miniDSP MINISHARC User manual

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MINISHARC
COMPACT 4-IN 8-OUT AUDIO PROCESSOR BOARD WITH
FIR CAPABILITY
User Manual

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Revision history
Revision Description Date
V1.0 Initial revision 10-02-2013
V1.1 Added section for AN-FP connectivity 28-08-2013
V1.2 Added clarifications for routing of I2S/SPDIF 10-12-2013
V1.3 I2S slave configuration added 24-02-2014
V1.4 I2S master/slave clarifications added 17-03-2014
V1.5 Clarifications for SPDIF/I2S channel assignments 29-12-2014
V2.0 Revised full manual 31 July 2016
V2.1 Corrected miniDAC8 information 24 October 2016

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CONTENTS
Important Information ...............................................................................................................................................5
System Requirements.............................................................................................................................................5
Disclaimer/Warning................................................................................................................................................5
Warranty Terms......................................................................................................................................................6
FCC Class B Statement ............................................................................................................................................6
CE Mark Statement.................................................................................................................................................6
A note on this manual ............................................................................................................................................6
1 Product Overview ................................................................................................................................................7
1.1 The miniDSP concept..................................................................................................................................7
1.2 Choosing a plugin .......................................................................................................................................8
1.3 Ordering plugins .........................................................................................................................................8
2 Board overview and Connectivity........................................................................................................................9
2.1 Board layout ...............................................................................................................................................9
2.2 DC Power ................................................................................................................................................. 10
2.3 USB .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
2.4 J1 expansion header................................................................................................................................ 12
2.5 J2 expansion header................................................................................................................................ 12
3 Off-the-shelf accessories and connection ........................................................................................................ 13
3.1 VOL-FP ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1.1 Operation of VOL-FP........................................................................................................................ 13
3.1.2 Infrared remote control................................................................................................................... 14
3.2 DIGI-FP..................................................................................................................................................... 15
3.3 AN-FP and DA-FP ..................................................................................................................................... 16
3.4 MiniDAC8................................................................................................................................................. 17
4 I/O Interfaces .................................................................................................................................................... 18
4.1 I2S overview ............................................................................................................................................ 18
4.2 I2S clock modes ....................................................................................................................................... 19
4.2.1 Master mode ................................................................................................................................... 19
4.2.2 Input slave mode ............................................................................................................................. 20
4.2.3 Output slave mode .......................................................................................................................... 21
4.2.4 Summary of I2S clock modes........................................................................................................... 21
4.3 I2S usage notes........................................................................................................................................ 22
4.4 S/PDIF connectivity.................................................................................................................................. 22
5 Plugin installation.............................................................................................................................................. 23
5.1 Windows.................................................................................................................................................. 23
5.2 Mac OS X.................................................................................................................................................. 24
6 Plugin Architecture ........................................................................................................................................... 25
6.1 miniSHARC 4x8 plugins............................................................................................................................ 25
6.1.1 Input tab .......................................................................................................................................... 25
6.1.2 Routing tab ...................................................................................................................................... 26
6.1.3 Output tab ....................................................................................................................................... 26

