Using an old Allo Digione on Raspberry Pi 4

[bencat]

I have an Allo Digione that i bought second hand and use as the streamer for my main system . It came with a Raspberry Pi 3 unit attached but I had a spare Raspberry Pi 2Mb unit so decided to switch it over and use the newer and quicker Pi instead.

No mechanical issues just a straight swop . Then flashed a new card with Max2play but had repeated bricking of the unit (in reboot just stalls and stops working) . Not what I was looking for so downloaded Picoreplayer 6.0 flashed that to the SD card and set up Allo Digione as the player . No problems with that presume becuase they use a very small code package for the Raspberry Pi and not the full blown Buster . Works now so will leave it as it is . Would prefer to have it working under Max2play as all the others are doing but will have to see if I can find a resolution to loading that .

 

[Man in a van]

Mornin' Andrew ;-)

Are you using wireless or ethernet for the digione ?

If wireless, a dongle  or internal rpi wireless and what material is the case, if any?

I'm not sure if the M2P Desktop has much to do with it, I guess they use Rasbian Buster Lite with there own Desktop.

pCP uses all Raspbian stuff too, just the bits they need though, all the player overlays are the same and the wireless drivers too, I would guess.

There might be a difference in the kernel versions, but if that would cause your problems, I don't know (being a numpty on that sort of stuff :$ )

I'm running a rpi3B+ with my Digione.

It's wireless; I first used a Edimax EW-7811Un dongle with which i have had good results in the past.

Not so good recently, lots of drop outs, I changed it for a dongle I bought from online a couple of years ago and it has been solid since the swap.

I'll have a play later today and come back to you.

Keep safe



ronnie

 

[bencat]

Hi Ronnie hope you and your family are keeping safe and healthy in these strange times . The Digione is in a perspex open case (at the moment ordered a metal one ) it is using wired Ethernet and was working with Max2play using a Raspberry Pi 3 without any issues . It seems as if the switch to the Raspberry Pi 4 is causing issues . I flashed an SD card with the Raspberry Pi Beta from the Max2play site and used to Allo install .

Once I had activated the software I had to update Max2play which I did . Then when I went to Audio Player to choose the output it was not showing the Digione . Did an update and this is when the unit just bricked and stopped when rebooting. I tried another SD Flash (full clean format than new reload ) and did not use the Allo install but tried to see if the straight Max2play would load and i could then activate the Allo install later . Again after activation had to install update for Max2play and then once i changed the R Pi settings on the reboot the unit again bricked and stopped working .

 

[Man in a van]

Andrew

Set up the Digione on a rpi4b 2gb, just bare, no case.

I did not activate my licence

I used the default Allo Plugine set-up for Allo sound cards, just as a player
then did the m2p update, set the location, did the reboot

set up the usb wi-fi, could not get an IP address so clicked on install missing drivers, rebooted
It did not like my wireless dongle so I restarted without and used the rpi wireless

Just checked the Audioplayer tab after reading your post, the Soundcard is set at

default-snd_allo_digione,Default Audio Device, CARD=sndallodigione

I'm playing back a couple of long CDs.

Will report back when something happens, don't hold your breath ! :doh:

I notice a selection under Raspberry Settings

Enable 64 Bit Kernel (Pi4 ONLY)        Enable 64 Bit Kernel on Raspberry Pi 4. This improves performance but might be not as stable as normal 32 Bit mode.

I left this unticked.

Time to peg-out now :^

 

[bencat]

That is good Ronnie . Will leave the Picorplayer Digione playing at the moment and await the new metal case which will mean a strip down of the unit at that stage . Will then format a different SD card and give this a try again to see if it works . If it does then great if not just put the PCP SD in and carry on.

I have raised this on the Max2play Forum and i hope that Heiner will pick up on it and give an answer . If he does will put any details here just incase anyone else has any problems.

 

[Man in a van]

So I burned a fresh card:

Ignored License request
Updated
Location
Reboot
Audioplayer:- no sign of soundcard

Raspberry Settings:- selected Allo Digione - it did not load, not available in the Audioplayer dropdown (this is not really in keeping with what I would expect for the open source part of Max2Play, it makes people think they should purchase a license when they don't need to, it's a bit shady in my opinion).

Anyway I can skin that cat in two ways, either ssh into the pi and add the overlay into /Boot/config.txt at the end of the text or shutdown, put the card back inthe reader and edit the file on my computer, which is what I did (commenting out the overlay for iqaudio and adding dtoverlay=allo-digione).

Back to Audioplayer and selected the digione from the dropdown (hw- snd_allo_digione....)

Back to the wi-fi settings: - added the rpi onboard wi-fi.

Shutdown

Plugged in and started playback

And it started then stopped and then started again and then dropped off the network, then came back on again, and repeatedthis behavior for about ten minutes.

