Search found 1018 matches

by Thermionic Idler
Sat Oct 07, 2023 1:46 pm
Forum: Assorted Stuff
Topic: Free schematic/board tools...
Replies: 13
Views: 4215

KiCad thoughts

I've just recently completed setting up KiCad on my latest Linux desktop - it's true to say that the library file management is somewhat... arcane, and has caused me many headaches in the past. The reason I carry on with it is because the latest versions have Spice integration, which is brilliant. N...
by Thermionic Idler
Sat Sep 30, 2023 4:42 pm
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC
Replies: 21
Views: 9534

Re: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC

It's finally done! Actually I got it finished around mid-September but I've been busy with rebuilding my desktop OS (twice) so hadn't got around to updating this thread. Anyway, the first attempt at solving the BBB power issue failed as it cut in at too low a voltage for the power management chip to...
by Thermionic Idler
Mon Sep 04, 2023 8:02 pm
Forum: Assorted Stuff
Topic: SPICE!
Replies: 10
Views: 4087

Re: SPICE!

Michael L wrote: Sun Sep 03, 2023 10:46 am
Thermionic Idler wrote: Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:07 am Very interesting - might give that a whirl. Hopefully there'll be a version for us awkward Linux types in due course...
....and Mac!
I've been doing my latest Spice sim work in KiCad (as that does run on Linux), works surprisingly well actually.
by Thermionic Idler
Sat Sep 02, 2023 7:36 pm
Forum: Valves
Topic: Latest 300b valves
Replies: 19
Views: 12623

Re: Latest 300b valves

Sorry, only just seen this thread - I built a pair of 300B push-pull monoblocks in 2020 as a lockdown project, and they've been our main amps ever since. I sourced the 300B's as matched pairs from here: https://brimaruk.com/valves/triodes/brimar-300b/ Now obviously these are re-branded Chinese-manuf...
by Thermionic Idler
Tue Aug 29, 2023 8:32 pm
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission
Replies: 4
Views: 2858

Re: Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission

Argh! Rant alert. So I'm re-reading (again) the Linear Audio Proteus article about the JFET current input front end (which I sadly can't share verbatim because it's paid-for content). And once again I am frustrated (admittedly it's partly down to the fact I've not been able to get the spice model to...
by Thermionic Idler
Mon Aug 28, 2023 8:09 pm
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission
Replies: 4
Views: 2858

Re: Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission

Mr Idler changes his mind again. :roll: So today I was re-reading the Linear Audio article about Erno Borbely's 'Proteus' JFET current-input stage again after driving myself mad trying to figure out the least-worst compromises for the pre-RIAA stage, and I think that with a 3 ohm cartridge, this ide...
by Thermionic Idler
Sat Aug 26, 2023 7:41 pm
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission
Replies: 4
Views: 2858

Re: Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission

I think I'm going to go with Aikido for stage 2 - it's an off-the-shelf solution that should work perfectly for this application. The E34F in the first stage, according to the Direct Heating Triode blog, gave a gain of about 160, or 44dB. We know we lose about 21dB in the passive EQ, and a standard ...
by Thermionic Idler
Sat Aug 26, 2023 4:01 pm
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission
Replies: 4
Views: 2858

Mr Idler's Valve LCR phono mission

With the DAC project coming to its conclusion and having fitted my DH3S cartridge from Northwest Analogue, my attention is back to the LCR phonostage, to see if the Millett can be improved upon. This sort of follows on from my previous thread on the subject , but between the end of that thread and t...
by Thermionic Idler
Fri Aug 25, 2023 11:31 pm
Forum: Assorted Stuff
Topic: Nothing In Particular
Replies: 16439
Views: 4647274

Re: Nothing In Particular

Having taken the week off work, I finally summoned up the energy to fit the latest new arrival to the Tower of Power https://user.fm/files/v2-6639fbe6642ff4c5abf9296fc478258a/PXL_20230825_185127023.jpg It's good. Very, very good. https://user.fm/files/v2-266872614f0010fa9d49050d6ac11bd4/PXL_20230825...
by Thermionic Idler
Wed Aug 23, 2023 8:30 am
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC
Replies: 21
Views: 9534

Re: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC

Things have been on a bit of a hiatus the last month or so, as I've been busy migrating my desktop over from MacOS to Linux. KiCad in particular took quite a bit of config work as I always get into a bit of a mess with my own symbols / footprints, so I was migrating those and doing some housekeeping...
by Thermionic Idler
Sun Aug 20, 2023 11:07 am
Forum: Assorted Stuff
Topic: SPICE!
Replies: 10
Views: 4087

Re: SPICE!

Very interesting - might give that a whirl. Hopefully there'll be a version for us awkward Linux types in due course...
by Thermionic Idler
Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:48 pm
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC
Replies: 21
Views: 9534

Re: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC

Right then - so it seems that the Beaglebone isn't powering up because the linear power supply I've installed for it has a 'soft start' - after some Googling I discovered that if I unplugged the barrel connector and then plugged it in again, the Beaglebone booted up and worked normally. So it needs ...
by Thermionic Idler
Sun Jul 09, 2023 10:05 pm
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC
Replies: 21
Views: 9534

Re: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC

Quick update - the build is finished, but the Beaglebone isn't starting up :( Too tired to do any troubleshooting, I'll come back to it next week. Build pics will follow.
by Thermionic Idler
Sat Jul 01, 2023 11:53 am
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC
Replies: 21
Views: 9534

Re: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC

Had some fun and games with the sigma22 board (bottom right) where R10 had to be desoldered and replaced with a different value. Turns out getting solder out of a through-hole with a simple solder sucker is nigh on impossible if it's connected to a ground plane on both sides, which acts as a nice l...
by Thermionic Idler
Fri Jun 30, 2023 10:38 am
Forum: Everyones Projects
Topic: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC
Replies: 21
Views: 9534

Re: Another RTZ SDM (DSD) DAC

This screenshot was taken about 5 minutes ago. I love the way that the Fedex website still seems to think I'll receive the parcel between 9:20 and 13:20 today when the thing is evidently still at Stansted and not even on the fecking van. With the exception of JLCPCB shipments from China, I don't thi...