xu4 sound bonnet debugging and install thread

by **phaseshifter** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:38 am

since there really is not any "wiki" info for the xu4 i start this thread..it is a works in progress....

by **odroid** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 11:17 am

XU4 works with Boom Bonnet kit out of the box.
https://wiki.odroid.com/accessory/sound ... odroid-xu4

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:14 pm

ok so i got my s-bonnet today and all my references will be with it running on my xu4..

ok poping and crackling...easy fix

it`s an earthing problem
take a piece of thin flex wire strip both ends 1cm tape one end to the rear dome of the speaker either one will do

connect the other end to the usb3 chassis earthing it out pop`s and crackles gone...phase...

with my bonnet i got supplied 3 5mm m3 hex spacers and 3 m3 screws..three why three..????

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:31 pm

if your using the headphones out jack detach the earth wire..it seems odd but it causes noise if you have it fitted whilst using the jack out..

i have not used the 3 pin header audio out as yet....

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:34 pm

ok so it seems there is slight noise on the line..i will endevour to sort that out as well..but with the volume half way the sound seems to drone it out...

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 4:06 pm

ok so i now have the bonnet screwed to the xu4 its sideways 90 degrees....i think that the long screws and the holes are providing an earthing if this is at all possible ..

other than that all noise pop`s crackles have not returned..and i dont have the earth strap fitted as i did earlier..
i think that the line out to my amp is providing the return earth that is why the strap is not doing any difference.
if powering just the bonnet then you need to have the earth strap to give the unit a proper ground..y i dunno..it just does..earth loops and traps..often occur in audio gear..

on a different note i dont have and back cone cc chambers..i will get there...

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:30 pm

on a further note there is no real rear cone air space on those sealed speakers..so enclosures may be of no advantage...i run it as a preamp at present into my preamp and so on...but you may do justice with some mini speakers "small monitors" if you will......

by **mad_ady** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:24 pm

Did you get popping and cracking noises everytime, or only on specific cases? I use my bonnet with a C2 and I get cracking and popping only when switching video input to HDMI and starting to play a movie or making a sound by navigating through the menu. I don't think it's related to the speakers - I will test with a headphone. I think in my case the cracking comes from i2s initialization from kodi.

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:14 pm

i get cracling and pop`n without the earth strap or earth from my preamp..and i also get what you may call processor or system noise sort of swirling noise..i have not tried it on a c-2 as yet dont think i will since i have hi-fi2 on it

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:18 pm

seems not many other operators have a bonnet just yet..see what comes from others than us few who do...

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:53 pm

i get noise whenever i move the mouse trough the output side of the bonnet as i turn the volume completely of i still get these noises..

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:18 pm

get an empty tissue box 20cmx10cmx12cm approxx take the top of the box where tissues come out point it towards you sitting the box on it`s side

take the speakers place them face down on the top of the box sit sound board next to the speakers.... aprox 6cm apart play music enjoy..phase,,,...

by **mad_ady** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:43 pm

Could I trouble you for a picture?

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:48 pm

want stereo use 2 tissue boxes...oh the speakers/drivers are just sitting there face down...

i`ll post some pics 2 morrow when i dig up another tissue box...

by **phaseshifter** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 10:21 pm

a couple of c-2 boxes just 4 stereo effect...lol...lol

by **mad_ady** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 11:23 pm

I may need to order 2 additional C2s for their case

Did you cut a hole in the boxes?

by **phaseshifter** » Tue Sep 12, 2017 2:29 am

no the boxes have just have the end folded into the box so allows for sound out and the speakers are just sitting there....

by **mad_ady** » Sat Sep 16, 2017 12:14 am

I just tried with two xu4 boxes pressed to the front of the speakers and the difference in sound quality is amazing!
Question is - what's the best way to attach the box to the speaker front? (gravity doesn't work for me)

by **phaseshifter** » Sat Sep 16, 2017 2:32 am

tat is a good question..im thinking a couple of very small tiny dabb`s of superglue...you want the cone attached to the box but you dont want to lose it`s throw of the speaker.
.really i dont think i have any other answer atm..i have been busy with other stuff atm...

by **mad_ady** » Sat Sep 16, 2017 2:48 am

I was thinking of using rubber bands, but I don't have an optimal way to tie them. I will experiment this weekend

by **phaseshifter** » Sat Sep 16, 2017 2:50 am

yes that would work most likely you will have to play with the force that you apply though to much and the speaker will lose its throw...!!!

by **Technicavolous** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 3:10 pm

I just got my Bonnet and connected it to my XU4 - awesome! Some little glitches but nothing I would complain about.

