MIDI shield with VS1053B

Description

Shield for Arduino based on the VLSI VS1053B audio decoding chip (Ogg Vorbis/MP3/AAC/WMA/MIDI). It can generate a range of musical notes by synthesizing the sounds of a large number of both melodic and percussion instruments, driven by commands from a data channel; accepted commands include various formats, including the popular MIDI standard, which has been used for decades to interface musical synthesizers and electronic keyboards to PCs. For communication with the host device (the microcontroller governing the synthesizer), the VS1053B is used on this shield in serial mode.

The shield is powered from Arduino through the 5V pin and common GND; the 5V supply powers the PAM8043 amplifier module, while the 3.3V and 1.8V rails are provided by LDO linear regulators (MIC5504-1.8YM5-TR and MIC5504-3.3YM5-TR).

The VS1053B IC has a stereo audio output connected to a PCB-mounted jack socket for headphones. The same output is also connected to a small-power audio amplifier (not included on the shield) with low-impedance outputs that raises the signal level enough to drive a pair of 3W, 4-ohm speakers.

The shield is supplied fully assembled except for the Arduino header strips, which must be soldered.

N.B. the PAM8403POT mini amplifier is not included (see related products).

Schematics

Documentation and useful links

• Datasheet (VS1053B)
• Musical Instruments
• Sketch for the Tecno Arpa Laser project presented in issue 231 of Elettronica In – December 2018 / January 2019