Laptop engineer Dimitris Dimitrakoudis has diminished the contents of his junk drawer by one Espressif ESP32-based growth board — by turning it right into a customized, amplified web radio streaming gadget.
“A very long time in the past I purchased an ESP32 module off of Ebay. I am unable to actually bear in mind what for, however I did,” Dimitrakoudis writes of the machine’s presence in his spares assortment. “So the module arrived a few months later, in typical China-to-Greece-by-post trend. By that point I had actually forgotten what I had purchased it for. So it then lay there in a drawer for 4 or 5 years till I randomly got here throughout an article that talked about that it could output I2S! That was information to me, and clearly fascinating.”
A provider board and a few low-cost elements deliver a forgotten Espressif ESP32 module out of the junk drawer and into service as an web radio receiver. (📷: Dimitris Dimitrakoudis)
Discovering the ESP32-audioI2S library and confirming that it was able to retrieving and decoding his favourite web radio station Dimitrakoudis set about selling the module from its dust-gathering duties in a challenge delivered to our consideration by Adafruit. “I assumed that I ought to do a provider board for the ESP32,” the engineer explains, which might host the previously-unloved microcontroller module whereas offering a regulated energy provide, remoted and buffered I2S output, and boast an on-board digital to analog converter (DAC).
“Since this machine would solely stream web radio (a.ok.a. ‘closely compressed audio’), the on-board DAC didn’t should be something particular,” Dimitrakoudis explains. “So let
s go together with the all time basic [ESS Technology] ES9023. Let’s additionally do a comparatively good energy provide for the essential element (DAC chip) however nothing excessive. The remainder of the audio-related elements may be powered by properly revered [Texas Instruments] LP5907 LDOs, whereas the precise ESP32 may be powered by a run-of-the-mill [TI] LM1117.”
The module and provider are housed in a brushed-metal chassis, completely in-keeping with high-end audio gear. (📷: Dimitris Dimitrakoudis)
The completed provider board design contains an SD Card slot for native storage, the promised I2S output for connection to an outboard DAC, and the on-board DAC for line-level outputs. A chunky energy provide and a front-facing energy button end the construct, in a beautiful brushed-metal case to match present audio gear.
“This was a fairly easy and comparatively low price challenge, a super strategy to hold busy for a few winter evenings,” Dimitrakoudis concludes. “Additionally it’s a good strategy to take heed to excessive constancy web radio with no need to maintain a complete PC and DAC powered up. So it’s good for the surroundings. It might not be troublesome so as to add an LCD that will show the artist and monitor that’s taking part in… maybe someday sooner or later.”
The complete challenge write-up is obtainable on Dimitrakoudis’ web site, together with Gerber information for the provider board underneath an unspecified license.