Piezo speaker too quite

W

wevernde

New Member
Hello,

I have built some school experimeters boards (axe092) with my son and his friends. Everything seems to work fine except you can barely here the speaker. The speaker is playing, but you have to hold it right upto your ear to hear it. All three that we have built are the same. I believe the speaker should be loader than that. Suggestions?

Thanks,

-Wes
 
W

westaust55

Moderator
PICAXE driven PIEZO volume

Welcome to the PICAXE forum.


First thought - have you got the Piezo connected direct to the PICAXE output pin? No need for capacitors and resistors for a Piezo speaker.

Then there are two options:

1. Buy a larger Piezo speaker with some sort of cone (plastic) similar to a normal speaker.
Look at PZ002 here - http://www.microzed.com.au/beepers.html

2. Use an Op Amp or transistor to amplify the signal voltage level

I went away from the small 30mm type Piezo speakers and bought a 90mm Piezo speaker which can now be hear clearly in an adjoining room:)


I also found even then, that the volume direct from the PICAXE output was lower than from an SPE030 module diring the same Piezo speaker. In my case I linked the PICAXE output thru the SPE030 onboard op-amp so both now vive the same volume level.
 
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manuka

Senior Member
There are all manner of piezo sounders around,& assorted trials showed a DSE/ Surplustronics sourced one => http://www.surplustronics.co.nz/shop/product-SBP0128.html ran a treat on 3 x AA powered 08M. With this piezo, even my battle hardened ears can still readily hear almost any 08M/18X tones from arms-length away, with many sounds still audible clear across the room. I've never needed to amplify the AF output.

You of course also can use a regular perm. magnet (PM speaker, which will addirionally have better low freq performance (piezo's are higher freq devices)- hookup details are in the PICAXE manuals. An acoustic resonator such as a drinking glass may greatly help too. Stan
 
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W

wevernde

New Member
Got it. Soldered the wires into the holes right next to the ones they are suppose to be in. At least we were consistent.
 
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