52Pi is offering a new expansion board for the Raspberry Pi, which is not only intended to expand the single-board computer in terms of high-quality playback of audio content, but also includes an M.2 slot. Sensors and actuators can still be used as usual.
The NVDigi is an expansion board for the Raspberry Pi 5, with which 52Pi not only aims to provide a solution for hi-fi playback, but also further expansion of the single-board computer, allowing extensive projects to be implemented.
The expansion board comes with HiFiBerry Digi+, which should enable high-quality audio output. The board uses the I2S port of the Raspberry Pi 5 directly; according to the manufacturer, a direct connection to the CPU, bypassing a detour via the USB port, ensures particularly high playback quality. A sampling rate of up to 192 kHz at 24 bit is supported. Audio content can then be output via RCA or optically via TOSLink, making it easy to connect receivers, for example.
The board also supports the use of an M.2 SSD. The extremely popular M.2 2280 format is not supported, but M.2 2242 and M.2 2230 models can be used via the NVMe protocol. This makes memory expansion particularly easy, allowing larger audio files to be stored without issue. Lastly, the NVDigi expansion board also allows the use of additional sensors and actuators. The corresponding GPIO pins are looped through and are still available on the top side in the form of a typical pin header.
The NVDigi is now available for preorder directly from the manufacturer at a price of just under $40. Interested parties are advised to themselves about shipping costs and possible import taxes.
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Editor of the original article: Silvio Werner – Senior Tech Writer – 9374 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017
I have been active as a journalist for over 10 years, most of it in the field of technology. I worked for Tom’s Hardware and ComputerBase, among others, and have been working for Notebookcheck since 2017. My current focus is particularly on mini PCs and single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi – so in other words, compact systems with a lot of potential. In addition, I have a soft spot for all kinds of wearables, especially smartwatches. My main profession is as a laboratory engineer, which is why neither scientific contexts nor the interpretation of complex measurements are foreign to me.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 707 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
Silvio Werner, 2024-02-11 (Update: 2024-02-11)