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Patch 1 #1

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Update README with project progress and plans
adamshal Apr 9, 2026
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adamshal Apr 9, 2026
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adamshal Apr 9, 2026
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Update README with project progress and plans
adamshal Apr 12, 2026
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[![Review Assignment Due Date](https://classroom.github.com/assets/deadline-readme-button-22041afd0340ce965d47ae6ef1cefeee28c7c493a6346c4f15d667ab976d596c.svg)](https://classroom.github.com/a/-Acvnhrq)

# Final Project

**Team Number:**
**Team Number: 03**

**Team Name:**
**Team Name: Synth Specialists**

| Team Member Name | Email Address |
|------------------|---------------------|
| [Name 1] | [Email 1] |
| [Name 2] | [Email 2] |
| [Name 3] | [Email 3] |
| Team Member Name | Email Address |
| ----------------- | ----------------------- |
| Adam Shalabi | adamshal@seas.upenn.edu |
| Brandon Parkansky | bpar@seas.upenn.edu |
| Panos Dimtsoudis | panosdim@seas.upenn.edu |

**GitHub Repository URL:**
**GitHub Repository URL: https://github.com/upenn-embedded/final-project-s26-t03.git**

**GitHub Pages Website URL:** [for final submission]*

## Final Project Proposal

### 1. Abstract

Our project repurposes an old toy guitar controller into an embedded music-learning device. The controller’s buttons will be programmable and mapped to individual notes or chords, while the strum bar will trigger sound generation. The sound will be produced by a synthesizer that we will design and build, and features like a mute button, whammy stick, and small display will make the device more expressive and customizable.

### 2. Motivation

Our motivation for choosing this project is that it combines hardware reuse with a meaningful educational application. Rather than leaving an obsolete gaming peripheral unused, we saw an opportunity to redesign it into a low-cost and engaging platform for teaching fundamental music concepts such as notes, chords, and pitch variation. The main problem we are trying to solve is that beginner music tools are often either too limited, too expensive, or not very interactive. By reusing an existing guitar controller and pairing it with a custom-built synthesizer, we can create a more hands-on and accessible way for users to learn basic musical ideas. This project is interesting because it combines embedded systems, digital sound generation, and interface design, while also showing how outdated electronics can be transformed into practical and creative learning tools.

### 3. System Block Diagram

![1773637850364](image/README/1773637850364.png)

### 4. Design Sketches

![1773616558603](image/README/1773616558603.png)

### 5. Software Requirements Specification (SRS)

**5.1 Definitions, Abbreviations**

Here, you will define any special terms, acronyms, or abbreviations you plan to use for hardware
**MCU** : ATmega328PB microcontroller

**DAC** : Digital-to-Analog Converter

**VCO** : Voltage-Controlled Oscillator

**VCF** : Voltage-Controlled Filter

**VCA** : Voltage-Controlled Amplifier

**CV** : Control Voltage

**UI** : User Interface

**5.2 Functionality**

| ID | Description |
| ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| SRS-01 | The IMU 3-axis acceleration will be measured with 16-bit depth every 100 milliseconds +/-10 milliseconds |
| SRS-02 | The distance sensor shall operate and report values at least every .5 seconds. |
| SRS-03 | Upon non-nominal distance detected (i.e., the trap mechanism has changed at least 10 cm from the nominal range), the system shall be able to detect the change and alert the user in a timely manner (within 5 seconds). |
| SRS-04 | Upon a request from the user, the system shall get an image from the internal camera and upload the image to the user system within 10s. |
| ID | Description |
| ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SRS-01 | The system shall read the guitar pitch buttons and determine the selected note or chord when a button is pressed. |
| SRS-02 | When the user actuates the strum bar, the MCU shall generate and output the correspondingpitch control signal and gate signal. |
| SRS-03 | The system shall read the whammy input through the ADC and update pitch bend during active note playback. |
| SRS-04 | The system shall support a mute function that disables note output when the mute button being pressed. |
| SRS-05 | The firmware shall continuously monitor all required inputs during operation, including pitch buttons, strum bar, mute button, joystick, and whammy control, without causing the system to miss valid note-trigger events during normal use |
| SRS-06 | The display and joystick-based UI shall allow the user to change at least one synth setting (such as waveform, octave, or mode), and the selected setting shall be updated on the display. |

### 6. Hardware Requirements Specification (HRS)

**6.1 Definitions, Abbreviations**

Here, you will define any special terms, acronyms, or abbreviations you plan to use for hardware
**SPI** : Serial Peripheral Interface

