FAQ / Discussion

[DerPicknicker]

Hey,

as we already discussed this is a thread for discussing several things beside issues / PRs.

Here are my first questions:

• Is there a way available which allows to update the Snapclients via WiFi? If you already have a way implemented I would like to know if I can make use of it.
• What are the next steps for this project? A WiFi configuration of the Snapcast-Server / Pin Configurations? This would allow to provide pre-build firmware. Is there a timeline available?
• How complex is to add the DSP functions? For me it would be great if there is a low pass available because this would allow to create a Subwoofer Chanel in addition to the other speakers.

Thank you in advance for your time. I will finish the new driver for the TAS5805M soon. I will try to make the volume control better. The implementation from espressif seems like a good start.

[CarlosDerSeher]

How complex is to add the DSP functions?

Not very complex. You should really dive into the component to see how it is done. Most of it is configured through menuconfig, I've also started to add an http server which should at some point make it possible to configure these settings during runtime, but it is in a very early stage.

[CarlosDerSeher]

This could be of interest I guess https://www.avsforum.com/threads/a-simple-diy-2-channel-dsp-based-on-the-esp32-lyrat-for-around-20.3266946/

[DerPicknicker]

Hey,

Thank you for the information. I think the resolution doesn't matter. But it can improve the overall audio quality a lot.

See here: https://github.com/steindevices/ESP32-LyraT-DSP

The code is able to read the data from the mentioned app. If I have some time I will check the code. Would you support here?
I think especially for bigger rooms it would help to sound better. Porting this code from Arduino to IDF is not possible for me due the amount of time. Where can I find your DSP-Code?

I can't do the testing of Toslink AliExpress has not delivered the parts ;-)

[CarlosDerSeher]

The link I provided is the same github repo :)

Sure I'll support as good as I can. check components/dsp_processor for existing dsp code

[DerPicknicker]

Hi @CarlosDerSeher ...

I saw that there already some filters defined. The main question for me is. Can I just copy&paste the filters from the app and format them into the format of the component or do I have to do some coding to get the DSP functionality ready?

I guess not because here I think I need to setup more filters, right?

case dspfBiamp: {
filterParams.fc_1 = 300.0;
filterParams.gain_1 = 0;
filterParams.fc_3 = 100.0;
filterParams.gain_3 = 0.0;
break;
}

[CarlosDerSeher]

First check out https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-dsp/en/latest/esp32/index.html

And then use dspfBassBoost as a reference. Look at the _init and _worker functions as a reference.
The _update function is used by the web interface to dynamically change the parameters.

[CarlosDerSeher]

Is there a way available which allows to update the Snapclients via WiFi? If you already have a way implemented I would like to know if I can make use of it.

Yes there is OTA

In the log you'll see a message:
idf.py build ; curl snapclient.local:PORT --data-binary @- < build/snapclient.bin

If you have more than one client you should probably use their ip address instead of host name to access them. The code for this is mostly stable but has some quirks from time to time. During reboot after the upgrade for example, a loud static noise can happen. Not sure why, probably DAC isn't shutdown properly

[DerPicknicker]

Hi,

thank you - this seems an ideal solution. I saw it in the components folder but wasn't sure how to use it. I can add this to the readme if I am finished with the driver.

[CarlosDerSeher]

What are the next steps for this project? A WiFi configuration of the Snapcast-Server / Pin Configurations? This would allow to provide pre-build firmware. Is there a timeline available?

As my spare time is really limited currently, there is no real timeline. Things on my todo list are:
● upgrade to IDF 5, as they improved a lot on the i2s driver and I could stop using my own modified driver and just use native i2s driver from IDF
● add support for all the boards in ADF
● link to ADF through cmake and removed copied components from the project (e.g. audio_hal, audio_sal, etc)
● control DSP through http during runtime, I'd like to have at least a three band EQ with a nice looking web interface
● auto choose network interface. Currently you have to choose between ethernet and wifi during build time.
● improve documentation
● add support for ogg, this is in fact the only thing missing to make it a fully implemented snapclient and once it is there @badaix will hopefully also link this project in his Readme :)
● throw out unused code
● ...

I'll edit and add to this list if something else pops up in my mind

[DerPicknicker]

See here: Snapcast+MusicAssistant

[najdanovicivan]

IMO Angular is very heavy for ESP I'd suggest going on with gzipped Vue or Svelte since those frameworks need only a couple of KBs when gzipped

[DerPicknicker]

@najdanovicivan ...

Thank you for your input. If your are a frontend developer would you support here? And help to develop a nice looking website?

From my understanding angular also supports gziped builds. Are there any big differences?

[CarlosDerSeher]

Just another thought.
Is a website is really worth the effort? These clients are most certainly controlled through a smartphone App or some other kind of central control device. So wouldn't it be good enough to provide a solid interface with good documentation and implement the pretty web UI on some other device?

