Hi all,
I want to make a DAB (digital) radio alarm as you can't pick up certain stations via FM here in the UK (ie. 6 music).
A quick search has come up blank here, but I've found the following module which is popular in DAB products:
http://www.frontier-silicon.com/products/modules/venice5.0.htm
Does anyone have any experience using an Arduino to pick up and play DAB?
Any ideas how feasible this would be?
Many thanks,
Amadeus
Well, I have dug a little further, and Frontier Silicon don't sell direct to users, as they sell the modules bulk (3000+), along with support contracts for software.
Another option is to break open an existing DAB/DAB+ radio to find either theirs or another DAB/DAB+ module and reverse engineer it.
Given that this defeats the point I am going to answer that, without a more easily accessible DAB/DAB+ module, this project will have to go on the backburner.
no one seems to sell DAB chips, two more maybes
keystone
and
maxim
Thanks for those. I've ordered a sample from Maxim. I'll post here if it arrives, and what I can make of it!
So the bare chip arrived today from Maxim, not the module.
Not much I can do with this as it's a surface mount chip (just the tuner not even the demodulator)...
You could consider that you now have half a system?
Will Maxim provide you with information regarding suitable decoder chips - for example the one on there reference design?
They might, but this is already far out of my comfort zone.
You'd need a reflow oven just to solder connections to the chip they sent!
Happy to send it on if anyone is keen. I tried to take a picture with my phone but it's so small focussing wasn't possible...
maybe take it to your nearest hackspace, they might have an oven
Have a look at this Keystone based dev board http://www.monkeyboard.org/products/85-developmentboard/80-dab-fm-digital-radio-development-board
Also see this thread http://www.mp3car.com/hardware-development/152973-dab-dab-fm-digital-radio-development-board.html#post1480549
Controlled by a windows API at the moment, but possibility of serial control via micro controller.
Hi Dabbler,
Thanks for the link. After a few (very quick) email exchanges with Australian-based Monkeyboard, looks like good news for Arduino users.
They sell both a development board with PIC (which we would replace with an Arduino) and the DAB+ module (T1_L4A_8290C) by itself:
Yes, the T1_L4A_8290C uses UART to receive and send data, the voltage level is 3.3V, however it is quite tolerance to a 5V level signal. The PIC on the board is basically just an USB to UART converter.
Our customers have successfully interface it with Arduino and other customised LCD master. On the board, you will need to either cut the TX and RX tracks or just lift up the PIC's pins. Customers doing their own customisation signed an NDA to get access to the low level serial protocol.
Or if you are adventurous you could just get the modules and make your own PCB, ideally an Arduino shield.
and
So if you make your own shield, I imagine you will need the following
From Arduino's 5V, you will need 3.3V LDO, 1.8V LDO and 1.2V LDO
From Arduino's Serial port, you will need a 5V to 3.3V level converter to TX and RX pin of the module.
An IO to turn on and off the 3 LDO
Resistors and Caps for the module and also an IO from Aduino to RESET the module.
If you look at our schematic, you will basically take out the PIC and replace it with an Arduino.
Full schematics and PCB layout: http://www.monkeyboard.org/images/products/dab_fm/DAB%20Radio%20Eagle.zip
Current pricing:
I would be interested in a shield which could sit under a Keypad LCD shield: http://droboticsonline.com/ebaydownloads/LCD_Shield_Manual.pdf, but I will need to sit down properly and figure out how many pins the DAB+ module needs, and if it can be used with the shield above.
At the moment I don't have PCB resources, but I may try making a crude shield on protoboard, though will need to look into all the extra ICs needed to see how feasible this is.
If people are interested in a module I can order (probably in a few weeks) a bunch to the UK and redistribute them to save on shipping.
Hopefully one of the shield manufacturers (Sparkfun?) will pick up on this to produce a shield at some point.
I should add that for a radio alarm this will also need an audio amplifier circuit to drive a speaker...
Amadeus
I thought you might find it interesting Amadeus XD
I came across your thread by chance and saw you were hitting a dead end, caught you just in time!
I've been playing around with the Frontier Silicon radios for a while, specifically the Venice 7 and Verona.
But to get something serially controllable, they needed flashing with a firmware obtained from a particular model of radio.
It wasn't the best of protocols and a bit awkward as it behaved as a 2 by 16 display with scrolling text etc.
The Keystone solution looks very promising indeed. For the CarPC market, a lot of people use Windows for the operating system so Monkeyboards dll is ideal for them.
I, like you, want to get at the raw serial control as windows is not in the picture for me.
As you have already found, they are very responsive to emails and really helpful too.
I guess I'm going to try and go down the NDA route to find out how to really drive the module.
Just an update here.
I've managed to implement all the power/audio/serial circuitry for the keystone based module above, and have ordered 3 modules (in case anyone else wants one - shipped from Australia to UK).
I have the serial protocol and DLL example source, though I won't be able to post those here.
I'll post updates when I get the system working!
Another quick update; the modules arrived (+ £18 import tax!!!!), and with some very quick support from Monkeyboard, I've got my arduino communicating over UART with the module.
Will hook up the antenna and get something streaming soon and report back.
Looking very promising! Only 2 wires from the arduino needed... I have an LCD shield knocking about so will try to get program text scrolling on that too.
Now it is a while since march and well, I'm rather curious about this dab-board and if or how I can communicate with it through android. I don't mind having to program every function from scratch as long as I'm confident in the schematics (I'm a developer venturing into electronics)
Update 15th September 2013
Attached is an image of the DAB module protoboarded with the voltage regulators. Outputs go to Arduino (UART) and a simple audio amplifier.
I am finding the implementation of the UART spec in Arduino tricky, namely because you have to deal with buffering and "advanced" level programming that will come easier to those with a background in lower level languages (e.g. C). I see Monkeyboard have released their own wrapper API: MonkeyBoard DAB DAB+ FM board Programming API. When I get time I will have a look.
Realistically I won't be working on this for a month or two again, but it will happen 
Their spec is available after you agree to an NDA with the chip manufacturer - this might change so worth checking with Monkeyboard.
One module has just been shipped - one left!
Still left the module ? I am interested
I don't, but I noticed that Cool Components started doing them (out of stock right now, but drop them an email and they will get back to you quickly):
DAB Radio Shield is now available from www.dabshield.com for arduino and compatible
