7

FIELD TEST

dding audio playback in any

project can be a bit difficult,

especially decoding MP3 files.

Using the SparkFun MP3 Trigger,

with its on-board Cypress PSoC

CY8C29466-24SXI microcontroller,

it couldn’t be easier. The board features 18 external

trigger pins that can trigger a variety of preselected

MP3 tracks; or, by using the serial control port, you

can control up to 256 tracks. All your MP3 files are

stored on a microSD card, making it easy to change

and edit them as needed from your computer.

SparkFun has configured the board to work in

several different ways, depending on how you

he Adafruit Music Maker shield

for Arduino features a VS1053

encoding and decoding chip that

can decode a wide variety of audio

formats, including the very popular

MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, MIDI,

FLAC, and WAV files. You can also record audio in

PCM (WAV) and Ogg Vorbis formats.

All of the board’s functionality is handled through an

SPI interface, which enables the Arduino to easily play

files directly from an SD card. And since the board

has a built-in MIDI synthesizer and drum machine,

you can easily play a variety of built-in drum and

sample effects.

The board is packed with a lot of audio goodness,

but how do you get those sounds from a bunch of

bits to something you can hear? No worries: there is

an included 3-watt amplifier built in, which can power

4 or 8Ω speakers directly. Some soldering is required,

but once it’s completed, you will have a great audio

board to use on your next Arduino project.

A

T

SPARKFUN $49.95 sparkfun.com

ADAFRUIT $34.95 adafruit.com

SparkFun MP3 Trigger

Adafruit ‘Music Maker’

MP3 Shield for Arduino

Triggers MP3s, exactly as it claims

Expand your Arduino

An integrated

3-watt amp

and multiple

format support

make this a

great choice.

VERDICT

9

An easy-

to-use, but

expensive, way

of triggering

sounds stored

as MP3 files.

VERDICT

8 / 10

/ 10

like to work and what microcontroller you will

ultimately use, if any. The product page has more

detailed information about volume controls, playback

methods, and an interesting ‘Quiet Mode’ which

basically reports back, via a serial message, what

track should be played, allowing for a lot of flexibility

in choosing what microcontroller you prefer to use in

your audio project.

The comments on the product page suggest using

it for Halloween props, custom doorbell chimes, and

museum exhibits. What you ultimately use it for is

up to you, and thanks to the way it’s configured, you

should be able to implement MP3 playback in your

next project.

Left

Audio playback on an

Arduino made simple

Credit

Adafruit licensed

under CC

Right

A go-to board for adding

MP3 audio to your project

Credit

SparkFun Electronics CC

BY 2.0