Hey Guys!
Just tested the AIO438 a little bit and i've got some problems regarding the config tool (2.2.0), or at least my understanding of it.
I can load and save basic EQs but i am not entirely sure how to set up the EQ-Button function?
And another thing:
Is there any HowTo or documentation on how to change the BT name of the module?
Since QCC 3031 supports USB connection and it seems to be the connector onboard as well this should be possible with the right software?
I tried the QCC Tool i used with the Qualcomm Trbi-200 uart programmer for other projects, but after connecting the AIO438 via USB the Tool does not find any device. Same for PS Tools i used for the older Csr chipsets.
Any hint or help is very much appreciated!
Are there any known features/issues that still will be implemented/fixed in the future?
So far this module seems to be quite awesome!
Best regards
Just tested the AIO438 a little bit and i've got some problems regarding the config tool (2.2.0), or at least my understanding of it.
I can load and save basic EQs but i am not entirely sure how to set up the EQ-Button function?
And another thing:
Is there any HowTo or documentation on how to change the BT name of the module?
Since QCC 3031 supports USB connection and it seems to be the connector onboard as well this should be possible with the right software?
I tried the QCC Tool i used with the Qualcomm Trbi-200 uart programmer for other projects, but after connecting the AIO438 via USB the Tool does not find any device. Same for PS Tools i used for the older Csr chipsets.
Any hint or help is very much appreciated!
Are there any known features/issues that still will be implemented/fixed in the future?
So far this module seems to be quite awesome!
Best regards
Can I get some help with the DEQ feature? I'm sure it's probably easy to set up but I keep failing for some reason. Let's say I want a 18db boost at 45hz at low volume 1, 16db at low volume 2, 12db at high volume 3 and 8db at high volume 4. To keep things simple, the filter type would be a peaking filter with a Q of 1. I know how to set a peaking filter but how would the DEQ levels section look like? Also, for some reason I can only set the first two (low volume level) values. for 3 and 4 it doesn't register the values I enter. Can someone try this in their Config tool and share some screenshots and a few words on how to do it? Thanks
I'm a bit afraid about the future of this product. I don't know if it's because of the chip shortage or another reason, but the development of the new board with all of the missing features is a real bummer.
It has so much potential, but crucial features are missing and there's no roadmap for what to expect.
I've always trusted and had faith in Lutkeveld, but he has been awfully quite lately.
It has so much potential, but crucial features are missing and there's no roadmap for what to expect.
I've always trusted and had faith in Lutkeveld, but he has been awfully quite lately.
Developing the new product with all the intended functions take time and dedication, and especially right now when it is easy to fall into a trap with limited availability of certain parts.
That said, I need to make amends for some of the comments I made myself earlier in this thread about voltage tolerance, looking back it was not made clear that I was talking in general about a large range of different products from other manufacturers where the tolerances used in development where too tight to allow for variations in real life applications.
I have seen OTHER UNRELATED products that where made for 12-24V input that failed consistently within 6 months using 24.5V, but have lasted for over 6 years staying at 23.5V.
The Zoudio/lutkeveld products seem to me to be well engineered and are mainly focused towards providing a lot of value for money, without me knowing all the finer details the tolerances should be fine for most regular applications provided you normally stay below 26-26.5V or so which should be fine for most applications.
I think it is a good product, he probably does not have enough time or manpower to offer support for every little thing.
I do not know for sure but I assume that this is most likely a side business and not a main source of income, and many people these days have a lot of work just trying to make ends meet, so time as well as other resources are sometimes hard to balance in everyday life.
Consider these things, and if you do not have any concrete evidence of some form of misconduct please do not wave around loose accusations regarding lack of trust and faith, it is very easy to destroy someones reputation by making slight comments like that.
Sorry to put you on the spot like this, but: @zaxder have you tried purchasing or using any of the Zoudio products? It may be hard to develop new products if there seems to be lacking support from customers, without enough turnaround/sales it can be difficult to defend further development.
That said, I need to make amends for some of the comments I made myself earlier in this thread about voltage tolerance, looking back it was not made clear that I was talking in general about a large range of different products from other manufacturers where the tolerances used in development where too tight to allow for variations in real life applications.
I have seen OTHER UNRELATED products that where made for 12-24V input that failed consistently within 6 months using 24.5V, but have lasted for over 6 years staying at 23.5V.
The Zoudio/lutkeveld products seem to me to be well engineered and are mainly focused towards providing a lot of value for money, without me knowing all the finer details the tolerances should be fine for most regular applications provided you normally stay below 26-26.5V or so which should be fine for most applications.
I think it is a good product, he probably does not have enough time or manpower to offer support for every little thing.
I do not know for sure but I assume that this is most likely a side business and not a main source of income, and many people these days have a lot of work just trying to make ends meet, so time as well as other resources are sometimes hard to balance in everyday life.