So maybe fork from here and add this feature for esp clients? Not sure if this is possible but maybe esp clients could identify themselves as such and then the app could provide the necessary interface for dsp.
This was always my dream but I just don't find the time to do it.

[DerPicknicker]

@CarlosDerSeher ..

The problem is that, the Snapcast Protocol does not understand DSP settings. The snapweb client and the other snapcast clients like snapdroid would not see these things.
I would suggest to make some settings changeable at runtime here is my proposal:

• WiFi / Ethernet Settings
• Pin-Configuration (DAC-Selection)
• SnapServer Configuration (MDNS,Static Configuration, Ports)
• DSP-Configuration (EQ, High/Low-Pass Filter)

[DerPicknicker]

Flipping the Word-Select

Just a small question: Is there a way to flip / invert the word select signal? And if yes can I make this configurable via the IDF? (I need this for the bridge mode of the TAS5805M).

[DerPicknicker]

Hey,

thank you for your reply ..

I found something that looks like it could solve my problem.

See here:

i2s_std_config_t std_cfg = {
    .clk_cfg = I2S_STD_CLK_DEFAULT_CONFIG(48000),
    .slot_cfg = I2S_STD_MSB_SLOT_DEFAULT_CONFIG(I2S_DATA_BIT_WIDTH_32BIT, I2S_SLOT_MODE_STEREO),
    .gpio_cfg = {
        .mclk = I2S_GPIO_UNUSED,
        .bclk = GPIO_NUM_4,
        .ws = GPIO_NUM_5,
        .dout = GPIO_NUM_18,
        .din = I2S_GPIO_UNUSED,
        .invert_flags = {
            .mclk_inv = false,
            .bclk_inv = false,
            .ws_inv = false,
        },
    },
};

https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/v5.1.2/esp32/api-reference/peripherals/i2s.html

Is this supported .ws_inv = false by your custom driver? That would allow to invert the levels of the GPIO. As I read the datasheet it supports the TDM Data and i2s as well.

=> https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tas5805m.pdf?ts=1703928246271&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F

Page. 36.

[CarlosDerSeher]

As I took the driver from IDF v4.3 I don't think this is supported. One more reason to upgrade to IDF v5 I guess.
You still could check which settings are done to invert the signal and do it quick and dirty somehow just to give it a try or add this functionality to the custom i2s driver yourself.

[DerPicknicker]

I will firstly finished the driver with only left bridge mode. If i have a lot time i can see if I can add this to your custom driver. But my priority is the REST-Server because I want to learn that too.

[CarlosDerSeher]

I'd also suggest not to add this to the i2s driver as this will be obsolete when we implement the upgrade to IDF v5. I plan this in the near future but I guess it could take a couple of months still. I don't know how much effort this is so...

[DerPicknicker]

I will focus on the restful server + frontend and the tas5805m driver. I will keep you updated.

[DerPicknicker]

NVS Storage

Hi @CarlosDerSeher ,

are you already storing data in the NVS? I am planning to save all the webui settings inside the NVS. I think about to remove all settings at build time and do the full configuration except WiFi via the webui.

The following settings I would use the NVS for:

• Snapcast-Server config
• Hostname
• DSP Config
• DAC configuration

Would you prefer to remove a lot of hard-coded stuff and make this a little more dynamic?

BTW: I ordered a Lyrat Mini i can test end of January your changes in the development branch.

[CarlosDerSeher]

Please see other components to see how cmakefile.txt should look like. Additionally you should call the functions from somewhere or they won't be used by the compiler. You can add logging messages to see if the functions are used right.

[DerPicknicker]

Now I am one step ahead. But somehow the IDF-Dependencies are not correct or my CMAKEFile.

This #include "esp_chip_info.h" is not found by the compiler or let's say it in different words. All elements are not found.

Here is the CmakeLists.txt:

idf_component_register(SRCS "rest_server.c" 
                       INCLUDE_DIRS "include"
                       REQUIRES custom_driver custom_board rtprx dsp_processor esp_hw_support esp_system esp_http_server vfs)

They are included in the rest_server.h and it looks like this:

#include <string.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include "esp_http_server.h"
#include "esp_chip_info.h"
#include "esp_random.h"
#include "esp_log.h"
#include "esp_vfs.h"
#include "cJSON.h"

the rest_server.h is then included in the main.c to see if my code works.

[CarlosDerSeher]

This #include "esp_chip_info.h" is not found by the compiler or let's say it in different words. All elements are not found.

You have to add the component that header belongs to as REQUIRED.

