Re: LF: Octo-soundcard for the Raspi

[Markus Vester <markusvester@aol.com>]

Hi Terry, Stefan,

yes, seeing Paul's encouraging results on the VLF_Group thread (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/VLF_Group/conversations/messages/25666 and earlier posts) made me want to try it out myself. But it looks like I came too late :-( Anyway it will be interesting to follow your progress towards coherent multichannel VLF reception.

BTW the Octo card is specified to 96 kHz samplerate, even though the data sheet says that the chip could do up to 192 kHz - would that be limited by RasPi SPI bandwidth?

Best 73,
Markus

-----Ursprüngliche Mitteilung-----
Von: DK7FC <selberdenken@posteo.de>
An: rsgb_lf_group <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
Verschickt: Di, 13. Jun 2017 15:17
Betreff: Re: LF: Octo-soundcard for the Raspi

Hi all,

Since a few minutes, the octo soundcard became part of my portable VLF/ULF recorder based on the Raspi.
I did not follow the dicsuccions on the yahoo groups.
For now i can tell that the soundcard is based on the chipset CS42440-DQZ, see the data sheet at https://d3uzseaevmutz1.cloudfront.net/pubs/proDatasheet/CS42448_F5.pdf

I'm looking forward to the first tests.

BTW i got an idea how to solve the problems with portable operation of the Raspi when using vlfrx tools. vlfrx tools needs a 1PPS reference and the ntpd service to generate a timestamp. But in portable operation there is no internet access, so no tracking of the clock time. After shutting down and restarting the raspi, the clock has an offset, it continues with the time just before the shut down. So that's the problem. BUT! The GPS module provides NMEA informations containing the current date and time. It can be connected to the serial input of the Raspi. I assume there are already available scripts which periodically set the Raspi clock from the data received from the GPS module via the serial interface!
Probably i'm not the first one who got this idea, but that doesn't matter :-)

Images of the old and new version...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/55o7vyie5yo02m2/AAA-tCIYAGmu2YeCdbWNr7MJa?dl=0

73, Stefan



Am 13.06.2017 14:52, schrieb Terry G0EZY:

When Stefan posted the Amazon UK link on 5th June, there were 5 available in the UK. Stefan, Paul and I bought one each - not sure where the others went!

Have you been following Paul's tests with his vlfrx tools and RaPi/Octo setup on  the Yahoo VLF Group (not the RSGB vlf group)?

After getting successful crowd funding for the Octo project, it seems crazy to release such a small batch. Although all those that backed the project with a donation got one or more boards depending on how much invested. Maybe that exhausted the interest?

Flatmax org has another RaPi audio project asking for funding - according to one post on the VLF group, it could have a facility for external timing oscllator injection.

Terry

 

On 13/06/2017 12:25, Markus Vester wrote:

Looks like they're sold out on amazon.uk. Still available in the US but unfortunately they won't ship to Germany. Does anyone know another source?

Markus (DF6NM)


-----Ursprüngliche Mitteilung-----
Von: DK7FC <selberdenken@posteo.de>
An: rsgb_lf_group <rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org>
Verschickt: Mo, 5. Jun 2017 16:39
Betreff: Re: LF: Octo-soundcard for the Raspi

Hi all,

Oh, now it is available at amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Octo-channel-sound-card-Raspberry/dp/B06Y3PZ6MF

But not in DL...

73, Stefan

Am 31.05.2017 15:05, schrieb DK7FC:
> Hi all,
>
> Does someone tried the new octo-coundcard with 6 inputs for the Raspi?
> There is a forum link:
> http://www.flatmax.org/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=9&sid=38d2f3c26e926886b446abdadb011928
>
> It looks like they are available in the US now. As far as i can see
> there's still nothing in UK or DL...
>
> 73, Stefan
>