SqueezePlay OS - logic output when audio playing ?

[keynet]

Hi team,
Using SqueezePlay OS, I'm looking to generate a logic output when it's playing - to turn an external AMP on and off.

I've thought of the possibilities of hardware connected to the IDT sound chip inside - not preferred due to the complexity; a USB sound card with some kind of LED output I can hijack, or other? I plan to drive an SSR to turn the amp on and off, can adapt levels etc, use USB 5V etc.
I'm guessing someone has done this or there's a relatively simple solution out there, though not come across it so far.

I'm trying not to waste the 9-10W idle power of the amp, or keeping on reaching for the on/off switch !
Appreciate any suggestions.

[pete]

Here purchased all necessary for modification of the Joggler to utilize the IDT sound chip digitally. I have done a bunch of hardware modes and never have updated the sound stuff and gone to an external USB audio device (mini thing).

I have read though here that the sound quality is a tad better with an external USB device versus the sound hardware modification internal to the Joggler.

Here have a few Jogglers on line 24/7 and a few of these Jogglers have an analogue audio buzz which has never gone away.

Note these specific problem child Jogglers were made for testing and not "officially" released and utilized by OpenPeak and are labeled "prototype".

The above said for testing still utilize an old IBM external speaker / microphone USB powered device from the 1990's which doesn't sound bad but is not even close to an audiophile's audio.

[keynet]

Thanks Pete. Any suggestions on a suitable USB device?
I just checked the idea using my venerable Soundblaster MP3+ USB (normally sits on a PiCoreplayer - fine using optical to a cinema amp BTW), but its LED starts flashing as soon as the main OS starts up, and doesn't stop after that, playing or not.

[pete]

Yes here just went with ebay el cheapo specials a few years back...maybe $5 USD. Have a zoned audio system here and sound is one source and then sub zones with AVRs and Joggler Squeeze player is the sound sound for the AVR.

I stream the BBC to the master bathroom with 6" in wall speakers via MB AVR and sound is fine for me. More particular here about multiple speaker / AVR configurations for LCD TV 5.1 and 7.1 sound.

Over the years have turned the Kodi computers to STB's for Video and Audio connected to the AVR and television. The Jogglers are alternate audio only devices which are stand alone / AVR or sources for Russound audio.

[keynet]

Thanks. Seems there's no obvious solution out there, so here's what I did for ref in case it helps anyone else.

Most amps use more power than one might expect when idling, in mine the big toroid takes 8-9W even even when in standby. With the Joggler running (another 5-6W), that's more than enough 24x7 idle power for my taste!

So I bought an el-cheapo "Dynamode 7.1" USB sound card as suggested - which has 2 LEDs. Like the MP3+ I mentioned earlier, the green one flashes when SQplay is running, and is on constantly when it stops. I devised the circuit below to provide a drive to an SSR I had lying around which I inserted in line with the AMP. I migrated to PNP3 so I can stop/start SQplay on demand (which controls the LED), and also via my home automation system (SSH command to run trigger.cgi - same as using the GUI). So I still have local + remote control, but only the joggler 24x7 is on 24x7. The circuit looks like this:

I took out the 2 coupling components to the now unused input jack, and used that jack as the output to the SSR which makes things a whole lot neater. The SSR in my case is a 3-15V OACM-U from Tyco/Potter & Brumfield - there are many similar out there.

Photo of the hacked USB sound card below (sadly I didn't mange to make the board small enough to fully reassemble the interface!), and the innards - enough space to put my little circuit inside. As an aside, in another life, I might have done this with a simple comparator / op-amp if I'd remembered how picky the 555 is about retriggering ! Anyway, it works.

[hawsey]

Great work Keynet , that looks great , thanks for sharing it .

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[pete]

Very nice Keynet!

You can hide the combo modded USB sound card inside of the Joggler on the left. There is enough room there.
Here using a dremel tool I flattened out any protrusions there to make more space then used a bit of hot melt glue to stick stuff to the back of the joggler.

1 - tapping in to the Joggler motherboard for your USB 2.0 connection wire like only removing the USB connector
2 - move the two audio jacks to the back of the joggler at the top left
or
tap in the the joggler audio chip and connect an optical out jack.

Here on the left tinkering hardware have:
1 - top mini RTC with battery
2 - 16GB SSD with ZIF flattened and folded connected to ZIF connector on middle of motherboard
3 - mini WLAN USB stick on bottom.

You mention automation?
A bit of a tanget here now....

Here currently utilizing many of the Jogglers as touchscreens for automation server. Most of them are running embedded XP but can do similiar with Ubuntu and Android. Automation here using X10, UPB, Zigbee and ZWave and most recently testing SonOff WiFi basic modules using Mosquitto (wave of the future) internal to network.

IE: modded basic $5 USD Sonoff (arduino) with Tasmota firmware using GPIO pins. Firmware is updatable via OTA or JTAG - 1 Mb flash.



Functions using Mosquitto as:

1 - Button GPIO A - high or low voltage relay switch
2 - GPIO B - one temperature sensor
3 - GPIO C - door sensor 1
4 - GPIO D - door sensor 2
5 - GPIO E - tiny PIR sensor

This now and playing much with Node Red. You can make the Joggler an automation server running Linux and utilize a browser interface. Graphics though are a bit slow.

[keynet]

Thanks for that. I'm happy enough to hide the USB widget behind the amp/speaker, and not mess too much with the joggler innards. And still using venerable Misterhouse which I've extended here and there to support my hardware and the various Squeezeplayers of course (play/stop/auto sync/alarms/reboot etc).

[pete]

Understood.

Here have tested opensource OpenHab, HomeGenie and Home Assistant to run fine on the Joggler with Ubuntu on it.

Homeseer (not opensource) also runs fine on the Joggler with Mono installed.

All of the above automation software talks ZWave, Zigbee, UPB, X10 and Wifi automation light control today.

Relating to the Joggler innards today street value of the Joggler is free or very low cost such that you can can purchase them today just to tinker and have a bunch of spare parts around. The OpenPeak Jogglers were made to last a long time with most current technology at the time (2009).

[keynet]

...A year later, and some minor tweaks.

After using Pete's scheme to get Wake-on-LAN working, I found that the power-down scenario forces the AMP on all the time (USB 5V remains present, no way as yet to disable). Not so useful! Also during bootup, the USB LED gets toggled a few times. So a longer timeout to mask some toggles, and AC-couple the input to ignore steady state. Here it is

Revised AMP interface

[pete]

Yes if you want you to you can purchase a carpc combo intelligent power supply with USB sensor and amp switch board to do this.

IE: many many years ago used a tank power supply (extra battery) with autoswitching such that it would be charged plus an external small intelligent power supply board.

It will be a tad larger footprint and you will need a 12VDC power supply.

You know I am cheating a bit and your revised AMP interface is smaller and easier to do.