Arduino sound board (design process)

[Darth Magnus.]

Thanks for the advice, I have quickly realized that you can spend money real quick on a project like this. I'm starting to realize for the price the Petit Crouton is hard to beat. Even if I produce a working sound board, with the time I've spent developing it as a factor, the cost of the board would be close on the $100 mark.

The aim of this project was to produce a sound board to compete with the other cheap sound options like the Hasbro board. the time assembling the board and the high end components (accelerometer, Arduino etc) are the bulk of the cost, with out these i could easily keep the cost under $30

Maybe I should change the scope of this project?

If I were to aim it at the "hacker" community, the ones that like to tinker with high wattage LEDs, audio amps etc. Maybe I could put a package together with the PCB a basic audio amp (I went with a TDA2040. Vin, up to 20V), SD card holder(cheap and not to hard to configure and I could pre load sounds and functions) and RGB mixing hardware. Provide a tutorial with all the different code you need to get it working. Do you think people would be interested?

If I was only putting together just the basics it would be much cheaper. That way if someone wants mechanical switches over an acceleromter it would be cheaper or if you want to use a bare micro controller over an Arduino nano it would be cheaper again.
Would this be a good option?

[xl97]

I think what you propose is (alot) already post on the Arduino forums?

"I" personally like the idea of a generic platform..

(matter of fact I have a few demos I did and few more coming out)

example:
16.jpg

and I have an RFX one in the works. (still) lol

I think if you spend the time working on a PCB. and just the components needed

adding in an led driver.. not to mention 3/4 to RGBA mixing... well costs go up..but more importantly..so does size (and by default usability then)



(vreg, amp/pot, resistors, caps, diodes.. sd socket, atmel) your price will be even cheaper.. and if you do in lots of min. 100 qty they will go down further.
development costs are always going to be more in price & time.. as well as using breakout boards and add-on shields..etc (which would never work in an end project)

I usually try to get components and breadboard it up..so I can 'transfer' the same layout/design to a PCB...

[Darth Magnus.]

All good ideas (and nice board), I will concentrate on getting what I have now working, post some pics (maybe a vid) of it. Then I will work on getting it on its own PCB.

I will wait and see if I can get any interest in the finished board before I start getting to excited

Also when do you think your projects will be finished

[xl97]

'my projects'?

no clue.. Im lazy.. (plus super busy.)

but I can tell yuo the RFX project is slated to be done 'first' (after that Arduino demo I posted)...

the Arduino project just needs to be converted to SMD chip/components..... an amp added and the uSD socket..

then I'll have a generic platform for whatever the end user likes to use it for.

they want to add sensors to it.. (great)... they want to add an LED driver to it.. (great)..

but the main 'brain' (platform) will be there and usable..


Im doing the same for the RFX chip (dead/defunct 'open source' API) as well...


and I know what your saying.. but your just going down the same path as others before you when you do this..

'creating hype' for a board that doesnt exist.


I understand you like to hear the feedback.. and the wishlists..and the...and the....etc..etc

but there is NO PRODUCT.. and all those posts really do nothing but talk... (and we've seen them again and again over the years) =(

the realty is, you 'should' know enough to make a version 1.0 of the board that YOU want..and the includes the features you know of

ramp up effect
ramp down effect
power on sound
idle hum
power down sound

clash event detection (accelerometer or regular clash sensor)
swing event detection (accelerometer or regular clash sensor)
clash sound (random from an array/list of clash sounds)
swing sound (random from an array/list of swing sounds)

maybe a blaster effect (button that plays static or random blaster sounds)


If what you say/your goal is true.. the hardware will be the same.. doesnt matter.

Its the code that will change the 'abilities' of the card..... so you could have version 1-100 if you want.. all on same hardware (more or less)
so DO SOMETHING.. put it out there.. 'then' take feedback about imporvements on a material object people can see/review.