Automating my Peachtree Decco with a Hifiberry and a Raspberry Pi IR Remote

This project automates the control of a Peachtree Decco amplifier using a Raspberry Pi with a Hifiberry DAC and a secondary Raspberry Pi configured as an IR remote. The goal is to integrate modern streaming capabilities (Spotify, AirPlay, Roon, etc.) with the Peachtree Decco from an external raspberry pi running hifiberry OS, and the automate power and input controls through a infrared remote running on a second raspberry pi.

The Peachtree Audio Decco amplifier (2007) is known for its excellent sound, but it has a few limitations:

1. The USB input port is prone to breaking. Mine broke twice. Didn't bother to fix it the second time.
2. Volume and input selection need to be manually adjusted after powering on.

To solve the broken USB issue, I added a Raspberry Pi running Hifiberry OS with a hifiberry DAC HAT , allowing me to stream audio remotely.

To further automate the process, I created this project to simulate the remote, and turn the decco amplifier on when the music starts playing on the hifiberry. This sequence takes 30 seconds, because the analog tube needs to warm up. And I have no patience to walk to the amplifier and turn it on. Automate everything.

This project is made possible through the LIRC config file for the peachtree remote from Part of the Thing

Prerequisites

• Peachtree Decco amplifier
• Raspberry Pi with a hifiberry DAC HAT running hifiberry OS attached to the Decco
• Another Raspberry Pi (e.g., Pi Zero 2W) to act as the IR remote
• IR LED
• Optional Resistor and transistor (for long-distance IR signaling)

Steps

1. Set up the Raspberry Pi:

   • Install Raspberry Pi OS (Raspbian) on the Pi.
   • Log in to the Raspberry Pi.

2. Install LIRC:

   sudo apt install lirc

3. Enable GPIO pins for IR: Add the following lines to /boot/firmware/config.txt:

   dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=18
   dtoverlay=gpio-ir-tx,gpio_pin=15

4. Configure LIRC modules: Add the following to /etc/modules to use pin 18 and 15 for IR input/output:

   lirc_dev
   lirc_rpi gpio_in_pin=18 gpio_out_pin=15

5. Edit LIRC configuration: Edit /etc/lirc/lirc_options.conf and set the driver to default:

   driver = default

6. Install the Python script and other fiels: Make the script executable and copy it to the correct directories:

   cp decco-pi-led-hifiberry.py /usr/local/bin/
   chmod +x /usr/local/bin/decco-pi-led-hifiberry.py
   cp decco.lircd.conf /etc/lirc/lircd.conf.d/
   cp decco-pi-led-hifiberry.service /etc/systemd/system/decco-pi-led-hifiberry.service

7. Reboot the Raspberry Pi: Reboot to apply the GPIO configuration changes:

   sudo reboot

8. Test LIRC: Run the following command to test if LIRC is working:

   irsend SEND_ONCE decco AUX1

   If no errors occur, the IR configuration is probably correct. If you see an Input/Output error, double-check the LIRC and GPIO setup.

9. Connect the IR LED:

   • Now connect the IR LED, the long leg into the Pin 15, and the short leg into the ground. For the prototype, no soldering is required. For debugging, you can also put in a regular LED in the some holes to visually see if the IR signals are being sent.
   • Optionally, add a transistor and a resistor for longer-range IR signals.

10. Set up SSH for Hifiberry communication: To be able to log into the hifiberry, you need to enable SSH in the hifiberry. Then on the IR raspberry pi, generate and copy the SSH key for the current and root user, so that you can log into the hifiberry without a password:

ssh-keygen
ssh-copy-id root@<hifiberry-hostname>
sudo ssh-keygen
sudo ssh-copy-id root@<hifiberry-hostname>

11. Test the Python script: adjust the configuration parameters in the scipt Test the daemon by running the script manually:

/usr/local/bin/decco-pi-led-hifiberry.py

Also test it as root, as that is what the script runs at.

sudo /usr/local/bin/decco-pi-led-hifiberry.py

12. Set up the script as a systemd service: Enable the script to start automatically with the system:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable decco-pi-led-hifiberry
sudo systemctl start decco-pi-led-hifiberry
sudo systemctl status decco-pi-led-hifiberry

Optional Steps:

• Keep the Raspberry Pi up to date:

  sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y upgrade

• Enable automatic software updates.

This project brings modern convenience to the Peachtree Decco amplifier, combining Raspberry Pi hardware with automation for a fully integrated audio experience.

Future improvements

• Mount the pi, including soldering the IR led, inside the decco housing, to make it neater
• Add LIRC to the hifiberryOS, so that i can run both the DAC and the IR led from the same raspberry PI. This requires