JAMDROID

Group Seven
Kacey Lorton, BSEE
Brian Parkhurst, BSEE
Anna Perdue, BSEE
 What Is It?
• Electrically controlled electromechanical system that produces human-like
guitar performance.
• Uses internal memory or external converted music files to send coordinated
commands to motors and solenoids, which control string pressing and
picking.
 Motivation
• Interest in integrating music with electrical engineering concepts
• Exploration of an uncommon project theme
• Desire to increase knowledge of an familiarity with electromechanical
devices
 Goals and Objectives
• Create characteristic guitar sound through electromechanical, rather than
human, performance
• Achieve satisfactory timing and coordination of electromechanical devices
within a narrower-than-perceptible tolerance.
• Acquire and drive devices whose performance will allow for audio playback
through a range of common tempos.
• Achieve goals with a low-cost, low-power, wall powered solution
 Specifications and Requirements
• Overall system requirements:

Parameter Specification
Maximum Note Speed 10 Hz (600 notes per minute)
Pitch Range Three octaves (37 discrete pitch levels)
Volume Range 8 discrete volume levels
Primary Electromechanical Devices
Device Function
Solenoid Depresses guitar string to change pitch
Stepper Motor Rotates guitar pick to strike string
Servo Motor Drives solenoid to select different string;
Controls volume of guitar picking
Mechanical Block Diagram
• Base Assembly Guitar Body Assembly
• Rests flush with the top of
Guitar Body (shown in
magenta)
• Holds box-like framework that
travels orthogonally to the
surface of the guitar, to
provide dynamic control
(shown in Pink)
• Box-like framework suspends
6 servo motors, 3 on each
side and staggered (Shown in
Lime Green)
String Picking System
• Stepper motors each have one
pick attached to the shaft
• One stepper is responsible for
one string
• Worm gear system (Dynamic
Control), one in each corner,
which rotate to provide minor
vertical position adjustments of
the stepper frame (shown next)
 Dynamic Control System
• The idea: Raise and lower the
picks to change how far down
past the string they go
• The deeper the pick goes, the
further the string will be
displaced when it is plucked by
the stepper/pick
• This will allow for different
levels of intensity in the
playback of a song
 Guitar Neck Assembly
• Framework that will enclose the guitar
neck
• Two main bulkheads through which the
neck would pass
• Two parallel dowels, fixed on the
bulkheads
• Floor plate to mount servo motors
• Solenoid assemblies will be:
• Attached to the servos via belts (shown in
green)
• Horizontally free-moving (frictionless but
attached to belts)
• Suspended over strings uniformly by grooved
wedges, shown in pink
 String Selection and Fret Pressing
• 12 solenoids (shown in teal, one for each
fret of the first 12 frets on the guitar neck)
• Size constraint of the upper frets limits
our design to the wider, lower frets
• 12 Servo Motors (one for each solenoid,
responsible for moving it from side to
side)
• This design is in lieu of an array of
solenoids (12 frets * 6 strings = 72
solenoids = expensive)
• Also, movable solenoid alleviates size
constraint of solenoids (string-to-string
distance of 7mm at nut, 10mm at bridge
of guitar)
Electrical Block Diagram

Work Status:
Microcontroller Purchased
Solenoid Sampling
Servo Research
Stepper Sampling
Driver Circuits Research
Power
Regulation Research
Power Supply Purchased
Guitar Pre-owned
Computer Pre-owned
Guitar Amplifier Pre-owned
 Picking System – Stepper Motor
• We are using bipolar stepper motors to drive
the rotation of the guitar picks
• The desired motor behavior is to rotate between -30o and
30o from the string, traversing 60o to pick one note
• 3.9V, 2-phase bipolar (SY20STH30-0604A, Pololu)

Specification Desired Value Product Value

Minimum torque 102.3 g-cm 180 g-cm
Max length, width 22 mm 20.2 mm
Rotational speed 200 rpm 286.8 rpm
 Example Motor Step Sequence
• Full step sequence IA
• Both coils are energized at all
times
• Pulses must occur in IB

sequence, rather than with

constant polarity
• For rotation in the opposite
direction, the sequence is
reversed
 Step Sequence State Machine
• We wanted to use two control lines Dir A B Da Db A+ B+
from the microcontroller:
0 0 0 1 0 1 0
- Step
- Direction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

• All transitions occur at the positive edge 0 1 0 1 1 1 1

of the step signal. 0 1 1 0 1 0 1

• The full implementation of the state
1 0 0 0 1 0 1
machine for one motor encompasses
two XOR gates and two D flip flops. 1 0 1 1 1 1 1

