NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: SoundPAL, miniature sound player

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

The Parallax SoundPAL is a tiny module that plays canned and custom sound sequences. It is completely self-contained, including a microcontroller for generating the sounds and a small speaker for producing them. The SoundPAL interfaces easily to a BASIC Stamp and can play sounds while the BASIC Stamp is busy with other chores.

Features

• Plugs into servo headers, and works with protoboards.
• Virtually goof-proof power sourcing makes it nearly impossible to connect wrong.
• Single-pin interface uses a simple serial protocol to define and initiate sound production.
• Custom tunes and effects are simple to program using musical notation instead of frequencies.
• Built-in control codes include repeats (1-254, plus infinite) and "subroutine" calls.
• Comes preprogrammed with 24 different tune snippets and sound effects.
• Onboard EEPROM permits saving custom sound sequences for later playback.
• Autoplay feature permits playing a pre-designated EEPROM sequence with only a power supply.
• Compact size: stackable side-to-side with additional units on 0.1" servo headers.

Price: $24.95



Addendum: Attached is an MP3 recording from the SoundPAL's speaker of one of its built-in sequences.
Addendum 2: Also attached is a larger zip with recordings of all the built-in sequences.

Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 11/7/2007 6:42:58 AM GMT

Steve Joblin

Cool product, but it is a shame that the microprocessor is a ATTiny13 and not a Parallax Stamp. Curious as to why a ATTiny and not a PIC?

just out of curiosity, why is Phil doing product announcements for Parallax?· Shouldn't that be the Marketing Department's job?

Post Edited (Steve Joblin) : 11/3/2007 1:02:20 AM GMT

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

ATTiny13 for size (SOIC-8), no crystal needed for 9.6MHz operation, easy for manufacturer to program in situ, aaand ... I've just gotten used to programing them. It's designed to interface to a Stamp, though, using SERIN and SEROUT.

See note in other announcement about my participation in announcements.

-Phil

Fe2o3Fish

Phil,

Any chance (> 0.0) that we could get a few sample sounds posted on the product webpage
so potential customers can hear it before we buy it?

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-Rusty-
--
Rusty Haddock = AE5AE = rusty@fe2o3.lonestar.org
**Out yonder in the Van Alstyne (TX) Metropolitan Area**
Microsoft is to software what McDonalds is to gourmet cooking

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

In the top post, I've added a sound recording from the SoundPAL's speaker.

-Phil

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

I've updated the first post with a zip containing all the built-in sound sequences. These are just the preprogrammed sounds, though. The variety of tunes and effects possible with the SoundPAL is virtually limitless.

-Phil

Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 11/4/2007 9:46:14 PM GMT

Whit

Neat poduct! Thanks for the post Phil and the sound files.

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Whit+


"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney

Fe2o3Fish

Cute! Thanks Phil! 'preciate the effort!

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
-Rusty-
--
Rusty Haddock = AE5AE = rusty@fe2o3.lonestar.org
**Out yonder in the Van Alstyne (TX) Metropolitan Area**
Microsoft is to software what McDonalds is to gourmet cooking

hitsware

will it produce a sinewave ?

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

hitsware,

All the tunes and effects are composed from square waves.

-Phil

hitsware

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) said...
hitsware,

All the tunes and effects are composed from square waves.

-Phil

Phil,
Do you know how accurate and/or the actual frequencies produced ?·

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

The microcontroller on board the SoundPAL uses an internal RC clock, in order to keep the size as compact as possible. While the frequencies it produces are accurate relative to each other, there's no guarantee of accuracy relative to a fixed standard.

-Phil

hitsware

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) said...
The microcontroller on board the SoundPAL uses an internal RC clock, in order to keep the size as compact as possible. While the frequencies it produces are accurate relative to each other, there's no guarantee of accuracy relative to a fixed standard.

-Phil

What ratios do you use for a scale ?
I.E.
I assume the clock is simply divided ?
What divisors do you use ?
Thanks. Nifty device [noparse]:)[/noparse]

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

The frequency ratio for adjacent notes in a well-tempered chromatic scale is e^ln(2)/12. The method used to generate the frequencies is the same used by the Propeller, with registers parallelling its FREQA and PHA registers — but done in software. Had I used integer dividers instead, the relative frequencies would have been off enough for the ear to detect.