Consider these things, and if you do not have any concrete evidence of some form of misconduct please do not wave around loose accusations regarding lack of trust and faith, it is very easy to destroy someones reputation by making slight comments like that.
Sorry to put you on the spot like this, but: @zaxder have you tried purchasing or using any of the Zoudio products? It may be hard to develop new products if there seems to be lacking support from customers, without enough turnaround/sales it can be difficult to defend further development.
As I stated, I have faith in and have always trusted Lutkeveld. My only concern is that over that last year there hasn't been any big progress in the features of the new board. More noticeable there hasn't been any information about when we could expect TWS, a functioning EQ button, delay, I2S and other features.
I do own the old board which I am more than happy with and no other boards come close to Zoudio's quality.
I do own the old board which I am more than happy with and no other boards come close to Zoudio's quality.
lutkeveld has obviously had problems sourcing components and been delayed in development because of issues outside his control, I am not overly concerned about a slight delay. Though it would be nice to get a simple heads up on the progress, I am sure we will be some of the first to know when something happens.
An update is indeed warranted.
Production has been quite difficult lately. Previously, I could send a bill of materials and let the assembler handle it. Now it is a big mess of sourcing components in advance, contacting brokers, paying 5 times the cost for a certain chip. First it was the amplifier chip, then it was the Bluetooth module, then it was the microcontroller.
The problem with this is that it takes AND more time from me AND reduces the margins by quite a lot. This is time/money I normally could invest in development and future stock. This amplifier is sold by the hundreds anually, not by the thousands, which is a difficult scale to operate at.
Over the next month I will look into viable options to stabilize hardware production and work on firmware development.
The most logical option I see right now is moving production to a local assembler and hiring a firmware developer.
However, both options are obviously easier said than done and require significant up-front investment.
This will probably require a price increase on the amplifier, and then the question is how this impacts scale.
It is all a complex trade-off of multiple factors, which I am trying to find a good solution for.
Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions here.
It only adds to an open discussion about the future.
Production has been quite difficult lately. Previously, I could send a bill of materials and let the assembler handle it. Now it is a big mess of sourcing components in advance, contacting brokers, paying 5 times the cost for a certain chip. First it was the amplifier chip, then it was the Bluetooth module, then it was the microcontroller.
The problem with this is that it takes AND more time from me AND reduces the margins by quite a lot. This is time/money I normally could invest in development and future stock. This amplifier is sold by the hundreds anually, not by the thousands, which is a difficult scale to operate at.
Over the next month I will look into viable options to stabilize hardware production and work on firmware development.
The most logical option I see right now is moving production to a local assembler and hiring a firmware developer.
However, both options are obviously easier said than done and require significant up-front investment.
This will probably require a price increase on the amplifier, and then the question is how this impacts scale.
It is all a complex trade-off of multiple factors, which I am trying to find a good solution for.
Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions here.
It only adds to an open discussion about the future.
Hey Jesse,
I know your job is not easy. But to make it for everybody easier and to keep your customers and to get new ones I make one suggestion: Could you provide a proper documentation on your amplifier? You do not seem to offer a version history of your amp/firmware/software and there is no manual about programming/using ports easily accessible on your website. This is quite unacceptable.
I just don't think everybody knows what to do to have the amplifier switched on by default. I tried the command yesterday and something happened, I know because the amp got switched on and off, but the console didn't say anything about changes applied or similar. Command seems to do nothing, still need to push the volume encoder button for switching it on.
Greetings, Arne from woodwave.eu
Last edited:
Which firmware is up to date for AIO 438? I'm guessing 2.01, since the tool stated this number as I updated the settings. Please write everything together and provide stickies here or provide a detailed pdf documentation. The firmware update is only for the old AIO4CH, I'm guessing between the lines?
Why do you still keep things in the preliminary datasheet you can't provide to this day? E.g. delay, EQ button? This is false advertising. Me and my customer still wait for the EQ button and TWS since day one.
The firmware was not meant to be public, but I agree that a changelog at least would provide some clarity on changes over time. Some commands like the default on mode are for example introduced as a temporary way for some customers to enable an experimental feature, but there is no way of knowing when its introduced without a changelog.
TWS and EQ are both mentioned to be not implemented at the current date in the datasheet. EQ is on the todo list for the near future, but TWS is on hold until I can get in contact with a suitable developer. The firmware is unfortunately too complex for me to implement myself.
TWS and EQ are both mentioned to be not implemented at the current date in the datasheet. EQ is on the todo list for the near future, but TWS is on hold until I can get in contact with a suitable developer. The firmware is unfortunately too complex for me to implement myself.
One possibility would be to make your CLI public, or available to certain customers. The GUI spits out a whole series of commands that it generates, depending on certain user selections on the GUI. I assume this goes into the NVR of the micro, which, on each power up, sends those informations via I2C to the ICs that need it before they can begin to operate.
