Playing pre-recorded sound: Quadravox QV606 module

btemple

New Member
Can anyone help? I'm using a picaxe 18M2 and I am trying to get it to control the QV606 so that it will deliver pre-configured messages. On the face of it, you just need to send serout m8 followed by serout xx, T9600_8, (number). However, I cannot get it to work. Has anybody any experience of this (or similar modules)?
 

neiltechspec

Senior Member
You will have to be a bit more specific than "I cannot get it to work".

I assume you meant setfreq m8 rather than serout m8.

Do you get a response back, datasheet says it should respond with a single byte matching the message requested, also the datasheet says it has to be in the correct mode 1st.

Neil.
 

Goeytex

Senior Member
Perhaps you can supply a schematic of how you have it connected to the Picaxe & supply as well as the code you are attempting to use. We are in the dark without more information from you. "Cannot get it to work" is rather vague.

For 9600 baud the BR0 pin needs to be pulled down (low) while the BR1 pin needs to be pulled up (high). Have you done this ?
 

btemple

New Member
Sorry, yes, I meant setfreq m8
I did not monitor reply message.
Connections were +5v and ground, pin 3 connected to pin 6, 8ohm to speaker, signal sent to RXD.
I believe that default mode is direct addressing, so I did not use this.
On power up, speaker provides audio confirmation (a beep!).
QV 606 works on the QV430 programmer
QV606 only works at 9600 baud, it is the QV300 series that have programmable baud rates, I believe.
 
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btemple

New Member
To clarify "works". I mean that it did not play a pre-recorded message, although it would do so when connected to the QV430 interface.

Thank you to all who replied so quickly, lets hope we can resolve the problem!
 
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hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Welcome to the forum. For anyone willing to help the datasheet appears to be here -

http://milinst.co.uk/downloads/1-708.pdf

I understand the query came through to Tech Support yesterday and the suggestion given was to send the 'software reset command' then a 'play sound' command, but unfortunately that appeared not to work in that no sound was heard.

Reading the datasheet it appears the module can be in a 'sleep mode' and a first byte will wake it up but be ignored, so perhaps send the initial 'software reset' twice. It also says to set the mode before playing a song so that may need to be added as well, and perhaps a volume level setting also -

Code:
#Picaxe 18M2
Symbol TX = B.5
Symbol BAUD = T9600_8
High TX
Pause 1000
SetFreq M8
Pause 1000
SerOut TX, BAUD, ( $FD ) ; Reset
Pause 1000
SerOut TX, BAUD, ( $FD ) ; Reset
Pause 1000
SerOut TX, BAUD, ( $F0 ) ; Direct Addressing Mode
Pause 1000
SerOut TX, BAUD, ( $FC, 63 ) ; Max Volume
Pause 1000
Do
  SerOut TX, BAUD, ( $00 ) ; Play Sound 0
  Pause 20000
Loop
That will take a few seconds to start and instruct the module to play. Pauses can be reduced or removed once things are working.

It may be a hardware configuration issue; the audio programmer may make some connections to the module which are not made when connected to the PICAXE. It may be worth providing a picture of the connections if you can obtain one.
 

Goeytex

Senior Member
There is more than 1 QV606 model. One has fixed 9600 baud (QV606m1 type 2 firmware,) and one does not (QV606m1 type 1 Firmware). Are we certain which one the OP has since this info was not provided?
 

btemple

New Member
Thank you, Goeytex, you are quite right. It now works!! There was no indication on the module what firmware was used and, indeed, I was unaware of differences.
Thank you also to all others who contributed
Bryan
 
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