PURE Digital Factory Infotainment Integration for ELS Studio

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

Unexpected but positive followup update:

The PCB manufacturer rejected my design for a minor issue last night, and thankfully I had to wait until morning for them to set up a way to update the file, because overnight I had an aha moment that changes the design and would have rendered the PCB order a waste of money!

The aha moment:
The current design up until now has been to include firmware to change the DSP compatibility setting between 5V and 3.3V which are the two common architectures used by DSPs for volume control circuits. That was fine, but it meant that A) I would have to set the device per the user's initial request to the correct setting(s) for their amplifiers(s), and B) to change the setting in the future (ie new amp with different protocol) the user would have to be comfortable opening up the device to expose the USB port, which I purpose don't want to keep exposed so no one inadvertently destroys the device trying to connect to it that way.

But that is all too complicated for a great user experience, so I decided to build an auto sensing circuit that will switch to the correct voltage protocol based on what the amp sends out one of its volume control terminals. This means the device is not only plug and play, but interoperable between DSP designs (so long as they are using a simple potentiometer for volume control, as was true before).

I've been working on this since last night and should have the design ready by late tonight, for resubmission to the PCB manufacturer.

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[Ash @ S2i Audio]

I ended up withdrawing my PCB order last night as I realized I wanted to make additional changes. I'm happy to report the redesign is done!

Change Log:

• Upgraded from one to two DACs as I found a way to do it without going to a 6 layer PCB, so the added cost is incremental. This means that all models will likely come with the optional subwoofer level control as well as the main system volume control integration. If you missed it earlier, the subwoofer level control, if used, would take commands from the head unit's bass EQ setting.
• The auto-sense circuit is done too! This allowed me to remove the USB port as users won't need to fiddle with settings if they change to different amps, or have two amps that use two different voltage protocols (3.3V vs 5V). Now, the Integrator will auto sense and apply the correct voltage scale automatically, on both channels.

Will likely send the order in tomorrow. I want to sleep on it tonight in case I think of anything else, or have missed an error anywhere. I'm tired, lol.

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

Pre-production PCBs have been finalized and ordered just now! Woohoo!

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

I just did some research on the 10th gen civic and it looks like it uses the same strategy for digital source and volume control! I'll be working on that platform next, after I can claim success on DE5/FL5.

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

I've got a question for you guys and gals.

If you were to buy this product, would you want to use the option to utilize the factory speaker wiring, or run your own? The factory wiring is pretty thin, so it's not great for high powered systems, but would be fine for modest power (say 50-75 wpc). I'm considering offering two options of wiring harnesses - one with speaker wires integrated, and one that skips the speaker wires for those who want to run thicker wire themselves (that option would be considerably less expensive as wire ain't cheap).

Where would you land?

 

[ABPDE5]

I think a lot of the appeal of this product is the ability to use the existing wiring, etc. You may want to offer both options.

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

Followup question- how long should the harness be? Factoring that the longer it is the more expensive the end product becomes.

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

Question for the group: if you had a choice between an RCA digital output and Toslink optical output, which would you select?

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

nevermind... sidegrading to Toslink will add significant cost to the device, so I'm sticking with RCA/RG6 for the first series. If there ends up being a big demand for embedded Toslink conversion I'll pick that thread back up then.

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

Hey all — quick update. I've set up a Slack community for this System Integrator project where I'll be posting dev updates, answering questions, and gathering feedback as things get closer to launch. Figured it'd be a better home for ongoing conversation than scattered forum threads. It's also the best place to make feature requests during the product development cycle.

If you've been following along and want to stay in the loop, DM me and I'll send you the link.

Still happy to answer questions here too — not going anywhere.

 

[acurax]

nevermind... sidegrading to Toslink will add significant cost to the device, so I'm sticking with RCA/RG6 for the first series. If there ends up being a big demand for embedded Toslink conversion I'll pick that thread back up then.

TBCH, I use optical over RCA when I can with my home theatre, but that really depends on your target price point and the volume of sales you expect. I'd suggest doing a survey to gauge interest as well as preference.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

nevermind... sidegrading to Toslink will add significant cost to the device, so I'm sticking with RCA/RG6 for the first series. If there ends up being a big demand for embedded Toslink conversion I'll pick that thread back up then.

Just a note, bmw and merc used fiber heavily for years to limit em interference, but they abandoned it due to fragility. My cousin was a BMW engineer at one point and said he frequently saw people doing custom audio on Bmw's back then that would wreak havoc on the system when they'd bend or damage one of the fiber lines.

Modern day shielding is lighter and better, while the throughput on copper has caught (and surpassed) fiber in some cases.

I went down a rabbit hole a while back for my home theatre setup (after I hadn't done much HiFi stuff in almost 10 yrs) and I was shocked to see how "outdated" toslink has become. Glad I still have some of my Chromecast audios with toslink! For basic audio they're great.

Sounds like you're going down the right direction anyway.

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

Yeah, my question was more about what ports people have on their DSPs, in case going one way or the other would limit the population of compatibility.

I think we're still good with RG6 SPDIF for now. If that changes, I'll just design a solution for it

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

I should add, if you want to be a Beta Tester, please DM me for the Slack link as I will be selecting Testers and managing the process there, and only there.

Thanks!

 

[Ash @ S2i Audio]

For the latest updates I recommend you join my Slack that I created. DM me for the link.

That said, I'm happy to give an update here as well.
Progress has been significant. I have found and addressed some design issues in the first boards that I got from the manufacturer, so that has caused a delay, but that's what happens in the R&D stage so I'm not sweating it other than the throwaway expense of boards I can't use.

I've found suppliers for all the necessary hardware: PCBs, Enclosures, custom cut endcaps (for the connector cutouts), and the full cable assembly. Other than product packaging, which I'm not worrying about at this stage, that is everything needed to start testing units in cars. I will be testing on my own car first before calling for beta testers, of course. Timing of all of this depends on manufacturer production and shipping times (all parts are in production right now). Then of course the final dependency is whether there are any defects uncovered during my testing. I'd say this is probably a one-month timeline to get the test results. If all goes well with those results, I'll send some test units out, ideally to locals first.

Through all the R&D and reworks I have performed, there have been some enhancements made to the product that I am really proud of. The devices will now auto-sense the voltage at which your DSP's remote control circuit operates at and match that value directly, rather than only having the settings of 3.3V and 5V. This is good because variations in DSP's even from unit to unit in the same model can occur. This addresses that variability without the user having to do anything.

The final piece of the puzzle to make installation as painless as possible is certification of DSP brands and models. Every DSP manufacturer uses their own form factor for the volume control connector, and they don't publish the pinouts. My goal is to initially have solutions for Arc Audio, Helix, and Audison DSPs. Arc Audio I already own so we're covered there. For Helix, I bought a used URC.3 remote and a forum member has sent me his DSP.3 which will allow me to reverse engineer the Helix volume interface. I still need to locate an Audison DSP for the same purpose, but I'll attack that in a while as I already have a lot on my plate.

As for pricing, I can't say just yet, as everything depends on the cost of parts/shipping etc. Right now, I can support a price of $400 but I'm trying my hardest to get it down another $50 to $100. All depends on the aforementioned, and the volume of interest in the device. The more people line up to buy it, the larger quantities I can order parts in which drives the cost down. I'll pass that savings on to the buyer.

More to come this month!
-Ash

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