X-merdian problems
I checked R13 and it is 47K to ground. I also checked all the pins again on both the cs8406 and the cs8421 and they are as per the schematic. I am at a loss and getting angry with auzentech for not responding to my support email. If I have time today, I will try a X-Fi extreme card in the computer, and see if it works.
JImS
I checked R13 and it is 47K to ground. I also checked all the pins again on both the cs8406 and the cs8421 and they are as per the schematic. I am at a loss and getting angry with auzentech for not responding to my support email. If I have time today, I will try a X-Fi extreme card in the computer, and see if it works.
JImS
Hang in there, rossl
A string of international business trips; many other work related projects going on; a family vacation trip to Europe etc. has caused the modification project to move at a "moderate pace"...
Also, Mouser took their time delivering mission critical parts (ordered early May, delivery late June).
I will see the main person doing soldering and critical work here in Tokyo this upcoming weekend. Will report of the result.
QUESTION:
What significance does the new OPPO DV980H have (if any) to the modification project? I notice it delivers DSD over HDMI 1.2a (which is only relevant if you also have a receiver with this specification). It also offers USB 2.0 output. Supposedly 980H offers "superior audio", but I suspect this is in quantity (7.1 channels etc) rather than quality......
Will a 980H also be modifiable with the current rossl board, or is it still too early to tell?
What would it take to create a high-end stereo audio DAC with an HDMI 1.2a or above input?
I also encourage other "rossl board holders" to join me in keeping the communication herein alive...
A string of international business trips; many other work related projects going on; a family vacation trip to Europe etc. has caused the modification project to move at a "moderate pace"...
Also, Mouser took their time delivering mission critical parts (ordered early May, delivery late June).
I will see the main person doing soldering and critical work here in Tokyo this upcoming weekend. Will report of the result.
QUESTION:
What significance does the new OPPO DV980H have (if any) to the modification project? I notice it delivers DSD over HDMI 1.2a (which is only relevant if you also have a receiver with this specification). It also offers USB 2.0 output. Supposedly 980H offers "superior audio", but I suspect this is in quantity (7.1 channels etc) rather than quality......
Will a 980H also be modifiable with the current rossl board, or is it still too early to tell?
What would it take to create a high-end stereo audio DAC with an HDMI 1.2a or above input?
I also encourage other "rossl board holders" to join me in keeping the communication herein alive...
Re: Hang in there, rossl
According to posts over at AVS forum, the new Oppo has a different chipset and DAC. That implies it will have a new controller circuit board. Judging from what I have read about it, the mod should work but I don't know how easy it will be to install. I still haven't seen one yet.
Hopefully they have kept the nice digital audio connector between the controller chip and the DAC on the new PCB.
elecon said:
According to posts over at AVS forum, the new Oppo has a different chipset and DAC. That implies it will have a new controller circuit board. Judging from what I have read about it, the mod should work but I don't know how easy it will be to install. I still haven't seen one yet.
Hopefully they have kept the nice digital audio connector between the controller chip and the DAC on the new PCB.
A review has been posted that includes pictures of the innards of the new Oppo980: http://www.prillaman.net/oppo980_review.html They're kinda small pictures, but they're better than nothing I guess
IT WORKS, AND IT WORKS WELL INDEED!!!
Saturday August 4 was a great day in Tokyo, because this became the day when our first OPPO 981HD was started up upon assembling and installing Russl's PCB. We connected it to an ASSEMBLAGE 2.7 DAC via a BNC cable (optical out connector location of OPPO was switched for a BNC connector) and it worked perfectly at first try. The jumper switch was set to the 96K up-sampling position to match the DAC used.
The person who did the assembly (an experienced engineer and avid DIY enthusiast) asked me to comment on this thread that Russl's design and documentation is very close to perfect. However, he also told me that the job soldering the chips and many SMD parts was the most challenging of any DIY project he has experienced to date.
The sound as heard via an audio chain consisting of the Oppo 981HD, Assemblage 2.7 DAC, Marantz passive attenuators, modified Marantz 8B power amplifier, and Sonics by Joachim Gerhard "Allegretto" loudspeakers. We also had a latest model Panasonic 52 inch plasma flat panel display.
We played various discs including pure SACD, DVD audio, and everything worked perfectly. The sound was extremely direct, dynamic, and powerful at a level you would expect from the very highest specification (read: very expensive) disc playback system. It was a very clear, and very big improvement from playing through the normal (analog) outputs of the Oppo 981HD itself.
The big relief that all of our group's 5 members felt when hearing the positive result was tremendous, and we did have a bottle of champagne for the occasion. We would like to share that big "CHEERS" with Rossl.
I will attempt to attach a couple of (small) photos of the assembled board and a view over the "landscape" surrounding the board during assembly. Enjoy!
Saturday August 4 was a great day in Tokyo, because this became the day when our first OPPO 981HD was started up upon assembling and installing Russl's PCB. We connected it to an ASSEMBLAGE 2.7 DAC via a BNC cable (optical out connector location of OPPO was switched for a BNC connector) and it worked perfectly at first try. The jumper switch was set to the 96K up-sampling position to match the DAC used.
The person who did the assembly (an experienced engineer and avid DIY enthusiast) asked me to comment on this thread that Russl's design and documentation is very close to perfect. However, he also told me that the job soldering the chips and many SMD parts was the most challenging of any DIY project he has experienced to date.
