Hi Lemon, thank you.
I fixed my Amanero board last Saturday, it was about a hardware issue. I spent a couple of hours to check it pin by pin and I found that the pin no. 13 from ATSAM has a lose contact. Somehow, this only affected DSD.
Xmos still have 2 minor advantages: first I can set its MCLK dynamically, so for 44.1kHz and 48kHz they will be 22+/24+ (at 45+/49+ for 44.1/48 kHz AK4490s are really overclocked). If you already set MCLK/2 for Amanero, you have to reflash it if you want MCLK/1, and second I can set F0-F3 for Xmos board in order to display on LCD "DSD Native"or "DSD DoP"- this one is really minor.
Yesterday I have added the power on/off relay board, linear power supply for Amanero/Xmos (some pcb traces from USB 5V were cut) and now I am adapting the code for my needs:
- the actual volume to be stored in the eeprom chip
- volume adjust not to be possible when DirectDSD=enable and to set an "inactive color" for volume (attenuation) percentage on main Menu
- when the DacMode = PCM not to see DirectDSD option in Menu1 table, but De-emphasis 44.1/48 option
etc.
I fixed my Amanero board last Saturday, it was about a hardware issue. I spent a couple of hours to check it pin by pin and I found that the pin no. 13 from ATSAM has a lose contact. Somehow, this only affected DSD.
Xmos still have 2 minor advantages: first I can set its MCLK dynamically, so for 44.1kHz and 48kHz they will be 22+/24+ (at 45+/49+ for 44.1/48 kHz AK4490s are really overclocked). If you already set MCLK/2 for Amanero, you have to reflash it if you want MCLK/1, and second I can set F0-F3 for Xmos board in order to display on LCD "DSD Native"or "DSD DoP"- this one is really minor.
Yesterday I have added the power on/off relay board, linear power supply for Amanero/Xmos (some pcb traces from USB 5V were cut) and now I am adapting the code for my needs:
- the actual volume to be stored in the eeprom chip
- volume adjust not to be possible when DirectDSD=enable and to set an "inactive color" for volume (attenuation) percentage on main Menu
- when the DacMode = PCM not to see DirectDSD option in Menu1 table, but De-emphasis 44.1/48 option
etc.
The ATSAM pin13 must to be grounded.
I don't use the original Amanero but a mine pcb design with LT3045/3042 for the supplies and different patterns clocks (NDK/Crystek).
Unfortunately, the original Amanero has a common power supply rail for all with clocks on it!
I haven't tried to improve or change the code, Dim-Dim has make a lot of work here.
I don't use the original Amanero but a mine pcb design with LT3045/3042 for the supplies and different patterns clocks (NDK/Crystek).
Unfortunately, the original Amanero has a common power supply rail for all with clocks on it!
I haven't tried to improve or change the code, Dim-Dim has make a lot of work here.
My Amanero board has 4 power supplies, but they are all ADP151: one for ATSAM,one for clocks (Si531, but they don't count when Amanero is in the slave mode) and two (3.3V + 1.8V) for CPLD.
I used 2 pcs LT3042s for AK4490s 7V analog power supplies VREF, 1 pc LT3042 for Si570, 2 pcs ADP151 for DACs AVDD , 1 pc ADM7150 for DACs digital p. supp. and Si8641 as digital isolator. All the caps are Al-polymer. For VREF I have found at TME 1200uF/10V ESR 8 mOhm and I put 2 pcs per channel, so 4 pc per DAC chip.
For the output filters I used 4 pcs LT1763 for 2x+-15VCC. For all these power supplies their inputs are from 8 pcs. adjustable LT1084 regulators, so I set them for a minimum voltage drop on every LDO (according to their datasheet) in order to move the heat to the LT1084's heatsinks.
