Changing audio files on MTH operating McDonalds?

In regard to greeting-card sound boards, I know of a circuit board offered by a firm "Big Dawgs Promo" that gives you up to five different MP3 sounds (up to 120 seconds) loadable via USB that can be individually triggered by simple pushbutton switches. I figured that may be of interest. I have one that I loaded up with horn and bell sounds for use as a wear-able soundboard (didn't finish yet, but have all the parts once I find a suitable enclosure).

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

In regard to greeting-card sound boards, I know of a circuit board offered by a firm "Big Dawgs Promo" that gives you up to five different MP3 sounds (up to 120 seconds) loadable via USB that can be individually triggered by simple pushbutton switches. I figured that may be of interest. I have one that I loaded up with horn and bell sounds for use as a wear-able soundboard (didn't finish yet, but have all the parts once I find a suitable enclosure).

---PCJ

Thanks, PCJ. Yeah, I've used just such a board to add nature sounds to a camping/wilderness area:

https://youtu.be/C-OinH3So0I?si=DAqJ07Uz0L3Y7AJW

I'd prefer to modify the existing sound system if at all possible, but if I have to replace it, I'd want it as integrated as possible into the animation, hence my dilemma. *sigh* 😕

Man, looks and works great! Be happy you have something that does that, guests won't probably notice or care.....they will just be impressed and appreciate. If it ain't broke yet, don't bother "fixing it!" You may be able to help me fix some stuff soon, instead. Greg

@cngw posted:

Man, looks and works great! Be happy you have something that does that, guests won't probably notice or care.....they will just be impressed and appreciate. If it ain't broke yet, don't bother "fixing it!" You may be able to help me fix some stuff soon, instead. Greg

Thanks, Greg!

Yeah, no one (including MTH tech support) has yet offered any OEM path to changing the audio. I'm still tweaking the cover for the slot (just slow-boat ordered a black plastic sheet large enough to do a one-piece cover), and have a tentative plan (disconnect the built-in sound board and reuse the speaker for an add-on board, triggered by one pole of a DPST momentary contact switch, with the other pole activating the OEM mechanicals) to eventually realize my "master plan".

For now, if I get itchy, I'll time the OEM audio segments. and see if I can script, record and edit my own versions that would match the mechanical action timing. If all *that* works, the very simplest installation would be to disable the built-in speaker, substitute the DPST switch, and keep the whole replacement sound system external to the piece. Of course, there's still the whole two-track stereo vision, where the car sounds and dialog move and fade from one drive-through window to the other . . . 🤔

I meant to reply to this but needed to find the details I used. I too was not a huge fan of the music used on the McDonalds.

I too wanted to use my own MP3 module, however, I decided to make an intermediate mod, that simply muted the volume of the sound of the music- which I notice corresponded with the movement of the car- but retain the announcements sections while the car is stopped.

The hack? Simply use a relay in parallel with the drive motor for the car motion. Again, the music plays when the car moves, the music stops and the announcement plays at the order window, then the car moves again, then another announcement is made at the pickup window, then the car moves again to the front parking position.

The relay, knowing the motor also only moved in one direction, I felt adding a snubber diode to the relay to protect the transistor controlling the motor was probably a good idea.

So a relay could be used with poles to connect and disconnect the internal speaker from the board playing the announcements, and possibly either turn on or connect a second custom MP3 module to the speaker while keeping most of the electronics relatively stock.

I will add, the slightly annoying part is the audio as recorded at the receiving window, includes a short segment of the music fading out. So it's not perfect, but given I was avoiding going down the road of either a major replacement of the electronics and/or a much more complicated hack.

Again, I mute the audio using NC and NO contacts of the relay, putting series resistance with the speaker switched in to mute it.

@Vernon Barry posted:

I meant to reply to this but needed to find the details I used. I too was not a huge fan of the music used on the McDonalds.

I too wanted to use my own MP3 module, however, I decided to make an intermediate mod, that simply muted the volume of the sound of the music- which I notice corresponded with the movement of the car- but retain the announcements sections while the car is stopped.

The hack? Simply use a relay in parallel with the drive motor for the car motion. Again, the music plays when the car moves, the music stops and the announcement plays at the order window, then the car moves again, then another announcement is made at the pickup window, then the car moves again to the front parking position.

The relay, knowing the motor also only moved in one direction, I felt adding a snubber diode to the relay to protect the transistor controlling the motor was probably a good idea.

