This page is about a device that plays mp3 files from a CDROM. It's a transformed Intel-based PC running Linux and rxcontrol, with an LCD and keypad. I made this device in 1998 for my own pleasure. Please consider that since then many commercial devices have hit the market, and this may render now the construction of such a device less interesting, but back then this wasn't the case. Nevertheless you may profit from my efforts into building something that really satisfies your needs.

The name is pronounced MP3-O-PHONO. PHONI is the greek for VOICE

I'm giving infomation here for people wishing to build their own devices. I'm not willing to build mp3 players for anyone cause I have no time :-) but I would be happy to answer questions about my construction. You can contact me by email at sivann at softlab.ece.ntua dot gr
Please don't ask me questions about learning/installing linux, hardware prices, cpu performance, paint quality e.t.c. Please read these pages and the rxcontrol's documentation careful before asking questions.
Please consider that you must already be good at linux/unix before attempting to construct this!
Thank you, and good luck.

Spiros Ioannou

Features

Menu driven interface leads to only 9 front-panel keys
LCD green backlit, 20 columns x 4 lines
Supports standard functions such as play,stop,pause,FF,FREV,next,prev, go to first
FF (Fast forward) and FREV have adjustable length and time intervals
File selection modes: select current, select all, select randomly
Playlist support: saves playlists to HD.
Playlists are editable and can be re-ordered
File selection from HD and CDROM (automounted)
While browsing the filesystem to add files, the display is fully scrollable. Only mp3 files and directories are shown.
Directories can be added to a playlist recursively
Hot key to upgrade software from diskette
Infra Red (IR) support implemented to both play functions & menu navigation
Repeat toggle button
Mute toggle button
Optional volume control (+/-) buttons
LCD Displays time left, time elapsed & time progress bar
Song title & artist are guessed from filename or read from the ID3 tag if the latter exists.
Title and artist autoscroll left<->right if they don't fit on the display
Scroll interval and step are configurable
Welcome message at startup
All keypad and IR keys are configurable
Written totally in C so it's fast, robust, and memory efficient
LCD routines written in C for fast and flicker-free lcd updates
Not intended for the linux newbie!
total cost 50$ (for the lcd) if you have the spare parts

News

xaudio version 1.0.5 seems to handle Xing's VBR correctly :-)
Scanned 2 articles from a greek and an english mag about mp3ophono!
Version 1.7 and 1.8b are out. Check the changelog at the DOWNLOAD section
This site has been slashdotted! Have a look at the hits/min after the publish
X-axis is time. (made with gnuplot)

Press

You may find them here