Electronics enthusiasts may be interested in a new
open source Raspberry Pi Zero clone which has been created and is now available
as the VoltaStream Zero works brings with it Chromecast-like audio quality.
The VoltaStream Zero many PC is priced at US$ 52 or € 50
and is a lot more expensive than the Raspberry Pi zero which is priced at just US$ 5. The audio streaming module runs Linux with built-in high quality DAC,
digital TOSLINK output and full-sized USB A connector as well as micro USB
input and wireless connectivity.
VoltaStream ZERO is the perfect choice for streaming
your music. It includes a high quality analog output as well as a optical
TOSLINK transmitter. For smallest footprint the optical audio output is directly
integrated into the 3.5 mm line-out jack. There is also a full-sized USB-A
connector where you can easily connect the included and free-of-charge USB WiFi
dongle.
VoltaStream ZERO is powered via 5V from a microUSB
connector that can also act as a USB gadget device. Furthermore it is fitted
with a microSD connector from which it will boot one of our supported Linux
distributions. It also comes with an integrated real-time clock as well as a
dedicated On/Off button handler.
It measures only 65 x 30 mm and features a 40 way
pin-header with access to 28 GPIO’s. The layout is similar to the Raspberry Pi
ZERO but the position of the connectors were optimized for audio usage. The
functions of the GPIO’s are fundamentally the same but might differ a little in
detail. We are targeting to get the common audio hardware add-ons (HAT’s)
available for Raspberry Pi working with our board, too. For more details please
see the System Reference Manual available from the Documentation tab.
