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Connecting HiFi Berry to Raspberry Pi

Joe Ess

October 09, 2020 09:43

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I'm completely new to this and it's a bit overwhelming, so please bear with me.

I want to connect a HiFi Berry Amp2 into some form of a Raspberry Pi (not sure which yet), much like the guy speaks of in https://youtu.be/Dp_GfsA6o1o?t=132

1) It looks like it just snaps in, so I don't need any special screws or such attaching hardware?

2) With this HiFi-Berry/Raspberry Pi combo, what are my options as far as an enclosure case for the COMBO?

3) Last, but not least, my application MIGHT need a fan or heat sink to address temperature, so how would that come into play as far as such an enclosure case?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Joe

 

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23 comments

• 1
  
  HiFiBerry team October 09, 2020 12:09

  Yes, it just snaps onto the GPIO. Mounting material is delivered with the Amp2. 

  We recommend the steel case:
  https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/cases/steel-case-for-hifiberry-dac-pi-4-2-2/
  
  While you can mount a 25mm fan in the steel case, it's usually not needed:
  https://www.hifiberry.com/blog/does-the-pi4-really-run-hotter-then-the-pi3/
  
  

   

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 09, 2020 13:50

  Where would I get a compatible fan & heat sinks for what you just mentioned?

  Is there a similar case if I were to get a Pi3 rather than Pi4?

  I'm looking at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VXBMWQK/?coliid=IV0AOXWXQC5Y&colid=2KT28NE87JKYL&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1 2GB RAM version. Do you think an Amp2 would fit in there with that Pi4?

   

   

• 0
  
  David C. Snyder October 09, 2020 16:28

  Joe Ess - if you choose the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B/B+, you will not need a fan. Heat sinks are available inexpensively on Amazon (eg. https://www.amazon.com/LoveRPi-Performance-Heatsink-Set-Raspberry/dp/B018BGRDVS)

  You don't need the compute power of the RPi4, but if you go that route and get the steel case, you should still be fine.

  I went with RPi3 and the plastic case. Trick was adding speaker terminals. My solution is not beautiful, but it works. :)

  

• 0
  
  David C. Snyder October 09, 2020 17:02

  Joe Ess - I should add that the kit that you are looking at definitely will not work with the HiFiBerry AMP2 without significant modifications to the case. You don't need a kit. Here are the parts I would recommend (if you are determined to go with RPi4):

  • Raspberry Pi 4 Model B/2GB
  • Aluminum Heatsink for Raspberry Pi 4B
  • MicroSD Card - 32 GB
  • USB 2.0 Keychain Micro SD Card Reader
  • 7FT Cat6 Ethernet Cable
  • Monoprice High Quality Banana Binding Post Two-Piece Inset Wall Plate for 2 Speakers
  • Hook-up Wire
  • HiFiBerry AMP2
  • STEEL CASE FOR HIFIBERRY AMP2
  • HIFIBERRY 20V/80W POWER SUPPLY

  I'd recommend using Etcher to flash HiFiBerryOS to the microSD card. All of the posts and screws that you need to assemble the case should be included. I did not see instructions for assembling the AMP2 steel case, but this is probably close: https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/hardware/steel-case-assembly-new/

  The HiFiBerry 20V power supply will power both the AMP2 and the RPI4, so there's no need for a 2nd power supply. I highly recommend doing your initial boot and configuration using a wired network connection (cable in the list above). You'll enter the IP address of your RPi4 into a web browser to configure HiFiBerryOS once booted. You can use the "Fing" mobile app (free) to find the IP address of your RPi4.

  I highly recommend the combination of Roon and TIDAL for best experience. You'll need a computer somewhere in your house that you can use to run Roon Server (just runs in the background in the System tray). You'll need a smartphone or tablet to run Roon Remote. Let me know if you have questions.

• 1
  
  Joe Ess October 09, 2020 18:45

  Thanks, David. I really needed somebody to get me off square one because it is a lot for a newbie to take in, so I really, really appreciate your explaining the nuts & bolts in detail. I have to absorb and sleep on it. It is a whole new language, but I'll learn.

  Joe

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 10, 2020 13:03

  Again, please bear in mind that I don't have the benefit of experience of having ever even seen one of these, which of course is why I'm asking for help.

  I don't use WIFI here. If I use that above ethernet cable, would that not make use of the "Fing" mobile app unnecessary if I'm staying on ethernet? I guess (?) the INTERNAL ip of the unit could be found from my ethernet switch's browser interface. Hopefully, at least for the time being, there is no communications hurdle talking to the unit through ethernet.

  Once I get past the hurdle of understanding the above first question, I feel quite comfortable with the idea of configuring it from my desktop computer. (In fact I use Ubuntu Linux). So once I'm able to configure it through ethernet, without any wireless, how do I talk to the unit from the outside world once the ethernet is disconnected? Question being, how do I talk to the unit once the ethernet is disconnected, being that I don't use WIFI here? Could I communicate with it effectively through bluetooth? Or would I need some kind of display & input device, such as mouse & keyboard?

  I'm sorry I complicated this with the special need of no WIFI here.

