ReggieB
31-12-2015, 19:13
I bought a Audiophonics RaspDAC Kit (http://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-dac/audiophonics-raspdac-kit-diy-network-player-raspberry-pi-20-dac-sabre-p-10384.html) before Christmas, and I thought it was about time I sat down to build it. The kit comprises a set of parts and no instructions.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AFIVIPT1az4/VoV1-tCDvXI/AAAAAAAAAn0/fsi1KG-krLI/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_141748908.jpg
So I've had to do a little homework and I've sourced some additional parts to make things a little easier for myself.
The additional parts being some female to female ribbon cable (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=Arduino+ribbon+cable&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XArduino+r ibbon+cable+female.TRS0&_nkw=Arduino+ribbon+cable+female&_sacat=0) to connect the DAC to the display, and some male pin connection strips (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=pin+strips+male+connector+pcb&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpin+strip s+male+connector+pcb+arduino.TRS0&_nkw=pin+strips+male+connector+pcb+arduino&_sacat=0) to solder to the DAC and Display so that I can easily swap connections and minimise the amount of soldering required.
The main information I needed was the pin-outs for the display, which I got via Audiophonics support:
http://forum.audiophonics.fr/download/file.php?id=158&sid=e692fe7c3d6c9f8ee05fc6a0c4f592f7
I also had a little play with a breadboard to check out how the power switch needed to be wired.
I hit one problem fairly early on. The images of the built kit on the Audiophonics site show the power socket installed next to the audio RCAs:
http://audiophonics.fr/img/cms/newsletter/h2.jpg
However, with the DAC supplied, there is a headphone socket in the way:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Oa-XJcavfYU/VoV19s6NFEI/AAAAAAAAAno/VbEvtH9Onio/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_145834931.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MeI3r45UWKk/VoV1_MuT5LI/AAAAAAAAAn4/RP8_9BrwFrg/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_145854702.jpg
So I'm going to have to drill a new hole for the power socket. For now, I'm leaving the lid off the unit and am dangling the socket over the side.
I used pin strips to provide the connections between the DAC and display:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gWfR_d110i0/VoV2DA4haOI/AAAAAAAAAoA/H5W0mQnLK5o/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_150521660.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q0CRhEfMF_g/VoV2JY-3fuI/AAAAAAAAAoI/rfZ6Tje9Pzo/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_154155855.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M7YTmZZm-WI/VoV2KPGI18I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/zNa7FYCi9SI/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_154725893.jpg
As you can see, I'm not the greatest solderer in the world. At least this way I only have to solder the once, and can easily reconnect everything.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WMC8E1jjPQo/VoV2MMQ1mcI/AAAAAAAAAoY/bBWbluEelb8/w383-h682-no/IMG_20151231_160427964.jpg
That image shows the two units connected via 10cm cables - in fact, I needed 20cm cables to get the reach needed when the units were fitted into the box.
This is everything assembled:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dHxzLFTzZPE/VoV2P1xvhEI/AAAAAAAAAog/akPDBxdoMJk/w383-h682-no/IMG_20151231_180947819.jpg
The unit's now all connected up to my hi-fi and working (except the display). Work still to do:
Drill new hole for power socket
Get the display working - something needs configuring in the software - so I need to do more homework
Improve the power switch circuity - currently it just cuts the supply to the unit. I'd like it to power down the Pi
Increase the size of the resistor for the power switch light as it's a bit on the bright side for my liking.
Connect up the HDMI socket - I don't need it at the moment - but I'll connect it up once the power socket is in place.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AFIVIPT1az4/VoV1-tCDvXI/AAAAAAAAAn0/fsi1KG-krLI/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_141748908.jpg
So I've had to do a little homework and I've sourced some additional parts to make things a little easier for myself.
The additional parts being some female to female ribbon cable (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=Arduino+ribbon+cable&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XArduino+r ibbon+cable+female.TRS0&_nkw=Arduino+ribbon+cable+female&_sacat=0) to connect the DAC to the display, and some male pin connection strips (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=pin+strips+male+connector+pcb&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpin+strip s+male+connector+pcb+arduino.TRS0&_nkw=pin+strips+male+connector+pcb+arduino&_sacat=0) to solder to the DAC and Display so that I can easily swap connections and minimise the amount of soldering required.
The main information I needed was the pin-outs for the display, which I got via Audiophonics support:
http://forum.audiophonics.fr/download/file.php?id=158&sid=e692fe7c3d6c9f8ee05fc6a0c4f592f7
I also had a little play with a breadboard to check out how the power switch needed to be wired.
I hit one problem fairly early on. The images of the built kit on the Audiophonics site show the power socket installed next to the audio RCAs:
http://audiophonics.fr/img/cms/newsletter/h2.jpg
However, with the DAC supplied, there is a headphone socket in the way:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Oa-XJcavfYU/VoV19s6NFEI/AAAAAAAAAno/VbEvtH9Onio/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_145834931.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MeI3r45UWKk/VoV1_MuT5LI/AAAAAAAAAn4/RP8_9BrwFrg/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_145854702.jpg
So I'm going to have to drill a new hole for the power socket. For now, I'm leaving the lid off the unit and am dangling the socket over the side.
I used pin strips to provide the connections between the DAC and display:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gWfR_d110i0/VoV2DA4haOI/AAAAAAAAAoA/H5W0mQnLK5o/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_150521660.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q0CRhEfMF_g/VoV2JY-3fuI/AAAAAAAAAoI/rfZ6Tje9Pzo/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_154155855.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M7YTmZZm-WI/VoV2KPGI18I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/zNa7FYCi9SI/w1215-h682-no/IMG_20151231_154725893.jpg
As you can see, I'm not the greatest solderer in the world. At least this way I only have to solder the once, and can easily reconnect everything.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WMC8E1jjPQo/VoV2MMQ1mcI/AAAAAAAAAoY/bBWbluEelb8/w383-h682-no/IMG_20151231_160427964.jpg
That image shows the two units connected via 10cm cables - in fact, I needed 20cm cables to get the reach needed when the units were fitted into the box.
This is everything assembled:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dHxzLFTzZPE/VoV2P1xvhEI/AAAAAAAAAog/akPDBxdoMJk/w383-h682-no/IMG_20151231_180947819.jpg
The unit's now all connected up to my hi-fi and working (except the display). Work still to do:
Drill new hole for power socket
Get the display working - something needs configuring in the software - so I need to do more homework
Improve the power switch circuity - currently it just cuts the supply to the unit. I'd like it to power down the Pi
Increase the size of the resistor for the power switch light as it's a bit on the bright side for my liking.
Connect up the HDMI socket - I don't need it at the moment - but I'll connect it up once the power socket is in place.