Tonuino based on ESP32 with I2S-DAC-support

Disclaimer

This is a fork of the popular Tonuino-project which means, that it only shares the basic concept of controlling music-play by RFID-tags and buttons. Said this I want to make clear, that the code-basis is completely different. So there might be features, that are supported by my fork whereas others are missing or implemented different. For sure both share that it's non-profit, DIY and developed on Arduino.

Please note: This project is still under development. So it's not yet feature-complete (e.g. webinterface is missing).

What's different (basically)?

The original project makes use of microcontrollers (uC) like Arduino nano (which is the Microchip AVR-platform behind the scenes). Music-decoding is done in hardware using DFPlayer mini which also has a uSD-card-slot and an integrated amp as well. Control of this unit is done by a serial-interconnect with the uC using an API provided.

The core of my implementation is based on the popular ESP32 by Espressif. Having WiFi-support out-of-the-box makes it possible to provide further features like an integrated FTP-server (to feed the player with music), smarthome-integration by using MQTT and webradio. However, my aim was to port the project on a modular base. Said this music-decoding takes place in software with a dedicated uSD-card and music-output is done via I2S-protocol. I did all my tests on Adafruit's MAX98357A. Hopefully, not only in theory, other DACs can be used as well (has to support 3.3 V-level).

Basic concept/handling

The basic idea of Tonuino (and my fork, respectively) is to provide a way, to use the Arduino-platform for a music-control-concept that supports locally stored music-files instead of being cloud-dependend. This basically means that RFID-tags are used to direct a music-player. Even for kids this concept is simple: place an RFID-object (card, character) on top of a box and the music starts to play. Place another RFID-object on it and anything else is played. Simple as that.

Hardware-setup

So it's about time to have a look at the hardware I used. It's a ESP32 on a development-board that more or less looks like this. If ordered in China (Aliexpress, eBay e.g.) it's pretty cheap (around 4€) but even in Europe it's only around 8€. Make sure to install the drivers for the USB/Serial-chip (CP2102 e.g.).

• Adafruit's MAX98357A
• uSD-card-reader
• RFID-reader
• RFID-tags
• Neopixel-ring
• Rotary Encoder
• Buttons
• Speaker
• uSD-card doesn't have to be super-fast; uC is limiting the throughput. Tested 32GB without any problems.

Most of them can be ordered cheaper directly in China. It's just a give an short impression of the hardware; feel free to order where ever you want to. I don't earn money with my links :-)

Getting Started

I recommend Microsoft's Visual Studio Code alongside with Platformio Plugin Since my project on Github contains platformio.ini, libraries used should be fetched automatically. Please note: if you use another ESP32-develboard (Lolin32 e.g.) you might have to change "env:" in platformio.ini to the corresponding value. Documentation can be found here. After that it might be necessary to adjust the names of the GPIO-pins in the upper #define-section of my code.

Wiring

A lot of wiring is necessary to get Tonuino working. After my first experients I soldered the stuff in order to avoid wild-west-cabling. Feel free to design your own PCB(s).

ESP32 (GPIO)	Hardware	Pin	Comment
5 V	SD-reader	VCC	Connect to p-channel MOSFET for power-saving when uC is off
GND	SD-reader	GND
15	SD-reader	CS
13	SD-reader	MOSI
16	SD-reader	MISO
14	SD-reader	SCK
17	RFID-reader	3.3V	Connect directly to GPIO 17 for power-saving when uC is off
GND	RFID-reader	GND
22	RFID-reader	RST
21	RFID-reader	CS
23	RFID-reader	MOSI
19	RFID-reader	MISO
18	RFID-reader	SCK
5 V	MAX98357	VIN	Connect to p-channel MOSFET for power-saving when uC is off
GND	MAX98357	GND
25	MAX98357	DIN
27	MAX98357	BCLK
26	MAX98357	LRC
34	Rotary encoder	CLR
35	Rotary encoder	DT
32	Rotary encoder	BUTTON
3.3 V	Rotary encoder	+
GND	Rotary encoder	GND
4	Button (next)
GND	Button (next)
35	Button (previous)
GND	Button (previous)
32	Button (pause/play)
GND	Button (pause/play)
5 V	Neopixel	5 V	Connect to p-channel MOSFET for power-saving when uC is off
GND	Neopixel	GND
12	Neopixel	DI
17	BC337 (via R5)	Base	Don't forget R5!

Optionally, GPIO 17 can be used to drive a NPN-transistor (BC337-40) that pulls a p-channel MOSFET (IRF9520) to GND in order to switch on/off 5V-current. Transistor-circuit is described here: Just have a look at Abb. 4. Values of the resistors I used: R1: 10k, R2: omitted(!), R4: 10k, R5: 4,7k

Prerequisites

• for debugging-purposes serialDebug can be set (before compiling) to ERROR, NOTICE, INFO or DEBUG.
• make decision, if MQTT should be enabled (enableMqtt)
• if yes, set the IP of the MQTT-server accordingly and check the MQTT-topics (states and commands)
• in setup() RFID-cards can be statically linked to an action/file. Everything is stored in NVS.
• set NUM_LEDS to the LED-number of your Neopixel-ring.
• please note: by using audiobook-mode any playlist-savings will be overwritten with every start unless the RFID-cards in setup() are commented out. Main way to link RFID to an action will be a webservice (still under development)
• compile and upload the sketch

