Board Outline (coming soon)
Customizable power
Previous versions of the Buffalo have used onboard local linear regulators for powering the various sections of the ES9018 DAC chip.
The Buffalo-II allowed for easy bypassing of the onboard regulators for power supply customization, and also used a pair of custom shunt regulators built around a common voltage reference for powering the critical analog sections of the ES9018.
Since out Trident regulators have proven to be extremely popular, we have done away with the linear regulators and designed the Buffalo-III to use them explicitly.
The Buffalo-III retains a single on-board linear 3.3V voltage regulator for powering the onboard microcontroller and optional external accessories.
Two 3.3V Trident modules provide power for the on board Oscillator (VDD_XO) and main digital sections of the ES9018 (DVCC).
One 1.2V Trident module provides power for the digital core (VDD) of the ES9018.
Finally, the AVCC module provides power for the left and right analog secvtions of the ES9018.
(For the best performance, we recommend the
Placid set for 5.0V output, powered by a 9V+9V transformer (available
here).
Customizable outputs
Previous versions of the Buffalo were two-channel or mono, combining the eight channels of the ES9018 into four or eight DACs per channel.
The Buffalo-III exposes all eight channels independently; by installing optional jumpers on the bottom of the DAC board, the eight channels can be combined in various combinations from one to eight channels.
When configured for two-channel mode (like the Buffalo-II) the output headers used align perfectly with the inputs of our IVY-III and Legato I/V output stages, allowing for module stacking: no wires and the shortest possible signal path.
Accessories (for Buffalo-III Only):
To make it easier to feed multiple consumer level S/PDIF inputs to the Buffalo-III, we have created a
4-Channel S/PDIF (or AES-EBU) Level Converter Kit which mates up perfectly with the Buffalo's input header.
Each input is transformer isolated, 75-Ohm terminated, and fed to a high-speed quad-compatator for TTL-level shifting from consumer-level or AES/EBU signals. It can be connected directly to the Buffalo (soldered) or via a 20-pin ribbin cable and connectors (included).
In order to make switching easier, this kit also includes a small board to hole the 4-position rotary switch and input indicator LEDs, which can be mounted on the switch board or remotely. The switch board connects to the Buffalo's I/O expansion header with a four wire connector (included).
Another accessory is the
Sidecar, which is used for switching between S/PDIF inputs and PCM(I2S) or DSD inputs. The module is daisy chained between the S/PDIF receiver (above) and the Buffalo-III. By applying 5VDC to the Trigger header, the relays switch between the S/PDIF inputs and the inputs on the PCM/DSD header, and then to the Buffalo-III. Please note that this module supports only stereo PCM and DSD signals.
There is also a
Single S/PDIF Level Converter Kit available, for those requiring only a single S/PDIF input. Using the same circuit as the 4-channel converter (above), this small module can be easily placed anywhere in your enclosure and connected to the Buffalo-III input header and VD power connections using it's terminal blocks or 4-pos 0.1" pads.