Cheap I2S -> USB Chip? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2025, 02:00:04 pm
content: HiI think about building my own Radio Receiver thing where I can connect a bunch of them to my System and Stream the Audio into my Network. The only think I am a bit overwhelm is I could not find an easy to use I2S -> USB Chip who show up as an Audio Device in Win, Linux,...https://www.digikey.at/de/product-highlight/s/silicon-laboratories/cp2114-usb-i2s-audio-bridgeI found something like this but the are not available any more?!Can someone recommend one?Thanks

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2025, 06:47:40 pm
content: They're disappearing. Firmware solutions on a generic microcontoller is cheaper and more flexible. Most manufacturers will have a basic reference design and there's probably plenty of code out there on GitHub you could adapt to your micro of choice. 2 channels @ 16bit/48khz should be doable on the $1 CH32V303 for example. Not a trivial drop-in, though.CP2615 is NRND, but still available. Haven't used it but it should suit.There are also TI PCM290x series (which doesn't do I2S but has integrated codec) and the PCM270x series (which is output-only). Neither fits your use case though I suspect.If you need higher sample rate / bit depth than you most likely need to go to USB high-speed, which ups the stakes and there are even fewer options; I only know of one Chinese chip basically unobtainable (CM6631A) that can do this, and only a high level datasheet available in English AFAIK. And it's also notreallya drop in solution since it requires firmware / EEPROM of sorts. Modules are available, which might work for you, though.XMOS XU208 with theirreference codeis a high performance solution but requires more than just dropping it on a board (both from a board support point of view, and from a software development point of view), also kind of expensive. Again, modules are available.If you find anything else, let me know.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 19, 2025, 07:54:49 pm
content: You're not saying if this is a one-off or you're going to build many of them.If a one-off or just a few, yes, using a XMOS-based solution will be the most pain-free approach. And again as long as you don't need to make a product sold in quantities, don't bother making your own board nor having to write a single line of xC (for XMOS chips). There are ready-to-use boards for exactly that purpose. Example:https://www.diyinhk.com/shop/audio-kits/175-xmos-multichannel-high-quality-usb-tofrom-i2sdsd-spdif-pcb.html

author: aeg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 20, 2025, 03:22:40 am
content: You could try C-Media CM108. The chip is available from Asian suppliers, or you could get a "USB soundcard" with the chip inside.Another approach is to go the SDR route. Digitize the entire FM band and demodulate multiple channels in software.

author: paulca
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 20, 2025, 07:56:53 am
content: When I was looking for same I ended up having to go "Boutique" one of these. As you can see, they are not cheap. Shop around through I spotted some around $40.It is way OTT though. It supports stupid codecs like 1.5Mb 32bit stuff. I run mine at 48khttps://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000715894190.htmlEDIT: Cheaperhttps://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008334392980.html

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2025, 03:10:00 am
content: Might it be easier to just get a bunch of RTL-SDRs and call it done?

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 07:08:41 pm
content: Sorry I dont saw there is a replay.I dont want use a SDR since with such Radio each "channel" = receiver can control the gain on there own.It is not about FM its about <30Mhz.How does other Company deal with that problem?

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2025, 02:22:14 am
content: A bunch of quadrature sampling mixers going into audio ADCs will have very good dynamic range. I assume you want to monitor several amateur HF bands at the same time?

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 09:02:24 am
content: lets call them "different Channel, Frequency at the same Time".Maybe AM Radio maybe other stuff.Do you mean by that from the "Digital" Radio Chip going Analog to an Audio Processor and re Digitalise it?I would like stay Digital to avoid Noise and other thinks by stay Digital.Can an Raspberry Pi Decode Digital Audio?

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 02:59:02 pm
content: You implement receivers with quadrature sampling mixers, similar to what RTL-SDR does but lower frequency.