• The derived input 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

• Da = Dir xor B’
1 1 1 1 0 1 0
• Db = Dir xor A
 Stepper Motor Driver Circuit
Circuit flow: MCU Control Lines -> Logic -> H Bridge -> Motor
 String Depression System - Solenoid
• The desired solenoid behavior is to apply
enough force to depress the string when
activated
• 5V D-frame (ZHO-0420S-05A4.5, Sparkfun)

Specification Desired Value Product Value

Force 200 gf 140 gf
Max length, width 20 mm 12, 11 mm
Rotational speed 200 rpm 286.8 rpm
Current Draw 1A 0.4 – 1 A
Weight 50 g 13 g
 Solenoid Driver Circuit
• Simple switching circuit
• Darlington Pair BJT can handle
up to 8 A of current (we need
about 1 A)
• Flyback diode protects circuit
from back EMF
 Pulley System- Servo Control
• The twelve selected servos
• interfaced directly with the microcontroller chip’s twelve
dedicated individual PWM GPIO pins
• Microcontroller and servo motors share a common ground.

• The Servos (MG90S, TowerPro) require a pulse

width modulation voltage of 5 volts.
• When the input of 3.3 volts coming from the
microcontroller goes to the tri-state buffer they can
output the required 5 volts to the servo.
• The MG90S will require a voltage step up on the
PWM input line.
• The 74VHC244FT buffers’ Vcc are tied to the 5 Volt line
used by the Servo DC power node.
• The 74VHC244FT comes in a surface mount
packaging,
• Resistors can be tombstone surface mount components,
to conserve space.
Dynamic Control
• Two servo motors the HS311, Hitec
• They can be tied to the same power,
same PWM input control line, and the
same ground.
• Need to be actuated at the same time
and travel the same distance.
• This circuit is easy to implement
• No separate driver circuit
• One PWM line from the microcontroller.
• This should not cause any issues apart
from the current drawn from the
microcontroller.
 Brains - Central Microcontroller
• Tiva C Series TM4C123G
• Built in PWM channels
• 32-bit ARM Processor
• Familiar CCS software
 MCU Program Structure
• Lowest level functions:
• Change solenoid state (simple on/off)
• Change Servo PWM value (encodes position)
• Activate hardcoded stepper motor pulse sequence (one stroke)

• Higher level functions:

• Note parameter -> device command converter
• Timing optimization
Software/ Firmware Block Diagram
 What is MIDI?
• Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI, was developed in 1983 as a
means for instruments and computers to communicate and control one
another.
• Most of the data in a MIDI file is dedicated to the different instrument tracks
and their events
• Events include Note Off, Note On, Note Aftertouch, Program Change, and Pitch Bend
• Each event contains note pitch, velocity (volume), and start and stop time stamp values
• Events are encoded in chronological order, with a field indicating the time
delay from the previous event, with the lowest value being zero, meaning the
event should occur simultaneously with the previous event.
 Software Summary
Sequence Title, Beats Per Minute = 60, Time Signature = 4/4
• The goal of the of the desktop application Number of items in Sequence = 6
Measur Note (0-127) Intensity Duration Aftertouch Modulatio
(C++) is to parse a MIDI file into its e
0.00 60 (Middle-c) 100% Quarter No
n
No
sequence components 0.25 62 100% Quarter No No
0.50 64 100% Quarter No No
• Our baseline system only needs pitch, 0.75 65 100% Quarter No No
1.00 67 100% Whole No No
volume, and timing data – the rest of 2.00   0% Rest No No

the data can be thrown out

• Shown: Relevant information on a five
note sequence
• Once the MIDI information is processed,
the entire sequence packet is sent to the
MCU which will determine device
commands
 Frequencies
• MIDI has 128 different notes
• Some of them line up with available notes that
can be played by our apparatus
• The lowest frequency available on the guitar,
String Frequency Scientific
assuming a standard tuning of E, A, D, G, B,
Pitch
and E in that order
1(E) 329.63 Hz E4
• MIDI Sequences begin at the Scientific
Notation pitch of C1, which is a frequency of 2(B) 246.94 Hz B3
32.703 Hz. This is below the lowest available 3(G) 196.00 Hz G3
frequency to be possibly played on the guitar. 4(D) 146.83 Hz D3
• The maximum note being one octave above 5(A) 110.00 Hz A2
E4 (12 frets meaning 12 half steps meaning 6(E) 82.41 Hz E2
one octave), E5 is our maximum frequency to
be played. This note is 659.26 Hz.
 Mapping Module Example
• MIDI Sequence Notes will be given
equivalent positions on the guitar
• If a note can be played on an open and
available string, it would be convenient in Sequence Title, Beats Per Minute = 60, Time Signature = 4/4
Number of items in Sequence = 6
all aspects to simply pick that particular Measure Note (0- String Fret Whole/ Duration Time t End
127) Half/ Note
string. Quarter/ Time
etc
• Also to be converted is the measure 0.00 60 2(B) 1 Quarter 0.250 0.000 0.250
0.25 62 2(B) 3 Quarter 0.250 0.250 0.500
value to a timestamp value, by taking the 0.50 64 1(E) 0 Quarter 0.250 0.500 0.750

