[SOLVED] How to play music from a PC using only parallel/serial port

[unlving]

Serial trouble

How can you play music from a computer without using a sound card and only using parralel or serial port?
That's a question for a professional! Hope you can answear with a small schematic!

 

[penrico]

Re: Serial trouble

Sometime ago, I made these, I was called WinDAC, and it uses the parallel port as a DAC (digital to analog converter), it just an R2R circuit connected to all digital outputs in a parallel port. So Only you need is install the WinDAC driver to your computer.

I don't have these driver now, but I think I will be no a problem if you look by google, or someelse has it....

The circuit is very easy:

 

[unlving]

Serial trouble

will it play music?? I've read on some site that you need a cd-rom! I need to play a mp3 from HDD

 

[penrico]

Re: Serial trouble

You can play music, buy only in mono not stereo and 8 bits.

I don't really know what you need, can you explain a little more???

 

[davorin]

Re: Serial trouble

There are already projects using mp3 decoder chip hooked up on parallel port....did this many years ago as well (o;

So just search with google some mp3 lpt projects...since you want to play mp3 from harddrive anyway...

 

[unlving]

Serial trouble

I builded this DAC and i don't have a clue if how to use it? I didn't find the drivers on the net, I only found a cd ripping program.

 

[klug]

Re: Serial trouble

Hi unlving!

Make search in google for "covox" - it is device that you need.

Some examples:
**broken link removed**
https://www.epanorama.net/circuits/lptpower.html
https://www.epanorama.net/circuits/dacs.html
**broken link removed**

and a lot more on google...

 

[duncan94022]

Re: Serial trouble

penrico, that is a pretty cool circuit! A discrete DAC driven by the parallel port! You must need a volume control on the output. 5 or 6V out is pretty loud. Or maybe the driver has a vloume control?

 

[unlving]

Serial trouble

Duncan94022 The driver does not have volume control. And penrico, the dac is working but has some problems like the sound breaks up and gives loud woshing sounds Its barely inteligible

 

[checkmate]

Re: Serial trouble

One method of creating sounds is to implement wavetable synthesis, where a fixed-length waveform is repeated at desired frequencies. If you are talking about playing music ie from an mp3, then that's going to be difficult. It would probably involve rolling your own set of drivers and implementing mp3 decoding.