Dane.Kouttron

Project 1: Modified Mp3 PlayerAww yeah

What? 

A broken slightly dated mp3 player becomes a host for my first semi-documented project: The D-Block.          

Features
        - ~41 hour battery life / charge (screw you apple)
        - Integrated FM transmitter
        - External control port 
        - FM reciever       
Why? 

While in High School, i purchased a class mate's (Bradford Wagner) Mp3 player because of a couple qualms with it broken parts. The mp3 player was a rio S50. it had ~128MB of internal storage and an SD card slot. The power source was 1 AA / AA NIMH battery, which was dc-dc converted to 3.3V for the devices operation. At the time (2005) i thought the thing was amazing, the closest thing to a music playing device was a nightmarish cd rom drive music player which, as it sounded was ridiculously obtuse. More on that thing if i find any old pictures.

I became very attached to this odd looking contraption. Unfortunatley i knew relativley little at the time. Thankfully a media arts teacher pointed me to the early minty mp3, a device constructed by limor fried. and ever since ive been a faithful fan of Atmel microconrtollers.

   Image Gallery From Construction:

   These images were most likly taken with my fathers camera from work (obviously when he was not looking) 

1.

The innards of the assembled device:
Why show this first? it gives dimension to the technologies i had at hand during that time: a crappy rat-shack soldering iron with a tip the same dimensions as my pinky finger, some wire ripped out of discarded computers (ugh stranded wire), some hot glue, a pocket knife, and plumbing solder. yes plumbing solder.  
Glorious innards
2.  

As you can see, i basically just attached wire leads to every switch. thses leads would be split to the external connector (a laptop ide connector hacksawed in half) and the main control buttons Centerfold shot : Sprawled out over the workbench
3.
4


My man, Dave Courbanou's Artists rendition of the D-block, aka D-blox. What now apple, what. thats right. thanks dave

more to come, once i find some time


Dane.Kouttron
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 
Electrical & Electrical Power
631.978.1650

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