Custom musical greeting card using Arduino

Creating a musical greeting card using Arduino adds a delightful twist to traditional paper cards by incorporating sound and interactivity. This project involves playing melodies or tunes when the card is opened, enhancing the recipient’s experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build a musical greeting card using Arduino:

Components Needed:

1. Arduino board (e.g., Arduino Uno or Arduino Nano)
2. Piezo buzzer or small speaker
3. Paper or cardstock for the greeting card
4. Resistors and jumper wires
5. Battery or power supply for the Arduino (optional)

Construction Steps:

1. Prepare the Greeting Card:

• Design and create the physical greeting card using paper or cardstock.
• Designate an area inside the card where the components (Arduino and speaker) will be placed without hindering the card’s functionality.

2. Wiring the Circuit:

• Connect the piezo buzzer or speaker to the Arduino. Wire the positive terminal of the buzzer to a PWM-capable pin (e.g., pin 9) on the Arduino. Connect the negative terminal to the ground (GND) pin on the Arduino.
• If using a piezo buzzer, connect a resistor (around 220-1000 ohms) in series with it to limit the current.

3. Programming the Arduino:

• Use the Arduino IDE to write the code for playing the melody when the card is opened. Here’s an example code snippet that plays “Happy Birthday” when the card is powered on:

#define SPEAKER_PIN 9 // Define the pin for the speaker/buzzer

void setup() {
  pinMode(SPEAKER_PIN, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  int melody[] = {
    NOTE_G4, NOTE_G4, NOTE_A4, NOTE_G4, NOTE_C5, NOTE_B4,
    NOTE_G4, NOTE_G4, NOTE_A4, NOTE_G4, NOTE_D5, NOTE_C5,
    NOTE_G4, NOTE_G4, NOTE_G5, NOTE_E5, NOTE_C5, NOTE_B4, NOTE_A4,
    NOTE_F5, NOTE_F5, NOTE_E5, NOTE_C5, NOTE_D5, NOTE_C5
  };

  int noteDurations[] = {
    4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4,
    4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4,
    4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4,
    4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
  };

  for (int i = 0; i < 24; i++) {
    int noteDuration = 1000 / noteDurations[i];
    tone(SPEAKER_PIN, melody[i], noteDuration);
    int pauseBetweenNotes = noteDuration * 1.30;
    delay(pauseBetweenNotes);
    noTone(SPEAKER_PIN);
  }
}

• Customize the melody by modifying the melody[] and noteDurations[] arrays to play your preferred tune or melody.

4. Assembling the Card:

• Carefully place the Arduino board and speaker inside the greeting card, ensuring they are secured and won’t interfere with the card’s closing.
• Connect the Arduino to a power source (battery or power supply) to provide power when the card is opened.

5. Testing:

• Close the card and power on the Arduino. Open the card to trigger the melody to play through the speaker or buzzer.

Conclusion:

By following these steps, you can create a personalized and interactive musical greeting card using Arduino. Experiment with different melodies, tunes, or sound effects to suit various occasions and delight the recipients with a unique and memorable experience.