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Serially controlled AM/FM radio module? — Parallax Forums

Serially controlled AM/FM radio module?

Vern GranerVern Graner Posts: 337
edited 2006-09-23 02:58 in BASIC Stamp
I have encontered a project that requies programmable control of a standard radio receiver, but I have come up empty-handed looking for some type of serially controlled AM/FM radio tuner unit (something like what the uMP3 does for MP3 files, but for regular 88 mhz-108 mhz fm + regular broadcast AM).

Does anyone know if such a beast exists, or am I destined to simply use the stamp to turn power on/off on the PCB from a gutted regular old analog radio?

TIA!

Vern

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Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course,if the network
http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG

Comments

  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-09-20 21:57
    Vern,

    ·· Are you looking to change the station/frequency under program control?· I have seen IC's for doing this...They are typically only one small part of the system as a whole though.

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
  • Vern GranerVern Graner Posts: 337
    edited 2006-09-20 22:09
    Chris Savage (Parallax) said...
    Vern,

    Are you looking to change the station/frequency under program control? I have seen IC's for doing this...They are typically only one small part of the system as a whole though.

    Yep! smile.gif that would be perfect. I was hopipng for something as simple as a Pocket Watch B or a Serial Servo Controller.. something in that style of module, but have the ability to tune a radio, turn it on/off, mute it, adjust volume etc... Would make life a lot easier for this particular project..

    Otherwise I'll have to find a radio and tear it apart and then figure out what buttons do what and solder to the pads... bleh!

    Vern

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    Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course,if the network
http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2006-09-20 22:28
    Vern,

    ·· I don't know about a module that makes it that simple.· Any chips I have seen still require an amplifier for the receiver and an audio amplifier for the output.· Often they will require other external circuitry such as a crystal and/or other discrete parts, and in some cases audio control chips.· Here are a few examples (this may be more complicated than what you wanted).

    http://www.edn.com/article/CA514942.html

    http://www.ampslab.com/PDF/la1266.pdf

    http://www.st.com/stonline/products/families/automotive/am_fm_tuners.htm

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    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
  • KatyBriKatyBri Posts: 171
    edited 2006-09-21 00:22
    How about this-
    1. A simple read relay across the on/off switch terminals to turn the radio on and off.
    2. Remove the tuning knob and connect a small inexpensive stepper motor to the variable capacitor (tuning) shaft with a piece of rubber hose or plastic tubing (flexible connection). By trial-and-error, stepper positions corresponding to particular stations (frequencies) can be determined -then add them to a lookup table in the STAMP program. For example: 200 steps= 104AM, 223= 137 AM, etc.
    3. Same as number #2 above for the volume control.
    Note: If the radio has only one control to turn on the radio and adjust volume, using a stepper motor as described above would eliminate the need for #1.
    Note 2: If the stepper motor doesn't have small enough steps to find the given stations repeatedly, try using some inexpensive plastic gears to make the stepper motor rotate the tuning shaft with finer increments.
    All of this could easily be controlled with one STAMP. Have fun!
  • Kevin WoodKevin Wood Posts: 1,266
    edited 2006-09-21 00:59
    Do you want to control a radio via a BS2 or PC via serial port? Or are you looking for a PC tuner card that can be controlled via a serial connection?
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2006-09-21 04:34
    Vern -

    Take a look at the Philips Semiconductor web site for an I2C radio or tuner. They have all sorts of I2C audio systems which use a common I2C bus.

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates

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  • kelvin jameskelvin james Posts: 531
    edited 2006-09-21 17:16
    One thought may be to look into a radio that comes with a wireless ir remote control, can be had pretty cheap these days. It has all the functions you describe for operation. Possibly a hack (hardwire) to the receiving circuit could be done?

    kelvin
  • Vern GranerVern Graner Posts: 337
    edited 2006-09-22 20:38
    KatyBri said...
    How about this-
    A simple read relay across the on/off switch terminals to turn the radio on and off
    <SNIP>

    This is probably similar to what I will end up doing if I can't find a module... smile.gif

    Vern

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    Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course,if the network
http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG
  • Vern GranerVern Graner Posts: 337
    edited 2006-09-22 20:43
    Kevin Wood said...
    Do you want to control a radio via a BS2 or PC via serial port? Or are you looking for a PC tuner card that can be controlled via a serial connection?

    I'm looking for something that I can control with a basic stamp. Ideally it would allow me to send (via TTL serial) a command such as "change to FM" then send a frequency such as "tune to 104.1".

    So far, I haven;t seen anything like this...

    Vern

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    Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course,if the network
http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG
  • Vern GranerVern Graner Posts: 337
    edited 2006-09-22 20:44
    Bruce Bates said...
    Vern -

    Take a look at the Philips Semiconductor web site for an I2C radio or tuner. They have all sorts of I2C audio systems which use a common I2C bus.

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates

    Thanks! I hadn't thought about I2C.. If I find somthing I'll post it here...

    Vern

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    Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course,if the network
http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG
  • Kevin WoodKevin Wood Posts: 1,266
    edited 2006-09-22 21:51
    I don't think you would find much in the way of consumer equipment that would do this. Possibly a high end streo receiver, or something in the broadcast industry.

    You might have better success finding something like a scanner or commercial monitoring receiver that can be serial controlled via computer.
  • TimCTimC Posts: 77
    edited 2006-09-23 02:58
    Here is an FM only unit.
    It does use I2C and I think you can control the volume/mute.

    www.jelu.se/shop/index.php?cPath=1_41

    It's not going to be simple to just tune to a freq because it has a few High end features.

    Regards
    Tim
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