Support for Botic Linux driver

[miero]

Great, you rock! ;-)

 

[Murdoc]

I'm playing a testtone, just left OR right channel. And I can hear it on both speakers at any time, no matter which "remap input" in Alsa I select.
I didn't do any modifications on the Cronus. So there is a flaw.

Again: (This is not in your direction, Miero.)
A manual, or a short reference put in the thread with a link on the first page, or even a real manual, would be so nice! And it is also necessary!

I have each a 0-Ohm resistor for R5, R6, and R7, as somewhere mentioned in the appropriate thread. R1-R4 are not soldered in. Is this right for a B3 (not SE) and a pure stereo out?

Thank you so much for your help!
Matthias

PS:
Perhaps not so much at the moment! 😉

 

[miero]

How do you play a testone? Try this command: speaker-test -c 2

 

[Murdoc]

I used testtones I "created" with audacity, so it's easy to check. I play them with mpd.
I got the same result with your command. 🙁

more info:
I forgot:
When I mute DAC0 and DAC1 in alsamixer, everything is muted. As I understand, the one half of the 8 internal DACs should be the combined left channel, the other half the right.

 

[miero]

If you set the Input Remaping to 12125656, then only DAC1,2,5,6 inputs are used.

Maybe you have tied left+right channel in non-standard way. Try following to test it:
- set Input Remapping to 12345678 (no remaping)
- set all DACx volumes to max
- play 8 channel test: speaker-test -c 8

In a normal stereo configuration only 0,1 channels should play the sound. The R1-R7 resistors on the Cronus selects the HW channel mapping. Which one did you solder?

 

[miero]

Hmm, I see: the R5, R6 and R7. It should be fine, but if possible recheck the connections using beeper test of multimeter.

 

[Murdoc]

Miero, my hero! 🙂

Checked R5-R7
R6 has strangely 39Ohms, but R5 and R7 are spot-on 33Ohm (within a few 1/10).

Speaker-test with 8 channels bring:
Just 0 (Front Left) and 4 (Center) give noises, on both speakers.

Settings:
Remap Inputs: 12345678
Remap Output: q6true
[DPLL: 1x Auto, DPLL Phase: Normal, De-emphasis: Bypass, External (100%), Fir Rolloff: Fast, IIR Bandwidth: 50k, Jitter Reduction: Use, MCLK Notch: No Notch, Oversampling: Use, SPDIF Source: 1, True Mono: Off]

more info:
I tried out all Remap Outputs available and run the speakertest:
All gave the same results, function wise, not audible.
All pseudo had extrem noise there, the true settings are sounding normally.
And every time just channel 0 (Front Left) and 4 (Center), like mentioned above.

 

[miero]

Please disconnect the Cronus from Hermes and B3 first and measure the R6 again. If its resistance is not 33 Ohm, resolder/replace it.

I'm not sure about the channel 4 yet, there might be another problem with it.

 

[bern]

Hi,
I wanted to evaluate HQplayer upsampling for my NonOverSampling DAC so I installed this Debian Jessie from Ray's image (thank you nautiboy🙂) which has botic and NAA (Network Audio Adapter for HQplayer) built in.
For my DAC i need L and R channel splited so I use ALSA output called 'botic-split':

pcm.botic-split {

    type route;
    slave.pcm "hw:0,0";
    slave.channels 4;
    ttable.1.0 1;
    ttable.0.1 1;
    ttable.1.2 1;
    ttable.0.3 1;

}

ctl.botic-split {

    type hw;
    card 0;

}

How to select 'botic-split' as output for Network Audio Adapter or how to make 'botic-split' default botic output?

Second issue:
Is Network Audio Adapter allows connecting HQplayer and botic from different subnet?
eg HQplayer connected to LAN and botic connected to wifi
TIA,

 

[miero]

bern, I have no idea. These are questions to the HQplayer support forum.

 

[bern]

bern, I have no idea. These are questions to the HQplayer support forum.

Thanks miero.
Maybe I would just set 'botic-split' as default output?. Please advise how to do it.

 

[miero]

Try add following lines into .asounrd:
pcm.!default pcm.botic-split;
ctl.!default ctl.botic-split;

I'm not sure if "-" is valid character for name, if that does not work try replace it with "_".

 

[bern]

Try add following lines into .asounrd:
pcm.!default pcm.botic-split;
ctl.!default ctl.botic-split;

I'm not sure if "-" is valid character for name, if that does not work try replace it with "_".