Starting Tonuino-ESP32 first time

After plugging in it takes a few seconds until neopixel indicates that Tonuino is ready (by four (slow) rotating LEDs). If uC was not able to connect to WiFi, an access-point (named Tonuino) is opened and after connecting this WiFi, a configuration-Interface is available. Enter WiFI-credentials, save them and restart the uC. Then reconnect to your "regular" WiFi. Place your favourite RFID-tag next to the RFID-reader and the music should start to play. While the playlist is generated, fast-rotating LEDs are shown. The more tracks a playlist contains the longer this step takes. In setup() there's a section that hardcodes RFID-card-IDs to actions. Just apply a new card to the reader and have a look at it's ID in serial console. This ID has to be used to link it to a file/folder and playmode. In future this won't be necessary any more as this step can be perfomed more comfortable using a webinterface.

Interacting with Tonuino

Playmodes

It's not just simply playing music; different playmodes are supported:

• single track
• single track (loop)
• audiobook (single file or playlist; last play-position (file and playlist) is saved)
• audiobook (loop)
• folder/playlist (alph. sorted)
• folder/playlist (random order)
• folder/playlist (alph. sorted) as loop
• folder/playlist (random order) as loop
• webradio (always only one "track")

Modification RFID-tags

There are special RFID-tags available, that don't start music by themself but can modify things. If applied a second time, the corresponding acting will be reversed. Please note: all sleep-modes do dimming automatically because it's supposed to be used in the evening when going to bed. Well, at least that's my children's indication :-)

• lock/unlock all buttons
• sleep after 5/30/60/120 minutes
• sleep after end of current track
• sleep after end of playlist
• dimm neopixel
• current track in loop-mode (is "stronger" than playlist-loop but doesn't overwrite it!)
• playlist in loop-mode
• track und playlist loop-mode can be activated in parallel, but unless track-loop isn't deactivated, playlist-loop doesn't come into "play"

Neopixel-ring

Indicates different things. Don't forget setting number of LEDs via #define NUM_LEDS

• IDLE: four LEDs slow rotating
• ERROR: all LEDs flashing red (1x)
• OK: all LEDs flashing green (1x)
• BUSY: violet; four fast rotating LEDs
• track-progress: rainbow; number of LEDs relative to progress
• playlist-progress: blue; appears only shortly in playlist-mode with every new track; number of LEDs relative to progress
• volume: green => red-gradient; number of LEDs relative from current to max volume
• switching off: red; circle that grows until long-press-time is reached
• buttons locked: track-progress-LEDs coloured red
• paused: track-progress-LEDs coloured orange

Buttons

Some buttons have different actions if pressed long or short. Minimum duration for long press in ms is defined by intervalToLongPress.

• previous (short): previous track
• previous (long): first track in playlist
• next (short): next track in playlist
• next (long): last track in playlist
• pause/play (short/long): pause/play
• rotary encoder (turning): vol +/-
• rotary encoder (press long): switch off (only when on)
• rotary encoder (press short): switch on (only when off)

Music-play

• music starts playing after valid RFID-tag was applied
• if a folder should be played that contains many mp3s, the playlist generation can take a few seconds
• while playlist is generated Neopixel indicates BUSY-mode
• after last track was played, Neopixel indicates IDLE-mode
• in audiobook-mode, last play-position is remembered (position in current file and number of track, respectively)

Audiobook-mode

This mode is different from the other ones because the last playposition is saved. Playposition is saved when...

• next track starts
• first/previous track requested by button
• pause was pressed
• playlist is over (playposition is set back to the first track and fileposition 0)

Webinterface-configuration

Todo; currently under development. Will make it possible to assign actions/files/folders to RFID-tags and configure some things.

FTP

In order to avoid disassembling the Tonuino all the time for adding new music, it's possible to transfer music onto the sd-card using FTP. Please make sure to set the max. number of parallel connections to ONE in your FTP-client. My recommendation is Filezilla. But don't expect fast transfer, it's only around 145 kB/s and decreases dramatically, if music is played in parallel. Better stop playback then doing a FTP-transfer. Default-user and password are set via ftpUser and ftpPassword.

Energy saving

As already described in the modify-section, there are different sleepmodes available. Additionaly uC will be put into deepsleep after 10 minutes of inactivity (configurable my maxInactivityTime) unless Tonuino doesn't play music, has a FTP-client connected and any input via buttons. Every button-interaction resets the counter to the initial value.

MQTT

Everything that can be controlled via RFID-tags and buttons, can also be controlled via MQTT. All manual interactions (buttons, RFID-tags) are also sent to MQTT in parallel, so everything is always in-sync (unless Wifi/MQTT-connection is broken). In my home-setup I'm using openHAB to encapsulate MQTT into a nice GUI, that's accessible via APP + web. ToDo: Publish sample-configurations for openHAB.

Supported file/stream-types

Please refer ESP32-audioI2S, as this is the lib I integrated for music-decoding.

Smarthome

As already described, MQTT is supported. In order to use it it's necessary to run a MQTT-broker; Mosquitto for instance. After connecting to it, Tonuino subscribes to all command-topics. State-topics are used to push states to the broker in order to inform others if anything changed (change of volume, new playlist, new track... name it). Others, like openHAB, subscribe to state-topics end send commands via command-topics. So it's not just limited to openHAB. It's just necessary to use a platform, that supports MQTT.