The sound as heard via an audio chain consisting of the Oppo 981HD, Assemblage 2.7 DAC, Marantz passive attenuators, modified Marantz 8B power amplifier, and Sonics by Joachim Gerhard "Allegretto" loudspeakers. We also had a latest model Panasonic 52 inch plasma flat panel display.
We played various discs including pure SACD, DVD audio, and everything worked perfectly. The sound was extremely direct, dynamic, and powerful at a level you would expect from the very highest specification (read: very expensive) disc playback system. It was a very clear, and very big improvement from playing through the normal (analog) outputs of the Oppo 981HD itself.
The big relief that all of our group's 5 members felt when hearing the positive result was tremendous, and we did have a bottle of champagne for the occasion. We would like to share that big "CHEERS" with Rossl.
I will attempt to attach a couple of (small) photos of the assembled board and a view over the "landscape" surrounding the board during assembly. Enjoy!
Attachments
Seems like you can only attach one image per post herein, so this post carries the second image (a close up of the board itself).
By the way, one of our members also purchased one of the (very) new Oppo 980H players just for checking out the differences. (It arrived on the very same day we were about to test the 981HD with Russl board.) As another poster pointed out; it lacks the connector for tapping out the signals needed for Russl's boards, so it would make the task of modifying even more difficult (if not impossible).
Later we will run a test of the unmodified 980H against another (unmodified) 981HD just to experience the differences. The 980H seems to be very much simplified as compared to the 981HD, but it is still interesting to see how much "performance power" the Oppo engineers have packed into the new product, especially when used as an audio disc player.
For now 981HD with Russl's board is "THE KING". For whoever is willing and able to do this modification, it really becomes the ultimate bang for your money. Top notch performance and specs for peanuts outlay. But do not forget that it requires ultimate assembly skills and a lot of courage!
By the way, one of our members also purchased one of the (very) new Oppo 980H players just for checking out the differences. (It arrived on the very same day we were about to test the 981HD with Russl board.) As another poster pointed out; it lacks the connector for tapping out the signals needed for Russl's boards, so it would make the task of modifying even more difficult (if not impossible).
Later we will run a test of the unmodified 980H against another (unmodified) 981HD just to experience the differences. The 980H seems to be very much simplified as compared to the 981HD, but it is still interesting to see how much "performance power" the Oppo engineers have packed into the new product, especially when used as an audio disc player.
For now 981HD with Russl's board is "THE KING". For whoever is willing and able to do this modification, it really becomes the ultimate bang for your money. Top notch performance and specs for peanuts outlay. But do not forget that it requires ultimate assembly skills and a lot of courage!
Attachments
Algar_emi said:
Are you planning on etching your own PCB? The pad width on a TSSOP land is .015 inch. That is 15 thousandths.
There is 10.6 thousandths of space between the lands, and the soldermask web between the lands in 4.6 thousandths wide.
Liquid photoimageable soldermask is a good way to keep the solder from bridging across the TSSOP lands. Without it the soldering will be very hard to do.
Most of the traces are 8 thousandths wide with 7 thou space.
There are 152 plated through holes in 6 square inches of board space.
Not much chance of a home-etched PCB working.
I have not released the board data into the public domain. The board and schematic are copyrighted.
Hi
I spoke to John at Scientific Conversion. His digital audio transformer SC947-02 are optimized for 96K and 192K. The transformer that we use on the current board design is the PE-65612. It is an old design that is optimized for 44.1K audio and slower. It is also used for T1 telecom circuits at 1.5Mb/s.
The SC part has lower jitter, noise and distortion specs.
Technically, the SC transformer is a much better choice. Except for the availability. The minimum buy is 25 transformers and they cost $16 each plus shipping and a paypal fee. That minimum buy would be over $400.
If we also did a group buy of 25 circuit boards ( that would be rev. D ) I would have to come up with another $400 for the boards. The cost for each unit containing a PCB and a SC947-02 transformer would be about $37.
All the other parts are available from Digikey and Mouser. I really don't want to get into the business of stocking a lot of small parts.
I would need at least 20 people to want to buy into this before I spend the $800 on circuit boards and transformers.
digital audio transformers:
PE-65612 ... $3.87 at Mouser
SC947-02 ... $17, only available in group buy.
I spoke to John at Scientific Conversion. His digital audio transformer SC947-02 are optimized for 96K and 192K. The transformer that we use on the current board design is the PE-65612. It is an old design that is optimized for 44.1K audio and slower. It is also used for T1 telecom circuits at 1.5Mb/s.
The SC part has lower jitter, noise and distortion specs.
Technically, the SC transformer is a much better choice. Except for the availability. The minimum buy is 25 transformers and they cost $16 each plus shipping and a paypal fee. That minimum buy would be over $400.
If we also did a group buy of 25 circuit boards ( that would be rev. D ) I would have to come up with another $400 for the boards. The cost for each unit containing a PCB and a SC947-02 transformer would be about $37.
All the other parts are available from Digikey and Mouser. I really don't want to get into the business of stocking a lot of small parts.
I would need at least 20 people to want to buy into this before I spend the $800 on circuit boards and transformers.
digital audio transformers:
PE-65612 ... $3.87 at Mouser
SC947-02 ... $17, only available in group buy.
Ths digital audio transformer, Scientific Conversion SC947-02
PDF file data sheet is available at
http://home.columbus.rr.com/rossl/94702.pdf
PDF file data sheet is available at
http://home.columbus.rr.com/rossl/94702.pdf
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