The Dimitris's code is very good as it is and it is excellent explained, so as a novice I was able to modify it in order to make it to work with my LCD which has not ILI4981 controller (it took me 2 days to figure out that), with my Si570 which is 7ppm version and the registers are different than 20ppm version (it took me 3 hours to figure out that) and so on...I almost memorized all the code
I used 2 pcs LT3042s for AK4490s 7V analog power supplies VREF, 1 pc LT3042 for Si570, 2 pcs ADP151 for DACs AVDD , 1 pc ADM7150 for DACs digital p. supp. and Si8641 as digital isolator. All the caps are Al-polymer. For VREF I have found at TME 1200uF/10V ESR 8 mOhm and I put 2 pcs per channel, so 4 pc per DAC chip.
For the output filters I used 4 pcs LT1763 for 2x+-15VCC. For all these power supplies their inputs are from 8 pcs. adjustable LT1084 regulators, so I set them for a minimum voltage drop on every LDO (according to their datasheet) in order to move the heat to the LT1084's heatsinks.
The Dimitris's code is very good as it is and it is excellent explained, so as a novice I was able to modify it in order to make it to work with my LCD which has not ILI4981 controller (it took me 2 days to figure out that), with my Si570 which is 7ppm version and the registers are different than 20ppm version (it took me 3 hours to figure out that) and so on...I almost memorized all the code
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Dedicated DAC for the great Greek guy's here (long journey into SMD soldering etc..)
Evening all here.
I had a looong journey getting here ...
Since i was a little kid, me and my granddad did electronics stuff down his basement, back then in the 70's there was no smd parts in my sight... Anyway i learned to solder by this great man back then... So up till now, i did a lot ot amp's, pcb's, repair's etc... But in 2017/2018 i stumbled over this dual mono ak4490 DAC ... Hell my world changed a bit, couldent accept in mind that such a thing as soldering tiny smd part's with legs distance down to 0.6mm was possible; but it is actually...
I shoot a message to Dimitris aka' DimDim, and he answered that i needed the pcb's for this dac; me asking if smd parts was soldered allready
ha ha ha.. ofcause not!.
So i started to collect equipment for this in my world crazy thing.
So now i finally succeded finishing it up, and yes i got the smd parts soldered very well endeed also...
So now to the real thing; the actual review of the DAC :
The DAC is dual mono design, which i could hear straight away, paired with my Salas DCG3 (well mine is only 2xgain) and my Aleph Mimi also dual mono; god damn this is sounding good, my daughter at 19 sayd... What more can i say? .. Yes she is right, and i am very satisfied. I can do a directly compare with my RPI/HAT dac buildin my Salas DCG3 preamp, and i must say, that the ak4490 is opening the room up, and the other is (Still very good) dull compared to this; which i dident expected actually.
This dac is spreading the instrument and stereo perspective more than i never heard befor !!!
In week or two some of my boy's freind which are also "nerds" as me, will make a listening session here with theyr'e young ears, so please be prepared for a part 2 of this
Good evening all... and have a great weekend!
Jesper.
Evening all here.
I had a looong journey getting here
... Since i was a little kid, me and my granddad did electronics stuff down his basement
, back then in the 70's there was no smd parts in my sight... Anyway i learned to solder by this great man back then... So up till now, i did a lot ot amp's, pcb's, repair's etc... But in 2017/2018 i stumbled over this dual mono ak4490 DAC ... Hell my world changed a bit, couldent accept in mind that such a thing as soldering tiny smd part's with legs distance down to 0.6mm was possible; but it is actually...I shoot a message to Dimitris aka' DimDim, and he answered that i needed the pcb's for this dac; me asking if smd parts was soldered allready
ha ha ha.. ofcause not!.So i started to collect equipment for this in my world crazy thing.