I went back to Audioplayer and changed the output to the default that was loaded on the previous card

Rebooted the pi and it's back and working (seems stable after about 20 mins)

So:

Did an on-the-fly change of squeezelite back to hw: output, playing resumed without a problem and has been stable for about 15 minutes.

Might just be a touch flakey.....I'll use this more the next couple of days and report back if I have problems.

Washing up now !........sigh

ronnie

 

[Man in a van]

Well back on this thread already :$

I switched over to streaming from (playing local files) and the pi immediately dropped off the network.

I pulled the plug and it came back up again.

Started playing fip, switched to BBC R2 and it dropped again.

Repeated the plug pull and i Can play fip but the pi is not showing on the network, I can't access the m2p gui to change the output.

It's deffo flakey

I'll switch back to the rpi3B+

Good luck with Max2play Andrew, they should be working from home

 

[bencat]

Right certain things have changed firstly after e-mailing Max2play they are now reading the thread and looking for a solution .

However in the mean time I bought an all metal Digione case I did not realise that it was only suitable for a Raspberry Pi 3 . As I had a brand new Pi 3 + in a box just bit the bullet and did a nice clean install used the Allo configure changed the name ,adjusted the pi settings updated Max2play then via putty updated and upgraded the pi build.

Took the whole thing back down stairs and plumbed it back in my system. Worked first time . Has been playing about two hours no drops no issues. 

Now the difficult thing why does it sound so much better more secure and no background noise at all. I have no clue perhaps it is because Allo designed the Hat and the Shanti power supply with the Pi 3 in mind but could just as easily be a better max2play install .Frankly do not care just sounds top class and is letting me enjoy the music after a few struggles with this system .

 

[rallychief]

Hi Bencat, and Hi Ronnie, Chris here you gave me a lot of help setting up my rpi3b several years ago, glad to see you are still about, and ok in these times, mine has been lying dormant for quite a while, but have pulled it out for a 2nd system to use in isolation, i am still running MoOde but had to re configure the sd card with latest version, as to old to update.

Anyway i digress i have been looking to see what was around now that may be better 4 years down the line, i looked at the rpi4 with allo hats, and i am pretty sure i read somewhere during the research they were not compatible with the rpi4.

Cheers Chris

 

[Man in a van]

@rallychief

Het Chris, good to know you hadn't left (in the serious sense of the word :$ ).

I hope your health has improved since we last spoke in 2016,

Your best bet is to look on the Allo product website and check for the compatibity.

I have a Digione and run that on a rpi3B+

I don't feel there have been any "night and day differences", likely the wax in my ears :roll:

ronnie

 

[rallychief]

Hi Ronnie, my 3b is configured just the way it was when it fell into disuse, fitted with the Hi Fi Berry Digi Pro usb-spdif hat, with the Bnc socket fitted, only change is the latest MoOde software, oh and an ifi 5v power supply, i used to run it with an Anker battery.

Does the Allo 12s - spdif hat sound better than the Hi Fi Berry Pro one. i do have a snag in that when the rpi is shut down, but is left powered up, it won't reboot unless it is powered down, when the power is switched back on it then boots, can it be configured to remain powered and booted from the internet via  my phone laptop etc.

Cheers Chris

 

[Man in a van]

Morning Chris,

when the pi is shutdown in Moode (if I remember the choice is to reboot (restart) or power off) the soft ware safely stops the program and powers down.

Thhis leaves the pi "not dead, but sleeping" and to reactivate it one needs to pull the plug and then re-insert the plug to start the Moode OS. This is the procedure for any pi running any OS.
If running the Raspbian OS there is a procedure to short two pins whilst the pi is in its powered down state and it will restart. But I don't know if that is possible in Moode, it should be, but you have a HAT attatched so the pins are in use. Actually they might be accessible from elswhere on the board ?

A simple solution would be a pi power supply with an inline switch.

One would then power down the pi via the software, switch off to stop the power to the pi, switch on to start Moode.

It might be possible to use a "cron job" to 'halt Moode' and then 'restart Moode' but I haven't bothered with Moode since the days I was working with you and the pi would have to be left in a powered on state, which is what you seem to want to avoid

ronnie

 

[rallychief]

" i haven't used MoOde since i was working with you" that's an interesting statement Ronnie, does that imply that it's not the best sounding option, Max2play has been mentioned here and i have a vague memory of reading Pi core player works in a lot simpler way, therefore is a much smaller distro so sounds better as a consequence.

Regarding the power down, boot issue, i have always had to do that, its only become a nuisance since i have now got the ifi power supply, when i was running it from the Anker battery it was naturally powered down when the battery was disconnected to charge it,  will just carry on unplugging the ifi and plugging it back in again.

Edit feels like i have nicked the OPs thread maybe i should start a new one 

Cheers Chris.

