I2S from Mini Mac

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#2
Hi hirez69,

I doubt that you can easily access the IIS signals in your Mac Mini.
The IIS is, as a matter of fact, an interconnecting bus between integrated circuits dealing with the digital audio datas.

For external communication you'll find the S/PDIF interface which could be either an optical fibre or a "copper" connection using the traditional cinch connector (either one or even both found on CD-players).

If you really need the access to the IIS bus you possibly have to do some soldering. But prior to do so it is necessary to open the Mac Mini and identify which Audio CODEC is used. Then you can look for the datasheet and find out at which pins the signals are located.

After all I'm pretty sure that you'll never ever find the IIS bus on the SATA connector though.

Finally, as you can read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I2S, the IIS bus will be found in almost all cases only inside of an audio equipment without any direct link (or even connector) to the "outside".

Anyhow, good luck for your "application".
 
#3
Hi Corax,

thank you for support.
As you suggest will try to identify the Audio codec.
My application?
i would like to connect The Mini mac I2S output to I2S input of my DAC directly.
Perhaps someone has already done.

Thanks again
 
#6
b-square said:
I suggest a better alternative would be to use a USB to I2S device, such as the USB receiver from Twisted Pear. No need to destroy your Mini to do it.
Click to expand...

Agree. PCM2707 from BB offers I2S out from usb interface. It utilizes spAct to recover clock freq. from the data line, same as their digital reciever chip dir1703 some say it sounds better than dir9001 which utilizes PLL.

2707 is Mac compatible according to its datasheet.


🙂
 
#9
I'm a broken record on this one: the USB 1.1 Audio Profile is _widely_ supported and does not require any additional/special driver in any modern, major OS (apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan). The PCM2707 (and similar) will Just Work.

If you want something beyond 16/48kHz, I suggest using one of the numerous, often reasonably priced FireWire devices for the Mac.
 
#10
IIRC 2707 datasheet says it is not (fully perhaps) support some version of Mac OS on some languages (i dont use mac so i don't really know how they are classified)

Just for the record, from my experience, around 10% of Microsoft windows would have a problem with 2707 I don't know why it just ask for driver of usb dac and sadly its driver is not available anywhere even on microsoft website. So some of my friends end up installing a new windows just to get this dac work - they really have their guts. 😉
 
#11
Thank to all very much for support.

I try to summarize

I have dozens of recordings in 24/96 (made with Apogee Track Two);

I would like to play these wav file with Mini Mac Windows Vista in the native full resolution and to go to the DAC in I2S to reduce jitter.

Unfortunately all USB 2 I2S converters (2707, Cm-108) work only at 16/44,1-48Khz

My Mod. Sonic2 DAC accept I2S Signals (24/32-192)

Probably the Mini Mac manages signals audio format I2S until 24/96

In the Mac Mini Intel Dual Core Duo 1,83 Ghz Digital Audio Signal transit from logic board (MB) to sound board (Audio Codec is Sigmatel-Idt STAC9220 http://www.idt.com/products/getDoc.cfm?docID=18451984) through Apple Mac Mini Interconnet Board Apple part n° 820-1925 A; probably in this board I2S signals are available, but i don't know where.

....maybe someone has the schematics of this board!
 
#13
hirez69: if you know that there is i2s signal feeding to that chip, you could easily tap that signal out. just look at the chip's datasheet. once the pinouts are identified, then there would be fairly easy job. 😉

b-square: if i'm after real 24/96 like hirez69 but on xpsp2 platform would you suggest what chip I should study? 🙂
 
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