Answers.Body: <p>This set includes a single novel element, <a href="https://rebrickable.com/parts/102723c01/sound-brick-4-x-4-with-random-talking-sorting-hat-sounds/" rel="noreferrer">102723c01 Sound Brick 4 x 4 with Random Talking Sorting Hat Sounds</a>, that does all of the hard work:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/8od8r.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8od8r.png" alt="Element render" /></a></p>
  <p>That element is integrated into the hat so that Technic elements are able to activate it by pressing its button:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mPWeu.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mPWeu.png" alt="Instruction page 102" /></a></p>
  <p>This is then connected to the top of the hat to activate the sound brick along with motion of the mouth and eyebrows:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/X6wvz.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/X6wvz.png" alt="Instruction page 142" /></a></p>
  <p>The element can be disassembled by removing two screws:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cNO5g.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cNO5g.png" alt="Element internals and back cover" /></a></p>
  <p>This makes it simple enough to replace the 3 LR44 batteries. We can also remove the PCB:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tDwoP.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tDwoP.png" alt="PCB top" /></a></p>
  <p>This shows the speaker attached to the PCB along with a button, a single capacitor, and an unmarked 8-pin <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_in-line_package" rel="noreferrer">DIP</a>. There is nothing on the back of the PCB:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/wrCKR.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wrCKR.png" alt="PCB bottom" /></a></p>
  <p>Following the tracks on the PCB, the circuit seems to be as follows:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Y8zxX.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Y8zxX.png" alt="Circuit diagram" /></a></p>
  <p>(The indentation on the DIP marks pin 1. The switch connects to one of pins 1-4 via a track underneath the DIP which is not fully visible, so pin 3 is a guess. Pins 1,2,3,4,5 and 7 are connected to pads on the PCB surface)</p>
  <p>The inscription &quot;OTP&quot; on the PCB suggests a <strong>O</strong>ne-<strong>T</strong>ime <strong>P</strong>rogramabble chip, and the contact pads on the PCB are most probably used to program the chip with the sounds during manufacture. The DIP pin-out and OTP characteristic suggests a <a href="https://waytronic.ca/otp-voice-chip/" rel="noreferrer">Waytronic OTP voice chip</a>, or one electrically compatible with it.</p>
  <p>There doesn't appear to be an easy way to repurpose this part to produce any sound other than the 31 pre-programmed phrases.</p>
  <p>It <em>should</em> be possible to desolder the DIP and solder a new one then program fresh sounds, but there is no (known) way of ordering a hobbyist-sized amount of compatible sound chips.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-04-04T01:26:16.140Z
Answers.Text: The fact that there's "OTP" written on the PCB suggest a One-Time Programmable sound chip (which should tell you that new sounds cannot be added). In a DIP-8 package, with pins 1-4 on contact pads (for programming) and pins 5-8 having GND/VCC and audio output, a possible candidate would be the waytronic series (https://waytronic.ca/otp-voice-chip/). It *might* be possible to de-solder and solder a new one, then program fresh sounds.
Answers.UserDisplayName: IvanSanchez
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-04-04T12:37:05.737Z
Answers.Text: Interesting how there's a (c) 2022 on there! Does this imply that the sound bricks were already produced back then, and that the set has been in development since at least that year?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tuzi
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-04-04T18:50:37.633Z
Answers.Text: More likely that's just when the PCB was designed, having no bearing on production schedules. With a circuit this simple, there was probably very little in the way of iteration on the design. However, product development and the go-to-market process can be pretty slow.
Answers.UserDisplayName: JakeRobb
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-04-05T10:17:45.073Z
Answers.Text: @JakeRobb under two years from PCB design to go-to-market would often be considered blindingly fast.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Cylindric
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-04-06T14:11:49.880Z
Answers.Text: Yep. And yet, seems feasible in this case.
Answers.UserDisplayName: JakeRobb
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-04-03T22:56:39.650Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-04-04T15:17:28.410Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2024-04-04T15:17:28.410Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: jncraton
Body: <p>I've seen the <a href="https://brickset.com/sets/76429-1/Talking-Sorting-Hat" rel="noreferrer">Talking Sorting Hat</a> set:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/i7TzV.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/i7TzV.jpg" alt="Back of box" /></a></p>
  <p>How are the sounds for this hat produced? Could it be used to produce other sounds?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-04-04T15:39:02.153Z
Comments.Text: Before I saw that this was about bricks I thought "What a dumb question, obviously through magic!" :-)) And in a way, [it is ...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Peter - Reinstate Monica
Tags: <electronics><harry-potter>
Title: How are the sounds from the Sorting Hat produced?
UserDisplayName: jncraton
ThreadText: # How are the sounds from the Sorting Hat produced?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-04-03)
  
