No sound retroflag gpi case with pi zero w 2 (Solved)

Slime1982

Hi, I have been struggling with the same issue, and have managed to solve it.

The issue is that by default the latest version of Raspbian disables the audio if nothing is connected to HDMI.

Use this one line entry in config.txt to fix it:

dtoverlay=audremap,pins_18_19,enable_jack=on

You don't need the pwm-audio-pi-zero.dtbo file and you can remove all the custom audio entries from Retroflag's config.txt and use this one line instead. (leave all the entries for the LCD in obviously).

The custom asound.conf file in recalbox is used to downmix stereo audio to mono, as the built in speaker on the GPi only outputs the right channel.

retropieuser555

@slime1982 Hey that's great news can you post your config.txt file please? I think I'm deleting the wrong lines out

Slime1982

@retropieuser555

Start with the stock config.txt and add this at the end:

#Pi Zero 2 W GPi Config
dtoverlay=audremap,pins_18_19,enable_jack=on
display_rotate=1
dtoverlay=dpi24
overscan_left=0
overscan_right=0
overscan_top=0
overscan_bottom=0
framebuffer_width=320
framebuffer_height=240
enable_dpi_lcd=1
display_default_lcd=1
dpi_group=2
dpi_mode=87
dpi_output_format=0x6016
#hdmi_timings=320 0 28 18 28 480 0 2 2 4 0 0 0 60 0 32000000 6
hdmi_timings=240 1 38 10 20 320 1 20 4 4 0 0 0 60 0 6400000 1

you still need Retroflag's dpi24.dtbo, but you don't need to copy the pwm audio overlay file.

The custom asound.conf file doesn't work, I suspect because the sound device is now referred to as headphones instead of pcm, but I'm working on it now.

Also, go into raspi-config, system options and in audio select 'headphones'. it should be the only option, but select it to ensure it is the default device.

Philcomm

@slime1982 Are you an angel? insert Anakin Star Wars GIF

Slime1982

@philcomm

Ha! no, just very determined!

However, it's not quite right yet. On testing with headphones, the L and R channels are swapped, so I've changed the line to

dtoverlay=audremap,pins_18_19,swap_lr

note that enable_jack=on does not appear to be necessary .

Still working on fixing asound.conf so both channels play through the GPi's speaker. I'll reply with an update when I figure it out.

retropieuser555

@slime1982 Almost there!

You're using their dpi25 overlay right? I'm getting some lines across the screen (but audio does work!)

MD5 (/Volumes/boot/overlays/dpi24.dtbo) = 55906663a9752f0588b74c407437dc16

Is that your md5 hash for your dpi24?

Philcomm

I'll try to make a PR to RetroFlag for these changes. I hope they have a repo for their GPi Patch

Slime1982

@retropieuser555

Hi, sorry, had to pop out.

Yes, that's the same file I'm using, the md5 matches :)

Lines on the screen might be a poor contact issue with the pogo pins.

Slime1982

@retropieuser555

Hi, sorry, I was testing with a stock Raspbian lite image earlier, I've moved to Retropie now. Do you mean you can see some of the boot text behind the splashscreen?

Comment out the line overscan_scale=1 in config.txt and also add these lines, which i neglected to include earlier:

avoid_safe_mode=1
disable_pvt=1
disable_audio_dither=1

That seems to fix it for me :)

Slime1982

OK, ignore everything I said about asound.conf. I was testing with Raspbian lite, it works perfectly in Retropie :D

So, I think that's it, we're up and running now!

retropieuser555

@slime1982 Heya yeah the screen lines is definitely specific to me, I left the gpi on for a few hours earlier and it's left some screen burn on the dpi screen itself. So a different problem but nothing relevant to this topic, the audio works, the video works and am happily testing out drastic, n64 and psp. It'll be interesting what we can push on this thing. Thanks again for the fix, we'll have to see if retroflag implement it and make it clear for pi zero2 this the way to go.

pumpytums

@slime1982
This works great thanks.

Can you SSH into your Zero 2 equiped GPI mine reboots everytime. Plays games fine though so doesn't sound like a power issue. Very odd indeed. I even put ssh.txt in the root keeps rebooting every time ssh is enabled.

retropieuser555

@pumpytums Is the file you made named ssh.txt you're putting into the boot folder? It needs to have no extension on the file, just called ssh

retropieuser555

This post is deleted!

pumpytums

@retropieuser555
I think this is an issue

fresh install of Retropie 24th October.
Retroflag default files
SSH in boot
wpa_supplicant.conf for WiFi setting

System boots then crashes. This problem occurs whenever SSH is enabled either via file method or through menu Raspi config.

