I put together a little site for my digital output boards. I need to know how you guys stand on pre orders and other issues before I order the first batch of circuit boards and other parts. Please stop by www.eutronix.com/order and fill out the short survey if you are interested in one of these. There is also some preliminary information available on the options and prices.

Thanks,

Stu

whats install like on these, plug and play or soilder?

It's unavoidable that some soldering is required. At a minumum, four solder joints will need to be made to your Rio Car/ Empeg Car. I will post the manual on the "Products" page of my site within the next week. This will show exactly what's involved in the install procedure.

Stu

must say,
nice site,
clear no clutter and easy to read / navigate

Thanks. I tried to keep it simple. But I see it growing in complexity in the future.

Stu

Wasn't there talk of the TOSLink optical version meaning a second HD couldn't be fitted to the empeg? I couldn't find anything about that on the site - has the design altered to avoid this issue, or am I remembering wrong?

Many thanks,

A.

You are right. I better add that to the site. I'll e-mail everyone that requested that version and let them know of this issue. Perhaps someone can figure out a way around this, but I can't; the modules are just too big.

Stu

How exactly will the dgital output board be mounted in relation to the red box depicted on your website diagram and where will the connector(s) emerge ? Will the case of the Empeg need to be cut for the output connector(s) or is the existing Empeg output connector used in some way ?

Once the digital output board is soldered into the Empeg, what is the impact on the normal Empeg output ? Can the Empeg still be used in the normal way, i.e. the internal DAC still works and the normal analogue output is still available or is it a case of digital output or normal analogue output, but not both ?

I was wondering if it is possible to use the Empeg in the home such that the digital output feeds an external DAC and yet the Empeg can still be used just as it always was in the car without an external DAC ? Basically the current sound quality is more than adequate for the car, but extra DAC quality would be welcome for my home system.

So are you ready to start actually "selling" these? I'll add a link in the FAQ.

The boards will mount using double sided tape (included) with the flat side of the board parallel to back of the player. The board comes with panel mount connectors which connect to molex connectors on the board, so yes the Empeg would need to be cut. They install just to the left of the box in the picture. I have not done this to one of mine yet, as I am still settling on the final layout on the production board. I am devising a way to run the coax signal out of the mic in cable (this option would require no cutting), but am currently unable to locate a source for the connectors needed.

There is no impact on the normal output of the Empeg. You wouldn't know it was installed unless you looked for the connectors on the back. In fact, both operate simultaneously. Volume and 2 channel EQ are also functional through the digital output (analog too). The Empeg can be used just as it always has been. You can use the Empeg in the home to feed a DAC and still use its standard analog outs in the car.

Hope this helps,

Stu

In reply to:

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So are you ready to start actually "selling" these? I'll add a link in the FAQ.

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Not yet. Give me until the end of July. I'll post in the "For Sale" forum when they are actually available. Thanks!

Stu

Tony,

Forgive me, but where are these links you speak of in the FAQ? I've seen references to links of other after market goodies placed in the FAQ, but I've never come across them.

Go ahead and put the link to my site (www.eutronix.com) into the FAQ if that's all right. Maybe others are able to find it better than I and would get the word out to more people. So far it looks like about eleven people are interested, based on the form submissions I have received.

Stu

I can not find any info on the optical part of the board and why it is so big.

I will say that i know little about electronics but if you already have SPDIF Coax would not be possible to just use a SHARP GP1F32T Toslink transmitter, This converts SPDIF to optical and is little bigger than a toslink connector.

Here is a link to a fake sound blaster and on card that users it.

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~atrac/

C.

I'm using Toshiba modules. The board is wired for them and not Sharp's which are slightly different and seem to be harder to get. Sharp's modules are no smaller than Toshiba's anyway. But listen to this. I screwed down the drive sled and the TOSlink module drops right in to the space behind the hard drive, at least for Fujitsu drives. Does anyone know if all brands of drives hav the same dimensions?

I guess it didn't fit before because I checked with a circuit board mount version (TOTX173) rather than panel mount (TOTX176) which is quite a bit shallower. So all you people that wanted optical and the second hard drive can come to my site and put yourself down for one!

Stu

Forgive me, but where are these links you speak of in the FAQ?

Well, I just removed the link to the carrying-case-guy from this entry because he's announced that personal problems are preventing him from filling orders. Brian's page is linked here, and Darkstorm's page is linked from here.

I'd prefer not to link your page until you've got something ready to begin shipping. At that point, it will probably get its own entry, like Brian's.

Remember, you can also submit a news story to be published on the front page for a while about it. Simply type up what you want, and one of the admins should notice it and approve it. That way it has exposure to all the owners who don't dig through the FAQ but just skim this BBS and riocar.org.