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6.2 OpenDRC-2x2 plugin................................................................................................................................ 27
6.3 Common features.................................................................................................................................... 27
6.4 Input channel strips ................................................................................................................................. 28
6.5 Output channel strips .............................................................................................................................. 29
6.6 Synchronizing with the processor ........................................................................................................... 30
6.7 Working with configurations ................................................................................................................... 31
6.7.1 Online and offline mode.................................................................................................................. 31
6.7.2 Selecting a configuration................................................................................................................. 31
6.7.3 Saving and loading configurations................................................................................................... 32
6.7.4 Restoring to defaults ....................................................................................................................... 32
6.8 Keyboard shortcuts ................................................................................................................................. 33
7 Signal Processing Blocks.................................................................................................................................... 34
7.1 Crossover ................................................................................................................................................. 34
7.2 Parametric EQ.......................................................................................................................................... 36
7.3 FIR filtering and design ............................................................................................................................ 38
7.3.1 FIR filtering overview....................................................................................................................... 39
7.3.2 FIR filter design software................................................................................................................. 39
7.3.3 Filter file format............................................................................................................................... 39
7.3.4 Loading filter coefficients ................................................................................................................ 39
7.4 Invert and mute....................................................................................................................................... 40
7.5 Time delay ............................................................................................................................................... 40
7.6 Compressor.............................................................................................................................................. 41
7.7 Custom biquad programming.................................................................................................................. 42
7.7.1 What’s a “biquad? ........................................................................................................................... 42
7.7.2 Using custom biquad programming ................................................................................................ 42
7.7.3 Biquad design software ................................................................................................................... 44
8 Additional information...................................................................................................................................... 45
8.1 Specifications........................................................................................................................................... 45
8.2 MCU firmware update............................................................................................................................. 46
8.3 Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................................... 47
8.4 Obtaining support.................................................................................................................................... 47

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please read the following information before use. In case of any questions, please contact miniDSP via the
support portal at minidsp.desk.com.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
To configure the miniDSP audio processor, you will require a Windows PC or Apple Mac OS X computer with the
following minimum specification:
Windows
•PC with 1GHz or higher processor clock speed. Intel® Pentium®/Celeron® family, or AMD K6®/AMD
Athlon®/AMD Duron® family, or compatible processor recommended.
•512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher
•Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
•USB 2.0 port
•Microsoft• ® Windows® Vista® SP1/ XP pro SP2/Win7/Win8.1/Win10
•Microsoft• ® .NET framework v3.5 or later
•Adobe AIR environment (latest version)
•Adobe Flash player (latest version)
Mac OS X
•Intel-based Mac with 1 GHz or higher processor clock speed
•512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher
•Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
•USB 2.0 port
•Mac OS X 10.8 or higher
•Adobe AIR environment (latest version)
•Adobe Flash player (latest version)
DISCLAIMER/WARNING
miniDSP cannot be held responsible for any damage that may result from the improper use of this product or
incorrect configuration of its settings. As with any other product, we recommend that you carefully read this
manual and other technical notes to ensure that you fully understand how to operate this product. The miniDSP
audio processor is a powerful tool, and misuse or misconfiguration, such as incorrectly set gains or excessive
boost, can produce signals that may damage your audio system.
As a general guideline, you should perform the initial configuration of the miniDSP audio processor before
enabling audio through any connected output device or amplification. Doing so will help ensure that the
software is correctly configured.

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Finally, note that the miniDSP audio processor is a very flexible device, and many of the questions we receive at
the tech support department are already answered in this user manual and in the online application notes on
the miniDSP.com website. So please take the time to carefully read this user manual and the online technical
support. Thanks for your understanding!
WARRANTY TERMS
miniDSP Ltd warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one
year from the invoice date. Our warranty does not cover failure of the product due to incorrect connection or
installation, improper or undocumented use, unauthorized servicing, modification or alteration of the unit in any
way, or any usage outside of that recommended in this manual. If in doubt, contact miniDSP prior to use.
FCC CLASS BSTATEMENT
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference.
•This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Warning: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Notice: Shielded interface cable must be used in order to comply with emission limits.
Notice: Changes or modification not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment.
CE MARK STATEMENT
The miniSHARC has passed the test performed according to European Standard EN 55022 Class B.
ANOTE ON THIS MANUAL
This User Manual is designed for reading in both print and on the computer. If printing the manual, please print
double-sided. The embedded page size is 8 ½” x 11”. Printing on A4 paper will result in a slightly reduced size.

