Marki

This isn't strictly about kX, but I think you may have some good ideas about this problem:
We want to use Audigy as cheap digital crossover, dsp, equalizer.... It has everything we need - DSP, ADC and DAC

As far as I know, Audigy is emu10k1 DSP with few external components. So in theory it doesn't need PC to work. The question is: how is this DSP programmed? Does this programming need PCI "protocol"? Or is there any simple interface on some of PCI pins (maybe i2c as for tuner in some TV cards)? Is emu10k1 the only chip that has to be configured or also ac97/i2s? If I would know how to program it, it should be possible using some microcontroller like PIC16F/PIC18F... which would program actual microcode of kX DSP into emu10k1 chip...

many thanks for any ideas how to configure and use Audigy without PC

Lex Nahumury

I'm afraid not.
The emu10k1/k2 chips are designed to interface with a PCI-bus.
Host must program the DSP and several on-card devices that are mapped in i/o space.
Also, the chip uses/needs host memory for TRAM and Sample playback (Soundfonts).
FYI:
The same FX8010 architecture is used in the RChip meant for dedicated systems
like synths, samplers etc.

/LeMury

PS:
The closest I got to a 'embedded system' using a 10kx card
is by using a VIA EPIA board and writing a small footprint custom OS
for card init, dsp program loading etc.

BiCho

this would be like a dream come true. is it really possible in human terms? that is, does it require too much coding, and do you think its worth the time spent? if it is, I will start looking right away for that board!!

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Lex Nahumury

>> is it really possible in human terms?

Possible, yes ofcourse.

>>..that is, does it require too much coding

In general yes, but it all depends on
what features that embedded system must have.
For example;
Booting from floppy and loading/executing some DSP X-over filter 'forever' isn't that hard.

>> and do you think its worth the time spent?

I doubt it because it's to hardware dependant (future availability of cl cards + tech specs etc. etc.).
As a personal experimental hobby project it's quite fun tho.

/LeMury

TravelRec.

I would participate in such a project since I use microcontrollers for some time and it would be nice to have an "on-table-system" running with a small pcb, a LCD and a 10kX-card of course . But this needs to have a lot of information first, how the card interfaces with the world outside. This could end up in a fine user programmable fx-rack or similar (dream!!!)...

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Lex Nahumury

Unfortunatly that won't work TravelRec.
Like I said, emu10kx-cards need a PCI-bus + memory to interface with.
Therefore it's much easier to take a VIA-EPIA board (or an old pci-based mobo with some ram)
to serve as a host.

Btw; there is a freely programmable DSP fx-unit called Chameleon. Too pricy tho.

/LeMury

TravelRec.

Ah okay - I understand. Some guys in a german electronics forum have made a circuitry of some FPGA and controller chips to make an old ISA-graphic card to run on a microcontroller host - but I´m afraid this is not to compare with a PCI-soundcard - anyway - it was a nice thought....

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Lex Nahumury

Yes, the ISA bus is much simpler then the PCI bus, but ... it was a nice thought indeed!
Btw; do you have a link to that German electronics forum?

Maddogg6

I was checking out some elec forums and found this one
http://www.dutchforce.com/~eforum/index.php

Lots of activity. Lots of different subjects too.

Marki

Someone on Microchip's forum suggested me article about PCI and FPGA - you can find it here: http://www.circuitcellar.com/magazine/index.asp (it's called Unlock the Power of the PCI Bus). After reading it sounds quite difficult, but not impossible... The protocol alone doesn't seem so difficult, but maybe implementation will be
The question is if try to make it using FPGA or some microcontroller like PIC or ATMEL.

Marki

Is host memory a must for Audigy? Or better said for kX-generated DSP microcode? I know that it's used for delay lines, but there is some memory also on-chip. Or this is just too small to be useful?

Lex Nahumury

If you don't need long delay lines or sample playback, then theoreticly no.
Review emu10kx/fx8010 docs on kX site for tech specs and Creative OpenSource/Linux ALSA driver implementation on how to initialize the card.

/LeMury

TravelRec.

@LeMury: The forum I meant: www.mikrocontroller.net lot of AVR/FPGA stuff there - all in german

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Lex Nahumury

How does one/did you get access to that article?

Lex Nahumury

Thanks Trav. Deutsche sprache ist kein problem.
Allerdings find ich is grad lustich wie alle terminologie auf deutsch ubersetzt wird.
Zb; "speicher", "festplatte" uzw.
(Ach, das tut man in Holland auch, nur ein bischen weniger)

Maddogg6

Either buy the magazine ( Im pretty sure its in there too) or buy the article ($1.50US) on-line from the link provided.

Lex Nahumury

Yep, looks that way. Hmmm,..nevermind then,..to much fuzz.

TravelRec.

Yes, but the translation is necessary for all the people who doesn´t speak englisch very well - and that are more and more these times. The PISA study has shown that there are many problems with education in this part of Europe... The best example for this real uncool translation-thing is the word "Handy", that means cellphone, taken from the german word "Hand" (for hand) and the english ending "y" to make the thing international - nobody outside germany knows what a Handy is.... ... not to speak about such extraterrestrial things like "Memory" or "Harddisk". But I overdrive the situation a bit .


HöHö, meet you in the forum there my nickname is "TravelRec."

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Russ

lol, what are you guys talking about? I do not mean to correct you (I couldn't imagine trying to post to a forum in a different language, it is sometimes hard enough to make yourself understood using your native language, so please do not take this the wrong way...), but since you are talking about the translation of certain words:

In English, "handy" means "to be good with your hands".
I am not sure what you mean by "extraterrestrial" things, but "extraterrestrial" means "not of this Earth", i.e. from another planet, I think that maybe you mean "foreign" things, and although the meaning of "overdrive" is similair, you would not use that word in this context, you would use the word "exaggerate".

Maddogg6

I was thinking: extraterrestrial meant 'OFF TOPIC' - ??

But foreign would make more sense..

Lex Nahumury

Just some OT fun between Trev and me. Nothing serious.