Hi everyone,
Ive been working on my little side project for some years. And now since being out of work for the last while here, ive decided to have a crack at it again. Ive just recently had some latest revs (old now) of my design JLBPCB'd and am throwing it in the rubbish. It served as a good example of a bad example. I'm self taught with some professional experience so I'm missing a lot of knowledge, i don't know what i don't know. I do know sound. And a working amount in this field. Please bear with me when I say something stupid. Please correct me.
Im looking for ideas other than my own, I have made my mistakes and have my bias. I want to know how you would go about how what ICs you'd choose for a portable audio player. What ICs are out there these days? What combinations you'd recommend? Strategies? Maybe you have a horror story or pitfall i should avoid?
I get so lost looking though the variety of chips out there. Ideally I would be able to do everything on one IC. Pretty sure this isnt possible for what i want. So a little IC juggling is order and I think the esp32 is probably the correct choice, my programming abilities will be the biggest challenge for me.
Essential criteria:
-low power is preferable
-Reasonable ease of software design, an esp32 is where Im leaning as the backbone.
-run a small touch display and id like the us a PCB edge as a row of capacitive 'buttons'.
-It'll need DAC
-Reliable, unfussy bluetooth audio, is the esp32 up to this task?
-FM radio receiver if a core feature
-Audio playback from an SD card/storage device
-battery charge/management controller
-Internet radio(nice to have not need to have)
-DSP, also nice to have if quality and reasonably priced.
-a little bit more schmick is ok but preferably not entirely too expensive either.
Im using the PAM8406 as an amp due to the simplicity and that it runs on a single Li-Ion quite efficiently. Im open to other suggestions, especially if theres an integrated solution. I like the idea of the single cell. Its simple. No boost circuit to add noise, perhaps redundant due to the PWM amp.
Thoughts, comments, insults...
Thank you
Joel