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1PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Thank you for choosing the miniSHARC audio processor board. The miniSHARC is an extremely compact yet
powerful and flexible digital signal processing circuit board for audio applications. It provides audio input and
output via I2S and S/PDIF (logic-level). Various accessory boards are provided for a rapid build or for
prototyping, and the system integrator can implement their own boards for I2S input and output.
The audio processing functionality of the board is implemented via the use of a software plugin. Depending on
the plugin and accessory boards used, the miniSHARC currently supports up to 4 input channels and 8 output
channels. For more information on the available plugins, see Choosing a plugin on page 8.
The miniSHARC is a tried and proven hardware platform for audio processing applications. It is used as the
processing core of several miniDSP products. For those seeking a ready-made “in the box” solution, please see
our OpenDRC Series and Dirac Series.
1.1 THE MINIDSP CONCEPT
The miniDSP concept is “one hardware unit + one software plugin = audio processing solution.” This concept
leverages the inherent flexibility of DSP (digital signal processing) to deliver a range of flexible but cost-effective
solutions.
Hardware unit
In this case, the hardware unit is the miniDSP miniSHARC board. Various add-on boards can be
purchased for the miniSHARC. You can also develop your own I2S input/output boards.
Software plugin
The software plugin is installed on your PC or Mac, and determines the processing that the DSP
will perform. It provides a friendly user interface, and downloads instructions into the miniDSP
hardware unit that tell it how to process the audio signal. See Choosing a pluginon page 8for
more information on plugins.

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1.2 CHOOSING A PLUGIN
There are three plugins that operate with the miniSHARC board. These are summarized below.
Table 1. miniSHARC plugins
miniSHARC 4x8
miniSHARC 4x8
96k
OpenDRC 2x2
Internal sample rate
48 kHz
96 kHz
48 kHz
Number of input channels
4
4
2
Number of output channels
8
8
2
Access to I2S input1
✓ ✓ ✓
Access to SPDIF input2
✓ ✓
×
Access to I2S output1
✓ ✓ ✓
Access to SPDIF output2,3
✓ ✓
×
Master/Slave I2S mode
✓ ✓
×
Number of FIR taps (total)
9600
4300
12288
Minimum FIR taps per channel
6
6
61444
Maximum FIR taps per channel
2048
2048
61444
PEQ bands per input channel
10
10
6
PEQ bands per output channel
10
10
×
Compressor block
✓ ✓ ✓
Max per-channel time delay
3000 ms
1500 ms
3000 ms
Applications
Active crossover up to 4-way stereo or
8-way mono
Digital room
correction, 2-way
mono crossover
1. Requires suitable hardware/interface circuitry.
2. Requires level convertor for connection to external S/PDIF line.
3. Derived from I2S output channels 7 and 8.
4. Taps are not reassignable.
1.3 ORDERING PLUGINS
Plugins must be ordered in addition to the hardware:
•miniSHARC plugins. Ordering from this page includes both the miniSHARC 48k and miniSHARC 4x8 96k
plugins.
•OpenDRC 2x2 plugin. Ordering from this page includes just the OpenDRC 2x2 plugin.

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2BOARD OVERVIEW AND CONNECTIVITY
This section describes the board and its interfaces.
2.1 BOARD LAYOUT
This diagram shows the layout of the miniSHARC board.
Note: the miniSHARC is delivered with two different header configurations. By default:
•If the miniSHARC is ordered alone, it will be delivered without the 30-pin headers for J1 and J2 soldered.
This is so that you can solder your own headers or connections. Straight headers for USB, VOL-FP, and
DIGI-FP will be soldered in.
•If the miniSHARC is ordered together with a miniDAC8, it will be delivered with straight 30-pin headers
for J1 and J2 soldered. This is so that it interfaces directly to the miniDAC8 in the standard piggyback
configuration (page 17). In addition, right-angle headers will be soldered in for the USB, VOL-FP and
DIGI-FP headers.
If you require a header configuration other than the default, please put a clear request in the order form when
you place the order.

