Electronic Components (SPI)

At the heart of the project, controlling the robotic xylophone is an Arduino Uno.  Actually, the project needs 5 Arduino Uno’s, as explained in the Motor Driver Tutorial.  But if you use the generic / knock-off versions (which in my experience have worked just fine), you can find them for as little as $3 each.

Peripheral electronic devices are needed to support the various functions of the xylophone, including driving the solenoids, storing song data in memory, and a user interface allowing one to select a song from a list.    Most of the electronic components I prefer to purchase on AliExpress.com because that’s where I have found them for the lowest cost.  The downside is that the parts ship from China, so you may be waiting a month or more to get them.  But many of the parts are also offered with free shipping, even in small quantities.

The following electronic components are required to build the robotic xylophone:

Optional Components – These would allow you to power the LCD separately from the Arduino.  (In some cases, I have found this necessary if the power draw from other components on the Arduino is too much.)

  • 7508 5V Power Regulator
  • 0.47 to to 1 uF Capacitor

For the discrete components (the resistors, capacitors, and 5V regulator), if you don’t already have them as spares from other electronics projects, you will likely have to buy them in larger quantities, anywhere from 10 to 100 in the package.  However, even in these quantities, you can often find the components for $1 to $2 per package from various websites, including Amazon or AliExpress.

Below are pictures of the electronic components you will need:

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