Rio Receiver
Encyclopedia
The Rio Receiver was a home stereo device for playing MP3
files stored on your computer's hard drive over an Ethernet
or HomePNA
network. It was later rebranded and sold as the Dell Digital Audio Receiver.
With a design derived from the existing linux
-based Empeg Car
, it became popular among the Linux hacking community.
The hardware consisted of a Cirrus Logic 7212 CPU (ARM720T
at 74 MHz), 1Mx32 (4 MB
) of EDO RAM, and either 512k×16 or 256k×16 (1 MB or 0.5 MB) of NOR flash used to boot. Audio output used a Burr-Brown PCM1716 DAC
that drove line outputs, the headphone jack, and a Tripath class-D
digital audio amplifier for speakers. Network connections were via either a Cirrus logic 8900A (10MBit Ethernet) or a Broadcom HomePNA 10 Mbit
/s chipset; if no Ethernet link was seen at boot time, the unit tried HomePNA. The user interface was a 128x64 pixel monochrome LCD with an EL
backlight
, a rotary control with a push button, several buttons and IR remote control.
The unit booted via a 2.2 linux kernel in flash which used DHCP and SSDP
to discover an NFS
server from which it loaded a new kernel. The second kernel then mounted a root filesystem over NFS containing a small set of standard POSIX
tools and an application for selecting and playing music over the network, which was served using HTTP by the Audio Receiver Manager software running on a Windows PC. Although the music player and the Audio Receiver Manager and Broadcom HomePNA kernel driver module were proprietary software, the kernel and other tools were open source. The two-step kernel boot process allowed rapid development of changes to the kernel allowing units to run new kernels by simply power cycling them; the use of standard protocols meant a variety of replacement software components could be developed independently.
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
files stored on your computer's hard drive over an Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
or HomePNA
HomePNA
The HomePNA Alliance is an incorporated non-profit industry association of companies that develops and standardizes technology for home networking over the existing coaxial cables and telephone wiring within homes.-Overview:HomePNA does not manufacture products, although its members do...
network. It was later rebranded and sold as the Dell Digital Audio Receiver.
With a design derived from the existing linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
-based Empeg Car
Empeg Car
The Empeg Car is the first in-dash MP3 player developed. In 1998 a British company called Empeg was formed to build the unit, which shipped the following year....
, it became popular among the Linux hacking community.
The hardware consisted of a Cirrus Logic 7212 CPU (ARM720T
ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
at 74 MHz), 1Mx32 (4 MB
Megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
) of EDO RAM, and either 512k×16 or 256k×16 (1 MB or 0.5 MB) of NOR flash used to boot. Audio output used a Burr-Brown PCM1716 DAC
Digital-to-analog converter
In electronics, a digital-to-analog converter is a device that converts a digital code to an analog signal . An analog-to-digital converter performs the reverse operation...
that drove line outputs, the headphone jack, and a Tripath class-D
Switching amplifier
A class-D amplifier or switching amplifier is an electronic amplifier where all power devices are operated as binary switches. They are either fully on or fully off. Ideally, zero time is spent transitioning between those two states....
digital audio amplifier for speakers. Network connections were via either a Cirrus logic 8900A (10MBit Ethernet) or a Broadcom HomePNA 10 Mbit
Megabit
The megabit is a multiple of the unit bit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix mega is defined in the International System of Units as a multiplier of 106 , and therefore...
/s chipset; if no Ethernet link was seen at boot time, the unit tried HomePNA. The user interface was a 128x64 pixel monochrome LCD with an EL
Electroluminescence
Electroluminescence is an optical phenomenon and electrical phenomenon in which a material emits light in response to the passage of an electric current or to a strong electric field...
backlight
Backlight
A backlight is a form of illumination used in liquid crystal displays . As LCDs do not produce light themselves , they need illumination to produce a visible image...
, a rotary control with a push button, several buttons and IR remote control.
The unit booted via a 2.2 linux kernel in flash which used DHCP and SSDP
Simple Service Discovery Protocol
The Simple Service Discovery Protocol is a network protocol based on the Internet Protocol Suite for advertisement and discovery of network services and presence information...
to discover an NFS
NFS
NFS may mean:* Network File System , the Network File System protocol developed by Sun Microsystems* NFS , a former Icelandic television news service* National Financial Switch, a bank network in India...
server from which it loaded a new kernel. The second kernel then mounted a root filesystem over NFS containing a small set of standard POSIX
POSIX
POSIX , an acronym for "Portable Operating System Interface", is a family of standards specified by the IEEE for maintaining compatibility between operating systems...
tools and an application for selecting and playing music over the network, which was served using HTTP by the Audio Receiver Manager software running on a Windows PC. Although the music player and the Audio Receiver Manager and Broadcom HomePNA kernel driver module were proprietary software, the kernel and other tools were open source. The two-step kernel boot process allowed rapid development of changes to the kernel allowing units to run new kernels by simply power cycling them; the use of standard protocols meant a variety of replacement software components could be developed independently.
External links
- RRR Project - Replacement Client Application by Reza Naima
- RioPlay - Open source project to replace the client and server side software
- SlimRio - Open source client software to interoperate with SlimServerSlimServerLogitech Media Server is a streaming audio server supported by Logitech , developed in particular to support their Squeezebox range of digital audio receivers....
. - Jreceiver - Open source host software to interoperate with various client modules for the rio receiver.
- MediaNet - Replacement client and server side software with FLAC, OGG and shoutcast support.
- YARRS - Yet Another Rio Receiver Server. Unix-based, free-software replacement server.