Barking dog robot

fschutzman

I want to use the propeller chip to detect movement and play a recording of a barking dog. I know there are commercial versions that I can buy but by using the propeller I can eventually make a virtual dog robot. My question really is what do I need to connect to a propeller demo board to play mp3 or wave files that would be activated from some kind of detection input? The type of input ir, ping, or something else I can figure out later.
fschutzman

fschutzman

I found this link for a "barking dog" board. It would be nice if someone with an electronics background could look at the specs. I believe there would be a way to "trigger" the chip since it uses a mike to set it off. Here is the link:
http://www.electronics123.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2081/.f

At about $50 for the board with shipping, I would hope there is a cheaper way. I saw a "four animal sound chip kit on the same site. http://www.electronics123.com/s.nl/it.A/id.481/.f.



Although I am getting partial to the propeller chip for robotics, as far as making an alarm using some kind of trigger, I could use a basic stamp. Anyway, I think a virtual barking dog robot would be of use for some of us who do not want a real dog.

fschutzman

Cluso99

I am not sure how much code space a barking dog will use, so I dont know if it will fit into the eeprom. Otherwise, if you add an SD card, you could certainly use this. You will need an external amplifier, but a simple R,C,C circuit will give mono and uses 1 pin which you can plug into an amp such as one for an iPod. Perhaps SidCog could do it also. See the SidCog thread from Ahle. IIRC he's the expert.

Oh, and welcome to this fantastic Prop forum.

fschutzman

First thanks for the reply and welcome. I agree that a SD card would be necessary if you are going to use a sound file. I was also thinking that maybe there is a way to reprogram the inexpensive chips you see in birthday cards or even the chip inside some dolls. We need some good hackers to take a look at this topic.

fschutzman

Dr. Mario

You can try it - there is some wee problem: the microcontrollers in the birthday cards are largely blackboxed - you won't know what kind of CPU they use - but at least I can tell you what common chip they use - 6502 and PIC14C (OTP) and very few lesser-known chips. The chips in dolls? You may have better chance as few uses SOIC-8 ROMs that you can probe its I2C / SPI bus to download the audio PWM file. Microchip and Winbond are the common brand for the ROMs in some of the doll's audio circuitry.

Reprogramming the birthday card's out of question unless you own the X-ray machine and know how to erase the EPROMs (have done it before, saved so many OTP chips that may otherwise be thrown away in trash).

I am not intending to discouraging you, but I am just pointing out the obvious as I have ripped apart few of tossed away electronics and learn of its natures (some chips are encrypted - worthless so I erased it before reusing it). You just have to search for the tell-tale sign of I2C signal as you poke it with 100 / 400kHz clock signal while it boots up. Still, it would be neat to reprogram the Christmas card and watch their face as they hear it. (Always priceless to be watching them giving you strange looks!)

fschutzman

Thanks Dr. Mario... sounds like alot of trouble just to get a dog sound. I am thinking of mp3 on an sd chip card. I guess I will start looking up posts on sound and sd chips on the propeller.

fschutzman

Perry

Rayman made a "Parrot Auto voice record and playback" program a while back.
You should find that very instructive.

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?105292-Parrot-Auto-voice-record-and-playback&highlight=parrot