Audio File playback dependent on time?

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snipeworm

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Hello!

I am a firefighter looking to improve the life of my crew. Here is the breakdown..... We have a Federal Informer (basically a piece of equipment listening to dispatch that alarms when certain tones are sounded) The problem is that the Informer is only capable of playing pre loaded alarms consisting mainly of insanely intrusive audio files. Not a deal breaker until 2 am when the laser beam effect jolts your heart rate from 60 to 200 in half a second! The informer does have a relay which can be programmed to to stay closed for a programmed length of time. The current Laser beam is set to fire for 8 seconds when triggered. So this brings me to my set of questions that I hope you can help me with.

1. Is the Arduino script and the Teensy 3 capable of running without error for months on end?
2. In the event of power failure would the Teensy reboot back to operation once power is restored?
3. Can I somehow edited a script so that when the teensy senses the relay has been closed (I assume it would simply act as a switch in the tutorial) the teensy would choose between 2 sound files based on the time of day? For example, a louder harsher alarm for day hours and a more subdued alarm for the hours of 10 pm to 7 am? I am not sure how to incorporate the clock but I noticed a shield adapter (here) with clock battery holder. Does this mean the Teensy has the ability to hold time?

I thank you in advance for your help. I have been trying to use a Rasberry Pi to make this project a reality but after stumbling on the teensy I think this may be a better solution! And I am getting tired of printing "hello world" in Javascript!:D
 
snipeworm said:
Hello!

I am a firefighter looking to improve the life of my crew. Here is the breakdown..... We have a Federal Informer (basically a piece of equipment listening to dispatch that alarms when certain tones are sounded) The problem is that the Informer is only capable of playing pre loaded alarms consisting mainly of insanely intrusive audio files. Not a deal breaker until 2 am when the laser beam effect jolts your heart rate from 60 to 200 in half a second! The informer does have a relay which can be programmed to to stay closed for a programmed length of time. The current Laser beam is set to fire for 8 seconds when triggered. So this brings me to my set of questions that I hope you can help me with.

1. Is the Arduino script and the Teensy 3 capable of running without error for months on end?
2. In the event of power failure would the Teensy reboot back to operation once power is restored?
3. Can I somehow edited a script so that when the teensy senses the relay has been closed (I assume it would simply act as a switch in the tutorial) the teensy would choose between 2 sound files based on the time of day? For example, a louder harsher alarm for day hours and a more subdued alarm for the hours of 10 pm to 7 am? I am not sure how to incorporate the clock but I noticed a shield adapter (here) with clock battery holder. Does this mean the Teensy has the ability to hold time?

I thank you in advance for your help. I have been trying to use a Rasberry Pi to make this project a reality but after stumbling on the teensy I think this may be a better solution! And I am getting tired of printing "hello world" in Javascript!:D
Click to expand...

Yes to all questions - it would be the best to save the soundfiles in the internal flash.
How long (in seconds) are they ?
 
Frank B said:
Yes to all questions - it would be the best to save the soundfiles in the internal flash.
How long (in seconds) are they ?
Click to expand...

They need to be 8 seconds each. I will manipulate whatever files to ensure they are 8 seconds each. Will 16 seconds of decent quality audio fit in flash?

Thanks for the help by the way!
 
Nope. You can get 20 seconds at low quality in the internal flash, using 11 kHz ulaw encoded. That can actually sound pretty decent for some things. But sounds like cymbals and snare drums become muddy without more bandwidth.

You probably need the flash chip.
 
I think using an sd card would be better in the fact that changing audio files would easier than re writing the script. Firefighters aren't the most tech savy group.

I'm going to order the teensy, breadboard, and audio shield. Anything else I should get?
 
Might be a Idea to order a SPI Flash (can be soldered to the audiocard) too ? Its more reliable than SD - you can copy the files from SD to it. Perhaps in a later development step.
 
Ok guys, I am a total noob but I feel like I am getting this a little bit. I have the audio sheild all setup on the teensy and am playing the tutorial files from the SD card. I have tried replacing a wav file with another wav file using the same name but I cannot hear it. The serial monitor says it is playing the file but no audio.... Any idea? Is there a mandatory file set that the teensy needs?

edit.....Sorry, I just tried a 16bit vs 8 bit and it works now! thanks
 
Last edited:
Glad you got it.

