Close

Remote keyboard

A project log for Classroom music teaching aid

An interactive device for helping a kindergarten class learn to play harmonica.

shlonkinshlonkin 06/19/2016 at 04:240 Comments

The main unit is pretty much complete aside from a plastic cover for the electronics and legs to hold it up. The second part of the project is the remote keyboard. It is a small, 15-key keyboard that communicates via IR with the main unit. When a key is pressed, the note is lit up and a sound played. Here is my progress so far.

I started with a 1cm thick Japanese cedar board. 15 keys were cut out that will pivot on a stiff steel rod.

Then a router was used to cut two pieces like this. The keys are installed here.

It looks a little nicer from the outside. The holes are for the LEDs.

With the structure built it was time to tackle the electronics. Here is a rough schematic. It is very simple.

I soldered the tact switches to a solid wire and lots of small magnet wire. It looks like medusa, but it wasn't that hard to do.

After a little combing and some help from my good friend, hot glue, here it is placed in the case. It's not permanent yet of course. I would have gotten further, but I ran out of solder. Well, I'm off to the store to buy some now.

Discussions