I was leafing through the mountain of junk mail I get at work then I noticed a press-release heralding the arrival of a miniature dab module costing less than $40 (assuming it's ordered in bulk) needing 5v, I2C interface and an audio output stage. I've emailed the contact asking for more information. The interesting thing is that it does FM as well.

More info when I get it.

Put me down for No.2 in the bulk buy.

I have heard very little about DAB radio - I guess I would need to ask the following questions:

Are DAB broadcasts generally available now
What sort of stations use it
What is the audio quality

I'm sure these things have all been well publicised, but I have missed them

Depends on the area you live in. If you go here you can enter your postcode and see whats available.

In the Glasgow area there is a huge range - all the BBC stations and local stations are on DAB as well many national stations usually found an MW. Many stations are unique to DAB.

The quality is good enough I suppose, but I've yet to find one above 128kbps. Stations usually on MW sound a LOT better, but sometimes I find that FM is clearer. Thats another thing - DAB is only good if you get a clear signal. If you get a weak signal you totally lose the station - this doesn't happen with FM so its good that many radios have the FM tuner as well.

Some cool things are scrolling text for station info and lyrics etc. Well woth the £99 I paid 2 years back.

Yeah. Could be interesting. I'd want to get one to play about with even if I don't ever connect it to the empeg.

this might also help.

sadly I'm not (yet) an empeg owner, but I'd be interested in such a rather cheap DAB solution. Can you share any Details such as Manufacturer, part no., bands (L, K)?
many thanks

Yeah it's Radioscape. They really are taking the piss though, I've left two messages now and they've still not got back to me.

Ahh... Radioscape. They did some of the first DAB modules. The Psion Wavefinder has one of their modules inside except all the brains were in the PC software.

I would have thought 100 orders would be made pretty quickly, if they do FM as well even people with no DAB coverage may be interested.

I don't really need a tuner module, but I'd get one just for the cool factor

Cheers

Cris.

I'll see what I can do with the sample. Of course whatever I do software-wise would be external to the player software (ie a hijack userland program). We could utilise the serial port used on tuner connection but the audio is baseband so I'd unable to utilise the MPX input easily. You'd therefore need to use the aux in, although I thought I read somewhere that there is an I2S input available and there's an SP/DIF output on the module.

EDIT: Forgot to say the module they're supplying is L-Band capable.

Doh about the minimum order quantity. I'd only want one or two and judging by the number of people wanting them in this list, it's not enough at the moment. Not without a complete product for the empeg anyway.

Yeah. There is a totally untested I2S input on the tuner connector but we've hardly any documentation on the pinout much less how to enable it. Hugo did hint at some of the pins and what they do but he couldn't remember. It may turn out to be totally unusable without motherboard modifications as well.

From what I remember there were a couple extra inputs on the DSP which aren't used but wiring into those might be a lot of hassle.

Hook it into the mic input and sled serial?

Can't it just be hacked into a pca tuner kit??? Or am really asking a stupid question here???

(He runs away with A Level in Electronics between his legs )

Cheers

Cris.

Nope. Different interface.

DOH!!!

Well I did only get a C, what did you expect!

Cris.

Which particular module is it? The RS200L?

Yeah its the 200L, there is a 350L which is suitable for automotive applications but he couldn't quote on that.

Any attempts at interfacing the DAB module yet?

I've not ordered it yet, it's been an expensive month. Besides, I'd be really surprised if I couldn't make it work....

Hi Andym
regarding "expensive"
could you please let me know the approximate "prototype quantity price" ?
many thanks

Please add me to the list! A DAB/FM module is just what I've been waiting for...

Look what arrived in the post this morning...

I'd be intersted in tohis too, but i fear it'd not get ported into the empeg software as development is finished to my knowledge. Maybe it could be incorporated into hi-jack?

Without help from the empeg guy this project would be completely separate to the player software and would require hijack to function.

I'm currently too busy to really get started on the this right away. Things should quieten down in December.