beats per minute and measure and 0.75

1.00
65
67
1(E)
1(E)
1
3
Quarter
Whole
0.250
0.250
0.750
1.000
1.000
2.000
combining them, taking into account the 2.00 X X X Rest Infinity 2.00 Inf.

time signature as well, into a point in time

for our convenience, with the beginning
of the sequence being time t = 0.000.
 Converted Mapping Module
• Example sequence, shown with
conflicts
• Warning in red
• Fret Conflict; two notes on the same fret
at the same point in time
• This simple G – Chord cannot be
implemented in our design
• The Higher note, 1(E) on fret 3 can be
moved to string 2(B), on fret 8
• In yellow is a note that is beyond the
range of the playable frets
• This note can be taken down an octave
and played
 Firmware Summary
• Once the MIDI-converted Note
Sequence Packet has been
sent to the MCU, It must be
turned into sequential and
simultaneous Driver commands
• The microcontroller will see a
list of tasks to perform in a
timeline
• For this to happen, we need to
have a few data classes
 Devices in state/position Value
Component Reference Possible Values
Designation
Servo Motor 1 SER1 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Servo Motor 2 SER2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

• Servo motors will need 6 different Servo Motor 3

Servo Motor 4
SER3
SER4
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Servo Motor 5 SER5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

states, one per position above a Servo Motor 6

Servo Motor 7
Servo Motor 8
SER6
SER7
SER8
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

string on the guitar Servo Motor 9

Servo Motor 10
Servo Motor 11
SER9
SER10
SER11
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Solenoids only have two states, on

Servo Motor 12 SER12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Solenoid 1 SOL1 Up, Down
Solenoid 2 SOL2 Up, Down

or off Solenoid 3
Solenoid 4
Solenoid 5
SOL3
SOL4
SOL5
Up, Down
Up, Down
Up, Down

Stepper motors have many possible

Solenoid 6 SOL6 Up, Down
Solenoid 7 SOL7 Up, Down
Solenoid 8 SOL8 Up, Down

states, 0 (no action) all the way up

Solenoid 9 SOL9 Up, Down
Solenoid 10 SOL10 Up, Down
Solenoid 11 SOL11 Up, Down

to the maximum speed we can

Solenoid 12 SOL12 Up, Down
Dynamic Control DYN Low, High
Servos

achieve
Stepper Motor 1 STEP1 0 through Max Speed
Stepper Motor 2 STEP2 0 through Max Speed
Stepper Motor 3 STEP3 0 through Max Speed
Stepper Motor 4 STEP4 0 through Max Speed

Different mechanical actions take Stepper Motor 5

Stepper Motor 6
STEP5
STEP6
0 through Max Speed
0 through Max Speed

different lengths of time to complete

 Time-base list
• A note is given a slot with all of the
necessary commands required to
implement that note
• Notes in the future have to be considered
before they need to be played, as servos
have a noticeable time delay to change
position
• The advantage of splitting is that there is
inherent delays in moving objects over
variable distances, which would need to
be calculated based on previous positions
• An example of what that would look like
is…
 Timestamp
Timestamp Stepper Action
• Each type of Mechanical +0.000
+0.250
STEP2
STEP2
Pick
Pick

