HDMI audio Banana Pi m1

[is_this_taken]

Hi!

 

Trying to setup HDMI audio on Banana Pi with Armbian Xenial mainline:

root@bananapi:~# uname -a
Linux bananapi 4.9.7-sunxi #1 SMP Thu Feb 2 01:52:06 CET 2017 armv7l armv7l armv7l GNU/Linux

 

I tried adding Alsa config in /etc/asound.conf

root@bananapi:~$ cat /etc/asound.conf
pcm.!default {
        type hw
        card 1
        device 0
}

ctl.!default {
        type hw
        card 1
}

root@bananapi:~$ speaker-test -twav -c2

speaker-test 1.1.0

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
WAV file(s)
Playback open error: -2,No such file or directory

 

Any suggestions?

[is_this_taken]

I tried using the legacy kernel and noticed that aplay -l now lists sndhdmi.

I guess the newer kernel doesn't support the driver.

 

Setup the asound.conf again, but still no luck.

[debianxfce]

Because implementing hdmi audio is a big and complex job, it looks like there is no hdmi audio support for A20 in the mainline kernel just like there is no hdmi audio support for Amlogic S912 and spdif audio only with jeromebrunets patches.

http://linux-sunxi.org/Linux_mainlining_effort#Merged_into_4.13

 

I did buy a 11.90 usd spdif DAC, waiting it to arrive. I have tested a 5.19 usd DAC and it did not work with my toslink devices: Sunvell T95Z Plus and LG 26LG3000.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2015-New-Style-Supprot-AC3-DTS-Dolby-Toslink-Coaxial-Digital-To-Analog-Audio-L-R/32422662911.html

[is_this_taken]

3 hours ago, debianxfce said:

Because implementing hdmi audio is a big and complex job, it looks like there is no hdmi audio support for A20 in the mainline kernel just like there is no hdmi audio support for Amlogic S912 and spdif audio only with jeromebrunets patches.

http://linux-sunxi.org/Linux_mainlining_effort#Merged_into_4.13

 

I did buy a 11.90 usd spdif DAC, waiting it to arrive. I have tested a 5.19 usd DAC and it did not work with my toslink devices: Sunvell T95Z Plus and LG 26LG3000.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2015-New-Style-Supprot-AC3-DTS-Dolby-Toslink-Coaxial-Digital-To-Analog-Audio-L-R/32422662911.html

 

Yes I understand that it's an undertaking.

I can live with the legacy kernel as this BPi as long as I can get the HDMI audio working.

[debianxfce]

7 hours ago, is_this_taken said:

 

Yes I understand that it's an undertaking.

I can live with the legacy kernel as this BPi as long as I can get the HDMI audio working.

I can not live with the old android based kernel.  Balbes150 3.14 kernel is slow, difficult to configure to stable and nobody support it. Hdmi audio driver is complex and takes cpu time. Spdif driver is very simple and fast and monitor speakers are crap, so that is why I want to make spdif working with the mainline kernel. My tv has 3.5mm analog audio input for the hdmi input so I can use crap speakers with the spdif DAC too. But I have an extra pair of hifi speakers and a extra hifi amp so that is the way to go.  Check if the mainline kernel has analog audio driver for your board to use better speakers.

[is_this_taken]

6 hours ago, debianxfce said:

I can not live with the old android based kernel.  Balbes150 3.14 kernel is slow, difficult to configure to stable and nobody support it. Hdmi audio driver is complex and takes cpu time. Spdif driver is very simple and fast and monitor speakers are crap, so that is why I want to make spdif working with the mainline kernel. My tv has 3.5mm analog audio input for the hdmi input so I can use crap speakers with the spdif DAC too. But I have an extra pair of hifi speakers and a extra hifi amp so that is the way to go.  Check if the mainline kernel has analog audio driver for your board to use better speakers.

I want to use HDMI to connect to my HIFI setup through a receiver. Don't ever plan to use the HDMI for video, just sound. 

I'm a bit confused,  how would that DAC help me? I want a digital connection.

 

Seems like it could be possible to get SPDIF out from the BPi through the i2s interface, but that is too much work, seem I would be better served with a USB sound card like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PCM2704-USB-DAC-to-S-PDIF-Sound-Card-Decoder-Board-3-5mm-Analog-Output-F-PC-/191786661738?epid=597952891&hash=item2ca760376a:g:2j0AAOSw-zxWnfWN.

[is_this_taken]

Found my problem, two, two dead HDMI cables!

Now I have to fight the receiver, as it shuts off the HDMI input as soon as the TV is off.

[debianxfce]

1 hour ago, is_this_taken said:

I want to use HDMI to connect to my HIFI setup through a receiver. Don't ever plan to use the HDMI for video, just sound. 

I'm a bit confused,  how would that DAC help me? I want a digital connection.

 

Internet has millions of readers and a DAC helps if you just have the spdif driver available and have an amplifier with analog inputs only. Is the audio quality of the banana pi analog output poor or it is just digital hype that drives you to digital connections. For my software development/multimedia/gaming computer I have  a small low cost analog input only amp, SMSL SA-36A Pro. PC motherboards do have hifi quality analog  outputs and my pc sounds great trough my B&W DM 601S2 speakers.

[debianxfce]

35 minutes ago, is_this_taken said:

Found my problem, two, two dead HDMI cables!

Now I have to fight the receiver, as it shuts off the HDMI input as soon as the TV is off.

No wonder, in your receiver and in my tv, inputs are logically grouped. LG has designed my tv smartly, there is analog input grouped to a hdmi connector so I can use DAC and tv speakers.

[is_this_taken]

7 hours ago, debianxfce said:

Internet has millions of readers and a DAC helps if you just have the spdif driver available and have an amplifier with analog inputs only. Is the audio quality of the banana pi analog output poor or it is just digital hype that drives you to digital connections. For my software development/multimedia/gaming computer I have  a small low cost analog input only amp, SMSL SA-36A Pro. PC motherboards do have hifi quality analog  outputs and my pc sounds great trough my B&W DM 601S2 speakers.

I really have no idea what are you on about here, this was about enabling sound over HDMI on a BPi. I have a digital receiver so absolutely no need to deal with analog audio.

 

7 hours ago, debianxfce said:

No wonder, in your receiver and in my tv, inputs are logically grouped. LG has designed my tv smartly, there is analog input grouped to a hdmi connector so I can use DAC and tv speakers.

That was an easy fix, I just switch inputs to the BPi input while the TV is off  

I don't use TV speakers, I use a Yamaha receiver with a proper 5.1 setup. The receiver tries to be smart and shuts off the HDMI input when it detects the TV off signal, which makes sense in a regular setup.

[debianxfce]

7 hours ago, is_this_taken said:

I have a digital receiver so absolutely no need to deal with analog audio.

I don't use TV speakers, I use a Yamaha receiver with a proper 5.1 setup. 

I had 5.1 setup about 10 years ago and found out that only Star Wars movies and couple of others   use space mixing. Rest of the movies just mix background music to back speakers. Space mixing is costly so that is understandable. Some games use 5.1 audio, but you play games with hifi stereo speakers just fine. A pair of B&W speakers is  one of my best invest. I am creating music with Rosegarden and great free software synths.

https://packages.debian.org/buster/zynaddsubfx

https://packages.debian.org/buster/fluidsynth

http://pphidden.wixsite.com/compifont

 

Zynaddsubfx does have many great sounding analog synths