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2.2 DC POWER
The miniSHARC accepts a regulated DC power supply on the 2-pin connector. A short cable from a 2.1 mm panel
mount DC power socket is included with the kit purchase.
Standalone use
When the miniSHARC is not used with any of the miniDSP accessories that take power from the
miniSHARC board, the miniSHARC can be powered with a DC supply in the range of 5 to 24 V.
Use with powered accessories
When the miniSHARC is used with any of the miniDSP accessories that take power from the
miniSHARC board (VOL-FP, DIGI-FP, DA-FP, AN-FP, and miniDAC8), the miniSHARC must be
powered from a regulated 5V supply only. Any other supply voltage will cause malfunction and
possible damage to boards that will not be covered under warranty.
The connection to the DC power header is as shown below. Note that a slightly different wiring scheme is used
when the AN-FP is used in conjunction with the miniSHARC – see page 16.

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2.3 USB
The miniSHARC board has an onboard USB Mini-B socket. This can be connected directly to a computer with a
standard Type A to Mini-B cable.
For installation into a chassis, the miniSHARC kit has a 5-pin header (standard 0.1”/2.54mm pitch). This can be
connected to a panel-mount USB connector via a commonly available cable assembly.
Although this is a commonly available cable (typically used in computer hardware), you should nonetheless
confirm the pin-out with the manufacturer, or you could easily cause damage to your computer or miniDSP kit.
In most cases, pins 4 and 5 can be identified by a black wire, but once again, DO check the manufacturer’s spec
of the connector to prevent any short-circuits.
To make things simple, we provide a suitable cable for purchase in the accessories section of our website.
The miniDSP accessory boards DIGI-FP, AN-FP, and DA-FP incorporate a panel-mount USB Type B connector and
include a cable to interface to the miniSHARC 5-pin header.

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2.4 J1 EXPANSION HEADER
The user-accessible pins in the J1 header are listed in Table 2 below. Only a small number of pins are intended to
be user-accessible. Please do not connect to any pins marked “—”.
Table 2. J1 expansion header pinout
Pin
Function
Pin
Function
1
—
2
—
3
GND
4
GND
5
GND
6
GND
7
—
8
I2S input slave select (pull low)
9
I2S output slave select (pull low)
10
—
11
—
12
—
13
—
14
—
15
—
16
—
17
—
18
—
19
—
20
—
21
—
22
—
23
—
24
—
25
—
26
—
27
—
28
—
29
—
30
—
2.5 J2 EXPANSION HEADER
The user-accessible pins in the J2 header are listed in Table 3 below. This header contains all of the I2S input and
output signals.
Table 3. J2 expansion header pinout
Pin
Function
Pin
Function
1
SPDIF RX (3.3V compliant)
2
SPDIF TX (3.3V compliant)
3
LRCLK_SPDIF (Not used in current firmware)
4
BCLK_SPDIF (Not used in current firmware)
5
GND
6
GND
7
GND
8
GND
9
MCLK
10
I2S_DATA_IN1&2
11
I2S_DATA_IN3&4
12
I2S_DATA_IN5&6
13
I2S_DATA_IN7&8
14
I2S_IN_LRCLK
15
I2S_IN_BCLK
16
I2S_DATA_OUT1&2
17
I2S_DATA_OUT3&4
18
I2S_DATA_OUT5&6
19
I2S_DATA_OUT7&8
20
I2S_OUT_LRCLK
21
I2S_OUT_BCLK
22
3.3V
23
GND
24
3.3V
25
GND
26
GND
27
NC
28
NC
29
NC
30
NC

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3OFF-THE-SHELF ACCESSORIES AND CONNECTION
3.1 VOL-FP
VOL-FP is a small board intended for mounting on the front panel of an enclosure. It contains a rotary encoder,
infrared receiver, and status LEDs. It provides volume control, preset selection, and digital input selection
(applies when used together with DIGI-FP or DA-FP).
After mounting in the enclosure, connect the supplied 5-pin cable between the VOL-FP board and the
miniSHARC board as shown in the photograph below. Note carefully the orientation of the connectors as shown
in the photograph.
3.1.1 Operation of VOL-FP
To change the volume
Rotate the control knob clockwise to increase the volume, and counter-clockwise to decrease it.
If the computer is connected and the plugin is in online mode, the Master Volume display in the
plugin updates accordingly. (This is not necessary for normal operation, but can help with
troubleshooting if needed.)
To change the selected source
Briefly press the control button. The Digital Source LED blinks quickly. Rotate the control knob
until the desired source LED is blinking. Press the control knob again, and the selected LED will
remain steady. The preset LED will now blink.
To change the selected preset
After changing source selection, rotate the control knob until the desired preset LED is blinking.
Press the control knob again, and the selected LED will remain steady.

