Amanero PCM and DSD (Update)

This is an update to this post on using foobar to play both PCM and DSD files [link]

Playing PCM and DSD files with foobar:

After installing foobar2000,

From the foobar2000 website, download:

• ASIO support 2.1.2 or newer

UPDATES

Get to the “Super Audio CD Decoder” repository [link]

• Download the latest file from the foo_input_sacd folder
• Download the latest file from the foo_dsd_asio folder

When you extract the zip files you will find:

• foo_input_sacd.dll
• ASIOProxyInstall-x.x.x (application).
  • This installs foo_dsd_asio in the default directory C:\Program Files\ASIOProxy
    

foo_input_sacd

This plug in shows up as “Super Audio CD Decoder” and allows you to playback the following formats:

• Playback of Super Audio CD ISO images, DSDIFF files and DSF files
• Converts DSD to PCM (if your DAC cannot play native DSD)

To install or update foo_input_sacd, just drag it to the components window in foobar and click “apply”

The control panel looks like this: you can select DSD output or PCM output (when converting DSD to PCM)

More on the different options: [link]

I tested the conversion of DSD to PCM, using both DSD64 and DSD128 files. The results were as expected:

PCM Conversion	Output Sample Rate for DSD64 Input	Output Sample Rate for DSD128 Input
44.1KHz	44.1KHz	44.1KHz
88.2KHz	88.2KHz	88.2KHz
176.4	176.4	176.4
352.8KHz	352.8KHz	352.8KHz

foo_dsd_asio

foo_dsd_asio is kind of a “meta-asio” driver. It is used by the sacd plug-in above as the output device and in turn foo_dsd_asio outputs to an ASIO driver for an actual device. Apparently the sacd plugin does not output directly to an ASIO driver, it must go through the meta-asio driver. (Actually, ASIO itself is a meta-device driver because it talks to the actual device driver)

For one thing, foo_dsd_asio handles the “DSD playback method”: for example, “DoP Marker 0×05/0xFA”. “DoP” means DSD over PCM. Marker 0×05/0xFA means use the marker (for DSD) as specified in the proposed “USB Link for DSD Audio via PCM Frames” open standard [link][link]. This “marker” method is predominantly driven by the MacOS since its built-in USB2 audio driver only supports PCM. On the PC side, there is no native support for USB2 audio so people use ASIO and ASIO can support both PCM and DSD streams. The Amanero board handles “ASIO native”, but other boards may require a marker on the DSD stream.

Thus, foo_dsd_asio has the following functionality:

• Handles DSD playback method
• Converts PCM to DSD (optional)
• Outputs to DSD-capable ASIO driver

To install or update foo_dsd_asio, run the ASIOProxyInstall-0.6.x.exe program.

I tested the PCM to DSD conversion. The latest foo_dsd_asio plug-in handles all sample rates as shown in the following results:

PCM Sample Rate	DSD64 Conversion	DSD128 Conversion
44.1KHz	2.82 MHz	5.6MHz
88.2KHz	2.82 MHz	5.6MHz
352.8KHz	2.82 MHz	5.6MHz
96KHz	3.07 MHz	6.14MHz
384KHz	3.07 MHz	6.14MHz

AMANERO FIRMWARE/DRIVER UPDATE

Recall that previously ASIO4ALL was used because the Amanero lacked native ASIO support. Amanero updated the firmware and released ASIO drivers.

For instructions on enabling native ASIO playback, you can follow this excellent post:

Amanero ASIO or you can get the ASIO drivers from the Amenero site [link]. Note that the ASIO drivers compliment the standard drivers and you need both for ASIO support.

After updating the Amanero device with ASIO support  you do the following:

Fist set the output to be foo_dsd_asio (in order to support DSD output, and also PCM since this is the output device)

And then in the foo_dsd_asio configuration screen, select the Amanero board.

TIPS FOR UPDATING FIRMWARE

Erase firmware

1- Plug board into USB port

2- Short the pads as shown for at least 1 second (I used a paper clip)

3- Unplug the board

Download and Install Atmel device driver

1- Download and unzip the update tools from the Amanero web site [link]. You will get several files: a device driver for the ATMEL chip, a configuration application for updating the firmware and some other files.

2-Plug the board into a USB port. At this point the device is completely unidentified. You may get a prompt to install a driver or you may not. Following is the manual installation of the ATMEL device driver:

3- Open the Device Manger under the System control panel. The device shows up as “unknown device” as shown below

4- Right click on the unknown device and select Update Driver Software, indicating the location of the driver which is in the folder you downloaded. Your Amanero board is now a “AT91 USB to Serial Converter”

Your are ready to update firmware

1- Ensure that you have erased the firmware as shown above, and ensure that the device is identified as “AT91 USB” as a port as shown below: