I am working on a project making the NOS dac based on the TDA1387 x8 parallel chips.I had it as a dac hat on a Pi3 and just recently because I like it that much I have installed it all in a sharp case and sperated the boards instead stacking etc.My next step was I wanted to get a better clcock as its using the Pi master clock now. I own a digi2 pro, I cant find any reclocker boards on used market then dawned on me the DIGI2 pro has dual clocks high precision. I want to know if I can feed the clocks from the DIGI2 pro GPIO pins to the GPIO pins the protodac uses for clocks. THe DIgi2 has a header allowing it to be used with other hats including their DSP board. I cant seem to find a solid answer. From Hifiberry site regarding pin out of DIGI2 pro
GPIOs 18-21 (pins 12, 35, 38 and 40) are used for the sound interface. You can’t use them for any other purpose.
GPIOs 5 and 6 are used for the clock circuit and cannot be used for anything else.
ANy help appreciated.
HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro, Digi2 Pro
GPIO2-3 (pins 3 and 5) are used by our products for configuration. If you are experienced with I2C, you might add other slave devices. If you a a novice, we don’t recommend this at all.GPIOs 18-21 (pins 12, 35, 38 and 40) are used for the sound interface. You can’t use them for any other purpose.
GPIOs 5 and 6 are used for the clock circuit and cannot be used for anything else.
ANy help appreciated.
The clocks on digi2 pro aren't very good. Not every crystal.
If you are up for it, I would suggest to ditch the hat concept and hook the dac up to a decent USB board instead, one with decent clocks. Maybe this: http://jlsounds.com/i2soverusbFIO.html If you do it right, SQ should probably improve a lot.
If you are up for it, I would suggest to ditch the hat concept and hook the dac up to a decent USB board instead, one with decent clocks. Maybe this: http://jlsounds.com/i2soverusbFIO.html If you do it right, SQ should probably improve a lot.
man Am I confused theres like a million boards Ian of Canada. What is the most cost effective way to potenytially improve audio from Protodac if even possible really. It sounds amazing as I have it and only differences were seperating the hat and the Pi running jumpers from Gpio of Pi to Protodac. Feeding 5v linear power to both. High quality cabling and shielding on rca's. can I run the Digi2 pro in Master and the proto dac in slave? how to do this. Also those you listed are USB. I dont have a want for usb signal to feed the streamer. Its a network streamer and Dac Ive Built. This is it. here. on top of the XTZ edge amp.
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You could use RPi or whatever as the USB host. The USB cable would just be a way to get some physical separation between the dac the radiated RFI/EMI emissions of the RPi. In the end, that and a good USB board would likely get you much better SQ performance, including better clocks, for the lowest cost. You would also need two isolated 5v linear power supplies.
OTOH, Iancanada has solutions for cleaning up RPi conducted EMI/RFI, radiated EMI/RFI, options for better clocks, options for battery power to eliminate power ground loops, etc. Fixing all those issues using Iancanada products is also quite doable. Might cost you 10 times as much and take up more physical space (for station Pi, to get the physical separation) as compared to what I suggested, but many people do choose that option and are happy with it.
When do you really need something like Iancanada solutions?
1. When you don't want to use USB.
2. When you want SPDIF/TOSLINK inputs, and you don't want to use ASRC to bridge clock domains.
3. When you want to use HDMI (the un-encrypted kind).
4. When you want to use batteries to solve power problems.
5. Etc.
OTOH, Iancanada has solutions for cleaning up RPi conducted EMI/RFI, radiated EMI/RFI, options for better clocks, options for battery power to eliminate power ground loops, etc. Fixing all those issues using Iancanada products is also quite doable. Might cost you 10 times as much and take up more physical space (for station Pi, to get the physical separation) as compared to what I suggested, but many people do choose that option and are happy with it.
When do you really need something like Iancanada solutions?
1. When you don't want to use USB.
2. When you want SPDIF/TOSLINK inputs, and you don't want to use ASRC to bridge clock domains.
3. When you want to use HDMI (the un-encrypted kind).
4. When you want to use batteries to solve power problems.
5. Etc.
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If protodac works with I2S or some variant supported by JLSounds, I would use JLSounds with 2 clean power supplies as the I2S bus source to drive the dac. USB source could be RPi or whatever. Just move the USB source far enough away or use shielding so radiated noise is controlled. Cost is fairly low for lower EMI/RFI issues and better clocking.
