First off, you'll need to add a memory-card of some sort to the Demo-board, then you need to add a .MP3-decoder chip, and finally, you'll need to find a way to either get the decoder chip to read the meory-card directly, or how to use the Propeller to read the card(and parse the file-structure on it) and feed that data in a continuous stream to the decoder-chip.
Or, alternatively, you could go to Walmart, Radioshack or whatever type of electronics-store exists near where you live, buy a cheap flash-based .MP3-player, crack it open and connect the propeller to the controls.
None of these tasks are impossible, but they're not easy, either, and will require a good knowledge of electronics and programming.
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Don't visit my new website...
You wont be able to play mp3s "right out of the box". Honestly you wont be able to do pretty much anything with the propeller right out of the box in the most literal sense. The chip was designed to provide the most generic hardware platform possible, so that IC real estate isn't wasted on a feature you may use 1 in every 50 projects. But that said, software objects have been created to do specialized tasks (TV generation etc), and more are on the way. That you can load into the propeller to do this or that. There isn't a mp3 decoder object yet, there is no specific plans for one being made. But it would be possible by a programmer of sufficient skill to create one. I have thought about a mp3 decode object, but thats as far as its gone, thinking. It is way down the list of things I want to try with the propeller.
It would be best to use a hardware decoder. The great thing about the Propeller is that you could create an object to read the MP3 file(s) from an SD card and use a "master" object to move the [noparse][[/noparse]buffered] file to the MP3 decoder.
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Hi Fei:
There are cheap and complete (read that as very few external componets) chips (I believe it as $12.00) where, with that and the A/D converter, you have a mp3 decoder. The biggest issue is going to be feeding the decoder at a fast enough pace. The total cost of the decoder and stuff was under $20 (USD)...
BTW, decoding MP# is best left to something with lots of room (ram), or hardware. The issues being the different types of .mp3 encoding, and imbeded "extras", as well as parsing the header (and in some cases the sync bits)... Best to just use the chip, as it's designed for IDT 3, bitrate indipendent (you feed it as fast as you can as long as it's int line is low, it buffers the input and it spits out the decoded Analog). and designed for most any type of highspeed a/d converters. If your interested, I've several links that I've used to research the project, established theory, design, and started circuit layout when I relized I know less about circuit design the I do about analog. And, btw, when I said "Hi Fei" above, I about encapulsaded all I know about analog circuits. So, the project is on hold, but I will continue it one day. It is very "dooable", and as long as you can get the bitstream (the mp3 file read from the source media) fast enough, it's a simple project.
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Just tossing my two bits worth into the bit bucket
The VS1002 is supposedly pretty good, it can directly drive a pair of headphones, has a serial connection for control by a processor. And can even be configured to directly connect to a SD/MMC card as a stand alone player. Theres also an already mounted board with all the extra components needed (sans controller or SD/MMC) on the same site for·$40. I believe this is also the chip used in the uMP3 (about the same price?). I haven't directly compared the two, but I think the uMP3 is a more plug-and-play setup, while the board from sparkfun allows you a lower level access, to use a wider host of features availible from the chip, at the expense of a little more effort on your part.
I have a thread somewhere that includes instructions on how to play M4A or MP3 files on the prop using an SD card... I will dig it up.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get anAdjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
As it turns out, the post that I made is slightly useless...
It didn't really play it as an mp3, it just used software to convert it to a wave file to be put on the SD card and then play using the 16k mono wav player.
As for actual mp3 decoding, I don't know if it's possible. I think Microcontrolled may have made something that did this, but I'm not sure.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get anAdjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
The uMP3 is very powerful and allows pretty full control of the filesystem as well as (and at the same time) as playing mp3's, so it can be an integrated solution if you need SD storage and data, saving a lot of hub RAM for the filesystem code. Daisy is not as powerful but also easier to control for what it does.
VLSI 1033 is available on Sparkfun for around $20. Add a Vinculum and some other parts and you can recreate a Vmusic2. OR just buy the Vmusic2. You the add mp3's to a thumbdrive and play the files with simple instructions via serial.
Fei
Posts: 4
Comments
First off, you'll need to add a memory-card of some sort to the Demo-board, then you need to add a .MP3-decoder chip, and finally, you'll need to find a way to either get the decoder chip to read the meory-card directly, or how to use the Propeller to read the card(and parse the file-structure on it) and feed that data in a continuous stream to the decoder-chip.
Or, alternatively, you could go to Walmart, Radioshack or whatever type of electronics-store exists near where you live, buy a cheap flash-based .MP3-player, crack it open and connect the propeller to the controls.
None of these tasks are impossible, but they're not easy, either, and will require a good knowledge of electronics and programming.
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Don't visit my new website...
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·1+1=10
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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
There are cheap and complete (read that as very few external componets) chips (I believe it as $12.00) where, with that and the A/D converter, you have a mp3 decoder. The biggest issue is going to be feeding the decoder at a fast enough pace. The total cost of the decoder and stuff was under $20 (USD)...
BTW, decoding MP# is best left to something with lots of room (ram), or hardware. The issues being the different types of .mp3 encoding, and imbeded "extras", as well as parsing the header (and in some cases the sync bits)... Best to just use the chip, as it's designed for IDT 3, bitrate indipendent (you feed it as fast as you can as long as it's int line is low, it buffers the input and it spits out the decoded Analog). and designed for most any type of highspeed a/d converters. If your interested, I've several links that I've used to research the project, established theory, design, and started circuit layout when I relized I know less about circuit design the I do about analog. And, btw, when I said "Hi Fei" above, I about encapulsaded all I know about analog circuits. So, the project is on hold, but I will continue it one day. It is very "dooable", and as long as you can get the bitstream (the mp3 file read from the source media) fast enough, it's a simple project.
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Just tossing my two bits worth into the bit bucket
KK
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·1+1=10
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Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
It didn't really play it as an mp3, it just used software to convert it to a wave file to be put on the SD card and then play using the 16k mono wav player.
As for actual mp3 decoding, I don't know if it's possible. I think Microcontrolled may have made something that did this, but I'm not sure.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
(no longer new) SD Card Adapter·Now available!· Add extra memory to your next Propeller project with ease!
http://makezine.com/daisy/
and Rogue Robotics uMP3
http://www.roguerobotics.com/products/electronics/ump3
The uMP3 is very powerful and allows pretty full control of the filesystem as well as (and at the same time) as playing mp3's, so it can be an integrated solution if you need SD storage and data, saving a lot of hub RAM for the filesystem code. Daisy is not as powerful but also easier to control for what it does.