 

[bencat]

" i haven't used MoOde since i was working with you" that's an interesting statement Ronnie, does that imply that it's not the best sounding option, Max2play has been mentioned here and i have a vague memory of reading Pi core player works in a lot simpler way, therefore is a much smaller distro so sounds better as a consequence.

Regarding the power down, boot issue, i have always had to do that, its only become a nuisance since i have now got the ifi power supply, when i was running it from the Anker battery it was naturally powered down when the battery was disconnected to charge it,  will just carry on unplugging the ifi and plugging it back in again.

Edit feels like i have nicked the OPs thread maybe i should start a new one 

Cheers Chris.

Sorry if this me being a little slow (it is a common thought) but why do you turn off the Raspberry Pi ?  I have one working as my Logitech Media Server with USB HD connected and this stays on all the time . Being a Raspberry Pi it uses very little electricity and needs to be there when i switch on a system and use the Player/DAC in that system . I also have a JustBoom Amphat in the Kitchen that is always on so that when either myself or my wife are cooking we can put somehting on to keep us amused.

Please do not worry abut this thread it can meander as it wants . I have sorted out my issues by reverting to a Raspberry Pi 3 + which seems to work better with the Allo Digione and looks super smart in its full metal jacket case . It also sits more securely on the shelf in the old Acrylic case it use to often get moved when arranging wires .

 

[rallychief]

Hi Bencat, the reason for turning off the Pi is that currently i have a 2.5 " HDD connected to it via an esata to usb lead ( something else i will be looking at, as i am not sure if the esata-usb lead, and or the current draw of the hdd has an impact on sound ) anyway i shut the pi down so the hdd stops spinning.

Cheers Chris

 

[bencat]

Hi Bencat, the reason for turning off the Pi is that currently i have a 2.5 " HDD connected to it via an esata to usb lead ( something else i will be looking at, as i am not sure if the esata-usb lead, and or the current draw of the hdd has an impact on sound ) anyway i shut the pi down so the hdd stops spinning.

Cheers Chris

Hi Chris thanks for the explanation but this leaves me just as puzzled . I have a Raspberry Pi 4 4GB unit which has a 2TB usb HD connected to it which contains my music files . This unit is my full Logitech Music Server and does nothing else but that . I am currently sitting about two feet away from the unit and it is silent no noise from the HD at all . Just as a test I started the Kitchen system off playing music from the HD and still no sound at all in the spare room sitting close the server and HD . YOur HD should not be noisy at all and if I turn off the music and have nothing playing then the HD is not spinning at all and is silent . Ther HD I use is a pretty bog standard Western Digital one so nothing special .

 

[Man in a van]

" i haven't used MoOde since i was working with you" that's an interesting statement Ronnie, does that imply that it's not the best sounding option, Max2play has been mentioned here and i have a vague memory of reading Pi core player works in a lot simpler way, therefore is a much smaller distro so sounds better as a consequence.

Cheers Chris.

Chris, nothing I post is ever interesting

I recall your post back then, was asking about Moode as you found their forum somewhat recalcitrant with the fulsome explantion required

I had played a little with Moode and offered to help (but I did try to persuade you to use LMS)

Anyway I use LMS 95% of the time, I don't often voice my opinion about sound qualtiy ("very nice" is as fulsome as I try to be :doh: ) but then, I don't have perfect pitch

ronnie

 

[rallychief]

Thanks Ronnie, my memory isn't as good as yours, i do remember how helpful you were, even to the point of lending me a pi and other bits to give it a go, about 6 months after between us, it was got to the point of a use able system, some things happened, which meant i had very little time for the hi fi hobby, so listening to music went bye the bye, the pi was virtually unused and was left on version 3 of MoOde, in the last 4 weeks life has changed dramatically, for obvious reasons, and for me maybe a very long time, so in isolation with the mrs still working in care, and possibly having to isolate from her at some point, another system was needed in the extension, so the Pi was fired up and the iFi power supply bought, now with nothing but time on my hands the Hi Fi bug has struck again, another bad virus in it's own way lol, of course things have changed a lot in the intervening years, so now playing catch up.

Bencat think i might not of been clear, my reason for not leaving the Pi permanently booted is because of having the HDD spinning 24/7 hence why i shut it down, and then have to unplug it, and plug it back in to reboot. if it didn't have a drive attached via usb i would leave it permanently running.

Cheers Chris

 

[bencat]

Chris I fully understood why you switched it off but as I have a Pi acting as server attached to HDD which only spins when it is working to deliver music and is silent and not spinning the rest of the the time I do not know why your HDD is spinning 24/7 . It should only be spinning when it is doing something the rest of the time it should be silent I think there may well be something in the set up of the HDD that is keeping it spinning but truthfully I am not the one to be able to tell you how to stop it.