[Tfug] Audio client

[Harry McGregor]

Hi,

Bexley Hall wrote:
> Seasoned Greetings,
>
> OK, I have just about finalized my hardware design for
> these little "audio clients".  I'd appreciate any comments
> folks might have (esp folks who own things like Audiotrons).
>
> - 10/100 interface
> - ~64KB RAM
> - ~128KB Flash
> - dual 24 bit D/AC's
> - ~10W stereo amplifier (1x10 or 2x5)
> - PoE
> - "line out" at the expense of amplified output
>
> Note there is *no* user interface!  The goal is to make the
> audio gear in the house "become invisible" (so why design a
> box with a display and controls that will then need to be
> *visible* in order to be usable??).  This also greatly reduces
> cost (I'm probably in the $25 range for "one off" quantities)
> and size (ideally, I can build this *into* a speaker and
> never have to see any of it!)
>
> My plan is to use a simple codec and (in my case) convert all
> of the media files to that form so they can be served directly.
> Or, write a transcoder that resides server-side and effectively
> does the same thing.
>
> Note that simplifying the client also makes it easier for people
> to hack the box -- since you can hack the server side instead of
> having to deal with the actual target (cross development, etc.)
>
> And, it lets folks decide how *they* want to talk to the box
> instead of living with someone else's (e.g., me) idea of what 
> a user interface should entail.
>
> Of course, this also means people will have to make an
> *investment* (time) in that -- instead of just buying it off
> the shelf!  :>  (Free software, not free lunches!)
>
>   

Thinking about this some more, one of the best ways to interface it
under linux would probably to make an Alsa driver for it that made it
look like another (second, third, fourth, etc) sound card on the linux
box, that just happens to be connected over ethernet or tcp/ip

                                              Harry


> --don
>
>
>       
>
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