I have one thing to say about everything above - ACCOUSTICS.

My bonnet will be for a communications receiver and the speakers will be mounted in custom built acoustic boxes which will then be mounted to the panel of the radio. Some time in the future I will post those photos.

For an experiment, you can cut a hole in the back of a Dixie cup and hot glue the board to hold the speaker in the bottom of the cup. That sound is awesome!

The best type of acoustic help is a chamber. There are closed and open chambers - I like the open ones because it seems to enhance the full bass range more, where a closed chamber seems to increase the 'thump' more than the rest of the range. For a subwoofer that is great but I'm going on a tangent.

For an open chamber, make a box the face of which is a little over twice the room needed for the speaker. Mount the speaker to the panel and make the box so that it is fairly deep. Below the speaker cut another hole 25 - 50% the diameter of the speaker and affix a tube that extends almost to the back of the box, about the diameter of the tube spaced from the back. Seal that box and wow!! I've seen it done with square and round tubes. There will be an optimum depth based on the other two dimensions of your box but any depth will sound better than the speaker by itself.

Computer speaker manufacturers do things like this - http://store.sbs4dcc.com/images/products/detail/oscthumb.gif (I have nothing to do with them just their picture is worth a thousand words.)

I have made many chambers such as this and you will be amazed at how well even a poorly built one will sound! I use sheets of plastic from the model store and regular model glue to assemble the box. An altoids tin may work nicely. I've seen some very creative chambers built into old speaker enclosures. It's an old trick that works, and you've found out why they came up with it!

by **mad_ady** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 5:16 pm

@Technicavolous: This is my low tech solution, but I'd love to see other implementations as well (with pictures and dimensions): viewtopic.php?f=118&t=28201

by **Technicavolous** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:39 pm

I appreciate that you actually took the time to make measurements and compare!

Here is a down to earth description of what you studied -
https://pioneer-india.in/blog/12/speakersubwoofer-enclosure-tips/

My first one will be a simple sealed box, but I want to make a bass reflex chamber type for a communication receiver I am building. I will post pictures but it will be a while ...

by **Technicavolous** » Wed Nov 01, 2017 2:21 am

OK @mad_ady ... you got me to stay up all night and make my speaker ;]

I went down the local hobby shop and got me an 'assortment pack' of styrene which happened to have a handful of .080 sheets and some tubing in it. I got a little styrene solvent (this stuff 'welds' togther kinda neat) and went to town. I did everything by 'eye' some of the corners are not square, etc. But this is intended to go into another cabinet, with only the face plate showing through. When it's complete I'll glue a piece of cloth over the front and remount the speaker with hex head screws exposed. The boxes will be for acoustics and vibration control. Morse code and SSB voices can make a radio rattle terribly!

If I were to do these standalone I would probably make it about half as deep, but this was chosen because of the depth of the cabinet they're going in. I don't think there would be much sound difference.

One thing not shown in my pics is pulled apart cotton balls. When this is 'complete' I'll have the wires extended to a connector on the back and the entire box will be loosely stuffed with pulled cotton to make a 'baffle' otherwise it always has that hollow box sound.

I am deliberately leaving out measurements - they don't matter much unless you do a bunch of math. I think it would be better to replace the tube with a simple flat sheet spaced up from the bottom about a quarter diameter of the speaker and spaced from the back about the same. You can find designs all over the internet for various chamber designs and ideas if you want to go crazy.