device would get its own list +0.500

+0.750
STEP1
STEP1
Pick
Pick

with time-based events

+1.000 STEP1 Pick

• Timing could be more precise Timestamp

-0.250
Servo
SER1
Action
Move to 2

where required -0.250

+0.275
SER3
SER1
Move to 2
Move to 1
+0.525 SER3 Move to 1
• One issue could be debugging
unsynchronized events Timestamp
-0.050
Solenoid
SOL1
Action
ON
+0.240 SOL3 ON
+0.249 SOL1 OFF
+0.510 SOL3 OFF
+0.740 SOL1 ON
+0.990 SOL3 ON
+0.999 SOL1 OFF
+1.999 SOL3 OFF
 PCB Design
• No real size constraint on our PCB
• We will enclose our PCB and power supply inside a Metal ‘Bud Box’
• Large wiring harness going from PCB to guitar apparatus
• Used CadSoft Eagle for PCB implementation
• 95% complete with schematic
• Starting Board Layout
PCB Schematic and Board Layout
 Power Supply Specificatins
Input Voltage
Output Voltage
115/230 VAC
24 V
Output Current 14.6 A
Max Power 350 W
• SE-350-24 TRX Electronics
• This product offers protection for short circuit, overload, over voltage, and
over temperature
Component Manufacturer Part Number Rated Rated Current
Voltage
Power TRC SE-350-24 24 VDC 14.6 A
Supply Electronincs
Stepper Pololu SY20STH30- 3.9 VDC 0.6 A
Motor 0604A
Servo Tower Pro MG90S 4.8-6 7.4-7.7mA/idle
Motor VDC 160-180 mA no
(Pulley load operating
System)
Servo Hiltec HS-311 4.8-6 7.4-7.7mA/idle
Motor VDC 160-180 mA no
(Dynamic load operating
Control)
Solenoid SparkFun ROB-11015 5 VDC 0.5 A
ROHS
MCU TIVA TM4C123GH6P 3.3 VDC 19.7 mA
Z
Power Distribution
 Power Regulation Schematic
• LM25117
• Synchronous buck controller
intended for step-down regulator
applications from a high voltage
• The operating frequency is
programmable from 50 kHz to 750
kHz. T
• Features
• Thermal shutdown
• Frequency synchronization
• Hiccup mode current limit
• Wide Operating Range from 4.5V to 42V
Power Regulation
• TPS62095RGT
• Step down Converter
Power Regulation
• LMR10515Y
• Step-Down voltage regulator
 Finances
Parts Vendor Part Number Price QTY Total
Parts Vendor Part Number Price QTY Total
Solenoid SparkFun ROB-11015 $4.95 12 $59.40 Power Regulator Texas Instrument TPS54336 $2.26 1 $2.26
Flyback diode Digikey 641-1311-1-ND $0.11 12 $1.32
NPN Darlington Pair Digikey TIP102TU-ND $0.91 12 $10.92
Power Regulator Texas Instrument TPS61725 $1.44 1 $1.44

BJT base resistor Digikey CF14JT2K00CT-N $0.08 12 $0.96

Power Regulator Texas Instrument LM25117 $4.30 1 $4.30

Stepper Motors Pololu 1204 $17.95 6 $53.85
H Bridge IC Digikey 296-29434-2-ND $2.73 6 $16.38
Power Supply TRC Electronics SE-350-24 $55.05 1 $55.05
D Flip Flop IC Digikey 296-8257-5-ND $0.52 3 $1.56
XOR Gate IC Digikey 296-8375-5-ND $0.49 3 $1.47
Servo Motors (Pulley Tower Pro MG90S $8.23 12 $98.76 Building Material ---------------- ----------------------- $50.00 ------ $50.00
system)

Buffer Driver Digikey 74VHC244FT(BE) $0.49 2 $0.98 PCB board   ----------------------- $50.00 1 $50.00

Servo Motors Hiltec HS-311 $10.02 2 $20.04 Driver Belt Trapezoidal Tooth 1679K634 $1.39 12 $16.68
(Dynamic Control) Urethane

Power Regulator Texas Instrument LM3150 $1.42 1 $1.42 Bud box ---------------- ----------------------- $20.00 1 $20.00
 Milestones
AUGUST  
1-8 Order Parts
9-15 Mechanical testing for string plucking sub-system, work on code
16-22 Mechanical testing for String Depression sub-system, work on code
23-31 Work on programming code, PCB Design
SEPTEMBER  
1-5 Continue program, and PCB Design
6-12 Code Testing; finalize schematics
13-19 Code Testing; finalize schematics
20-26 Debug; order PCB Board
27-31 Debug
OCTOBER  
1-9 Testing
10-16 Debug
17-23 Assembly of systems
24-28 Assembly of systems
November  
1-9 Interface
10-16 Interface
17-23 Testing
24-31 Testing
December  
1-5 Work on paper and presentation
6-13 Presentation
 Division of Labor ANNA

System Anna Brian Kacey

Dynamic Control X
Electrical X
Enclosure
PCB X
Power X
Pulley X
Servo X
Software X
Solenoid X X
Stepper X
Structural Frame X X X
Progress Report ANNA

Series 1

Prototype

Testing
Series 1

Research

Design

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Problems
Questions?