Nuts and Volts - September 2017

specific servo and jaw system. This is crucial since it lets the Wee Little Talker board know the limitations of movement so it doesn’t drive the servo/jaw combo past the limits of your physical setup.

LED Eyes Style: This has three options: Always Off, On During the Show, and Always On. The most common setting is On During Show as it causes your skull’s eyes to light up at the beginning of the audio file and then turn off when it’s over.

Prop Cycle Delay: This is used so that after the audio file has finished playing, a delay is enforced before the board will respond to another trigger. This is useful to make sure the device isn’t being constantly triggered by an overzealous use of a footswitch pad or children standing in front of the prop and waving their hand in front of the PIR. Additionally, if the trigger is set to “auto start,” this value will be used as the delay between shows.

Prop Trigger: This has three options: Auto Start, Positive Trigger, and Negative Trigger. In Auto Start mode, the prop will start playing when powered up and repeat after the delay set in “prop cycle delay.” In Positive Trigger mode, a LOW to HIGH transition of the trigger input will cause the prop to start. This is commonly used for PIR sensors. In Negative Trigger mode, a HIGH to LOW transition will start the prop. This is commonly used for step switches or pushbutton start-up. Embedded Amp Volume: This has five options that set the volume of the onboard DF Player Mini MP3 board.

The values are Quiet, Low, Normal, Loud, and Over-Driven. Though many folks will probably use an external amplifier to make sure their prop is heard if it is to be used in a loud environment, the Over-Driven level is loud enough to allow a small desktop display to be clearly understood. The onboard amplifier makes it possible for you to place a speaker inside your talking skull for a truly all-in-one system.

Enough Talking! Now Wee Build!

So, now that we’ve thoroughly explored the Wee Little Talker board, let’s get started on creating its new home. There are multiple steps in this part of the project, but none of them are truly difficult. Take it a step at a time and you’ll be done before you know it. You can find a complete list of the products used and the corresponding links in the Resources section.

This build uses a skull with a removable skull cap which allows access to the inside. This is where the servo and controller will be installed. All the electronics fit inside which means the power supply cable and/or speaker trigger wires (if you are using them) are all that are running out of the skull. I prefer to use the second class skulls in order to save some money.