MP3 Trigger Firmware Version 2.22 release

by robertsonics

Fixes, Shorter Looping Gaps and New Features:

For some time I’ve been getting reports of users having issues with certain MP3 files, involving some kind of problem when the track finished – either hanging the MP3 Trigger or producing chirping or squeaking sounds. Finally, someone was helpful enough to email me one of these tracks and I was able to duplicate the problem here in the lab. As a result, I have not only fixed this issue but in the process also discovered the reason some folks were legitimately complaining about the length of the gap when looping sounds. There was indeed a bug in recognizing the end of MP3 files that produced a longer than necessary period of silence at the end of a track.

I have not yet measured it on the scope, but I would estimate that the audible gap when looping a track (that has no silence at the beginning or end) is now consistently around 100 msecs (a tenth of a second). It has similarly reduced the time it takes to send the “end-of-track” serial message following the completion of the track.

This latest version also incorporates “Quiet Mode”, an option that can be enabled via the serial control port. In this mode, the triggers don’t start tracks directly but instead produce a serial message indicating which triggers were activated. A host microcontroller (Arduino, for example) can thus monitor the trigger inputs and then start any track or sequence of tracks via the serial control port, making the triggers much more flexible. An updated User Guide includes the details of this new feature.

So here is the new firmware in the different baudrate versions. Please note that these updates are only for the MP3 Trigger V2.

MP3 Trigger V2 Firmware v2.22 38.4k baud
MP3 Trigger V2 Firmware v2.22 9600 baud
MP3 Trigger V2 Firmware v2.22 2400 baud

Instructions on how to update your V2 firmware are in the datasheet, but here’s a quick review:

1) Download and unzip one of the files above.

2) Copy the resulting hex file to a microSD card and rename it to: “MP3TRIGR.HEX”. It does not need to be the only file on the card – it just needs to have that precise filename.

3) Insert the microSD card into your MP3 Trigger V2 and turn the power on while holding down the center navigation switch.

4) Wait for the Status LED to go solid, then cycle the power. You’re now running the new firmware.

Please refer to the datasheet for a more detailed description of the Status LED indications when running the bootloader.

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Beta version of latest MP3 Trigger firmware

by robertsonics

As of today, SparkFun is shipping MP3 Triggers with version 2.10 firmware at 38.4k baud. There are a few reports of units having a problem with certain MP3 rates, wherin a long track will only play for some number of seconds and then restart. This is likely caused by a mechanism added to detect and fix an earlier issue that the VLSI MP3 decoder IC very occasionally does not power up correctly.

Version 2.22 should fix this restart issue. The new version also contains a new feature called Quiet Mode, which can be set using the serial control port. In Quiet Mode, the MP3 Trigger will send a serial message whenever one or more of the trigger inputs goes active, but will not start tracks. This effectively decouples the trigger inputs from the tracks, and allows an external computer or micro the ability to do whatever it wants with the triggers. Think of it as a digital input expander that can also play MP3 audio.

Version 2.22  is available below. If you are experiencing an issue with tracks restarting prematurely, or if you want to experiment with Quiet Mode, then help yourself to the download below. Please let me know through the forum if this a) solves a problem you were having before, or b) you find any anomalies with this release.

Update: Found and fixed a problem that explains rare occurences of certain MP3 files hanging up at the end. Also should shorten the gap when looping files.

MP3 Trigger V2 Firmware v2.22 38.4k baud

Information on how to use the bootloader to update your V2 firmware, as well as the details of how to use the new Quiet Mode, can be found in this preliminary update of the MP3 Trigger User’s Manual.

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Short film “Steeples” now up on vimeo

by robertsonics

Here’s the short film by Bryan Papciak of Handcranked Films, for which I supplied the music.

Steeples from Bryan Papciak on Vimeo.

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Firmware Updates for the MP3 Trigger V2

by robertsonics

If you purchased an MP3 Trigger V2 before May 1, 2010, please update your firmware to version 2.10 below. This update addresses an issue with the serial control port baud rate. Please note that I’ve provided three different downloads: One for the standard serial baud rate of 38.4 kbaud, as well as one each for 9600 baud and 2400 baud.

NOTE: These files are only for MP3 Trigger V2, not for the older original model, which does not require an update.

MP3 Trigger V2 Firmware v2.10 38.4k baud
MP3 Trigger V2 Firmware v2.10 9600 baud
MP3 Trigger V2 Firmware v2.10 2400 baud

Instructions on how to update your V2 firmware are in the datasheet, but here’s a quick review:

1) Download and unzip one of the files above.

2) Copy the resulting hex file to a microSD card and rename it to: “MP3TRIGR.HEX”. It does not need to be the only file on the card – it just needs to have that precise filename.

3) Insert the microSD card into your MP3 Trigger V2 and turn the power on while holding down the center navigation switch.

4) Wait for the Status LED to go solid, then cycle the power. You’re now running the new firmware.

Please refer to the datasheet for a more detailed description of the Status LED indications when running the bootloader.

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Motion Feedback Music Player

by robertsonics

I’m a little late on this one, but thought it certainly deserved mention here at MakerJam. Polymythic is one of the first hackers I know of to make use of the real-time volume control capability of the MP3 Trigger. This capability was the primary reason I developed the MP3 Trigger so it’s nice to see someone making good use of it.

Polymythic created a music player that detects motion and dynamically controls the volume  – you have to keep moving to hear the music. He posted step-by-step set of instructions over at Instructables.

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MP3 Trigger on the Late Late Show

by robertsonics

Mythbuster’s Grant Imahara accepted a challenge to build a robot sidekick for Craig Ferguson, and used the MP3 Trigger in combination with a Parallax Basic Stamp and a servo controller to create a rather simple robot – I assume he was working on a limited budget.

The picture below shows the simple control elements. The FAT16 microSD card in the MP3 Trigger allows Craig to easily replace the phrases each night. Gotta love those blue LED eyes…

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Music for Animated Short Film: Steeples

by robertsonics

Bryan Papciak of Handcranked Film Productions asked me to compose the music for his latest short film. After a preliminary showing at the 2010 Boston Underground Film Festival, “Steeples” will officially premiere as part of the New England Animator’s Showcase at the ICA Boston on May 3rd and 7th, 2010.

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Version 2 of the MP3 Trigger Released

by robertsonics

The MP3 Trigger at SparkFun just got better. The new version now has 18 trigger inputs (the original had 7) and sports a resident bootloader that allows firmware to be updated directly from the microSD card without the need for a hardware programmer. Same size (slightly different footprint), same price.

With the introduction of the bootloader, it’s now possible to get firmware updates and custom version over the web without you needing to purchase a hardware programmer. Even more interesting is the possibility of using the MP3 Trigger as a development board and writing your own code for it. The board schematics are available at SparkFun and the PSoC Designer IDE is a free download from Cypress. I’ll be posting some instructions shortly on how to set up the development environment so you can write firmware compatible with the bootloader. How cool is that?

Buy it now here.

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