It would be feasible then, to capture this generated command set as a file, edit it, an be able to make changes without you having to explicitly create or modify a GUI feature. Now, it's doubtful someone outboard of the GUI is going to calculate biquads, nor enable TWS. But some functionality is just register programming; it's there already, only the hex value needs to change to effect a difference in operation.
Like TI has this whole gigantic section on the I2C programming registers, what each implements, what values are valid, etc, you could document the states and corresponding register values for some of the functionality you explicitly program via the GUI. Again, it'd be ridiculous to do the biquads, but stuff at the level of Channels 1 and 2; 000 = "Left", 001 = "Right", 010 = "Mono" could allow some customers additional latitude without you having to go through a GUI release cycle.
People are smart; if it's just a matter of taking the file of info the GUI sends out each time it's run, modifying one hex value in one line, then sending that new programming file up into NVR yourself via "Tera Term" and the USB dongle / connection - and now you get X instead of Y behavior, operation, etc...
Just a thought. I'd be willing to help with such documentation.
It would be feasible then, to capture this generated command set as a file, edit it, an be able to make changes without you having to explicitly create or modify a GUI feature. Now, it's doubtful someone outboard of the GUI is going to calculate biquads, nor enable TWS. But some functionality is just register programming; it's there already, only the hex value needs to change to effect a difference in operation.
Like TI has this whole gigantic section on the I2C programming registers, what each implements, what values are valid, etc, you could document the states and corresponding register values for some of the functionality you explicitly program via the GUI. Again, it'd be ridiculous to do the biquads, but stuff at the level of Channels 1 and 2; 000 = "Left", 001 = "Right", 010 = "Mono" could allow some customers additional latitude without you having to go through a GUI release cycle.
People are smart; if it's just a matter of taking the file of info the GUI sends out each time it's run, modifying one hex value in one line, then sending that new programming file up into NVR yourself via "Tera Term" and the USB dongle / connection - and now you get X instead of Y behavior, operation, etc...
Just a thought. I'd be willing to help with such documentation.
I still don't know how I use the command. Because there is no manual or similar I can find on your page. In case you didn't get what I meant: I want to know how to enable the "default on enable" command. I also want to know what else I can change via commands... I ask for a proper documentation. I think not for the first time. Is it asked to much? Where is your manual? When do we get it?
Simply not true: https://zoudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AIO438-datasheet.pdf Look for yourself. EQ button is mentioned (since beginning) so it should work.
@jjasniew
There is no actual CLI in the background, but I get what you mean.
The registers themselve are indeed well documented from TI.
The main challenge is that the configtool calculates a checksum and some metadata so the amp can store and handle it.
So you cannot really change one register directly without having to recalculate the checksum/metadata.
Also most registers are in floating point format, so manual entry is hardly possible.
@subkultur
Oh yes, I see. It is mentioned in the button description but not there. Sorry for the false claim
Which version of firmware are you running? You can request it by sending 'FIRMWARE' when the amp is on.
The default on command is added in version 2.2.0 of the firmware.
As a general note, I will start working on a revision history of the firmware and make a summary of how the interface from the configtool to the amp works.
Even though it modifying this interface might not be easily done, it can provide a bit more insight in how the amp works. I will try to get it online before the end of this month.
There is no actual CLI in the background, but I get what you mean.
The registers themselve are indeed well documented from TI.
The main challenge is that the configtool calculates a checksum and some metadata so the amp can store and handle it.
So you cannot really change one register directly without having to recalculate the checksum/metadata.
Also most registers are in floating point format, so manual entry is hardly possible.
@subkultur
Oh yes, I see. It is mentioned in the button description but not there. Sorry for the false claim
Which version of firmware are you running? You can request it by sending 'FIRMWARE' when the amp is on.
The default on command is added in version 2.2.0 of the firmware.
As a general note, I will start working on a revision history of the firmware and make a summary of how the interface from the configtool to the amp works.
Even though it modifying this interface might not be easily done, it can provide a bit more insight in how the amp works. I will try to get it online before the end of this month.
Hey Jesse, I don't know which firmware version is on that amplifier, I think you see the version only when you use that configtool? I don't even know how to change the firmware, but I'm sure you find the procedure somewhere in this thread I think you get where I'm headed...looking forward to your documentation. The amp I'm talking about is in customers' hands, but once in a while I get to see it, because the customer is a friend living close-by. Will check next time, when you implemented the EQ button functionality, then it is worth the effort of opening the box
I think you get where I'm headed...looking forward to your documentation. The amp I'm talking about is in customers' hands, but once in a while I get to see it, because the customer is a friend living close-by. Will check next time, when you implemented the EQ button functionality, then it is worth the effort of opening the box Documentation on the CLI and a release log with changenotes are now available on:
https://github.com/ZOUDIO/AIO438-firmware-releases
https://github.com/ZOUDIO/AIO438-firmware-releases