In a previous element14 presents project, Matt took an old 2XL robot toy from the 1970s and, with the help of a Raspberry Pi, dragged it into the 21st century by turning it into a functional AI voice assistant. Now, after a few other challenges focusing on retro computers and esoteric timepieces, he's back to put some finishing touches on 2XL! In this video, Matt will repair the malfunctioning 8-track player that is at the heart of the original 2XL toy, attempt to build a voice changer to make his assistant sound more like the original robot voice, and top it all off by building a power distribution solution that will allow him to run everything from a single power supply!
Supplemental Content:
- How To Build A 5V Buck Converter
- How To Build A Voice Changer
- Voice Changer Toy Teardown
- How To Repair An 8-Track Player Mechanism
- Assembling the Velleman MK171 Voice Changer Kit
Bill of Material:
| Product Name | Manufacturer | Quantity | Buy KitBuy Kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotary Potentiometer | TT ELECTRONICS / BI TECHNOLOGIES | 1 | Buy Now |
| De-Ox-Id AEROSOL 4 oz | GC Electronics | 1 | Buy Now |
| Hobby Project Kit, Voice Changer Novelty Kit, On-Board Microphone | Velleman | 1 | Buy Now |
| Zener Single Diode, 3 V, 500 mW, DO-35, 5 %, 2, 200 C RoHS Compliant: Yes | Nexperia | 1 | Buy Now |
| Speaker, Mini, 60 mm, 0.5 W, 8 ohm, 260 Hz to 4 kHz | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| MICROPHONE, MINIATURE, ELECTRET | Kingstate | 1 | Buy Now |
| Through Hole Resistor, 4.7 kohm, LR Series, 250 mW, ± 1%, Axial Leaded, 200 V | TE | 2 | Buy Now |
| Ceramic Disc Capacitor, 0.1 µF, 50 V, MCFY Series, +80%, -20%, Y5V, 5 mm | Multicomp Pro | 3 | Buy Now |
| LED, Diffused, Red, Through Hole, T-1 3/4 (5mm), 10 mA, 2 V | Dialight | 2 | Buy Now |
| Electrolytic Capacitor, 4.7 µF, 16 V, MCNP Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded, 2000 hours @ 85°C | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| Electrolytic Capacitor, 10 µF, 25 V, FC Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded, 1000 hours @ 105°C | Panasonic | 1 | Buy Now |
| Electrolytic Capacitor, 100 µF, 16 V, M Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded, 2000 hours @ 85°C | Panasonic | 2 | Buy Now |
| Electrolytic Capacitor, 22 µF, 16 V, MCGPR Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded, 2000 hours @ 85°C | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| Trimpot, Single Turn, Cermet, Top Adjust, 47 kohm, Through Hole, 1 Turns | Bourns | 1 | Buy Now |
| Rotary Potentiometer, 100 ohm, 1 Turns, Linear, 2 W, ± 10%, 93 Series | Bourns | 1 | Buy Now |
| Through Hole Resistor, 47 kohm, MF25 Series, 250 mW, ± 1%, Axial Leaded, 250 V | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| Through Hole Resistor, 10 kohm, MF12 Series, 125 mW, ± 1%, Axial Leaded, 200 V | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| Through Hole Resistor, 1.2 kohm, MCF Series, 500 mW, ± 5%, Axial Leaded, 350 V | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| Through Hole Resistor, 10 ohm, MCMF0W4 Series, 250 mW, ± 1%, Axial Leaded, 250 V | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| Through Hole Resistor, 330 ohm, MCCFR0W8J Series, 125 mW, ± 5%, Axial Leaded, 200 V | Multicomp Pro | 2 | Buy Now |
| Through Hole Resistor, 100 kohm, LR Series, 250 mW, ± 1%, Axial Leaded, 200 V | Multicomp Pro | 1 | Buy Now |
| Audio Power Amplifier, 325 mW, AB, 1 Channel, 4V to 12V, DIP, 8 Pins | TI | 1 | Buy Now |
| Tactile Switch, FSMJ Series, Top Actuated, Through Hole, Round Button, 160 gf, 50mA at 24VDC | TE | 4 | Buy Now |
| Surface Mount Power Inductor, SLF Series, 22 µH, 1.9 A, 0.0591 ohm, ± 20% | TDK | 1 | Buy Now |
| Electrolytic Capacitor, Miniature, 180 µF, 16 V, UPW Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded | Nichicon | 2 | Buy Now |
| Schottky Rectifier, 45 V, 6 A, Single, TO-263AB, 3 Pins, 600 mV | Vishay | 1 | Buy Now |
| Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor, 0.47 µF, 50 V, Mono-Kap Series, +80%, -20%, Radial Leaded, Y5V | Vishay | 1 | Buy Now |
| Ceramic Disc Capacitor, 10000 pF, 50 V, D Series, +80%, -20%, Z5V, 6.4 mm | Vishay | 1 | Buy Now |
| Electrolytic Capacitor, 15 µF, 50 V, GA Series, ± 20%, Radial Leaded, 1000 hours @ 105°C | Panasonic | 3 | Buy Now |
| Buck (Step Down) Switching Regulator, Fixed, 8V-40V In, 5V And 5A Out, 260 kHz, TO-263-7 | TI | 1 | Buy Now |
Additional Parts:
| Product Name |
|---|
| HT8950A Voice Modulator Chip |
|
Voice Changer Toy |
|
Mego 2XL |
Raspberry Pi 2XL Robot Assistant Part 2
Top Comments
Nice repair.
DAB
I'm amazed that you have (or find) these old toys. Nice upgrade. The robot voice certainly fits the look.
Thanks! It's always fun to get one of these ancient beasts working!
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