   

   

• 0
  
  David C. Snyder October 10, 2020 18:19

  Joe Ess - There's no requirement to use Wi-Fi. I only suggested Fing since many people do not know how to login to their router to discover the IP address of new devices on their network. It sound like you have a way to do that, so please ignore my mention of Fing.

  If you're using Linux on your desktop, the rest of this project should be pretty easy. :)

  Instead of using Etcher to flash the microSD card, you can just use Linux commands, like "dd". If you're running HiFiBerryOS, there's really no need to login to your RPi, although you could do this from Linux using the "ssh" command (user is "root", password is "hifiberry"). Instead, you'll configure the device using a web browser.

  If you have no Wi-Fi and you disconnect the Ethernet cable, the device will be pretty much useless. I guess you could try using Bluetooth, but the Bluetooth implementation on the Raspberry Pi is not great. Is there a reason why you can't leave the Ethernet cable connected?

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 10, 2020 19:51

  I have an old laptop running Linux with ethernet ... so there ya go.

• 0
  
  David C. Snyder October 11, 2020 18:31

  Depending on how old, you may still be able to run Roon Server. :)

   

  https://kb.roonlabs.com/LinuxInstall

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 13, 2020 21:53

  I found https://crosstalksolutions.com/getting-started-with-raspberry-pi-4/ to put me at ease. The power supply has me particularly confused, not so much in terms of volts and amps, but upon opening my Raspberry Pi 4 today, like that crosstalksolutions.com link I just showed you, it has a power supply in the form of  USB type C, not a round barrel connector. Can you recommend something compatible on Amazon?

  While I'm here, in event I need a cooling fan, solutions such as https://www.amazon.com/MakerFocus-Raspberry-Brushless-Connector-Separating/dp/B072FW3DDQ connect to 5V & ground pins of the 40-pin GPIO connector. But that 40-pin GPIO connector will be tied up connecting the Raspbery Pi 4 to the HiFi Berry AMP 2, so where would I connect such a 5V cooling fan, being that the GPIO connector will be occupied?

  Getting closer!

   

   

• 0
  
  David C. Snyder October 13, 2020 22:29

  Hmmm, are you still going with the HiFiBerry AMP2 board? If so, you will not need a separate power supply for the RPi4. You'll connect the 20V power supply to the AMP2 board, and it will power the RPi4 via the GPIO headers.

  I defer to HiFiBerry team regarding how to connect a fan in the official AMP2 steel case. I suspect some soldering may be required, but I also suspect that you'll be fine without the fan.

• 1
  
  HiFiBerry team October 14, 2020 06:57

  As David say, you can't use a "normal" 5V power supply with the Amp2, you need an 12-20V power supply like this:
  https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/accessories/power-hifiberry-180/
  
  You can connect a fan to the 5V via the long headers on the Amp2.

• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team October 14, 2020 11:17

  BTW: Usually active cooling is not necessary

  https://www.hifiberry.com/blog/does-the-pi4-really-run-hotter-then-the-pi3/

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 14, 2020 13:03

  Ok, so if I want to do what you said, in possibly connecting a fan "to the 5V via the long headers on the Amp2", where would I find that physical connection? (And what hardware would I need?)

  I am referring to that picture of the Amp2 board in https://www.hifiberry.com/docs/data-sheets/datasheet-amp2/ looking for such physical connection... I don't see what you're saying. (Obviously, I'm not going to try to solder anything on that).

  Thanks for the help.

• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team October 14, 2020 13:06

  Have a look at this image. This might help you understanding where the long headers are.
  
  
  

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 14, 2020 13:27

  As a point of reference, where are the "long headers" in relation to the speaker terminals in the lower right of that image you just uploaded? (I see the GPIO 40-pin connector on the opposite side up top.)

  Maybe you could draw a red line to the "long headers" to mark the image?

• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team October 14, 2020 13:28

  They are where the original header pins of the Pi are. They just stick out.

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 14, 2020 13:43

  I'm sorry for the frustrating communications problem, but I just don't follow you. I know where the GPIO connectors are by virtue of the fact that I know WHAT they are.

  I don't even know what header pins ARE. Please bear in mind that I don't have the benefit of knowing what header pins are like you do, so I have no way of knowing that which you may take for granted, working around this stuff every day.

  I see the picture and a lot of things stick out.

   

• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team October 14, 2020 13:45

  

• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team October 14, 2020 13:47

  BTW: Why do you think you need a fan?

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 14, 2020 14:11

  I see what you're saying now. But the problem, as I posted yesterday:

  "that 40-pin GPIO connector will be tied up connecting the Raspbery Pi 4 to the HiFi Berry AMP 2, so where would I connect such a 5V cooling fan, being that the GPIO connector will be occupied?"

  (I might need a fan because I might be using 24 volts.)

  I know your caveats about voltage, but don't want to get detoured from the problem: That connector you speak of is going to be tied up connecting the Raspbery Pi 4 to the HiFi Berry AMP 2, so how do I get a fan connected?

• 0
  
  HiFiBerry team October 14, 2020 14:15

  That connector is not connected to the Pi. The Amp2 simply plugs on top of the Pi. The Amp connects to the Pi via the female connector on the bottom of the board.

• 0
  
  Joe Ess October 14, 2020 14:54

  Sorry about that. I follow you now. Thanks.