  I've seen the [Talking Sorting Hat](https://brickset.com/sets/76429-1/Talking-Sorting-Hat) set:
  
  [![Back of box](https://i.sstatic.net/i7TzV.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/i7TzV.jpg)
  
  How are the sounds for this hat produced? Could it be used to produce other sounds?
  
  **Tags:** electronics, harry-potter
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Before I saw that this was about bricks I thought "What a dumb question, obviously through magic!" :-)) And in a way, [it is ...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws)  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2024-04-03. Score: 17
  
  This set includes a single novel element, [102723c01 Sound Brick 4 x 4 with Random Talking Sorting Hat Sounds](https://rebrickable.com/parts/102723c01/sound-brick-4-x-4-with-random-talking-sorting-hat-sounds/), that does all of the hard work:
  
  [![Element render](https://i.sstatic.net/8od8r.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/8od8r.png)
  
  That element is integrated into the hat so that Technic elements are able to activate it by pressing its button:
  
  [![Instruction page 102](https://i.sstatic.net/mPWeu.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/mPWeu.png)
  
  This is then connected to the top of the hat to activate the sound brick along with motion of the mouth and eyebrows:
  
  [![Instruction page 142](https://i.sstatic.net/X6wvz.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/X6wvz.png)
  
  The element can be disassembled by removing two screws:
  
  [![Element internals and back cover](https://i.sstatic.net/cNO5g.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/cNO5g.png)
  
  This makes it simple enough to replace the 3 LR44 batteries. We can also remove the PCB:
  
  [![PCB top](https://i.sstatic.net/tDwoP.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/tDwoP.png)
  
  This shows the speaker attached to the PCB along with a button, a single capacitor, and an unmarked 8-pin [DIP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_in-line_package). There is nothing on the back of the PCB:
  
  [![PCB bottom](https://i.sstatic.net/wrCKR.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/wrCKR.png)
  
  Following the tracks on the PCB, the circuit seems to be as follows:
  
  [![Circuit diagram](https://i.sstatic.net/Y8zxX.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Y8zxX.png)
  
  (The indentation on the DIP marks pin 1. The switch connects to one of pins 1-4 via a track underneath the DIP which is not fully visible, so pin 3 is a guess. Pins 1,2,3,4,5 and 7 are connected to pads on the PCB surface)
  
  The inscription "OTP" on the PCB suggests a **O**ne-**T**ime **P**rogramabble chip, and the contact pads on the PCB are most probably used to program the chip with the sounds during manufacture. The DIP pin-out and OTP characteristic suggests a [Waytronic OTP voice chip](https://waytronic.ca/otp-voice-chip/), or one electrically compatible with it.
  
  There doesn't appear to be an easy way to repurpose this part to produce any sound other than the 31 pre-programmed phrases.
  
  It *should* be possible to desolder the DIP and solder a new one then program fresh sounds, but there is no (known) way of ordering a hobbyist-sized amount of compatible sound chips.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: The fact that there's "OTP" written on the PCB suggest a One-Time Programmable sound chip (which should tell you that new sounds cannot be added). In a DIP-8 package, with pins 1-4 on contact pads (for programming) and pins 5-8 having GND/VCC and audio output, a possible candidate would be the waytronic series (https://waytronic.ca/otp-voice-chip/). It *might* be possible to de-solder and solder a new one, then program fresh sounds.  
  > **username_3**: Interesting how there's a (c) 2022 on there! Does this imply that the sound bricks were already produced back then, and that the set has been in development since at least that year?  
  > **username_4**: More likely that's just when the PCB was designed, having no bearing on production schedules. With a circuit this simple, there was probably very little in the way of iteration on the design. However, product development and the go-to-market process can be pretty slow.  
  > **username_5**: @JakeRobb under two years from PCB design to go-to-market would often be considered blindingly fast.  
  > **username_4**: Yep. And yet, seems feasible in this case.  
  
  ---
  
  