The Theory
The reason this project is so easily done is because of a magic little thing called analog to digital converters. These guys are what gave way to the entire digital industry and the way they work is surprisingly simple.
The ADC (Analog to Digital Converter)
The picture above really illustrates the function of an analog to digital converter. An analog signal is input to the converter (in our case an audio signal is input) and an equivalent digital value is spit out the other end.
Our Implementation
Originally ADC chips were right beside processors cranking away but now technology has made it so that they can be inside the microcontroller. You'd never even know the PIC had an ADC inside it unless you had previously read the datasheet. Here is how the circuit setup looks:
You probably notice right away the yellow wire stick out. That is for the audio input. That connection isn't shown in this picture. I use some alligator clips to bring the signal off of the cable and into the PIC
The reason this project is so easily done is because of a magic little thing called analog to digital converters. These guys are what gave way to the entire digital industry and the way they work is surprisingly simple.
The ADC (Analog to Digital Converter)
The picture above really illustrates the function of an analog to digital converter. An analog signal is input to the converter (in our case an audio signal is input) and an equivalent digital value is spit out the other end.
Our Implementation
Originally ADC chips were right beside processors cranking away but now technology has made it so that they can be inside the microcontroller. You'd never even know the PIC had an ADC inside it unless you had previously read the datasheet. Here is how the circuit setup looks:
You probably notice right away the yellow wire stick out. That is for the audio input. That connection isn't shown in this picture. I use some alligator clips to bring the signal off of the cable and into the PIC