Show Control Module Support Info
We will be adding more to this page as time goes on, but for now here is a top level step by step, with a few warnings to get you started:
1. Start by unpacking and checking you have all the components required:
Box
Plate
Screw kit
Network Glands
Power Glands
Pigtail Glands (if you have the Baldrick Add on)
Speaker Gland
Switch
Amplifier
PSU
Power loom (buck convertor with 2 additional wires with barrel jacks on the end)
Cat 5 cables
Power lead
Pi4 (With an SD card preinstalled on it)
SoundBlaster USB dongle
PSU mount for Pi
Switch mount for Amplifier
2. The easiest way to build this box, is to assemble the back plate outside of the box, then drop it in complete, then add the external cabling
3. Using the 4 M8 screws provided, attach the PSU to the back plate in the orientation shown on the back plate
4. Mount the switch to the back plate using the nuts and screws provided.Put the nuts and bolts in place with the screw heads on the top side of the board, nuts on the bottom, slot the switch over the screws, then nip the nuts up to clamp the switch in place.
5. Your PSU mount will accomodate a Pi and a Baldrick 8 - this step will cover mounting both, even if you do not have the Baldrick upgrade - simply ignore the Baldrick part if you do not have that upgrade.
5a; The mounts contain the lugs/pins for holding the PCBs of the Pi and B8 in place. Simply snap out 4 of each of the lugs/pins out of the mount - note, there are different pins for each PCB, so do not mix them up. There are spares mounted in the mount too, just in case you break any.
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5b; You may want to use your fingernail or a craft knife to tidy up the edges of the lugs/pins, as you may find a little bit of the mount sticking out - these bits can make pushing the lugs through the holes difficult, so it is worth making sure they are "clean".
5c; The holes for the lugs are directional - you can only put them in one way, so pop them through and make sure they go flush to the mount - you can always push the whole thing against a flat surface to ensure they go all the way in.
6. With the lugs in place, you can now mount the Pi and B8. Line the PCBs up over the lugs and push them on - they should lock into place. If you snap any, you have a couple of spares in the mount itself. Be careful and patient with this step - you can easily snap the lugs/pins if you are too heavy handed, and could damage the PCBs. They will go on, the tolerances are very small to ensure a good solid mount.
7. Now you need to pop the mount over the PSU. The Pi end of the mount should be closest to the power input terminals on the PSU. Whilst these are ABS prints, with a very strong design and production, this next step requires you to effectively bend the mount over the PSU, so the locking lugs can pop into the PSU. We suggest putting one side in place, and then gently applying pressure to the middle of the mount to push the other side over, rather than trying to bend the legs themselves over - you may snap them. If you do snap one leg, the mount will still be effective - if you snap 2, you will need to contact us for a replacement.
8. The amplifier mount works similiarly - there are 2 lugs you can pop out (with 2 spares in the mount), and you can push those into the mount. The amplifier hooks over the first lug, and then "snaps in" to the other side. The mount has a little play in it, but should hold the amplifier securely.
9. Attach the power cables for the B8 to the PSU, positive to positive, negative to negative
10. Mount the convertor into the spot marked "convertor" using the 2 nuts and bolts provided. The cables face the PSU. Leave the 2 barrel jack connectors free, ready to plug into the amplifier and switch.
11. Now put the mount onto the switch - this one is a little tougher than the PSU mount, and a little trickier to line up, but it will go. Just be gentle and patient.
12. Put all the glands into their respectiive holes - we have drilled the holes so that it shouldn't be possible to get it wrong. however, leave the power gland out (the gland is already on the power cable).
13. Ensure the power cable is not plugged, and cannot be, whilst you doing the next few steps.
14. Remove the nut from the power cable gland, and feed the power cable through the power gland hole and pull through some slack, feed the gland nut back over the power cable and fasten the gland into place.
15. Connect the power cable terminals to the PSU (yes, its all still outside the box) - we have attached forks to the cables for you, but in case you are not familar, the Brown wire goes to Live, the Blue to Neutral and the Yellow/Green to Earth/ground.
16. Plug in the Soundblaster USB dongle into the Pi, and then plug in the audio cable from the Soundblaster to the Amplifier.
17. Plug the USB cable from the convertor into the Pi
18. Position the back plate, with all your assembled components onboard, into the box - You can hide the excess slack from the Audio cable and the Converters USB cable under the plate.
19. Fix the plate in place with the 6x 10x1/2'' screws.
20. Using the Green Cat5 cables, connect the Pi and the B8 to the 2 left most ports of the switch (if you don't have the Baldrick upgrade, just connect the pi)
21. Using the Blue Cat5 cables, connect the remaining ports on the switch to the network glands.
22. If you have the Baldrick upgrade, feed the pigtails through the 8 glands parallel to the Baldrick, and put the connectors from the Baldrick onto the pigtails - observe the markings on the Baldrick board - Red is +, Yellow is D, and Black is -
23. Check all your connections are tight make sure there are no loose screws or other paraphenlia in the box.
25. Make sure you have *not* plugged in the barrell connectors/power into the amp and swich, then plug in and power on your PSU.
26. Using a multimeter, check that your PSU is emitting 12.00v - if you do not own a multimeter, buy one! (they are a really necessary part of this hobby!), and if you do not know how to take a voltage reading, please go onto the zoom call and ask for guidance.
Use the adjustment screw pot at the bottom of the PSU to adjust the PSU to output 12.00v
27. Turn off/unplug the PSU.
28. Connect the barrel jack connectors to the amplifier and switch.
29. Turn back on your PSU, and check that all the devices light up and work. The Pi has a red power light, and green disk activity light, the Baldrick fuses and CPU heartbeat light should light up - the Amplifier and switch both have power switches - ensure they are on and they light up - the network ports on the switch for the Pi and Baldrick should also be showing activity.
At this point, you will need to connect one of your network glands to your home router, and you will need to add your own speaker cables through the remaining gland and connect them to the ampllfier.
Please watch the video below for instructions on how to build your kit:-