matt wrote:I would like to make a TPA3116 amp and rpi streamer(?) in a single enclosure for my son. Whats going to be the easiest way to power both things, preferably with the power supply inside the case.
Hi matt,
To power the TPA3116 and the Raspberry Pi, I would suggest that you get a suitable power supply for the TPA3116.
- SMPS-PSU.JPG (46.4 KiB) Viewed 6812 times
Something like this would be fine, 24 volts and 3-5 amperes. I would choose closer to 5 amperes, because you'll need to power the Raspberry Pi with this power supply as well.
Now that you have the main PSU, you can get a
5V converter to power the Raspberry Pi. Choose the 3A version, to make sure that you have enough power for your Pi (it will not use all 3A, only somewhere below 1A). This version is great, because you can use a USB cable to connect the power to your Raspberry Pi. It connects to the 24V output of the larger power supply.
- 5V-converter.JPG (24.82 KiB) Viewed 6812 times
When you reach this stage, you will need to find an enclosure big enough to hold the two power supplies, one Raspberry Pi (with DAC, I would think) and the TPA3116. None of these components will heat up much, you don't need to worry about ventilation or heat-sinks.
Use shielded cables for all audio connections. When you mount RCA connectors or speaker posts, make sure they're not touching the metal in the cabinet (not a concern if you're using a wooden cabinet), using insulated connectors.
Finally, because you have two different power supplies, you will most likely get a ground loop. This will result in a bad hum in the sound.
To get rid of the hum, connect a cable from ground on the DAC audio output to ground on the RCA input. Do not attempt to connect the speaker outputs or the positive audio connections. That may lead to disaster...