Hello,
I'm trying to add physical volume control to a Nokia N-Gage console.
I've decided on a wheel like gameboys have.
The main issue is how to wire it up due to space and construction constraints.
I will place the wheel in the same plastic part that the speaker is seated in.
See below the speaker and the red circle being where the wheel would be seated in a slot I will cut.
The speaker prongs push against pins in an intermediary part that in turn push onto the motherboard connectors.
Ideally I would like my wires to stay within a single part of the device so I'm not messing with floating wires.
So my question is: Can I use a potentiometer in parallel between the two speaker prongs to reduce the volume and not burn anything out?
Alternatively I would probably need to run two wires between the plastic part with the speaker to the motherboard where I would interrupt a trace to put it in series.
I'm trying to add physical volume control to a Nokia N-Gage console.
I've decided on a wheel like gameboys have.
The main issue is how to wire it up due to space and construction constraints.
I will place the wheel in the same plastic part that the speaker is seated in.
See below the speaker and the red circle being where the wheel would be seated in a slot I will cut.
The speaker prongs push against pins in an intermediary part that in turn push onto the motherboard connectors.
Ideally I would like my wires to stay within a single part of the device so I'm not messing with floating wires.
So my question is: Can I use a potentiometer in parallel between the two speaker prongs to reduce the volume and not burn anything out?
Alternatively I would probably need to run two wires between the plastic part with the speaker to the motherboard where I would interrupt a trace to put it in series.
The point is that no one will regulate volume at the speaker side of matters. It should be done at the amplifier. Then it can be a normal low power type too (as usual).
Hi, unless I misunderstand, there is no amplifier involved.
This is a low power speaker in a handheld gaming device.
The resistance is 8 ohm, comparable speakers and a comparable speaker (GBA) is 0.5 watt.
There should be an IC (I am not familiar with gaming stuff) that is able to drive 8 Ohms. Not many ICs are able to drive 8 Ohms directly except (current) amplifiers. The for hifi audio low power 8 Ohm 0.5W speaker is a relatively high power load for the average opamp for instance. Also putting a resistor in series with a speaker is not the right way in general.
Well, the assumed amplifier IC should have volume regulated at its input. If my eyes don't lie it are the tiny IC's left from the contacts. If you can zoom in at that part of the PCB maybe it can be seen what markings the ICs have. And... what the input is.
Well, the assumed amplifier IC should have volume regulated at its input. If my eyes don't lie it are the tiny IC's left from the contacts. If you can zoom in at that part of the PCB maybe it can be seen what markings the ICs have. And... what the input is.
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Thanks for your reply.
As far as I can tell those are just a capacitor, a capacitor array and a resistor array.
There's a few voltage regulator IC's around the board which I understand can serve as amplifier.
Notably an LM2608ATL-1.8 on the flip side, but who knows where the traces go as the board is 3 layers and the traces disappear in between after the little bit here.
This is why I was hoping I could handle volume control at the speaker side of things as it would make things a ton simpler.
Is it possible to use a potentiometer in parallel to controle volume, by providing an alternate path for the current to travel that is lower than the speaker?
It is a speaker of the quality found in children's toys, more a noise maker than anything else.
Think toy pistols which make techno noises, and so on.
It may be driven from the main IC, as the thing is only about 200 mW.
May not have audio IC at all.
The volume control may be in the main controls, or not at all.
I would put a preset somewhere convenient, and set it occasionally.
Space for that will have to be thought of.
Or a simple 3.3E resistor in series, 1 watt or so. Enough.
Think toy pistols which make techno noises, and so on.
It may be driven from the main IC, as the thing is only about 200 mW.
May not have audio IC at all.
The volume control may be in the main controls, or not at all.
I would put a preset somewhere convenient, and set it occasionally.
Space for that will have to be thought of.
Or a simple 3.3E resistor in series, 1 watt or so. Enough.
All good but not full control then and for some reason I think desired volume can differ from game to game.
Fusedotcore, no please not in parallel to the speaker. Worst way. When you pursue in doing it at the speakerside then do it in series. I take you find the volume too loud ?!? The simplest way with acceptable volume control would then be a 10 Ohm potentiometer in series with the speaker. Please connect one of the sides to the wiper in case the potentiometer goes bad/scratches in the future. Which side you choose determines clockwise/counterclockwise.
Fusedotcore, no please not in parallel to the speaker. Worst way. When you pursue in doing it at the speakerside then do it in series. I take you find the volume too loud ?!? The simplest way with acceptable volume control would then be a 10 Ohm potentiometer in series with the speaker. Please connect one of the sides to the wiper in case the potentiometer goes bad/scratches in the future. Which side you choose determines clockwise/counterclockwise.
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Thank you for your input both, I will try to find a way to do it in series then, it'll be wired between device parts but so be it.
The issue I'm trying to solve is that volume is determined only by the game software. So there's no way to change the volume with some games other than saving, returning to main menu and then changing the volume in settings. Some games don't even provide any volume control.
I think this solves the issue then, thank you again!
I will probably cut the bottom trace in the last picture and wire the 10 ohm potentiometer in series with it and run wires between the board and the back of the plastic shell.
The issue I'm trying to solve is that volume is determined only by the game software. So there's no way to change the volume with some games other than saving, returning to main menu and then changing the volume in settings. Some games don't even provide any volume control.
I think this solves the issue then, thank you again!
I will probably cut the bottom trace in the last picture and wire the 10 ohm potentiometer in series with it and run wires between the board and the back of the plastic shell.