So a relay could be used with poles to connect and disconnect the internal speaker from the board playing the announcements, and possibly either turn on or connect a second custom MP3 module to the speaker while keeping most of the electronics relatively stock.

Thanks, Vernon, clever hack!

All in all, though, I think I'll pursue the parallel audio system route. All I'll have to do internally is cut the speaker wires and replace it with an 8 ohm resistor. Then, I can replace the SPST activation switch and add an entirely external system with my own audio files -- while the built-in song is the most irritating IMHO, the three scripted dialogs are at best period pieces and at worst also annoying after many repetitions! 😵‍💫

Besides, it may be fun to recruit family members and friends to record newly-scripted clips!

Just found those photos on the phone and then had to transfer them to the PC. Another one of those projects I meant to make a whole topic on, never really completed.

looks like I did more than I first remembered. The relay is one taken from a dead PS2 5V board. If I remember correctly, the motor might be getting 9-12V? I don't remember what that regulator was on the original OEM control board.

Again, this was a very crude but effective mod using on hand parts.

Just looked, a PS2 5V board relay is an Omron G5LE-1, 9V DC rated coil.

The dropping diodes may not be strictly required or using a 12V relay, but I still would use a snubber diode in parallel with the coil to prevent a voltage spike back towards the board.  Notice the polarity of that diode compared to the motor contacts of the board and you should be good.

Just took a quick video- mainly so you could see the effect of the audio mod above. I know you want to fully replace the audio, and being honest, I would like to go down that path, but knew of some minor hurdles. Example, in theory, one could utilize the 3 microswitches to directly activate an MP3 module- the only concern being that right now, they are tried likely to pullup voltage as part of the original board.

Again, if doing a parallel audio circuit, we have 3 signals we might be able to use, the motor on/off state, and the 2 switches at the order window and the pickup window.

Motor on- play background sound or music.

Switch1- order window- play order segment

Motor on moving to pickup- play same background or music

Switch2 play pickup window segment

moving again to parking position- play music or other.

EDIT- Also, I guess the 3rd switch can be used- so you know it's parked. So 3rd switch is home position, when it opens, it means the system is in operating mode running- to turn on the secondary audio board.

One absolutely could replace the whole system with a microcontroller like an arduino, take the 3 existing switch inputs, make a simple motor on/off control and integrate an MP3 or other audio module with multiple segment activation.

Example, I know one cheap audio player module has a "busy" output for an LED to show when actively playing. This way the microcontroller doing the sequencing could know when an audio clip completes to begin moving the car, rather than trying to do it with time delays in the code.

KOOBOOK 2Pcs Voice Playback Module MP3 Trigger Player Board SD/TF Card for Arduino

Also just saw this new module 30W Voice Playback Module, PEMENOL DC 9-24V Voice Broadcast Device 9 Trigger Interfaces 8 I/O Trigger Modes MP3 Music Player with Two Indicators Support TF Card 32G Max for Halloween DIY

@Vernon Barry posted:

Just took a quick video- mainly so you could see the effect of the audio mod above. I know you want to fully replace the audio, and being honest, I would like to go down that path, but knew of some minor hurdles. Example, in theory, one could utilize the 3 microswitches to directly activate an MP3 module- the only concern being that right now, they are tried likely to pullup voltage as part of the original board.

Again, if doing a parallel audio circuit, we have 3 signals we might be able to use, the motor on/off state, and the 2 switches at the order window and the pickup window.

Nice result! AFAIK your analysis is absolutely correct, and I agree that it would be very difficult to pick up all the various position indications from the piece to initiate separate audio clip replacements. However, what I'm proposing is something a lot simpler, if a bit cruder:

First, my assumption is that all animation playing times are approximately the same length, with the various audio segments totaling to about the same running time and playing at the same points each time. The only variable I can see could be the speed of the motor, which might vary the total time and segment timing somewhat depending on the input voltage.

If that proves to be so, I believe I can come up with an average time for the total animation, and average time points for each of the drive-thru window dialogs, with the result that I can assemble and edit single large audio files that correlate fairly closely with the cycle of animated motion by the vehicle, and load them onto the separate audio system I can add as above. Then, one of those files will be separately activated each time the DPST switch is pressed, and the playing time and dialog segments should at least roughly correlate with the physical movements of the vehicle around the building.

As with the built-in files, a different file will play with each successive button press, but I can script, create and load as many variations as I can imagine and assemble. Also, if I can find a two-speaker, two channel MP3 player, I might even be able to locate speakers at/near *each* of the drive-thru windows, and have the audio fade from one to the other following the vehicle movement!