DIY burglar alarm

[Com]

Hi.

This will be my first ever project, so I could do with someone looking at my plan & telling me if it’s likely to work.



On the internet, I came across some ‘recordable sound modules’ that are apparently used for making gifts (e.g., singing happy birthday when you open them).

Would it be possible to use that to make a DIY burglar alarm for my garage?



The idea is to play a sound-file of a dog barking whenever someone walks down my driveway at night.

Here’s how I picture it:






This is my first attempt at anything electrical, and I’m not familiar with abbreviations & jargon, so I’d be grateful if you’d tell me in laymen’s terms, if there’s a flaw in my plan.



Thanks in advance.

 

[kellys_eye]

Looks a plausible solution - try it! But check the connections ot the amplifier module - the input is usually the socket you show going to the speaker and the speaker usually connects to the blue screw terminals. YMMV.

 

[Bluejets]

Probably find the sound module will over drive the added amp and all you'll get will be distorted output.

 

[kellys_eye]

Probably find the sound module will over drive the added amp and all you'll get will be distorted output.

Most likely! But if the OP established that the basic circuit/principle works (sounds detected, noises made) we can expand on the necessary modifications to make it work properly.

 

[Com]

Thanks everyone.



After scouring the internet, I came across a gadget, that may be a simpler way to achieve my goal

This gadget plays multiple sound-files (possibly random or looped, I’m not sure), and I’ve even found a video of someone “hacking” it (

), although his hack is slightly different to what I’m planning.



Judging from the video, the built-in speaker might be sufficiently loud & clear enough to fool potential burglars that there’s a real dog inside the garage.

All I’ll need to do is replace the onboard PIR with a wired one, so that the sensor (poking through the EXterior of the garage) picks up intruders, while the sound comes from INterior of the garage.







I’ll order the parts, and report back.



Thanks again for taking the time to comment.

 

[danadak]

As an aside this might be of interest, shows how easy it is to do speech
generation. Requires an Arduino tethered to PC thru USB.

GUI Codeless Processor Design

Micro design has for years relied on ASM and C programming and other languages. Often many tasks are fairly simply but these tools were focused and quite a learning curve, especially ASM and C and C++. There are a number of new GUI based tools that essentially take out the "strong typing"...

www.edaboard.com

Regards, Dana.

 

[Com]

The gadget that I ordered has arrived, but I’m not able to upload sound-files to it as all of my computers are running Windows 10 - & therefore don’t recognise when a USB device is plugged in. ☹

(I hate Windows 10)



I had an old laptop stored away somewhere, that runs XP.

If I can find that & the charger to it, I might be in business.

 

[danadak]

The manufacturer must have a driver to go with board to install it.....

What chips are on board ? Part numbers ?


Regards, Dana.

 

[Com]

I haven’t opened it up yet, danadak.

I’m still waiting for a sensor.

The first one arrived, but wasn’t what was shown in the pictures of the selling page.

Their pictures showed that it had adjustments on it, as in the picture below, but it doesn’t (false advertising)





I’ve ordered a different type of sensor, and hopefully that one will be adjustable, and then it’ll be time to try it.






I’ve also e-mailed the seller of the gadget, to ask if there are any drivers that I can download, as my PC & laptop don’t see anything when I plug it in.

No reply as yet.

Just gotta wait & see.