One of the great features of ESPHome is its modularity. Idea that popped up some time ago – can I make an ESP32 board with two DACs, similar to Louder Raspberry Hat 2X? Hardware is not the issue, but software that would work right out of the box with two I2C-controlled DACs is not something that is easy to spot.
Guess what, ESPHome config with two DACs is not a problem at all, and the only limitation is the way the DAC component is built. After a few minor changes, I was able to spin it up, and both DACs produced audio
How does it work? Each DAC has its own ESPHome configuration, so you decide whether it would work in stereo BTL or mono PBTL, how filters are set on each channel, etc. Both DACs share the I2S bus, so from the audio interface perspective, they are seen as a single audio sink, but pairs of channels can have individual volume/gain controls.
This gives a lot of ideas, but I’d begin with the 2.1 system with a dedicated DAC driving a subwoofer with configurable gain and crossover frequency.
I just finished the first prototype work and sent it for production. It should be on my desk in 3-4 weeks
Two more changes that I wanted to try out – I added a 4-pin fan connector so it can optionally drive a small fan. It is fully software-controlled – speed can be read from the fan, and it can be controlled (for example, hooked up to DAC temperature, so most of the time it would be off). Second change – I’m replacing the OLED screen with a 2.0 or 2.4 inch TFT screen (240x320px). With Sendspin being able to send album art now, it can be fun to draw it in more than two colors.
If you have your ideas on how to use it, don’t hesitate to reach out on Discord
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