These days, everyone is using USB memory sticks to transfer data from one machine to another. Or we are using CDs or DVD’s to install software. Well, sometimes at least.
Still remember the ‘old’ days where 3.5″ Diskettes were commonly used? Seems like these days are gone. So what to do with that hardware? Play music!
Music Player with eight Diskette Drives
Each drive uses a Direction signal (80 steps are possible in one direction), a Step signal (performs a step on the motor) plus a low active Enable signal. Makes 8 times 3 signals plsu the 5V power supply for the drivers. The signals are generated with a National Instrument myRio board:
NI Hardware to generate the Signals
The drives are mounted on a wooden box as resonator.
Wooden Box Resonator
And here a video of the system in action:
I’m thinking about using a tinyK20, store the music files on the SD card and I have an awesome music player :-).
Happy Driving 🙂
Thanks to Christoph Z. and Jürgen W.!
MCU on Eclipse 
have a nice weekend 🙂 !
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Ha ha – that’s brilliant. Best thing I’ve seen in ages. Well done. 😀
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What’s the tune playing in the video?
Sounds like some sort of Elizabethan chamber music or something…?
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Hi TM,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_%28film_series%29
Erich
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Awesome! One of the best thing I’ve seen last years. Thx for sharing.
I like the sound – I would like to hear more songs… :o)
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WOW! How cool is that.
Do they have their plans listed anywhere? It looks like a fun project to duplicate, or “hack” with some other device.
They did a brilliant job of it. Mega kudos to them.
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Thanks, I’ll pass that along. I’m building up a similar project with Kinetis (FRDM-K64F right now), and one finished I plan to describe it in an article. Only need to find time….
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