Can I output sound to an SPDIF port

[jeff_f]

I have an SPDIF optical port on my 2nd Vortex box (I'm giving it to my brother in law).


Can I enable output through that port instead of the mini plug audio jack?

[andrew]

This should work but you will have to do a little hacking. First determine the device number of your SPDIF port. To find your S/PDIF device, type aplay --list-devices and look for likely candidates (such as things called IEC958). In this case, it is card 0, device 4.

aplay --list-devices
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: ICH5 [Intel ICH5], device 0: Intel ICH [Intel ICH5]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: ICH5 [Intel ICH5], device 4: Intel ICH - IEC958 [Intel ICH5 - IEC958]
Subdevices: 0/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

There is a program called squeezeslave that acks as a player for SqueezeCenter. It is running be default on VortexBox. Fist stop it so you can do some testing.

service squeezeslave stop

Then start a new one from command line so you can see what it does.

/usr/bin/squeezeslave --retry -o 4 -s -m 00:00:00:00:00:FF

The -o option tell it what device to use. Next go into Squeezecenter and start some music playing on your SqueezeSlave. You will see it in the list of players. You should hear music from your S/PDIF port.

If you don't you may need to run alsamixer and change the options for the S/PDIF port. Most audio ports in linux are muted and have volume set to 0 by default.

If you want to run squeezeslave on reboot edit /etc/init.d/squeezeslave and change the startup options.

I have never tried this so I hope it works. Please post and tell us the results. If this works I will add a doc for it.

[jeff_f]

OK dumb question... how do you copy text from your terminal window into Windows?


Are you using Putty? What is the command to copy all? The "copy all to clipboard" for me only copies what I am seeing on the screen; not the entire file.

[andrew]

Putty is the best. Just select your text by dragging the mouse over it while holding down the button. When you release the mouse button it will be copied to the clipboard.

[jeff_f]

Hey Andrew,


Just getting back to this... I found that my spdif was device 1. I then tried this command and got the following response:


[vortexbox.localdomain ~]# /usr/bin/squeezeslave --retry -o 1 -s -m 00:00:00:00:00:FF


/usr/bin/squeezeslave: unrecognized option '-s'




Any sugestions?

[andrew]

Yes, I have created a new squeezeplay startup script to make this easier. I noticed that the number assigned to each sound device can change sometimes. So the new script uses the name and looks up the number. Just edit the /etc/vortexbox/ss_list.conf file and add the name of the audio cards you have and the address you want them to start as. The startup scrip will do the rest. For the name just use a unique word from the name for example


squeezeslave -l


* 0: /dev/dsp
1: /dev/dsp1
2: HDA Intel: ALC888 Analog (hw:0,0)
3: HDA Intel: ALC888 Analog (hw:0,4)
4: USB Sound Device : USB Audio (hw:1,0)
5: front


I added a line in the /etc/vortexbox/ss_list.conf


USB 00:00:00:00:00:10


to get the USB sound card to start as 00:00:00:00:00:10. This will always work even if the USB sound card moves to another device other then 4.


Do a yum update first so you have the latest squeezeslave

[wizardofoz]

I am having some problems with exactly what to try to get my S/P DIF working.


Gathered is the following




[vortexbox.localdomain ~]# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC662 Analog [ALC662 Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC662 Digital [ALC662 Digital]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
[vortexbox.localdomain ~]# squeezeslave -l
Output devices:
* 0: /dev/dsp
1: HDA Intel: ALC662 Analog (hw:0,0)
2: HDA Intel: ALC662 Digital (hw:0,1)
3: front
4: surround40
5: surround51
6: surround71
7: iec958
8: spdif
9: default
10: dmix
[vortexbox.localdomain ~]# cat /etc/vortexbox/ss_list.conf
0 00:00:00:00:00:01
USB 00:00:00:00:00:10
[vortexbox.localdomain ~]#


What should I change in the ss_list.conf or anywhere else for that matter?

[andrew]

change your /etc/vortexbox/ss_list.conf to this and it should work


spdif 00:00:00:00:00:01

[wizardofoz]

Yr a STAR!!! but how do I get to have both?


I tried this


0 00:00:00:00:00:01


spdif 00:00:00:00:00:01


USB 00:00:00:00:00:10


and now it just alternates the sound between the 3.5mm jack and the spdif restarting the track each time

[andrew]

I think your sound card can only do one at a time. You might consider a USB S/PDIF and use your internal for analog.


http://astore.amazon.com/vort-20/detail/B0002ICGDY

[HalfBit]

Andrew said:


. . .I have never tried this so I hope it works. Please post and tell us the results. If this works I will add a doc for it.




Hi Andrew,


I looked for a doc on using the USB SPDIF adapter that's being delivered today from your store on Amazon. I can't locate the doc.


Will you please summarize what to do to implement SPDIF output from the VortexBox or point me to the doc?


Thanks for the product and your support.


HalfBit

[HalfBit]

That worked perfectly. Thanks.


I went to envoke Settings > Audio > Volume Adjustment > Smart Gain, and find that Audio is not in the Settings list. Is there a way to use the volume tags with VortexBox acting as a player?

[andrew]

If you use VortexBox 0.6 it should be Plug and Play. Jsut plug it in and reboot your vortexbox. It will show up as a player in SC

[andrew]

Not at this time. We may be adding this in the future.