Have been reading up for days but feel I would need much more electronics knowledge than I do. It seems to be a popular subject ... grounding!
Attached is an amp I am building. I have two transformers and an SMPS supply. I will be source selcting via switch between auxiallry XLR input and an internal raspberry pi hifiberry - unbalanced.
My first question is whether the UcD module needs an earth ground connection to signal ground when using RCA? Or will it just amplify the difference between signal ground and signal?
I ask this because Hypex have instructions on the design of the switch between XLR and unbalanced - have attached my understanding of this switch and it explicitly states to connect RCA signal ground to chassis.
I get more confused when it comes to the regulators for the raspberry pi and pre amp. If I connect the negative output of the Pi regulator board to chassis then I have referenced signal ground of the Pi hifiberry to earth? is this true?
There then seems little point in referencing the hifiberry output gnd to the chassis as this will already be at chassis ground? Is this true?
When the hifiberry signal passes to the preamp (Simple NE5534 buffer) - does it matter if the NE5534 supply is floating? I think it does... So would this mean I need to tie the NE5534 regulator to chassis also?
And then (you can see my confusion) Does the SMPS400 need grounding too? I undertstand that I can float this also as I have spacers bewteen the SMPS and chassis - BUT - apparently the UCD Modules are grounded through the heatsinks?
Which leads me back to my first point - should I be floating the entire unbalanced signal - Pi Hifiberry - Preamp....
Sorry for the mess I've just dumped into the forum but any answers to any of the above will help enormously as my electronics education is not keeping pace with this amp build!
Attached is an amp I am building. I have two transformers and an SMPS supply. I will be source selcting via switch between auxiallry XLR input and an internal raspberry pi hifiberry - unbalanced.
My first question is whether the UcD module needs an earth ground connection to signal ground when using RCA? Or will it just amplify the difference between signal ground and signal?
I ask this because Hypex have instructions on the design of the switch between XLR and unbalanced - have attached my understanding of this switch and it explicitly states to connect RCA signal ground to chassis.
I get more confused when it comes to the regulators for the raspberry pi and pre amp. If I connect the negative output of the Pi regulator board to chassis then I have referenced signal ground of the Pi hifiberry to earth? is this true?
There then seems little point in referencing the hifiberry output gnd to the chassis as this will already be at chassis ground? Is this true?
When the hifiberry signal passes to the preamp (Simple NE5534 buffer) - does it matter if the NE5534 supply is floating? I think it does... So would this mean I need to tie the NE5534 regulator to chassis also?
And then (you can see my confusion) Does the SMPS400 need grounding too? I undertstand that I can float this also as I have spacers bewteen the SMPS and chassis - BUT - apparently the UCD Modules are grounded through the heatsinks?
Which leads me back to my first point - should I be floating the entire unbalanced signal - Pi Hifiberry - Preamp....
Sorry for the mess I've just dumped into the forum but any answers to any of the above will help enormously as my electronics education is not keeping pace with this amp build!