I am currently working on a project where I need 4 different buzzers to play simultaneously a 4 notes melody . Initially I though it would be easy..it is not.
I understood pretty fast that the Arduino board, due to timer limitations, is not capable of playing tones simultaneously on numerous buzzers. To go pass this issue, I used the Tone Library made by Bhagman: http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,6940.0.html.
Now I have an issue with playing a melody rather than a simple note. A melody has pausing times between notes, the issue is I need the arduino to be constantly checking conditions. Basically, I need to play a melody that is non blocking. Sadly delay and while are blocking fuctions.. could anyone help me with this ?
Take a look at my post "piano tones micros" from last summer.
It reads button presses to select the note created - you could change that to be time based instead for playing the notes. Instead of button presses, have an array that you sample every 1/16 frequency or something that is read and holds the appropriate on/off flag for the notes for that time period.
It is possible to play 4 notes at a time by using millis() actually using micros(). No tone library.
I'm working on an organ to play one octive. Kinda got put on the back burner. I have it playing 5 now.
However this is done with buttons. What is your method to enter the notes in the Arduino?
I define the frequencies in a array, but you will also need the time for the notes to play and/rest.
Thank you for your responses. It seems that the solution is in the micros(), blink without delay way of coding. Your example "Piano Tunes" is interesting, i will try to adapt it to my problem.
Here you have a picture of my wiring (the hall effect sensors are also wired up to an ardumotor shield and fans, it's offtopic) :
Here is my current code :
#include <Tone.h>
const int hallPin[4] = {6,7,8,9}; // Pins attributed to hall effect sensors
const int buzzPin[4] = {40,42,44,46}; // Pins attributed to buzzers
const int buzzledPin[4] = {41,43,45,47}; // Pins attributed to Leds for the buzzers
//switches initialisation
const int switchPin = 24; // Pin attributed to the global on/off switch
const int switchbuzzPin = 32; // Pin attributed to the buzzers on/off switch
int switchState= 0; // Initialisation of the global on/off switch
int switchbuzzState =0; // Initialisation of the buzzer on/off switch
// Definition of the tones
Tone jingle1;
Tone jingle2;
Tone jingle3;
Tone jingle4;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(switchPin, INPUT);
pinMode(switchbuzzPin, INPUT);
for (int i = 0; i<4;i++){
pinMode(hallPin[i], INPUT);
pinMode(buzzPin[i], OUTPUT);
pinMode(buzzledPin[i],OUTPUT);
}
}
void loop()
{
switchState=digitalRead(switchPin); // Reading switchPin state
switchbuzzState=digitalRead(switchbuzzPin); // Reading switchbuzzPin state
Serial.print("switchbuzzState:");
Serial.print(switchbuzzState);
if (switchState == HIGH) // Checking if global switch is ON
{
int Counter = 0;
for (int i=0;i<4;i++)
{
if (digitalRead(hallPin[i]) == LOW ) // Checking which hall effect sensor is activated
{
digitalWrite(buzzledPin[i], HIGH);
Counter++ ; // Incrementing the counter
//digitalWrite(buzzledPin[i], HIGH);
Serial.print("id:");
Serial.print(i); // Printing the number of the activated hall sensors
}
else{
digitalWrite(buzzledPin[i], LOW);
}
}
Serial.print("Counter:");
Serial.print(Counter);
Serial.println();
if(switchbuzzState == LOW){ // Checks if the buzzers on/off switch is ON
if(digitalRead(hallPin[0]) == LOW){ // Checks if hall sensor 1 is activated
if(switchbuzzState == LOW){
//digitalWrite(buzzledPin[0], HIGH);
jingle1.begin(buzzPin[0]); // Prepares buzzer 1 to play
jingle1.play(NOTE_C4, 4000); // Orders buzzer 1 to play C4 during 4 sec
// jingle1.play(NOTE_D4, 2000 );
// jingle1.play(NOTE_F4, 1000);
// jingle1.play(NOTE_G4, 1500);
}
}
if(digitalRead(hallPin[1]) == LOW){ // Checks if hall sensor 2 is activated
if(switchbuzzState == LOW){
//digitalWrite(buzzledPin[1], HIGH);
jingle2.begin(buzzPin[1]); // Prepares buzzer 2 to play
jingle2.play(NOTE_D4, 4000); // Orders buzzer 2 to play D4 during 4 sec
}
}
if(digitalRead(hallPin[2]) == LOW){
if(switchbuzzState == LOW){
//digitalWrite(buzzledPin[2], HIGH);
jingle3.begin(buzzPin[2]);
jingle3.play(NOTE_F4, 4000);
}
}
if(digitalRead(hallPin[3]) == LOW){
if(switchbuzzState == LOW){
//digitalWrite(buzzledPin[3], HIGH);
jingle4.begin(buzzPin[3]);
jingle4.play(NOTE_G4, 4000);
}
}
}
}
else{
}
}
At this point, with the Tone Library, I am able to play a note on each of the 4 buzzers simultaneously but not a melody.
Moreover after 3 plays, the circuit seems to freeze... The buzzers and switches are not responding anymore. Any idea on that ?