FM/DAB digital radio - THAT WORKS!!

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Originally Posted by RevheadKev

Nope ... all gone.
I have read ALL 115 pages of the referred thread on digital-car UK forum and the referenced other threads and both Chris31 and nrgb have removed all their posts which relate to the powersupply circuit and venice flasher board circuit and the firmware for flashing the venice was never posted as public information due to legalities related to reverse-engineering the venice module.

@ Craig
Related costs from digital-car UK forum thread ...
£20 for flashed venice module including original radio purchase
£10.50 for assembled circuit board (where did you get the £70 you quoted earlier ???)
£15 USB interface
Software plugin FREE
Total = £45.50 including postage in UK.
Compare this with your £80-£100 and that is around a 100% markup and most companies I know of (even the global comany I work for) usually think that a 35% markup on costs is a great margin with the break-even margin being around 15%. Ofcourse it all depends on volume and turn-over so I am very interested in your final released cost based on these figures.

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you probably want to add labour and also a venice 7 instead of 5

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Originally Posted by Buffer_Overflow

All the info is still there, I looked at it yesterday.

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And yesterday's date was the date of the edited entries so they probably disappeared after you saw them and let everyone know.
If all the references are still there somewhere buried in the attachments which only forum members can see, then there is still the Sony firmware which either needs to be "given" from someone who has it OR purchased by obtaining a much more expensive Sony radio so that the Venice does not have to be flashed. But this will not guarantee you will have a DAB+ capable unit when completed as the firmware in the Sony units may not be both DAB+ capable AND slave compatable.

@ Buffer
Yep, sorry, realised in the car on the way home it should have been UNassembled board.
The parts for the board would add approximately £5 say ?
So we are still at only £50 compared to the £80-£100 quoted by Craig.

@ NRGB
Sure the Venice 7 would be more (but double you think ?) and there is labour also, but the Venice 7 will be purchased as a single item rather than with all the extra radio hardware, assembly labour and packaging. Also the prices quoted from digital-car UK Forum included the labour charge from those concerned (minor as they say the charge was) AND all the parts were purchased at RETAIL cost, not trade discounted bulk costs.

Sony XDRS55 has the firmware you require costing £30 delivered from Ebay.

I have posted the parts list and the PCB layout, I can post a dip file if you like?

Hi Craig,

What arrangements in the design have been made for the antenna ?
Wondering how the Venice 7 module handles both DAB+ and FM through the one antenna or two antennas and if you will be suggesting any particular antenna to use with the finished unit ?

nrgizerbunny has been selling the control board only with components soldered on for £70 each - you obviously then need to get your own Venice chip. £10.50 was the price of the PCB only (no components). It would then be around £10 for the components, £15 for the USB board, £30 for the radio + time solder it.

Over the past few days, however, I have managed to reduce costs down by doing a few things differently (ie eliminating the need for that USB module and directly using the chip required, etc) so will likely be launching this at £60 including everything (presoldered board, Venice chip with correct firmware and the software for Centrafuse, RR and Windows standalone) as an introductory offer. Does that sound ok?

The Venice 7 does not cost any more than the Venice 5.1 to purchase - it is simply Frontier Silicon's successor to the 5.1 - they don't sell the 5 / 5.1 any more which is the reason I am forced to use the 7.

By the way, XDRS55 is not DAB+. DAB+ requires radios purchased in the region of £60-£80 from what I can tell or getting a cheap radio, building a flasher tool and then flashing it.

With regards to the antenna / aerial, try your existing car one. It may work but if it does not, you will need to get a DAB specific one. Note the DAB / FM aerials usually have 2 connectors on them, one for DAB and one for FM. As such, you would only be able to have one or the other. I am working on a multiplexer board, however, that would allow you to connect both aerial connectors in, combine them into one and connect into the SMB connector on the radio unit. As an alternative, it would not be hard to get a double line switch allowing manual switching between signals. If Australia is anything like the UK, though, you will find DAB coverage is as good as or surpasses FM so you never need to switch.

http://www.dabonwheels.com/Bosch_Bla...ar_aerial.html is the one I personally use. It is pricey but trust me, it is well worth it. I have been using it with the Venice 5 unit I currently have for 2-3 months and it is great. I have done two long drives since using it and have had no problems.

Over the past few days, however, I have managed to reduce costs down by doing a few things differently (ie eliminating the need for that USB module and directly using the chip required, etc) so will likely be launching this at £60 including everything (presoldered board, Venice chip with correct firmware and the software for Centrafuse, RR and Windows standalone) as an introductory offer. Does that sound ok?

If i may chime in ,,,sounds real good to me, will patiently await details :whoo:
1 DAB+ please

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Originally Posted by craigbrass

Over the past few days, however, I have managed to reduce costs down by doing a few things differently (ie eliminating the need for that USB module and directly using the chip required, etc) so will likely be launching this at £60 including everything (presoldered board, Venice chip with correct firmware and the software for Centrafuse, RR and Windows standalone) as an introductory offer.

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This is sounding much better Craig. Could you give us a price for shipping to Australia ? As the unit is small and light I would not expect it to be much, but my previous dealings with UKpost means it could be quite a bit just because it is OS. Any high postage costs might discourage your "export" audience (though costs are costs and the packaging does not escalate to make up extra sales profit as it does on fleabay items).

Though you are "eliminating the need for that USB module and directly using the chip required" I presume the module will still be connected by USB and not the original serial ?

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Originally Posted by craigbrass

Note the DAB / FM aerials usually have 2 connectors on them, one for DAB and one for FM. As such, you would only be able to have one or the other. I am working on a multiplexer board, however, that would allow you to connect both aerial connectors in, combine them into one and connect into the SMB connector on the radio unit. As an alternative, it would not be hard to get a double line switch allowing manual switching between signals.

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How do the pre-built radios incorporate the antenna/antennas ? Is there only one, or are there two ?

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This is sounding much better Craig. Could you give us a price for shipping to Australia ? As the unit is small and light I would not expect it to be much, but my previous dealings with UKpost means it could be quite a bit just because it is OS. Any high postage costs might discourage your "export" audience (though costs are costs and the packaging does not escalate to make up extra sales profit as it does on fleabay items).

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I will likely be sending it via Royal Mail AirSure (http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/c...6&catId=400034) and charge £10 for worldwide shipping. Shipping in the UK will be £5 via Business Post Next Working Day. I am looking to get MP3 Car to take this for users in the USA who want it for FM only and a similar deal with a company in Australia to again reduce the price, postage wise, down.

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Though you are "eliminating the need for that USB module and directly using the chip required" I presume the module will still be connected by USB and not the original serial ?

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All it means is I am soldering the USB -> Serial chip directly onto the board instead of using a module which cuts the cost down a lot.

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How do the pre-built radios incorporate the antenna/antennas ? Is there only one, or are there two ?

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The Venice chips have aerials / antenna connectors soldered on when I get them. It uses the SMB connector which appears to be the standard DAB connector. The problem is that aerials generally have two connectors where they are DAB + FM aerials so you need a multiplexer board which again is something I am working on as an addon.

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Originally Posted by craigbrass

The Venice chips have aerials / antenna connectors soldered on when I get them. It uses the SMB connector which appears to be the standard DAB connector. The problem is that aerials generally have two connectors where they are DAB + FM aerials so you need a multiplexer board which again is something I am working on as an addon.

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The DAB antenna I have covers both DAB and FM with only one connector. The antenna is marked for DAB but works fine for both over the same connector.
I don't remember the brand though, but I can get that info in the weekend.

Please do post this information. It means the aerial must have some kind of multiplexer built in which would be the preferred solution.