Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

[munkiroy]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Hi, I'm experiencing an issue with Asset timing out when trying to play large playlists. Short playlists (around 50 tracks or less) play fine, although they can take 20-30 seconds to load. Larger playlists with hundreds of tracks result in a server timeout after about 60 seconds. I've tried using various clients on various devices, all with the same result. Is there a setting I can tinker with? Cheers.

[Spoon]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

I think are hitting the limit of the Pi, it is the CPU which is the limiting.

When you say play the playlist, you mean list the playlist in the control point?

[Foxman50]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

The web configuration page will show the status of the scanning, it should show a file count whilst scanning.

If you enable the debug log it should show scanning issues.

Ok got pi yesterday, have asset installed and working. However im not sure its accessing my nas correctly. Should it show file count while scanning on the latest version as per above post. Mine constantly has "Scanning Library...Counting Audio Tracks" but never changes. Ive enabled logging but both logs are blank if i open them.

[Foxman50]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Reboot of NAS sorted it

[robertus3]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Hi ,

Am pretty new to the raspberry, so forgive me if I don't challenge you with my question. Here is the problem:

I can mount my usb hard drive (Freecom tough drive) to a directory, in this case: home/pi/mnt/usbhdd.
When using the command: "ls /mnt/usbhdd -l" I get to see the directories, in this case the directory on the hard drive: "Music",
So far so good.
Then I choose the directory /mnt/usbhdd/Music in Asset configuration, and asset stays empty after the first whole scan.
I tried "going" to the directory: "cd mnt", "cd usbhdd" and I'm in /mnt/usbhdd. Then "cd Music", and then the software says this is not a directory.....

What to do? Anyone any ideas?

Much appreciated.

[Spoon]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Linux is case sensitive, so Music is different to music

[robertus3]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Linux is case sensitive, so Music is different to music

Hi Spoon, thanks for the quick reply.

I understand its case sensitive, thats why I consequently write the directory as Music (and not music).

But is it a problem that I use one directory with a capital M?

Or could the problem be the format of the drive? It s W95 Fat32.

[Spoon]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

I am not sure, what was your mount command?

[robertus3]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

I am not sure, what was your mount command?

Sorted it out. Original mouniting command was not the right one.

Thanks for thinking along.

[munkiroy]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

I think are hitting the limit of the Pi, it is the CPU which is the limiting.

When you say play the playlist, you mean list the playlist in the control point?

Hi Spoon. My playlist files are stored on the same USB HDD as the music files, connected to the Pi. The playlist folder is registered in the config so they show up in the playlists folder presented by the server. I haven't tried playing large playlists stored on the control point - I will give it a go, but I'd prefer not to maintain my playlists separately on all my control points. I've noted your comment on the limits of the Pi. Great work btw, Asset has been running hassle-free all holiday......apart from my current playlist issue of course. Cheers.

[simes_pep]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Hi Spoon,
Great work on Asset on Pi, enjoying the better treatment of the metadata over Twonky Server and a faster interface to n-Stream with full album artwork and upstream artwork.

However I am having issues with the transcoding function on 24/192 files @ 9,216kb/s my Naim ND5 XS streamer is dropping out every minute or so - with the buffer never reaching 100% as it does without the transcoding of the FLAC enabled. When the buffer drops to 0%, the music cuts for a second or so, the buffer recovers to 50% and sometimes 70% but is struggles to be served.

The Raspberry Pi, through iStat, is operating at around 20% User, 3% System CPU, with a load average under 1, with the I/O interfaces at an average of 1.6 MB/s upstream & 1.7 MB/s downstream (actual rates slightly lower at around 1 MB/s for both). It has 268 MBytes cached, with 95 MB active, 253 MB inactive and 118 MBytes inactive.

The ReadyNAS Duo NAS is connected on the same switch with a Gigabit connection to the Gigabit switch (Netgear GS108E) has a 16Gb/s capability, is see very little workload, with the 1.1 MB/s upstream traffic to the Pi and no downstream traffic.

I have upgraded the Duo with 1GB RAM, so it has 608MB cached, 345 MB active, 608 MB inactive and 6 MB free. I have enabled Jumbo frames on the Duo, so the MTU size is 7936.

There are no swap being used on both devices.

24/176.4 files @ 8,467 kb/s don't drop out as often, but there is still some dropout.