Slime1982

@retropieuser555

Ah, yeah. I believe those lines will fade out eventually. I've done the same, left it on with no signal from the Pi, so you just get random lines on the screen. They burn in, but it seems to be temporary.

Slime1982

@pumpytums

I'm using the same weekly image, dated 24th October. I can SSH in no problem. That's an odd issue, maybe ask in a Raspberry Pi / Raspbian forum.

Does it happen if you power the GPi with the USB cable?

jpwhiting

@slime1982 Thanks for the fixes. I tried some other cmdline.txt options that were needed previously and various config.txt but this got it working. I ended up removing the other cmdline.txt bits that I tried before from https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/26628/audio-issues-after-latest-raspbian-updates-june-2020

I'm still hearing lots of buzzing during game play though. I've got the alsa device set to "default" and the sound device set to headphones have tried various settings in es menu but there always is a loud buzzing. Is it a bad connection to the gpio pins? everything else seems to work well (screen, buttons, etc.)

Thanks, this zero 2 seems to work much better besides the sound issue.

hyperwolf83

@jpwhiting

The following are my config.txt setting that worked for me. I got sound, wifi, and syncthing running with no isseues. I used the weekly retroarch pi 3 image dated 31 Oct. I also get correct stereo sound when using headphone port, with no static.

# For more options and information see
# http://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/config-txt.md
# Some settings may impact device functionality. See link above for details

# uncomment if you get no picture on HDMI for a default "safe" mode
#hdmi_safe=1

# uncomment this if your display has a black border of unused pixels visible
# and your display can output without overscan
#disable_overscan=1

# uncomment the following to adjust overscan. Use positive numbers if console
# goes off screen, and negative if there is too much border
#overscan_left=16
#overscan_right=16
#overscan_top=16
#overscan_bottom=16

# uncomment to force a console size. By default it will be display's size minus
# overscan.
#framebuffer_width=1280
#framebuffer_height=720

# uncomment if hdmi display is not detected and composite is being output
#hdmi_force_hotplug=1

# uncomment to force a specific HDMI mode (this will force VGA)
#hdmi_group=1
#hdmi_mode=1

# uncomment to force a HDMI mode rather than DVI. This can make audio work in
# DMT (computer monitor) modes
#hdmi_drive=2

# uncomment to increase signal to HDMI, if you have interference, blanking, or
# no display
#config_hdmi_boost=4

#uncomment to overclock the arm. 700 MHz is the default.
#arm_freq=800

# Uncomment some or all of these to enable the optional hardware interfaces
#dtparam=i2c_arm=on
#dtparam=i2s=on
#dtparam=spi=on

# Uncomment this to enable the lirc-rpi module
#dtoverlay=lirc-rpi

# Additional overlays and parameters are documented /boot/overlays/README

#config_hdmi_boost=0

# force hdmi while the tv can take time before sending the signal on the hdmi o$
#hdmi_force_hotplug=1

# uncomment for composite PAL
#sdtv_mode=2

# uncomment for lirc-rpi
#dtoverlay=lirc-rpi

# if you plug your tv at the same time as your rpi and that the rpi switches fr$
boot_delay=3

# uncomment if you don't want the rainbow at startup
disable_splash=1

# default CEC name
cec_osd_name=gpicase

# Enable audio (loads snd_bcm2835)
dtparam=audio=on

# Overclock
gpu_mem_256=128
gpu_mem_512=256
gpu_mem_1024=512

avoid_safe_mode=1

kernel=zImage

dtoverlay=audremap,pins_18_19,enable_jack=on
display_rotate=1
dtoverlay=dpi24
overscan_left=0
overscan_right=0
overscan_top=0
overscan_bottom=0
framebuffer_width=320
framebuffer_height=240
enable_dpi_lcd=1
display_default_lcd=1
dpi_group=2
dpi_mode=87
dpi_output_format=0x6016
#hdmi_timings=320 0 28 18 28 480 0 2 2 4 0 0 0 60 0 32000000 6
hdmi_timings=240 1 38 10 20 320 1 20 4 4 0 0 0 60 0 6400000 1
# dtoverlay=pwm-2chan,pin=18,func=2,pin2=19,func2=2
avoid_safe_mode=1
disable_pvt=1
disable_audio_dither=1
# dtoverlay=pwm-audio-pi-zero

jpwhiting

@hyperwolf83 Thanks. That seems to work well here. At first I still got the buzzing but I pressed on the back of the gpi case "cartridge" briefly and it went away completely. I probably have a loose connection in there somewhere.