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3.1.2 Infrared remote control
The miniSHARC plugins can “learn” the control codes of your current remote if it supports one of the following
remote control codes:
•NEC
•Sony
•Philips RC6
To initiate the learning process, drop down the IR Remote menu and select IR learning. Click on the Learn
button for an operation, and then press the desired button on the remote control. If the code is accepted, the
status will change to show a tick.
This screenshot shows the IR learning screen:
To "unlearn" a command, press the Learn button and wait for the plugin to time out.

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3.2 DIGI-FP
DIGI-FP is an audio interface board intended for panel mounting that provides stereo digital input and output in
three formats:
•S/PDIF (RCA)
•Optical (TOSLINK)
•AES/EBU (XLR)
The DIGI-FP contains an on-board asynchronous sample rate convertor (ASRC) that converts the input signal to
the sample rate set by the miniSHARC plugin (48 or 96 kHz). In addition, it provides a USB Type B socket.
The DIGI-FP requires that two cables (supplied with the DIGI-
FP) be connected to the miniSHARC. A 14-pin flat ribbon
cable carries power, I2S and control signals. Connect it as
shown in the photograph at right.
A 5-pin cable carries USB between
the miniSHARC and the panel-mount
USB connector. Connect it as shown
in the photograph at right, taking
careful note of the orientation of the
connector as indicated by the arrows.
Note that to use the DIGI-FP, the
miniSHARC must be in I2S master
mode (page 19).

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3.3 AN-FP AND DA-FP
AN-FP is an audio interface board that provides stereo balanced analog I/O on Neutrik panel-mount connectors.
DA-FP provides the same set of digital inputs as the DIGI-FP (previous page), and stereo balanced analog output
on Neutrik panel-mount connectors. Both boards also provide a USB Type B socket.
The AN-FP and DA-FP require that three cables (supplied with the board) be connected to the miniSHARC. A 14-
pin flat ribbon cable carries I2S and control signals. The AN-FP and DA-FP also require separate 5V power. To
facilitate a simple wiring scheme, the AN-FP and DA-FP provide two power connectors, which can be used as
shown in the photograph below.
A 5-pin cable carries USB between the miniSHARC and the panel-mount USB connector. Connect it as shown in
the photograph below, taking careful note of the orientation of the connector as indicated by the arrows.
Note that to use the AN-FP and DA-FP, the miniSHARC must be in I2S master mode (page 19).

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3.4 MINIDAC8
The miniDAC8 is an 8-channel DAC. It is supplied as a daughterboard that
“piggybacks” onto the miniSHARC, and a separate panel-mount board carrying
eight RCA jacks. It also contains an SPDIF input level shifter and connection
point. The 5 VDC power connection to this board powers the miniSHARC.
To mount the miniDAC8 onto the miniSHARC, the miniSHARC must have straight
30-pin headers installed for both J1 and J2. The USB and VOL-FP headers must
be right-angle types to ensure adequate clearance between the boards.
This photograph shows the key connectivity points:
Note that to use the miniDAC8, the miniSHARC must be in I2S master mode (page 19).

