Have you ever ever thought-about making an audio system at house? Constructing your personal audio system cannot solely be enjoyable and thrilling, it will possibly provide the identical efficiency, if not higher, at a a lot lesser value. This cheap do-it-yourself (DIY) distant managed MP3 participant cum FM receiver with Bluetooth might be made, together with its cardboard field, with simply out there parts and instruments.
The writer’s prototype for the compact audio system is proven in Fig. 1. It has USB, AUX, and MicroSD/TF (TransFlash) card ports, making it very handy to interface with exterior audio techniques and storage units.
Acquire all of the elements and instruments required for the mission earlier than beginning its meeting. These are listed within the two bins on your comfort and prepared reference. Significance of the elements is defined beneath.
Bluetooth MP3 participant with FM receiver module
That is the primary a part of the mission. The compact MP3 participant module with FM receiver, proven in Fig. 2, is available available in the market and thru many e-commerce portals. It may be put in in your car, desktop PC audio system, house theatre system, or some other audio amplifier.
IR distant management
The IR distant management usually comes together with the Bluetooth MP3 participant module. However you may as well use another IR distant to manage this MP3 audio participant. The writer efficiently tried three totally different IR distant fashions, that are proven in Fig. 3.
Audio amplifier
You should use any audio (energy) amplifier having a 3.5mm audio enter port.
5V DC energy provide (USB)
You should use a 5V, 1A or 2A cellular charger.
FM antenna
It’s not very vital. As MP3 participant module doesn’t include antenna, you need to use a whip antenna or a single-strand hook-up wire as antenna.
Wires and cables
The mission requires a 3-wire cable for audio connection, a 2-wire cable for energy provide, and a type-A USB cable. You additionally want a 3.5mm stereo audio jack with cable for audio output connection to audio amplifier.
Cardboard
You should use any thick/robust cardboard having a easy floor for making the cupboard. For a sturdy cupboard, its dimension needs to be small. Cardboard DIY cupboards in numerous sizes are additionally out there on the web.
To make your personal cardboard cupboard, draw the required dimension for both sides of the cupboard on the cardboard utilizing a scale and pencil/pen. After slicing in accordance with the size proven in Fig. 4, place the entrance, rear, and sides on a cardboard of 8.5cm×14cm dimension. Repair both sides on the bottom utilizing glue gun.
As might be seen from the highest view in Fig. 4, the cupboard has 4 sections or elements. On the left facet, there are two 4.25cm×2cm sections, that are for use for holding the USBs. These two sections assist in maintaining the USBs in vertical place, in order that they are often picked up simply when wanted. The center part is for holding MP3 participant and the proper one is for holding the IR distant. All these might be seen within the writer’s prototype (Fig. 1). Subsequent, make two holes on the rear facet for connecting the audio and energy cables.
Fixing MP3 participant module within the cupboard
Earlier than fixing the MP3 participant module into the cupboard, look out for the antenna level and solder it to the PCB. The inner a part of MP3 participant module is proven in Fig. 5.
Fixing the antenna
Use an acceptable size (say, 10cm) of single-strand hook-up wire as antenna. The connecting level for the antenna within the MP3 module just isn’t clearly seen. Gap for soldering the antenna can also be not supplied within the PCB. Nevertheless, for those who look rigorously on the MP3 board on the opposite facet, you may find the antenna level for soldering, as proven in Fig. 6. You’ll be able to solder the antenna wire right here utilizing a 25W soldering iron. All soldering work needs to be performed earlier than fixing the MP3 module within the cupboard.
Soldering the cables
Earlier than connecting the audio and energy cables within the MP3 participant module, you’ll want to join the audio cable to an audio jack and energy cable to a USB type-A cable for exterior connections. Due to this fact, solder all of the cables to respective connectors, as proven in Fig. 7 and wrap them with cello tape, as proven in Fig. 8.
Connecting the cables to MP3 participant
The three-wire cable is used for stereo audio connections, the 2-wire cable is for energy provide connection, and the single-strand cable is for antenna. The within view of the writer’s prototype with numerous cables is proven in Fig. 9.
Be aware that there’s a 4-pin high entry header on the PCB of the MP3 module. However the module comes with a 3-pin wire for stereo audio connection. It’s best to join it to first three pins of the 4-pin header from proper in the direction of the 2-pin crimson header connector for energy provide. The final pin is left unused, as proven in Fig. 9.
Earlier than fixing the module to the cupboard, guarantee all the things is working correctly. If you change the mode in IR distant, it ought to change to 5 modes one after the other: bt (Bluetooth), USB, FM, SD, and AUX. Testing Bluetooth operate within the MP3 participant module is proven in Fig. 10.
Fixing MP3 participant within the cupboard
Fixing the MP3 participant module within the cupboard is a no brainer. From the entrance facet, insert the module into the 8cm×1.7cm slot lower out within the cupboard. Repair it utilizing nuts and bolts. Join the cables contained in the cardboard cupboard, as proven in Fig. 11.
All of the cables might be prolonged to totally different factors from the holes supplied on the rear facet of the cupboard, as proven in Fig. 12. You’ll be able to connect with audio supply or amplifier by means of a 3.5mm multiport audio jack, as proven in Fig. 13.
The whole meeting of the Bluetooth MP3 participant with FM receiver is proven in Fig. 14. The MP3 participant module might be powered by connecting it to a 5V DC USB energy provide. Its output might be related to an audio amplifier or amplispeaker to start out listening to music. A small desktop stereo speaker system was used to check the prototype.
The MP3 participant module has USB and MicroSD ports to play MP3 recordsdata. Audio from cell phone or laptop computer might be listened to by connecting by means of Bluetooth. FM radio can be listened to.
The MP3 participant might be managed utilizing IR distant or management buttons supplied on the entrance panel. It additionally has an AUX (auxiliary) socket, which might be plugged to a 3.5mm commonplace jack headphone connection.
Sani Theo, technical editor at EFY, is an electronics fanatic and circuit designer