Raspberry Pi Audio Hat support

[hkphantomgtr]

Recently I'm trying few cheap clone audio hats on my Raspberry Pi 5 (4g memory) for some CAS/audiophile beginners.  Initially I thought these hats will be recognised by those OSes for raspberry pi automatically and then they just works together.  The fact is totally not.

I've tried on latest Raspberry OS, Ubuntu, Volumio, and Moode.  They all got no sound from the hats before some configuration steps.  For Volumio and Moode, it's easier, they got a place (GUI) to let the user to choose from a very long list.  For Raspberry OS, and Ubuntu, the user got to add a line in "/boot/firmware/config.txt" to tell the OS which overlay to load for this hat.  Of course, the user got to input a specific and a valid name here.

And the most interesting things is, that specific name of hat works in one OS, but may not works in another OS.  (What?!) I need to guess and try from the seller's "instructions" in different OSes.  Great!  Maybe that's why these clones are cheap.

Whatever, I wonder, maybe in later release, SnakeOil for Raspberry Pi can provide a place in Webui to let user to choose the hat.  (those overlays already come with OS.)

[agent_kith]

Whatever, I wonder, maybe in later release, SnakeOil for Raspberry Pi can provide a place in Webui to let user to choose the hat.  (those overlays already come with OS.)

Will add this feature in 1.4.2. However might need people to test this... I do have a audio HAT somewhere, but I havn't seen it in years...

[hkphantomgtr]

Whatever, I wonder, maybe in later release, SnakeOil for Raspberry Pi can provide a place in Webui to let user to choose the hat.  (those overlays already come with OS.)

Will add this feature in 1.4.2. However might need people to test this... I do have a audio HAT somewhere, but I havn't seen it in years...

Thanks a lot, AK.  Plusing those clones, there are so many many audio hats in the market.  Yet I'm afraid there are very few SnakeOil user got audio hat.  
In my understanding, all the operating system needs is a correct XYZ in "dtoverlay=XYZ".

[Snoopy8]

Will add this feature in 1.4.2. However might need people to test this... I do have a audio HAT somewhere, but I havn't seen it in years...

I have a Pi4 with a hat, sitting idle. But I doubt you will be getting many people to do the tests. There has been only a few posts asking for support for a hat.

Is it possible for SO to query the Pi setup and add in the correct overlay?

[agent_kith]

I have a Pi4 with a hat, sitting idle. But I doubt you will be getting many people to do the tests. There has been only a few posts asking for support for a hat.

Is it possible for SO to query the Pi setup and add in the correct overlay?

No way to probe AFAIK. All I can do is to list all the overlay files, and allow the user to pick one... Then reboot and hope for the best.

[Snoopy8]

No way to probe AFAIK. All I can do is to list all the overlay files, and allow the user to pick one... Then reboot and hope for the best.

How does Moode do it? From Google AI

Moode, a web-based audio player for Raspberry Pi, automatically detects and configures supported audio HATs (Hardware Attached on Top) through its audio configuration menu, offering a selection of compatible devices.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Automatic Detection:
Moode is designed to recognize and automatically configure supported audio HATs, simplifying the setup process for users.
Audio Configuration Menu:
You can access the audio configuration menu within Moode's web interface by navigating to the "m" local menu at the top right corner and then selecting "configure" and then "audio".
Device Selection:
The audio configuration menu provides a list of supported audio HATs, allowing you to select the specific device you are using.
Example:
Moode supports a variety of audio interfaces, including those from GPL (Generic Peripheral Layer).
HAT Compatibility:
Moode is compatible with various Raspberry Pi HATs, including the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT, which is compatible with any Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin (2x20) connector.
Example:
To install the Raspberry Pi TV HAT, press the HAT gently down over the Raspberry Pi's GPIO pins, place the spacers, and tighten the screws.

[hkphantomgtr]

No way to probe AFAIK. All I can do is to list all the overlay files, and allow the user to pick one... Then reboot and hope for the best.

How does Moode do it? From Google AI

Moode, a web-based audio player for Raspberry Pi, automatically detects and configures supported audio HATs (Hardware Attached on Top) through its audio configuration menu, offering a selection of compatible devices.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Automatic Detection:
Moode is designed to recognize and automatically configure supported audio HATs, simplifying the setup process for users.
Audio Configuration Menu:
You can access the audio configuration menu within Moode's web interface by navigating to the "m" local menu at the top right corner and then selecting "configure" and then "audio".
Device Selection:
The audio configuration menu provides a list of supported audio HATs, allowing you to select the specific device you are using.
Example:
Moode supports a variety of audio interfaces, including those from GPL (Generic Peripheral Layer).
HAT Compatibility:
Moode is compatible with various Raspberry Pi HATs, including the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT, which is compatible with any Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin (2x20) connector.
Example:
To install the Raspberry Pi TV HAT, press the HAT gently down over the Raspberry Pi's GPIO pins, place the spacers, and tighten the screws.

Moode gives u a list to choose from.  It can't detect the details of the hat.

[Bromf]

Hat overlays are available once supported by the Raspberry Pi kernel of the current version.
It is up to manufacturers to get their device drivers accepted by the RPi team.

There should be an included  'onboard' ReadMe accompanying any install based on an RPi OS.
This lists all the dtoverlay supported for that kernel.

Here is the fuller list...
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/...ays/README