Hey everyone! I'm a programmer diving into the world of electronics and I'm looking to build a straightforward MP3 player for my daughters. I'm aiming for something like an iPod Shuffle with a speaker, featuring a set list of songs and five buttons - play/pause, last, next, louder, and quieter. It won't have a screen, and ideally, I'd like a rechargeable battery that lasts about 12 hours, but if that's too ambitious, I'm fine with it working only when plugged in.
Here's what I've figured out so far:
- I don't need Linux; I have experience with C programming and some firmware development, so I'm considering using Arduino or Raspberry Pi Pico.
- I found FreeRTOS interesting, although it may be more than I need.
- There's an AAC player project on FreeRTOS that I found, but I'm unsure if my M4A files really use AAC. I'd like a simpler MP3 player approach without needing FreeRTOS.
- I'll need a breadboard to prototype and a perfboard for the final soldering.
- I need five buttons that connect to the GPIOs of the microcontroller.
- A small, clear speaker that sounds good from a couple of feet away is essential.
- A power cord is likely necessary, unless the microcontroller comes with one.
- I plan to use a large crayon box for the case and superglue the buttons in place; I think the girls would love it!
I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations on what I might be missing!
3 Answers
I found this cool project that designs an MP3 player for kids. It's a neat read and might give you some ideas on how to set yours up: [Hackster Kids MP3 Player](https://www.hackster.io/jmmico/kids-mp3-player-tonuino-in-more-languages-ecf928).
An alternative is to just buy a cheap MP3 player from a site like AliExpress, swap out the battery if necessary, and retrofit it with new buttons and a case. This way you can preload your song list without going through all the heavy lifting of building it from scratch!
Check out this guide—it’s really close to what you're trying to do! It walks you through building a retro-style MP3 player using Arduino, and it includes helpful tips on components you’ll need. Here’s the link: [Instructables MP3 Player](https://www.instructables.com/Arduino-Retro-Style-MP3-Player)
Thanks, GadgetGuru77! I’ll definitely check that out and see if it helps me nail down my parts list!