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--- info:controlling_ipod_with_atmel32 [2008/11/26 18:45] – tomgee
+++ info:controlling_ipod_with_atmel32 [2008/11/26 19:15] (current) – tomgee
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-Controlling an iPod with an Atmega32
+===== Controlling an iPod with an Atmega32 =====
-Introduction
+**Introduction**\\
 Have you ever imagined, "What does that cable I plug into my iPod every day actually do, and how do I take advantage of it for myself?" We did too, and that's what we aimed to do with our 476 project. The iPod is, of course, the popular digital music player developed by Apple. The heart of the project is to use the Mega32 microcontroller to transmit and receive commands from the iPod using the built-in Dock Connector, as opposed to cracking the iPod open and wiring it up. The Dock Connector is the little port at the bottom of the iPod that you would normally connect a white USB or FireWire sync cable into. Commands that are currently implemented include play, stop, fast forward and other basic commands that allow the user to enjoy music from the iPod, as well as the ability to display the current track's Title, Artist, and Album on an external LCD display.
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+Code for this project is in the file ipod_avr32.c
+**Conclusions**\\
+The results of this project met our expectations. We wanted to both control and receive from an iPod with a microcontroller, and this was accomplished. Our design used the serial communication protocol 8-N-1, and for this we used Bruce Land's serial communication code as a jump-off point for our serial communication code. As mentioned before, the specifics of the iPod communication protocol came from researching the reverse engineering efforts of other hobbyists, and we communicated with a few of them if there we had specific questions about the protocol. The documentation of the protocol was fairly good but, as always with documentation and especially unofficial documentation, could have been improved and more clear. Hopefully our writeup here will clarify certain things that are confusing. We do not expect to have any patent opportunities with this project.
+{{info:benchsetup.jpg?700|}}
+**Future Design Aspirations**\\
+If we had more time available, we would have liked to implement an IR receiver with the microcontroller. Thus, a user could use an IR remote to send commands to the microcontroller, which would then be relayed to the iPod. We also could have implemented more mode 4 commands, with more pushbuttons being our main constraint. Additionally, future efforts could involve changing the 16x2 LCD for a more complicated and complex one that could allow displaying more information at once or even color images, such as album art or pictures. An audiophile may want to add something that uses the Line-Out component of the connector, as those pins are readily accessible as well.
+Ethics
+We believe that our project was consistent with the IEEE Code of Ethics. For example, we believe that our project is safe to individuals and the public at large, and we would promptly notify everyone if this ever changed. We believe that we have been honest about our project's performance and potential future efforts. We also hope that our project has made the iPod (and similar MP3 players for which control data can be obtained) an attractive option for future hobbyists and 476 students.
+In the interest of full disclosure, one of us was formerly employed by Apple (then known as Apple Computer). It should be noted that none of the material referenced in this project or on this page resulted either directly or indirectly from any material obtained during employment or with any use of Apple-owned resources, such as hardware or documentation. We have made careful efforts to ensure that nothing done here would compromise any previous or (hopeful) future employment agreements and that we have respected intellectual property throughout.
+No animals were harmed in the making of this project. Cornell students were merely deprived of sleep.