[CarlosDerSeher]

Also ensure you look at the right version of documentation and examples. Don't forget we are at v4.3.5

https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/v4.3.7/esp32/api-reference/system/system.html?highlight=esp_chip_info#_CPPv413esp_chip_infoP15esp_chip_info_t

Scroll down until API reference, I think you may have a version mismatch

[DerPicknicker]

Oh well. I took the examples from the master branch. You're right I must change the branch. I will try it and give you an update.

I hate this CMAKE and IDF stuff sometimes 😂

[DerPicknicker]

DEBUGGING

Hey @CarlosDerSeher ,

just a small question is there a way to debug the playback a little bit more precisely? Currently I hear some compression artifacts and I want to see which stream the esp32 is connected. I want to know if the esp32 can provide these information. Where can I find the debug parameter?

[CarlosDerSeher]

What do mean by stream? You can assign the playback source from snapserver through the android app...

[DerPicknicker]

Yeah, I know .. but I want to know if the esp32 is also using it... I want to know if the issue which I currently have is due my changes or it's a server issue. I use MusicAssistant and there you don't need to declare sources and streams it happens automatically. But at some point there is a bug. And I don't want to know if it's on the playerside or serverside.

[CarlosDerSeher]

I am not sure if I understand your question. As far as I know snapclient is not aware of the stream source. It's just encoded chunks arriving through TCP

[DerPicknicker]

Nevermind - issue is on the serverside. Thank you anyway. My lyrat mini board is delivered. I can test now your develop branch ;-)

[davidclemens]

Thanks for pushing this so actively!

In case you haven't heard about ESPHome, I wanted to mention it here. It is a big project, that allows configuration of ESP firmware via .yaml text files.
I'm using it heavily for DIY IoT devices that can then easily be integrated with Home Assistant, a local first smart home project.

I've got a Snapserver running at home and would love to being able to use a snapclient component in ESPHome.

The benefit for this project would be that many components already exist in ESPHome, such as Wi-Fi, logging, OTA, Bluetooth, many sensors and more...

It'd be great to read your opinion on this.

Cheers!

[CarlosDerSeher]

Ok thanks for your effort. I'll look into it and evaluate when I got some time.

[CarlosDerSeher]

Ok, I had a look at the documentation and the part about contributing also dived in at some components using i2s at github and I feel a little bit overwhelmed right now. I got the feeling this is much more work I am currently willing to put into this, especially because I am still not convinced it will work stable on modules without PSRAM.

I think the overhead of esphome core is probably just too much. Thats probably why their i2s audio component has 16kHz sample rate hardcoded because they need to limit RAM usage.

Sorry @davidclemens but I have to pass on this one. Maybe someone else with more experience on esphome development is willing to port it. I'll support as much as I can then

[davidclemens]

Thanks to you all for looking into this. I'm flattered by all the quick and motivated replies!

I recently purchased the Raspiaudio Muse Luxe. It is a neat little speaker, that is based on the ESP32 Wrover. And I think it has PSRAM. Raspiaudio are selling different audio boards based on ESP32s and currently share precompiled firmware for Squeezlite, ESPHome, a simple Bluetooth speaker or a radio.

Their product is mostly meant as a pretty development/experimental platform, as I understand it, and are keen on software options for their hardware. So maybe at some point a snapclient?

But of course you are right. And I'm realizing that this is tough challenge with the scarse hardware ressources. I just wanted to leave this here (Maybe this should even be a new thread?).

So thanks a lot, again!

[DerPicknicker]

@davidclemens .. If you can find out which dac is used it can be integrated into snapclient. Just ask the developer of ESP Muse luxe.

[CarlosDerSeher]

https://forum.raspiaudio.com/t/muse-proto-board/231

MAX98357A

So it is supported already. Just need the pinout

[DerPicknicker]

Toslink via i2s

Hi,

I already asked in the PR of my custom board. Is there a way of adding support for toslink?

The Goal is to have speakers which are optimised for audio quality. The lyrat board sounds noisy.

I found a cool project: https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/my-first-pcb-a-micro-streamer-advice-welcome.41685/post-1499244 I want to order some of them because the size is so small so it can be hide behind active speaker and the transmission is not that noisy.

What is needed to create a dummy i2s component for output audio via toslink?

[DerPicknicker]

Hi @CarlosDerSeher ...

Should I add a Custom board for that as well or should I change something in player.c?

[CarlosDerSeher]

Hmm not sure what the best approach will be. I think both will be needed as we have to configure the right i2s pins and also change the way i2s data is prepared for sending.

So maybe a custom toslink board and the check in player task if it is set?!

[DerPicknicker]

Yes. Seems like a good approach. BTW: JLCPCB delivered the Pcb now I have to wait for the components so I can finally start working on it.

[CarlosDerSeher]

Looking forward to your report :)

[DerPicknicker]

Hey .. I will keep you updated. I will definitely need your support from time to time. For the implementation and right integration into this project.