Announcing a New Embedded MP3 Player

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Want to add music, dialog or sound effects to your next project? Introducing what may be the world’s most flexible, low-cost, low-power embedded MP3 Player – the MP3 Trigger.

MP3Trigger

During the development of “Another Side of In“, I purchased and tried out all of the inexpensive embedded MP3 players I could find that provide serial remote control. None of them, it turns out, support real-time volume updates at the rate I required for tracking position and producing smooth volume changes. So I ended up designing my own, which you can see in this video. I only needed a small number, so I cut corners on the PCB design and fab.

At Maker Faire this past April, I showed my player to Nathan Siedle from SparkFun, and we decided then and there to add some cool triggering features and turn it into real product, available through SparkFun.  Here are the main features:

  • Plays MP3 files (up to 192Kbps stereo) from FAT formatted microSD card.
  • Full-duplex serial port for complete control of transport, track selection and volume.
  • Serial connector pin-compatible with SparkFun USB-to-serial converter for direct USB remote control (and power!)
  • 7 digital inputs for direct triggering of specific tracks, compatible with both Arduino outputs and simple contact closures. (Wire up switches directly to the MP3 Trigger!)
  • Trigger inputs can be jumpered to automatically sequence and loop from 1 to 7 tracks on power-up.
  • On-board navigation switch and 1/8″ stereo line-level output jack.
  • 4.5VDC to 12VDC power input at 80mA. Flexible power connection options.
  • Not a kit: Completely assembled and tested at only $49.95

The first build is in, and we’re just waiting for the product to go live on the SparkFun website. I’ll post a direct link here as soon as one becomes available.

In the meantime, if you are going to Maker Faire, RI on Saturday, please stop by and see the MP3 Trigger in action.

Update Monday, Sept 21, 2009

Thanks to everyone that stopped by the table at Maker Faire, RI. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone.

As promised, here’s a link to the product page at SparkFun, where you’ll find both the schematic and user manual.

3 Responses to “Announcing a New Embedded MP3 Player”

  1. wseay  on September 28th, 2009

    Would this be able to operate at lower baud rates to support the BS1?

    Reply

    • robertsonics  on September 28th, 2009

      Well, the quick answer is yes, but not as shipped. The firmware currently has no provision for user-configurable baud rates, but the board does support in-circuit programming. At a minimum, I’d be happy to provide alternate firmware with other baud rates. Or, if we can come up with a reasonable way of making it user-selectable, I could implement that. Either way, however, you would need to reprogram the board with new firmware.

      Until it becomes unwieldy, I’d be willing to do that for someone if they were to send me their unit postage paid. Or, you can purchase a Cypress PSoC MiniProg for $25 from Digikey – I’ll provide the .hex file and you can reprogram the board yourself.

      Reply

  2. HappyKillmore  on December 19th, 2009

    What about making one or more of the triggers work with PWM inputs from a RX? I’d love to be able to make my 3 position switch work like this:

    Middle position = Stop, Down = Play, Up = Next & Play.

    Reply


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