You could but then you would driving the protodac in parallel with the SPDIF transmitter. I have no idea what you would stand to gain from that.
So I am currently using the Digi2 pro before the protdac board. Ive seperated both of the hats inside this chassis and am running jumpers off the Pi 40 pin to each and only pins needed to run. If i run volumio and in the i2S section choose the digi2 pro as the device I am able to run the protdac beautifully. Roon pics it up as digi2 though. not sure anything else can be done about it
Hi guys! I just recently built a ProtoDAC in combination of the DIR9001, and a cheap PS. Just connected it up last night for first time and was happy to see the LED glow on the DIR9001.The sound is very good! I am using an older NAD cd player that has a SONY optical laser mechanism for reading cd's. I just had some issues with the SONY optics and ordered another one from Taiwan that is not much better when trying to first read my discs! That being said, I am using a coaxial digital cable that bypasses the DAC built into the cd player, so only the information from the disc/laser optic and out to the DIR9001-->connected to the ProtoDAC--->to my Peachtree GrandPre DAC by RCA's. This was a very cheap build and I am really surprised how good it sounds!
Now I am wondering if I could add the Iancanada FiFoPi Q7 with Crystek clocks to this set-up? Not sure if it's even possible?
Now I am wondering if I could add the Iancanada FiFoPi Q7 with Crystek clocks to this set-up? Not sure if it's even possible?
@Markw4
Hi Mark! As I mentioned above, I had built this ProtoDAC to compare SQ to my NAD cd player using S/PDIF coax cable from cd player to the DIR9001 board. I'd like to be able to use my PC as well to play my music files through Jriver using a USB cable that will run into something like you mentioned (JLSounds I2SoverUSB)
I imagine I can connect it using the same GPIO pins for the DIR9001? Also, would I have to be concerned with RFI/EMI if the 2 boards are close?
I was also considering purchasing the ReceiverPi DDC to accept my USB to play my music files. Would I be better off just purchasing the JLSounds board? Thanks!
Hi Mark! As I mentioned above, I had built this ProtoDAC to compare SQ to my NAD cd player using S/PDIF coax cable from cd player to the DIR9001 board. I'd like to be able to use my PC as well to play my music files through Jriver using a USB cable that will run into something like you mentioned (JLSounds I2SoverUSB)
I imagine I can connect it using the same GPIO pins for the DIR9001? Also, would I have to be concerned with RFI/EMI if the 2 boards are close?
I was also considering purchasing the ReceiverPi DDC to accept my USB to play my music files. Would I be better off just purchasing the JLSounds board? Thanks!
JL Sounds I2SoverUSB can output I2S and or SPDIF. Should be able to hook it up as you wish. Clocking will likely be significantly better if you use I2S (and bypass the DIR9001). Also, there are I2S input switch boards available from places like ebay and or aliexpress. Something like that might make it more convenient to use I2S.
So these switch boards would allow me to connect both DIR9001 and JLsounds I2SoverUSB with a manual switch? I am unfamiliar with these I2S switch boards. Using a switch board, will that lessen SQ? Thanks!
P.S. Not sure but would something like this work? Lusya XMOS XU208 board
P.S. Not sure but would something like this work? Lusya XMOS XU208 board
Maybe something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3335431769...3XXsMEPi4BJAL1sNX5nZQd49H9|tkp:Bk9SR4LknoniYg
@Markw4
Would I be able to use this board USB to I2S board and also the DIR9001 with the 2-way Audio I2S / IIS Switching Module Board? Also, would this USB to I2S board be the same or worse than the JLsounds board for SQ? Thanks again!
Would I be able to use this board USB to I2S board and also the DIR9001 with the 2-way Audio I2S / IIS Switching Module Board? Also, would this USB to I2S board be the same or worse than the JLsounds board for SQ? Thanks again!
Think of the switch board as an input selector. It can select either the DIR9001 I2S output, or else select the I2SoverUSB I2S output. The selected I2S output then feeds into the I2S input of the dac.
The switch board will need clean power. The I2SoverUSB board works best with two separate, isolated 5v linear regulated power supplies. So, to get the best results you would need to add proper I2S wiring (RF type wiring practices) between the devices, and additional power supplies as needed.
Does that make sense?
The switch board will need clean power. The I2SoverUSB board works best with two separate, isolated 5v linear regulated power supplies. So, to get the best results you would need to add proper I2S wiring (RF type wiring practices) between the devices, and additional power supplies as needed.
Does that make sense?