Thread: FM/DAB digital radio - THAT WORKS!!

Originally Posted by bigdave

@craig

I think it might be my touchscreen that is interfering on FM. It goes crackly whenever it is switched on.

@nrgizerbunny

Do you have any plans to release your board? I'm happy with the DAB on the board but sound integrated would allow me to ditch the soundcard. Many PCs now don't have a line in input, its mic in which amplifies it too much.

No Plans to release it, I'm fed up of building and sending stuff out, I have a day job and this kind of got in the way. I'll leave all that kind of stuff to someone else.

I am trying to get it into a fashion so that it can be just clipped on to the existing boards out there and then it will handle the sound by itself.

Thus you'll need the base board (which you already have) and then the audio board as an add on.

Just FYI Dave, nrgizerbunny his designs onto me because of what he said above so us releasing it will depend on how well it works...

OK all, here is the video of the module working on DAB+ and FM in Sydney Australia.
It first shows the module, USB, Audio and Antenna connections, then a closeup of the Windows test program screen with station names changing in both DAB+ and FM modes, including sound.

Looking good Kevin. Thank you for posting that!

My Antenna is blaupunkt ADR T01 which i bought like so many of us from dabonwheels. The auto electrician that wired the aerial up forgot to power it, the DAB side is unpowered but the FM side is powered. I've now hooked this up this afternoon and it is PERFECT!

I have been watching this topic unfold for the best part of a year now and its obvious there is a market for this and my research says this market is bound to grow due to the analog switch offs across most of Europe, North America, Australia. I like so many have tried the HQCT, the Silabs and the Radioshark but the Venice 5 radio beats the pants off them all. It is as good as a head unit.

I have contacted nrgizerbunny (Sanj) with the intent of getting an all in one radio unit with sound over USB and dab/fm antenna inputs. If he agrees I will consider offering an alternative to Craig's Radio. I don't think competition is such a bad thing in this marketplace.

Dave: Our agreement with Sanj is for radio boards that use the Frontier Silicon chips and / or are designed for Car PC use. Unfortunately, he would not be able to sell this design to you. Sorry about that.

For the rest of the forum who aren't aware of what has gone on.

Nrgizerbunny posted (which has now been edited):

I’ve been hard at work since the last radio I made and have built a newer version. This one carries the audio over usb digitally so it is immune from inducted noise and its also got an active dab+/dab/fm multiplexer that I’ve been testing with a few guinea pigs. Feed back has been good and will keep the board informed. I did initially have a passive design that works but is a bit of an issue on certain antenna types.

I’m using a burr brown pcm2901/2903 for the audio. I just need to refine the board design and sort the shielding out.

Call me a cynic but for some bizzarre reason he edited the post and removed all of that information. Craig also asked me to remove my question to Nrgizerbunny with regards to releasing the "all in one board". He said this was to protect his sales.

I am not sure what kind of agreement Craig has but I'm pretty sure "gagging" isn't part of it.

Originally Posted by bigdave

@boelle,

What power supply have you got?

i just use the 230V -> 19V brick that came with my motherboard

I'm not gagging anyone, Dave. I simply did not want people holding off purchase because of mention of an over-USB version as it will be at least 6 months before this happens...