To give our makers the best experience, it’s important to understand how sound works across our different kits. Our devices generally fall into two categories: those with a Piezo Buzzer and those with a Speaker.
Here is how you can manage the sound on your device:
Understanding Sound: Buzzer vs. Speaker
Depending on which kit you are building, your device will use one of two components to produce sound.
1. Devices with a Piezo Buzzer (e.g., Bit)
Devices like the Bit use a small, reliable piezo buzzer. These are perfect for retro-style beeps and alerts.
Volume Adjustment: Because buzzers are electromechanical components, their volume is fixed by the hardware's voltage. It is not possible to adjust the volume through software or settings on these devices.
CircuitBlocks: You can code the buzzer to play different frequencies (notes), but the physical loudness will remain constant.
2. Devices with a Speaker (e.g., JayD)
Kits like JayD come equipped with full speakers, allowing for more complex audio playback and a richer sound experience.
Volume Adjustment: These devices typically include a Settings menu directly on the device interface where you can manually adjust the volume to your preference.
Coding and Audio Support
While we are constantly working to expand our software capabilities, please keep the following in mind when using our coding platform:
CircuitBlocks & Audio: Currently, CircuitBlocks does not support custom audio playback for devices equipped with speakers.
Volume Coding: There is no "Volume Block" within CircuitBlocks for either category of device. For devices with speakers, volume is managed via the device's onboard settings; for devices with buzzers, the volume is hardware-set and cannot be changed.
Pro Tip: If you are a power user looking to dive deeper into audio manipulation for speaker-based devices, check out our Arduino IDE (C++) support or our open-source firmware on GitHub for more advanced control!