Inside a VCD/MP3/Audio Player

Thursday, August 22, 2002

It might seem a little surprising, but a lot of VCD/MP3/Audio CD players thronging the markets are being assembled in India.

Today, you can buy one of these for as little as Rs 2,500. Or if you’re really interested, you could even purchase the components yourself from a common electronics market like Lajpat Rai Market in Delhi, and give it a shot. It was this fact that made us peep inside one of these devices and see what makes them tick.

Building such a multi-player system also requires basic understanding of electronics, and some sense of soldering and wiring. It isn’t as easy as building a PC, where every component can only fit in a particular way, and there’s plenty of help available everywhere on how to do it. Read on to find out what goes inside such a player. But before you rush to build one, note that one wrong connection can burn the entire circuit. And if you’re not scared of such practical failures, you can try it out.

Commercially available players like this one are assembled out of easily available components. It doesn’t take to much skill to assemble one for yourself

Inside the Player

1. CD Loader Module with lens. Commonly available ones are from Sony and Samsung.
2. MPEG1 Decoder card: This card is responsible for MPEG1 audio/video decoding. Commonly available options are from Sony, Samsung, and SunPlus, ESS Technology.
3. RF board: This board is used for interfacing with external audio/video sources.
4. Panel Display Board: this board has all the controls for the player, along with an infrared sensor for the remote control.
5. Audio amplifier board for connecting speakers.

Besides these components, you’d also need regular components like a transformer, a remote control set, a chassis of your choice, and miscellaneous items like cables and connectors.

Contact: Amit Trading Company

Anil Chopra

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