-Phil

T&E Engineer

Will it also work with an SX chip OR is it specifically for the Basic Stamp 2?

hitsware

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) said...
The frequency ratio for adjacent notes in a well-tempered chromatic scale is e^ln(2)/12. The method used to generate the frequencies is the same used by the Propeller, with registers parallelling its FREQA and PHA registers — but done in software. Had I used integer dividers instead, the relative frequencies would have been off enough for the ear to detect.

-Phil

What is the "RC" clock frequency ?
Will it run with the original DOS bassed PBASIC setup ?
Would you please post your MP3 samples unzipped ?
Just MP3 ..... My unzipper is confusing me [noparse]:([/noparse]
MegaRegards .......... mike
I looked at the PDF
It seems the context is simular to the PLAY command in QBASIC ?
(with the 'duration modifiers')
I've always used the SOUND which works the same but without the
ability to que the notes and play them as backround.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

T&E Engineer,

It will work with any micro which can send and receive asynchronous serial I/O.

hitsware,

1. RC freq = 9.6MHz
2. I've never used the DOS setup. But as long as there's a SERIN and SEROUT, I'd say yes.
3. I can't post unzipped MP3s. The forum doesn't allow it.

-Phil

hitsware

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) said...
T&E Engineer,

It will work with any micro which can send and receive asynchronous serial I/O.

hitsware,

1. RC freq = 9.6MHz
2. I've never used the DOS setup. But as long as there's a SERIN and SEROUT, I'd say yes.
3. I can't post unzipped MP3s. The forum doesn't allow it.

-Phil

Thank You....
I listened to some of the MP3 and everything is up in the midrange or treble ?
How low of frequency will it put out?
If you take off the piezo and replace it with a RCA jack ?

Any idea why the MP3s are a no no ?

MegaRegards [noparse]:)[/noparse]

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

The frequency response of small speakers peaks in the upper octaves. Although it's possible to simulate low frequency buzzing with the SoundPAL, the output volume will be below what you get with higher frequencies. That's just physics. The speaker, BTW is magnetic, not piezo. It's driven with an open-drain MOSFET and is remarkably loud for its tiny size. Replacing it with a jack would require at least an additional pullup, and possibly a series resistor for impedance matching, plus a cap for AC coupling.

But the SoundPAL is all about miniature self-contained sound production. If you want to add a siren to your BOE-Bot, or rig up a gift box to play "Happy Birthday" when it's opened, the SoundPAL is your solution. But if you're looking to feed your stereo with tunes and effects, there are probably better ways to do it.

'No idea why MP3s are verboten, BTW. But since zips are okay, it hardly matters.

-Phil

hitsware

>But if you're looking to feed your stereo
>with tunes and effects, there are probably
>better ways to do it.

Yea. Thanks [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Looks like the most viable (for my purposes)
chip from Parallax is the PWMPAL
I've had pretty good luck with that but haven't
quite got it to a groove[noparse]:)[/noparse] level ........ mike

edit:
actually if someone could figure out how to get rid of
the horrendous glitches on FREQOUT .....
I.E. maybe the pin would go open on transistions or ?
Then the PicChip itself would serve 'my purpose' ......

Post Edited (hitsware) : 11/8/2007 1:10:33 AM GMT

T&E Engineer

I just purchased one of these SoundPALs for experimenting with an SX-28 once I understand it well on a BS2 or BS2px.

BTW: are the CON codes the same for a BS2px?

(e.g. baud····· CON· $8000 + 84·· 'Communication baudrate is 9600 for BS2, BS2e, and BS2pe.
reset···· CON· $8000 + 813· 'Reset baudrate is 1200 for BS2, BS2e, and BS2pe.)



I hope the volume is decent and not too low for my professional developement board.



How did you record these as MP3's ? - direct command within the SoundPAL or (just a microphone in Windows)

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

For the BS2sx (from the BASIC Stamp Syntax and Reference Manual, also found in the PBASIC Help file):

baud  CON $8000 + 240   '9600 baud, inverted.
reset CON $8000 + 2063  '1200 baud, inverted.

To record the MP3s, I used a microphone feeding into Audacity.

-Phil

T&E Engineer

OK I see it under the SERIN in the PBASIC help.

So for a BS2PX (not sx) - I would use:



baud· CON· $8000 + 396···· '9600 baud, inverted

reset· CON· $8000 + 3313·· '1200 baud, inverted



That's good. Thanks!

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Oh, sorry, BS2px. I guess my eyes aren't working right. Yup, you've got the right constants now.

-Phil

T&E Engineer

Also check out the working SX/B equivalent to Phil's BS2 programs:



http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=689074