The wav player example (and object within the library) could really use some improvement in giving feedback *why* it can't play a particular file.
 
Thanks Paul!

So I am trying to figure this out. I need the button on digital pin 0 to play SD track 1 while pressed and button connected to digital pin 1 to play SD track 2 while pressed and all audio to stop when the buttons are nt pressed. I will also use the anolog pot 2 to control the output level to match the radio traffic level. l also would like to leave the LED blink on the sketch so that it will help verify the unit is running. Can anyone help me tweak this code (which is the do more while playing music tutorial) so that I can get this thing finished up? I appreciate the help... I cannot seem to alter the code into something that will run.


// Advanced Microcontroller-based Audio Workshop
//
// Part 1-5: Respond to Pushbuttons & Volume Knob
//
// Do more while playing. Monitor pushbuttons and adjust
// the volume. Whe the buttons are pressed, stop playing
// the current file and skip to the next or previous.

#include <Audio.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#include <SD.h>
#include <SerialFlash.h>
#include <Bounce.h>

AudioPlaySdWav playSdWav1;
AudioOutputI2S i2s1;
AudioConnection patchCord1(playSdWav1, 0, i2s1, 0);
AudioConnection patchCord2(playSdWav1, 1, i2s1, 1);
AudioControlSGTL5000 sgtl5000_1;

Bounce button0 = Bounce(0, 15);
Bounce button2 = Bounce(2, 15); // 15 = 15 ms debounce time

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
AudioMemory(8);
sgtl5000_1.enable();
sgtl5000_1.volume(0.5);
SPI.setMOSI(7);
SPI.setSCK(14);
if (!(SD.begin(10))) {
while (1) {
Serial.println("Unable to access the SD card");
delay(500);
}
}
pinMode(13, OUTPUT); // LED on pin 13
pinMode(0, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(2, INPUT_PULLUP);
delay(1000);
}

int filenumber = 0; // while file to play

const char * filelist[4] = {
"SDTEST1.WAV", "SDTEST2.WAV", "SDTEST3.WAV", "SDTEST4.WAV"
};

elapsedMillis blinkTime;

void loop() {

if (playSdWav1.isPlaying() == false) {
const char *filename = filelist[filenumber];
filenumber = filenumber + 1;
if (filenumber >= 4) filenumber = 0;
Serial.print("Start playing ");
Serial.println(filename);
playSdWav1.play(filename);
delay(10); // wait for library to parse WAV info
}

// blink the LED without delays
if (blinkTime < 250) {
digitalWrite(13, LOW);
} else if (blinkTime < 500) {
digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
} else {
blinkTime = 0; // start blink cycle over again
}

// read pushbuttons
button0.update();
if (button0.fallingEdge()) {
playSdWav1.stop();
}
button2.update();
if (button2.fallingEdge()) {
playSdWav1.stop();
filenumber = filenumber - 2;
if (filenumber < 0) filenumber = filenumber + 4;
}

// read the knob position (analog input A2)
int knob = analogRead(A2);
float vol = (float)knob / 1280.0;
sgtl5000_1.volume(vol);
//Serial.print("volume = ");
//Serial.println(vol);
}
Click to expand...
 
I have implemented all the Informer functions ( using two-tone decoding, a/b and long 'a' oddly enough ) on a bare Teensy using A/D and D/A circuits that Paul recommends. With a little imagination you can generate firefighter approved tones at varying levels. The issue I had was high frequency hiss in the background that was NOT firefighter approved:) Using the audio shield took care of the hiss but I ran out of time 'retired' before I could deploy it.
 
Well, you can use both button0.fallingEdge() and button0.risingEdge(). Just have one start the file playing and the other stop it.

If this isn't perfectly clear, perhaps start with a dry run where you just put Serial.print("something") in each of those cases and watch the results in the Arduino Serial Monitor while you press the buttons. The key to success in all projects is taking smaller, achievable steps which eventually add up to the solution.
 
Wow, thats quite a feat! I am just trying to play tracks when triggered, not reengineer such a complicated piece of equipment.... nice work sir!
 
I will attempt to do that, thanks. I will need to make each track play with a seperate button press as the button pressed will actually be a relay closing depending on time of day, one track for day hours and the other track for night hours which will be chosen by a mechanical relay with time of day timer. This way it will be easy enough for myself and the other knuckle draggers to reset the time when needed.
 
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