**I2C** : Inter-Integrated Circuit

**ADC** : Analog-to-Digital Converter

**PWM** : Pulse-Width Modulation

**6.2 Functionality**

| ID | Description |
| ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| HRS-01 | A distance sensor shall be used for obstacle detection. The sensor shall detect obstacles at a maximum distance of at least 10 cm. |
| HRS-02 | A noisemaker shall be inside the trap with a strength of at least 55 dB. |
| HRS-03 | An electronic motor shall be used to reset the trap remotely and have a torque of 40 Nm in order to reset the trap mechanism. |
| HRS-04 | A camera sensor shall be used to capture images of the trap interior. The resolution shall be at least 480p. |
| ID | Description |
| ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| HRS-01 | The system shall use an ATmega328PB-based control system to interface with all required user inputs, including the pitch buttons, strum input, mute button, joystick, and whammy control |
| HRS-02 | The system shall include a DAC-based pitch CV generation stage capable of producing a stable control signal for the synthesizer voice |
| HRS-03 | The synthesizer hardware shall include, at minimum, a VCO, VCF, and VCA signal chain capable of producing an audible musical output in response to MCU-generated control signals |
| HRS-04 | The system shall include an audio output stage consisting of a buffer and power amplifier capable of driving a speaker or external audio output |
| HRS-05 | The system shall include a display module for showing menu or mode information and shall communicate with the MCU using a supported serial protocol such as I2C . |
| HRS-06 | The system shall provide regulated power rails as required by the design, including support forlogic-level supply and analog/audio supply\, so that all components operate within their rated voltage ranges. |

### 7. Bill of Materials (BOM)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yVx339OijMxmClf8FyQ_4eZAxMqQx_l-zpqn3cilw3A/edit?usp=sharing

### 8. Final Demo Goals

We will first demonstrate the functionality of the joystick selector and display by setting the buttons to specific chords. We will then play a song and showcase our synthesizer pitch bending with the whammy stick.

### 9. Sprint Planning

| Milestone | Functionality Achieved | Distribution of Work |
| ---------- | ---------------------- | -------------------- |
| Sprint #1 | | |
| Sprint #2 | | |
| MVP Demo | | |
| Final Demo | | |
| Milestone | Functionality Achieved | Distribution of Work |
| ---------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Sprint #1 | Get Guitar and MCU communicating | We'll figure it out - but work together |
| Sprint #2 | Get MCU and Synthesizer Working | ~~ |
| MVP Demo | Make Synth and Speaker work | ~~ |
| Final Demo | Have the whole product ready | ~~ |

**This is the end of the Project Proposal section. The remaining sections will be filled out based on the milestone schedule.**

## Sprint Review #1

### Last week's progress

We took apart the original guitar and tested each interface button, stick and switch with a multimeter to make sure current flowed through them and they were functional. We decided to pivot from an analopg synthesizer to a digital synthesizer that operates off of code, and created the first draft of this code for our intial test. We also noticed that the main board which we'd be replacing in the guitar did not fit properly with the internals, so we created a CAD model of the board to laser cut a new one with more leeway in the measurements for the openings to make it slot in seamlessly.

### Current state of project

We're still waiting on the remainder of our parts to come in so we can assmeble the system, flash the code and run our intial tests, but for now we've decided to pivot our strategy from connecting only through jumper wires to instead running connections through copper tape on our new iteration of the internal board, as per our team manager's suggestion.

### Next week's plan

Build the first full working version of the guitar, test the existing code and mke changes as needed, then begin adding LCD screen functionality.

## Sprint Review #2

### Last week's progress

We built a breadboarded prototype of the system with the parts available in detkin since our ADC and a few other Adafruit parts still hadn't come in. We had to make a few code changes to account for the difference in functionality due to the lack of an ADC but eventually got decent sound output as desired, then wired up the LCD display though it still isn't functional and doesn't correspond to notes/inputs like we want it to.

### Current state of project
We have a working prototype and are considering using the same no-ADC method in our MVP to reduce complexity and get a full built working version as soon as possible.

### Next week's plan
Print the main master board and solder the system using the wiring format we've used in our prototype and fit it to the actual guitar, fix the LCD screen to at least show some response to inputs even if it isn't fully functional yet.

## MVP Demo

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -115,6 +159,4 @@ If you’ve never made a GitHub pages website before, you can follow this webpag

### 4. Conclusion


## References