Introduction: Arduino Jukebox

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Arduino Jukebox

This Jukebox is done for ELISAVA (Industrial Design) students.

In this file you are going to be able to see and to recreate a jukebox. Not only the box but also the software set up. This project is inspired in the jukeboxes that used to be in the bars. We wanted to get this retro feeling by creating one. With this project we also wanted to claim that old music is better.

We hope you enjoy the project as much as we enjoyed while we were working on it.

Supplies

Material


Arduino material

Practically all the components used for our project can be found in this Arduino Kit (amazon.es). However, only one unit of each big component is included in the kit so additional components such as protoboards or servomotors should be bought for this project. All the components are listed below, including the ones from the kit.

Step 1: Build and Paint the Structure

For the structure we used de MDF Wood Board. In order to make them all fit, the pieces were laser-cut.


The main parts are;

- Front Panel (with holes)

- Back Panel

- Right Side Panel

- Left Side Panel with door

- Floor

- Shelve with holes

Once we had the six main pieces of the structure we glued them together using termofusible glue.

When the pieces were all glued together we painted them in purple. It is important to give each part at least two layers of paint in order to have a better looking result. For details such as the door sides and the semicircular hole in the front panel we decided to paint them in bright orange to create a different look to the assembly itself.

* As we wanted to have the interior exposed in order to enable the user the access to the electric system, it was important to paint the inside of the structure.

The CAD drawings of the pieces are included below.

Attachments

Step 2: Support for Electric System

As the jukebox is tall but not wide, we decided to build a shelve in order to have a more organized interior. The shelve is built with the leftovers of the MDF Wood Board from the structure parts. We cut two 45º angles to create a support for the shelve. Once all the pieces were glued together, we painted the shelve black as we did not want the wood to be exposed once the door is opened. Finally, we glued the shelve to the interior of the jukebox.

The CAD drawings of the pieces are included in the previous step.

Step 3: Design the Electric System

As we wanted our project to be as close as a real jukebox as possible it was crucial for us to include a speaker with music, lots of lights, and a rotating vinyl to create a retro look.

However, we had a huge problem with the MP3 player for Arduino. After trying with different modules and codes, we decided not to use and MP3 player as we could not manage to make it work (we believe it is not compatible with Arduino Nano boards). Instead, we attached the 8 Ohm speaker for, at least, making some sound or playing a melody.

As for the rotating vinyl we decided to use a DC Motor with a scale model of an old vinyl. This would give our project a more realistic look. We also included 11 white LEDs next to the vinyl as we wanted a lot of bright lights in our jukebox.

We wanted to include some extra element so we decided to add to our electrical system a LCD screen which will show the name of the song being played.

In order to make all work we used four buttons which would play four different songs if the MP3 module was working.

Step 4: Design the Code

Our goal was very simple; we wanted our project to work as similar as a real jukebox. It was for this reason that our code works following the steps of a jukebox.

First of all, for activating everything, any of the four buttons has to be pushed.

Ones is pushed, the jukebox feeling starts to grow. The 10 LEDS start to turn on and off creating a lighting spectacle, as its typical in a jukebox.

As we press the button we can also see that the song's name appears in the screen. The vinyl starts rotating too.

Each button was supposed to play a different song but because of the MP3 player problem, the jukebox is going to play a particular melody. So we will have 4 different melodies with the 4 names that we gave to them written on the screen.

The vinyl rotations speed and the light set up is going to be the same for each button.

The code and flow diagram are attached below.

Attachments

Step 5: THERMOFORMED Upper Dome

For the upper dome we decided to use a thermoforming machine.

For doing it, we used a transparent PS sheet of 240x240x2 mm. We created a 3D matrix (you can download it from the files above) to give the form to the plastic.

We putted the matrix and the sheet in the thermoforming machine and got this accorded result.

Attachments

Step 6: Welding of the Arduino Components

When we had all the jukebox parts together we proceeded to weld every part (screen, buttons, LEDS and the motor) to the Arduino.

Once welded, we distributed it in the inside of the Jukebox. All the parts that go in the upper side are located in the wood support. (LEDS, motor and screen).

The rest of it is in the floor of the jukebox.

Step 7: Step 6. Final Adjustments

In order to make it look more realistic and give our jukebox a retro look we added some final adjustments and details.

First of all we put a methacrylate tube in the sides of the front part. We used a heat gun to make the round upper part. Then, we cut a transparent methacrylate sheet and glued it on the hole of the upper side to make the vinyl inside visible and to create a glass-like window.After that, we used a golden mesh to give the impression that the hole in the bottom part is a speaker and we added an orange wood piece with little holes behind it. Finally, we added a door with 2 hinges in the left side in order to enable the manipulation of the interior of the jukebox.

And that's it.
Following this guide you will be able to enjoy the vintage experience of a homemade jukebox.