Thank you very much miero🙂
I've tried several times, several settings and not able to play both R L using HQplyer (only left chanel plays). I think that currently HQplayer's Network Audio Adapter is a limitation since I constantly see in the HQplayer setings only one 'default:Botic' as a device.
linux shows me following list of pcm devices:

root@arm:~# aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
botic-split
default:CARD=Botic
    Botic,
    Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=Botic
    Botic,
    Default Audio Device
dmix:CARD=Botic,DEV=0
    Botic,
    Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=Botic,DEV=0
    Botic,
    Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=Botic,DEV=0
    Botic,
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=Botic,DEV=0
    Botic,
    Hardware device with all software conversions

So i am staing with squeezelie (in which I can select output device).
I wanted to test upsampling functionality. I compare playback of 16/44.1kHz with upsampling (squeezelite's SOX) and without upsampling and pure NOS sounds better to me (even with alases - without digital filtration). I was curious how HQplayer's upsampling sounds. Well, maybe another time 🙂

 

[francolargo]

Hi bern,

Simply add an exclamation point before the plug name to make it the ALSA default - there can be only one such plug. Like:

pcm.!botic-split {

I can't participate in testing now - traveling with only my phone. Hola de Buenos Aires!

Frank

 

[bern]

Hi bern,

Simply add an exclamation point before the plug name to make it the ALSA default - there can be only one such plug. Like:

pcm.!botic-split {

I can't participate in testing now - traveling with only my phone. Hola de Buenos Aires!

Frank

Thanks for replay Frank🙂
Before you wrote I had done just like you propose: exclamation mark before the plug name. Unfortunately seems like Network Audio Adapter not see new default pcm output and chooses
default:CARD=Botic
Have a nice trip🙂

 

[nautibuoy]

Bern, can you post a screen grab of your HQ Player settings; page 17 of the HQ Player manual refers.

I have no problem playing stereo (PCM and DSD) from HQ Player via an NAA (Beaglebone/Botic). I don't understand why you are trying to use split, in Alsa?

Also, I have previously used two Ethernet cards in my HQPlayer workstation, one for normal household network (to connect to my NAS and wireless via the usual home router) and the other a dedicated connection to the NAA device.

Ray

 

[bern]

Hi Ray,
> Bern, can you post a screen grab of your HQ Player settings
Ofcourse. I'm attaching a screen.

>I don't understand why you are trying to use split, in Alsa?
My DAC is dual balanced mono and consist of 4xPCM1704 chips each for L+, L-, R+, R- Usually PCM1704 are fed by digital filters chip like DF1706. DF1706 makes oversampling, splits DATA signal into L and R channel and converts input data format to right justified RJ (acceptable for PCMs chips). Since my design is NonOverSampling I do not apply digital filters chip DF1706 but instead data format converting to RJ as well as data spiting (for R and L channel) and eventually upsampling is done by the botic driver and player software.

>Also, I have previously used two Ethernet cards in my HQPlayer workstation, one for normal household network (to connect to my NAS and wireless via the usual home router) and the other a dedicated connection to the NAA device.
So you have the HQplayer and BBB in the same subnet, right?
I tried today connect HQplayer (LAN) to BBB (WIFI) but without success.
I can connect both devices only when they both use WIFI (I haven't checked LAN). I suspect that the 'broadcaster' and 'receiver' device must be in the same subnet...
Regards,
B

 

[nautibuoy]

Hi Ray,
> Bern, can you post a screen grab of your HQ Player settings
Ofcourse. I'm attaching a screen.

Your HQPlayer settings are what I would expect to see.

>I don't understand why you are trying to use split, in Alsa?
My DAC is dual balanced mono and consist of 4xPCM1704 chips each for L+, L-, R+, R- Usually PCM1704 are fed by digital filters chip like DF1706. DF1706 makes oversampling, splits DATA signal into L and R channel and converts input data format to right justified RJ (acceptable for PCMs chips). Since my design is NonOverSampling I do not apply digital filters chip DF1706 but instead data format converting to RJ as well as data spiting (for R and L channel) and eventually upsampling is done by the botic driver and player software.

Ah, now I understand. I am feeding a Buffalo 3SE DAC. If what you desire is feasible you are in good hands with miero, I have no experience of such configuration. Sorry

So you have the HQplayer and BBB in the same subnet, right?

Yes.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Ray

 

[Murdoc]

Hi Miero,

I've disconnected the Chronus and measured the resistors, they are all tighly within 33Ohms.

 

[Murdoc]

I've thought a bit about the test sound with 8 channels. Channel 0 is playing for the left channel (see post 1892), and channel 4, which is oddly named center channel.
So, if alsamixer is right, then there is something mixed up, as I should hear just the right channel.
And, that I can hear both speakers when the test sound for the center channel plays is logical.
So for me right channel and center channel got somehow mixed up.