New FIFO buffer for RPI/SBCs

[sckramer]

Oscilloscope screen showed some bugs in the data compared with original i2s

@cdsames, Is there any impact to the sound caused by this?

 

[cdsgames]

You know what, thats what I am trying to understand. I am mostly listening to Qobuz 16/44 streaming...somehow I was not able to hear anything.

Tomorrow we are having a meeting to figure out why..

@cdsames, Is there any impact to the sound caused by this?

 

[cdsgames]

Thinking further on it...the only impact that this bug could have its negative..right ?

So once fixed..it should increase the SQ of 16 bit files. Does it make sense ?

@cdsames, Is there any impact to the sound caused by this?

 

[Zoran]

The pin header on Kali has the same pinout as the RPi's GPIO header so I2S is located at the same pins:

Hi Dimdim, thanks.
But these are input I2S pins to the FIFO if I get right.
Where is the MCK pin, master clock pin?
...
And where are the I2S outputs pins after FIFO?
thanks

 

[Zoran]

Paying customers will receive exchange units for free.

Testers, we are ready to send a new Kali (up to 384Khz this time) with the corrected code. Note that the bug is only seen on 16 bits.

Thx to Dimdim for finding the problem.

Hi cdsgames, could You plesae send some images with 4 digital bus lines?
Offcourse if You have some captured.

 

[ChrisMmm]

Paying customers will receive exchange units for free.

Testers, we are ready to send a new Kali (up to 384Khz this time) with the corrected code. Note that the bug is only seen on 16 bits.

Thx to Dimdim for finding the problem.

Having just ordered 2 Kali earlier in the week (order #000271) I am wondering if the units I am sent will have corrected code. Happy to wait a short while to ensure I get corrected ones.

 

[Dimdim]

Hi Dimdim, thanks.
But these are input I2S pins to the FIFO if I get right.
Where is the MCK pin, master clock pin?
...
And where are the I2S outputs pins after FIFO?
thanks

Kali has its output lines on its (Kali's) GPIO header, on the exact same pins.

This way you can mount a HAT DAC on top of Kali, like you would on top of the RPi.

MCLK output is via U.FL socket on the bottom of the board.

 

[Dimdim]

Thinking further on it...the only impact that this bug could have its negative..right ?

So once fixed..it should increase the SQ of 16 bit files. Does it make sense ?

In my case, the only listening that I did with 16bit output was my initial testing on my workbench with my headphones, and even then Kali made noticeable improvement to the sound.

The tests I did in my main system with my friends were all in 32bit mode because my B III for some reason doesn't like the RPi's 16bit I2S. At that time I wasn't checking for reversed channels so I didn't notice that they were not reversed.

 

[Dimdim]

For the record, these are two captures of a 16bit I2S stream, playing a 440Hz sine wave on the left channel only.

This one is the RPi's output:

And this one is Kali's output:

I'm surprised that this I2S stream produced actual music..

 

[clivem]

But these are input I2S pins to the FIFO if I get right.
Where is the MCK pin, master clock pin?

You are kidding, right?

 

[clivem]

The tests I did in my main system with my friends were all in 32bit mode because my B III for some reason doesn't like the RPi's 16bit I2S.

CLUE: BCLK must be 64fs for ES9018 even if only 16 bit data.

 

[cdsgames]

If your order left , we will resend. All other orders are delayed one day and we will send it with right firmware loaded.

Having just ordered 2 Kali earlier in the week (order #000271) I am wondering if the units I am sent will have corrected code. Happy to wait a short while to ensure I get corrected ones.

 

[ChrisMmm]

If your order left , we will resend. All other orders are delayed one day and we will send it with right firmware loaded.

Thanks for that.

 

[Dimdim]

CLUE: BCLK must be 64fs for ES9018 even if only 16 bit data.

Of course you are right, looking at the ES9018's datasheet confirms that.

So do you have a ready-made overlay in mind that might cater to these demands?

 

[sckramer]

Yeap we got it...on the 16 bit files there was a swap and some nastiness ...seems it was fixed on new firmware.

@cdsames, Is there any impact to the sound caused by this?

You know what, thats what I am trying to understand. I am mostly listening to Qobuz 16/44 streaming...somehow I was not able to hear anything.

Thinking further on it...the only impact that this bug could have its negative..right ?

So once fixed..it should increase the SQ of 16 bit files. Does it make sense ?

I asked 'cause nastiness is a pretty broad term could be the initial handshake, could be continuous in the music (i2s) stream, or an innocuous blip here & there -- etc. etc.

So heck if I know it'll improve sound quality !?

@Dimdim, your 2nd scope output is blank...

@cdsgames... let's see that megabuck scope that can measure sub 3ps!

 

[sckramer]

@cdsgames

On the 352800/384000 Kali... do these new clocks change the 3ps spec? Any other changes? Is this the Kali 2?

Did you find a place to stuff 2 more LED's re: 352K/384K

 

[Dimdim]

@Dimdim, your 2nd scope output is blank..

Try ctrl+R (refresh).. I edited the post shortly after posting.

 

[pidesd]

dimdim, the image doesn't expand for me either (after refreshing)...

 

[sckramer]

I've not tried the Piano on it's own, and really do not want to... it's slave mode (no on board clocks) into the messy pi i2s-- it'll suffer from that, correct? Don't think a fair assessment could be made.

I'm excited by something here most certainly the Kali!

@clivem, @Dimdim

Did you guys see this ?... as good as the Piano's near perfect power/noise situation for the PCM5142 chip, without the Kali it's fighting the pi i2s (non master mode) with it's PLL.

@Dimdim you did a writeup on this... the pi raw i2s

 

[sckramer]

Scott,

Thanks for your report. I'm doubly excited now... and even more curious to hear how close the Kali comes to the Ian Reclocker setup.

Just waiting now... and I saw the package with a Kali go the wrong direction (north instead of south), checked, and saw I made a mistake when I gave my zip code. Hopefully the USPS untangles that soon.

In the meantime, based on what I heard comparing my modified HFBD+P to the largely stock Mamboberry and to my highly modified Panasonic S47 DVD player this weekend... and on what Soundcheck reported on his Mamboberry LS.... and the reports here and elsewhere on the Kali, I'm contemplating some mods to my Mamboberry to help maximize its performance on the Kali.

More later on that in Soundcheck's MB LS thread.

Greg in Mississippi

Haha, you always have you hands in so many things!

What is the relation to this & Ian's fifo? That's a bit of a mountain thread, and Ian just yesterday has resumed replying after a few months... I saw he has a 2nd thread re: an i2s isolator, complicated w/DSD tho !?