24/96 and anything beneath this are played perfectly with the Naim ND5 buffer firmly at 100% during replay, with 10% total CPU utilisation on the Pi.

I have overclocked the Pi to 'Turbo' setting from the raspi-config menu, and reduced the GPU memory to the minimal 16MB, as I run the Pi headless.

It doesn't look to me like a CPU performance issue, as the CPU isn't at maximum, nor an external I/O issue as the 100Mbit/s Ethernet should be able to cope with the 1.5MB/s streams, so there any other configuration options I could try, or is just a lack of CPU power in the ARM SOC processor on the Pi?

Sending FLAC to the ND5 still sounds great, not sure there is a different, but Naim insist that WAV is preferable to FLAC.

Thanks,
Simon.

[simes_pep]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Hi Spoon,

Many thanks for the Beta of Asset on the Raspberry Pi, I have it working well serving my Naim ND5 XS Streamer, controlling it by Naim's n-Stream iPad application. I prefer Asset over Twonky Server (running on my ReadyNAS Duo) with better metadata management and organization, particularly around the Album Artist tag and Compilation handling.

However the only problem I have experienced is transcoding 24/192 files @ 9,216kb/s from FLAC to WAV, where there are dropouts every minute or so. Watching the buffer level when playing a 24/192 track (@ 8,467kb/s) it never reaches 100%, as it does when not transcoding and just playing FLAC. It starts at 70%, then drops to 50%, then 30% then 0%, then no music, buffer recovers to 30%, 50% music starts again, then continues to struggle to play the served file.
There is less dropouts with 24/176.4 files, but is still not a solid 100% buffer level. 24/96 and below plays perfectly, with a solid 100% buffer level.

Now looking at the iStat statistics on the Raspberry Pi, is it using about 20% CPU when playing the 24/192 file, and only 10% with a 24/96, so don't think it is CPU bottlenecked with an average load under 5. The I/O traffic is about 1MB/s up and down, but as 8Mbit/s within the 100Mbit/s capability. 50% of the available RAM is being used as Cache with no Swap file being used. I have overclocked the Raspberry Pi to the Turbo level in the raspi-config options. I have also reduced the GPU memory to 16MB, as I running it in a headless configuration, as a dedicated device for Asset.
The ReadyNAS Duo NAS is only a few % of CPU during playback with the 1MB/s upstream to the Pi, and uses the upgraded 1GB of RAM as cache, again with no Swap file being used.

The NAS, Pi and ND5 XS are connected through a Gigabit Netgear switch (GS108E) with a 16Gb/s throughput. The connection to the ND5 XS uses Mains Plugs with a measured through of 183 Mbit/s, again greater than the 100 Mbit/s NIC in the Naim streamer.

I do have the NAS configured for Jumbo packets with the TCP/IP interface has a MTU of 7936.

Can you offer an insight on the transcoding performance or any suggested configuration setting changes.
Can any other forum member offer any suggestion?

Thanks,
Simon.

[Foxman50]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Have been playing with Asset on pi and wanted to know is it possible to create customs views on a control point. I use n-stream control point on ipad, and im after an album view that is sorted by album artist. Just wondered if this is possible.

[Spoon]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Foxman: you can try Advanced Search >> Album Artist >>

Simon: I think it is the Pi network link, if you copy a file to and from a share it is no where near the 10MB/s that it should be.

[simes_pep]

Re: Asset UPnP for Raspberry pi

Foxman: you can try Advanced Search >> Album Artist >>

Simon: I think it is the Pi network link, if you copy a file to and from a share it is no where near the 10MB/s that it should be.

Umh, but then why does the non-transcoded FLAC version work just fine - they need to be served at the same I/O levels - just looking at the same track in FLAC and it is taking 1.5 MB/s of downstream (1.1 MB/s upstream) however but only 4-5% of CPU (mostly all System and little User) and the NAS is having to work alot harder. So without transcoding is the FLAC file on the NAS sent directly from the NAS to the Streamer or does it 'pass through' the Pi?

Actually quite happy with playing FLAC and ALAC on my Naim ND5 streamer, it was just the Naim guys insisting that WAV is better, because that's what their Ripping/Server solution uses!

BTW I have pulled together a Configuration Guide for Asset on the Raspberry Pi, as you have quite some interest on the Naim Streaming Audio forum. Can I post a pdf to this forum?

Also what's the Release plans for Asset on the Pi, as I have just 16 days left of my Beta trial.

Thanks,
Simon.