to the whole damn thing is the green earth wire from the signal input connector and a jumper from the negative on the XLR. That's all. The power AC input is already grounded. When I asked the tech about not using XLR connectors, but instead soldering and hardwiring my XLR cable straight to the factory XLR cable coming off the outboard, he said that works just fine. So why exactly is a ground from the normal XLR panel connector, ran to the chassis IF the XLR cable has a ground itself, AND is not necessary?
I can wire mine exactly like an online photo shows in a case. But I'd prefer making my own case and have. So I'm being safe. Asking questions before doing anything. But I'd like to understand the why... I like to learn. I want to understand the answers to my questions above.
Lastly .... I have seen hundreds of listening rooms, with monoblocks sitting inches behind the binding posts on the speakers. There is NOTHING crazy about my mounting. I own 3 stand mount pairs of speakers, and one floorstander, which the binding posts are 30" above the ground. Why not mount my amps close?
Thanks again linuxfan. And everyone else. I wasn't ever going to flush mount the heat sink to the wood wall without stand offs. I want airflow under the newly added heat sink material. In using the 2.5" cut aluminum tubing, and sandwiching the top AND bottom plates together, with the end plates also attached, my entire case will become a heat sink as intended. Im only missing two solid 2.5" x 10" side plates. Covered with expanded aluminum mesh, thick.
For more clarity even, I was simply trying to avoid the extra IEC connectors, the panel XLR connectors, speaker wire binding posts ... I do not plan on removing the amplifiers, and the wiring is being ran inside the wall for a clean install. I'll be using strain relief and grommets where the wires come through the end plates. My speaker wires will only be about 2 feet long. So I'll just wire them directly to the JST connector on the board. Same with the power cable. Same with my eventual XLR cables, once they arrive. Eliminate all the extra connections, since I WILL NOT be changing cables around.
Lastly ... as far as the amp cooling concerns. This is an honest 1000 watts per channel. I gave my wife everything to escape. I live in a 40 ft motor home. The amps will NEVER be pushed much above an idle to get "loud enough".
OK I see you are fabricating your own cases. That's great.
This means that, by design, the amplifier's PGND/AGND is meant to be earthed, as is the case with the majority of class D amplifier modules presently available ... but there are some exceptions - some Hypex boards, and JLesterP's TPA3255 board.
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/cla...t-ghent-module-partsxpress-2.html#post6478645
As I mentioned in my other post, there's some disagreement about the meaning/usage of "ground" and "earth" but I think they mean that PGND/AGND is already connected to the metal mounting points of the amp module, which in this case means the heatsink base. And this is confimed on page 4 of the 1000ASP datasheet.
This means that, by design, the amplifier's PGND/AGND is meant to be earthed, as is the case with the majority of class D amplifier modules presently available ... but there are some exceptions - some Hypex boards, and JLesterP's TPA3255 board.
Fair question, I think it confuses a lot of people - and I answered this in the other post I mentioned earlier -
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/cla...t-ghent-module-partsxpress-2.html#post6478645
Would you happen to know if the 1000ASP can be wired for unbalanced by grounding the negative pin of the XLR? I want to wire my amp for both unbalanced and balanced connection with XLR and RCA.
thanks,
Vince
thanks,
Vince
I am just now wiring and assembling my ASP1000 amplifiers. I have bolted the bottom of the aluminum case to the thick aluminum heat sink bottom of the amplifier with 12 screws. That thick heat sink is also the amplifiers ground. Next I'm supposed to run a separate ground from the IEC to ground. Of course I'm not using an IEC. I am wiring it straight to the amplifiers connector with three wire connectors. Which means it is grounded through the heat sink via ICEPOWERs design ... so why I would add another wire ground to the case, which is already grounded is beyond anything making sense. I'm asking for ground loops.
I'll be grounding to the EXACT same ground in two places ... why in hell ???
I'll be grounding to the EXACT same ground in two places ... why in hell ???
With a meter set to continuity, one probe on the AC earth pin and the other on the heat sink, you should get a tone, if the probe digs past the anodized heat sink coating.
Flaxxer, yes, that single connection that you have made at the "EARTH" connection of the P3 header is sufficient ... although strictly speaking, this connection is intended to allow your signal GND to reference true Earth. For safety reasons, it's preferable to also run an EARTH wire (in parallel) to the metal case.
These two EARTH connections will be mere centimetres apart (and on the same device, not separate devices) so there's no need to worry about ground loops.
If it was me, I would run my EARTH wire to a point on the metal floor of the case, immediately adjacent to the 1000ASP's heatsink, then there's no need to make any connection to P3's EARTH header. This gives priority to the integrity and resilience of the safety connection, while still providing a good electrical continuity to the heatsink (and amplifier GND plane).
These two EARTH connections will be mere centimetres apart (and on the same device, not separate devices) so there's no need to worry about ground loops.
If it was me, I would run my EARTH wire to a point on the metal floor of the case, immediately adjacent to the 1000ASP's heatsink, then there's no need to make any connection to P3's EARTH header. This gives priority to the integrity and resilience of the safety connection, while still providing a good electrical continuity to the heatsink (and amplifier GND plane).