So now i finally succeded finishing it up, and yes i got the smd parts soldered very well endeed also
...So now to the real thing; the actual review of the DAC :
The DAC is dual mono design, which i could hear straight away, paired with my Salas DCG3 (well mine is only 2xgain) and my Aleph Mimi also dual mono; god damn this is sounding good, my daughter at 19 sayd
... What more can i say? .. Yes she is right, and i am very satisfied. I can do a directly compare with my RPI/HAT dac buildin my Salas DCG3 preamp, and i must say, that the ak4490 is opening the room up, and the other is (Still very good) dull compared to this; which i dident expected actually.This dac is spreading the instrument and stereo perspective more than i never heard befor !!!
In week or two some of my boy's freind which are also "nerds" as me, will make a listening session here with theyr'e young ears, so please be prepared for a part 2 of this
Good evening all... and have a great weekend!
Jesper.
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Excellent job Jesper!
For starters it proves that doing fine SMD work at home is not impossible, as long as you are willing to put in the effort to learn a couple of new things and invest in some form of magnification equipment.
Regarding the DAC's sound, I'm eagerly awaiting the results of your listening sessions..
One thing I really noticed with this dac is that it really cares about the orientation of your mains' plug. Live should go to live, neutral to neutral (as should be the case for the rest of your audio components). Plus make sure that all of your transformers' primaries are wired properly (as in, the same way).
Regarding the power supplies, the most critical ones for SQ are the ones for AVDD(L&R). Their quality will make the difference between a very-very good dac and an excellent dac. I got the best results with running a pair of paralleled LT4045s as pre-regs.
For starters it proves that doing fine SMD work at home is not impossible, as long as you are willing to put in the effort to learn a couple of new things and invest in some form of magnification equipment.
Regarding the DAC's sound, I'm eagerly awaiting the results of your listening sessions..
One thing I really noticed with this dac is that it really cares about the orientation of your mains' plug. Live should go to live, neutral to neutral (as should be the case for the rest of your audio components). Plus make sure that all of your transformers' primaries are wired properly (as in, the same way).
Regarding the power supplies, the most critical ones for SQ are the ones for AVDD(L&R). Their quality will make the difference between a very-very good dac and an excellent dac. I got the best results with running a pair of paralleled LT4045s as pre-regs.
Cool
Yes, it's satisfying to had made this working (with some hickups on the way).. I learned a hole lot of things, especially how isolators & clocks are working.
Also i needed to put my mind into the Arduino coding; i understand (thanks to DimDim's detailed comments in her AKDuino code) most of it now!... I will make some minor changes to, also this is fun -Actually allready changed so "blacking" out screen is possible with remote... More to come for sure
Yes ofcause... I need to design this when winter comes.
Now i need to install tft in frontplate and clean it all up.
Rgds; Jesper.
(PS: I keep in mind, that i must care for L/N when connecting it finally up)
Yes, it's satisfying to had made this working (with some hickups on the way).. I learned a hole lot of things, especially how isolators & clocks are working.
Also i needed to put my mind into the Arduino coding; i understand (thanks to DimDim's detailed comments in her AKDuino code) most of it now!... I will make some minor changes to, also this is fun
-Actually allready changed so "blacking" out screen is possible with remote... More to come for sure Yes ofcause... I need to design this when winter comes.
Now i need to install tft in frontplate and clean it all up.
Rgds; Jesper.
(PS: I keep in mind, that i must care for L/N when connecting it finally up)
Thanks
I cut out the hole for the TFT today, and did the encoder connection along with some cleanup.
I still have lot of work to do, but getting there slowly.
Regarding the TFT cut out, i desided to make hole display sit flat with front, eventhrough the visible area is a bit off right side; i also like looking at the small wire connection on right side of TFT.
Anyway, just a quick followup
Jesper.
I cut out the hole for the TFT today, and did the encoder connection along with some cleanup.
I still have lot of work to do, but getting there slowly.
Regarding the TFT cut out, i desided to make hole display sit flat with front, eventhrough the visible area is a bit off right side; i also like looking at the small wire connection on right side of TFT.
Anyway, just a quick followup
Jesper.
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