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4I/O INTERFACES
Interfacing to the miniSHARC is accomplished through I2s, also known as Inter IC Sound, an electrical serial bus
used to interface digital audio devices at the chip and circuit board level. The miniSHARC circuit board provides
audio input and output via I2S pins on the J2 30-pin header. An SPDIF interface is also provided on J2.
While miniDSP provides a number of prebuilt I2S interfaces (described in Section 3), system integrators and
advanced DIY enthusiasts may wish to implement their own input-output using the I2S interfaces.
4.1 I2S OVERVIEW
An I2S interface consists of up to three clocks, and a data line for each pair of channels.
There are three types of clock:
MCLK The master clock that the miniSHARC uses internally. This clock is always provided as an output
by the miniSHARC, and connected circuitry can choose whether or not to use it.
LRCLK The frame synchronization clock, also known as the word clock. This clock is equal to the
sampling frequency (Fs) of the audio signal.
BCLK The bit clock (also known as shift clock or system clock). This is always equal to 64 x Fs.
Table 4 summarizes the relation between the clocks for the 48 and 96 kHz plugins.
Table 4. I2S clock ratios
Plugin sample rate (LRCLK)
Master clock (MCLK)
Bit clock (BCLK)
MCLK/LRCLK
BCLK/LRCLK
48 kHz
24.576 MHz
3.072 MHz
512
64
96 kHz
24.576 MHz
6.144 MHz
256
64
The timing of data lines is determined by the bit clock and the word clock, as illustrated in the following diagram:
The miniSHARC board has four input I2S data lines and four I2S output data lines. Note, however, that the input
data lines for channels 5 though 8 are not accessible in the current firmware and plugins. The I2S data line for
channels 3 and 4 is used by the SPDIF input, and is accessible by the miniSHARC 4x8 plugins (both 48 kHz and 96
kHz versions).

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Together, the word clock and bit clock are referred as a clock domain. The miniSHARC board has three clock
domains:
•I2S input
•I2S output
•SPDIF input
Depending on the I2S clock mode, the clocks may be provided by the miniSHARC or external circuitry, and the
data line may or may not be subject to sample rate conversion.
4.2 I2S CLOCK MODES
The miniSHARC can act in either master or slave mode with respect to I2S clocking. Master/slave mode can be
set independently for I2S input and output.
In master mode (for either input or output), the miniSHARC provides the I2S clocks, and the connected device is
expected to transmit or receive the data signal using those clocks. The clocks will match either a 48 kHz or 96
kHz sample rate, depending on the plugin loaded onto the miniSHARC.
In slave mode, the connected device provides the I2S clocks, and the connected device is assumed to be
providing or consuming the data signal using those clocks.
WARNING: The slave I2S mode (In/out) is only available on the miniSHARC 4x8 plugin
4.2.1 Master mode
This is the default mode for the miniSHARC. The miniSHARC provides all clocks. The connected input and output
devices must therefore provide or consume data at the rates defined by those clocks. A typical connection
scenario is shown in Figure 1.
1. The connected devices may or may not use MCLK. This is dependent on the specifics of the devices.
2. The miniSHARC must be in master mode to use any of the off-the-shelf peripheral boards AN-FP, DIGI-
FP, DA-FP and miniDAC8. The DIGI-FP and DA-FP have an onboard asynchronous sample rate convertor
to convert the incoming sample rate to the clock domain provided by the miniSHARC.
Figure 1. Master mode

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4.2.2 Input slave mode
This mode is used when the input device provides its own clock. One example is the miniDSP miniStreamer and
USBStreamer products, which provide clocks determined by the sample rate of the audio stream received over
USB.
When the miniSHARC is put into input slave mode, I2S_IN_BCLK and I2S_IN_LRCLK become inputs. The
miniSHARC clocks the I2S_DATA_IN1&2 signal according to the clocks provided on I2S_IN_BCLK and
I2S_IN_LRCLK, and applies asynchronous sample rate conversion to convert the data stream to its internal clock
domain (48 or 96 kHz). The connections are shown in Figure 2 below.
To put the miniSHARC into input slave mode, pull pin 8 of the J1 expansion header low. This is easily
accomplished by connecting pin 8 to pin 6 (GND).
Figure 2. Input slave mode