: I just set the little board over my cut panel and marked it with a sharpie; IMG_20171031_020030930.jpg (156.79 KiB) Viewed 5082 times

: Closeup of the tube attached; IMG_20171030_215607527.jpg (120.69 KiB) Viewed 5082 times

: Another view; IMG_20171030_215641827.jpg (178.43 KiB) Viewed 5082 times

: Top view with the front panel in the almost complete box; IMG_20171030_223526524.jpg (74.54 KiB) Viewed 5082 times

: Ends up a sweet looking and great sounding box!!; IMG_20171030_235612829.jpg (96.39 KiB) Viewed 5082 times

Do something like this with ANY speaker and it will instantly sound better. You can be creative in a single box and make a 'boom bonnet boom box' so to speak. Plastic and glue, the possibilities are endless ;]

by **mad_ady** » Wed Nov 01, 2017 5:47 am

Sorry I kept you up, but the result looks great!

by **odroid** » Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:34 am

Yeah~~ A tube in your speaker box is really nice. I love the sound engineering!

by **Technicavolous** » Fri Nov 03, 2017 3:25 am

This is quickly becoming an educational project LOL - to experiment with the sound I stuck the front panel in backwards as I haven't extended the wires yet ... amazing! It tries to do a little bass, not much below 100 hz I think but if I put my finger over the tube most of the bass goes away! So the chamber appears to be working like it should. Once the wires are extended out the back and the tube is in the box properly it should give a tiny bit more bass.

: a quick experiment becomes educational; IMG_20171102_134556816.jpg (117.97 KiB) Viewed 4975 times

So much fun ... I'll post more as I complete.

by **odroid** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:15 pm

Nice video.
Boom bonnet literally rocks!

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Wed Mar 14, 2018 12:58 pm

Hi,
Is there any technical drawing of the Stereo Boom Bonnet Kit (exact measurements and dimension)??

by **mad_ady** » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:48 pm

There should be on the product page/wiki...

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:24 pm

mad_ady wrote:There should be on the product page/wiki...

only the schematic and the block diagram are available

by **neal** » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:33 pm

islam@kridentia.com wrote:Hi,
Is there any technical drawing of the Stereo Boom Bonnet Kit (exact measurements and dimension)??

You can find&download the DXF file in the middle of the page(Board Detail) at this link.
http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G150067146391

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Wed Mar 14, 2018 7:36 pm

neal wrote:
islam@kridentia.com wrote:Hi,
Is there any technical drawing of the Stereo Boom Bonnet Kit (exact measurements and dimension)??

You can find&download the DXF file in the middle of the page(Board Detail) at this link.
http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G150067146391

i've downloaded that file but it is not what i'm looking for, still missing the component's measurements (thickness). i need to create a detailed 3D model of this board with the components on it

by **odroid** » Thu Mar 15, 2018 9:19 am

There is no 3D data since our PCB design needed only 2D data. Sorry about that.

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:46 am

odroid wrote:There is no 3D data since our PCB design needed only 2D data. Sorry about that.

ooh I see... at least what is the total thickness of the board and the components?

by **odroid** » Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:56 am

PCB thickness is 1.6mm.
If you plug 12pin IDC connector for XU4 interface, total thickness could 12~13mm probably.

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:58 am

odroid wrote:PCB thickness is 1.6mm.
If you plug 12pin IDC connector for XU4 interface, total thickness could 12~13mm probably.

so the IDC connector is the highest components? what about the speakers?

by **odroid** » Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:02 am

Speaker thickness is 11.5mm.

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:09 am

Thanks

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:48 pm

Greetings,

I've purchased 2 units of stereo boom bonnet. One of them works perfectly with my XU4, but when i connect the other it doesn't work.
is there anyway to troubleshoot the not working one OR just considered faulty?

please Advise

by **odroid** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:53 pm

Swap cables and speakers to narrow down root causes.

by **islam@kridentia.com** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:00 pm

sorry forgot to mention that i have swapped all the wires n speakers between the 2 boards and still no sound
4 out of 4 speakers are working fine
1 out of 2 boards is working fine
2 out of 2 wires are working fine

by **odroid** » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:42 pm

I see. One of your bonnet board seems to be damaged.
Please contact "odroid at hardkernel dot com" with a link of this thread.
She will help your RMA process if you purchased the board from us directly.
Otherwise, contact your local distributor.