• C.H.I.P. testing

    Psyrax • 05/30/2016 at 03:32 • 0 comments

    Tested project using a CHIP computer, it worked, might be able to end up with two music players instead of one.


  • About backend and frontend

    Psyrax • 05/30/2016 at 03:28 • 0 comments

    Switched MPD player/server combo to Mopidy because it has web API for the server, and awesome set of plugins and a most active community.

    This also makes working with nodejs a little more easier than with Rune Audio. I've previously added a web app to expand some of the use of the rune audio box, such app will be able to control the music player using the attached control and display. But it will be also capable of sending commands via web browser and I hope to add bluetooth support also.

    Meanwhile it does the following:

    • Opening a serial connection to the arduino to be able to set alsamixer volume according to the position of a potentiometer, and to toggle play/pause according to the press of any button.
    • Getting a list of torrents from what.cd sorted by the most snatched and filtering them to only FLAC rips from albums:
    • Get a list of files from a remote seed box and downloading them to the attached hard drive:

  • Prototype Case

    Psyrax • 05/30/2016 at 03:13 • 0 comments

    Cut a wood box, to get all connections together and to plan how place all in a more fancier box, problem is ATX PSU is huge and it's placed outside, might switch it for a ITX PSU with a more smaller foot print. Also included wiring for TV energy supply, but got a connector a little to small, it works, but only nudging it a little to the bottom.

    This usb outlet provides only power to the rPi.View of inside the box:

    Close up of some of the wiring:

    Little switch to start things up:


  • Display, power and wiring components

    Psyrax • 05/18/2016 at 21:58 • 0 comments

    Finally took some decisions.

    Project will use a cheap mini tv as display:


    The next step I took was to plug everything to a simple power outlet, since every part I'm using is either 5v or 12v an ATX power supply sounded good, also I had a power connector adapter laying around, used it to make this cable with all the required voltages plugged, tried to avoid modding the PSU to get some maintenance possibilities:


    I also ditched rune audio in favour of raspbian with mopidy. Mopidy has a HTTP API and some awesome plugins, will try to make my own web front end to run it on the display using Fluxbox Window Manager. I have also worked a little more on the code for controlling the volume and the playback, will try to turn it into a mini keyboard for navigation inside the web client. All it's written in nodejs and mopidy has a JS wrapper for it's API.


    All things are wired to ATX and inside of that green box until I get something nice to put them into.


    A reused and old usb hub now wired to ATX.

  • Prototype controller

    Psyrax • 05/13/2016 at 06:42 • 0 comments

    Today I did a prototype controller with some parts i had lying around:


    It only changes volume and toggles play status of the mpd server running on the rPi, all data is sent via serial usb json encoded.

    Also found the perfect enclosure for the project:



  • Adding volume control

    Psyrax • 05/12/2016 at 21:42 • 0 comments

    Added a little pot to change alsamixer volume on usb dac using serial communication between raspberry pi and arduino. It works great and it's a first step to a self controlled media player.

    Code can be found at github:

  • Power Supply Testing

    Psyrax • 05/08/2016 at 02:15 • 1 comment

    I though it would be a good idea to tap audio out of a hard drive enclosure to power up the raspberry pi. It worked well, power to the PI is set to 5.25v per suggestion from @Arsenijs .

    Some pictures of the power supply hack:

    Neat headers for plugging a usb pc port there:

    Messy desk testing:

    This way only one wall wart is needed, still have to decide between getting power for the oled and buttons from an arduino connected the same power supply or to drive it from the rPi.

    Update: A better view of the hack: