Video christmas card using MP4 bits

[pyromaniac303]

Hi,

Just been working on a mod of a nano clone and thought people might be interested.

I'm currently making a christmas card for my girlfriend using the board from an old nano clone I had lying around. I desoldered and 'beeped' out the keypad with a multimeter, and have obtained the following connections (see file keypad pinout.gif).

I'm using a tiny PIC 10F200 microcontroller, an LDR to sense card is opened when light is detected, bias resistor for that, and a few tiny DTC114 surface mount transistors.

The easy bit:
I just need to obtain switch on times using a stopwatch so I know how long to switch each transistor output on for, program the PIC with the sequence and put it all into a profiled card package (lots of layers of greyboard card sandwiched together in the shape of the PCB, then skinned with a 'pretty' card outer thing to make it look like a christmas card). Oh and need to solder a tiny speaker to the headphone socket pins.

The cheesy bit:
I need to arrange some pics of me and my GF on windows movie maker with that mariah carey song 'all I want for christmas is you' :$

The frustrating bit:
My player has randomly defaulted to chinese! Which is why it was spare in the first place, which is no problem usually as my GF speaks chinese but that would kinda ruin the surprise Still the menu options are the same, so as long as I can remember where they all are I can still manage it.

If anyone is interested I can keep you updated with progress, and share the PIC software if anyone would like to make a copy.

Hope this is useful,
Paul

[pyromaniac303]

Just finished it after a few late nights of frustration and sleeplessness!

First of all the keypad is polled, so the polarity swaps over. Had to replace my nice neat tiny SMD transistors with big leaded ones configured to switch in both directions with a common base, used BC547s and they did the trick.

Then had loads of problems getting the software compiler (MPLAB) working, got that fixed just by tweaking various things til it decided it would stop being awkward and compile.

I then somehow managed to damage my first PCB with my cricket bat of a soldering iron so had to build another at work using a decent iron.

Eventually though it all worked out, printed off some christmassy images, made the .amv file, and built up profiled cardboard to make it all sandwich together without bits rattling. I then thoroughly attacked it with a hot glue gun to make damn well sure nothing was going anywhere.

Oh and even managed to get it out of chinese mode

Was it worth it? Probably not but I'm sad and get enjoyment out of these things 8-) and my girlfriend is now the (sort of) proud owner of the only video christmas card in existence.

If anyone wants to have a go at making the second one in existence let me know and I'll give you some hints and tips, software etc and even PCB layout if you need it.

Bye for now,
Paul

[fumanchu]

That's a cool idea.