I want to play some short audio clips (they range from 50ms to 100ms) from my atmega168 microcontroller and output it to a cheap speaker.

I was following this tutorial but because I'm using a atmega168 and not a atmega2560, I had to modify my code as well as replaced the sound.

Like in the tutorial, I'm using a 8MHz internal oscillator (I set LFUSE = 0xE2 in the Makefile) and all the PWM settings are the same...which means

• Using a 16 Timer/Counter1 with 8-bit PWM resolution


• Set OC1A on compare match (and clear on bottom)


• No prescaling

As for the sound clip, I sampled it at 15.625 kHz and exported it to a 8-bit PCM wav file. I then get a hex dump via xxd -i which gives me the output c file. I didn't remove the header as I figured I can just skip it by just going to the 44th position of the output array as it is the data position.

The problem I'm having is that while I do get my (distorted and soft) sound, there is this loud beeping noise that is overlapping with my sound and I have no idea what is causing it.

Unfortunately I don't have access to an oscilloscope, so I can't really nail down if it is the way I sampled my sound, or if my sound is way too short or something that's beyond my current understanding.

Main.c

#include <inttypes.h>
#include <avr/io.h>
#include <avr/interrupt.h>
#include <util/delay.h>
#include <avr/pgmspace.h>
#include <avr/power.h>
#include <util/setbaud.h>
#include <avr/interrupt.h>

#include "switch.h"
#define WAV_DATA_POSITION 44 
#define BASE_LEVEL 0xff

unsigned int count=WAV_DATA_POSITION;;
volatile uint16_t timerOverflowCount;
unsigned char sample_count =2;

// This interrupt service reads new data, 
ISR(TIMER1_OVF_vect)

 sample_count--;

 if(sample_count ==0)
 
 sample_count = 2;
 if (count < switchResampled_len)
 OCR1A= pgm_read_byte(&switch_raw[count]);
 count++;
 
 
 else
 OCR1A= BASE_LEVEL;
 


void pwm_init()
(1<<TOV1); 

 //Enable interrupts
 sei(); 




int main(void)
= (1 << PB1);
 pwm_init();

 /* insert your hardware initialization here */
 for(;;)

 /* insert your main loop code here */
 
 return 0; /* never reached */

Switch.h (Sound file)

const unsigned char switch_raw PROGMEM = 
 0x52, 0x49, 0x46, 0x46, 0x0d, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00, 0x57, 0x41, 0x56, 0x45,
 0x66, 0x6d, 0x74, 0x20, 0x10, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00,
 0x09, 0x3d, 0x00, 0x00, 0x09, 0x3d, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x08, 0x00,
 0x64, 0x61, 0x74, 0x61, 0x4b, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7e,
 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7e,
 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x7f,
 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x80, 0x81, 0x7e, 0x7b, 0x7e, 0x7f,
 0x7f, 0x81, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x80, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7e,
 0x80, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7c, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x81, 0x7d, 0x7b,
 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x83, 0x7f, 0x7b, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x82, 0x7f, 0x7e,
 0x80, 0x7e, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x7e,
 0x7f, 0x85, 0x80, 0x83, 0x7b, 0x77, 0x83, 0x81, 0x86, 0x7e, 0x7b, 0x7e,
 0x81, 0x83, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x82, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7e,
 0x81, 0x83, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x80, 0x81, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x83,
 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7b, 0x80, 0x80, 0x94, 0x79, 0x68, 0x87, 0x75, 0x98, 0x87,
 0x6e, 0x7f, 0x8c, 0x81, 0x54, 0x7c, 0xc4, 0x8a, 0x46, 0x31, 0x72, 0xe2,
 0xc1, 0x8a, 0x41, 0x2f, 0x71, 0xb3, 0xc8, 0x96, 0x51, 0x41, 0x67, 0x9c,
 0xb1, 0x98, 0x74, 0x57, 0x5f, 0x76, 0x99, 0xa8, 0x96, 0x72, 0x5b, 0x64,
 0x7e, 0x97, 0xa1, 0x8f, 0x6f, 0x56, 0x66, 0x89, 0xa0, 0x9d, 0x7e, 0x62,
 0x5c, 0x78, 0x93, 0x9d, 0x90, 0x70, 0x58, 0x68, 0x88, 0x9c, 0x95, 0x7c,
 0x66, 0x64, 0x7c, 0x90, 0x95, 0x82, 0x6f, 0x6b, 0x75, 0x86, 0x8e, 0x88,
 0x79, 0x72, 0x75, 0x80, 0x88, 0x89, 0x81, 0x78, 0x74, 0x78, 0x84, 0x85,
 0x84, 0x7d, 0x7b, 0x7c, 0x7b, 0x80, 0x85, 0x87, 0x81, 0x76, 0x74, 0x7e,
 0x82, 0x89, 0x84, 0x7c, 0x77, 0x78, 0x84, 0x83, 0x84, 0x7c, 0x78, 0x7b,
 0x83, 0x83, 0x80, 0x83, 0x80, 0x7d, 0x7a, 0x7e, 0x83, 0x87, 0x82, 0x79,
 0x78, 0x7e, 0x87, 0x8b, 0x80, 0x76, 0x79, 0x7e, 0x87, 0x87, 0x80, 0x7a,
 0x7a, 0x80, 0x82, 0x84, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7a, 0x82, 0x88, 0x7f,
 0x7a, 0x79, 0x7f, 0x85, 0x85, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7a, 0x7d, 0x83, 0x87, 0x7e,
 0x78, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x83, 0x7e, 0x81, 0x81, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x81, 0x7c,
 0x7e, 0x7a, 0x81, 0x82, 0x81, 0x84, 0x82, 0x79, 0x78, 0x84, 0x86, 0x7d,
 0x7b, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x7c, 0x7d, 0x7d, 0x82, 0x80, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x85,
 0x84, 0x7b, 0x75, 0x7c, 0x7d, 0x84, 0x88, 0x84, 0x7b, 0x7b, 0x7d, 0x7c,
 0x88, 0x88, 0x7b, 0x78, 0x78, 0x78, 0x88, 0x8d, 0x80, 0x78, 0x7f, 0x86,
 0x86, 0x83, 0x7c, 0x71, 0x76, 0x84, 0x97, 0x93, 0x70, 0x6d, 0x68, 0x78,
 0xc5, 0xb6, 0x5f, 0x37, 0x2a, 0x69, 0xc1, 0xc9, 0xa0, 0x7a, 0x52, 0x50,
 0x71, 0x8a, 0x9d, 0xa0, 0x8b, 0x69, 0x67, 0x68, 0x79, 0x94, 0x96, 0x87,
 0x7b, 0x81, 0x84, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x75, 0x72, 0x89, 0x8e, 0x88, 0x86,
 0x6d, 0x6d, 0x7a, 0x82, 0x8d, 0x8e, 0x78, 0x76, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x82,
 0x80, 0x7b, 0x7d, 0x7a, 0x7b, 0x86, 0x89, 0x80, 0x7b, 0x75, 0x77, 0x7f,
 0x83, 0x84, 0x86, 0x81, 0x81, 0x7e, 0x73, 0x7c, 0x83, 0x7f, 0x85, 0x82,
 0x7d, 0x83, 0x7d, 0x7d, 0x80, 0x7b, 0x7c, 0x86, 0x85, 0x7e, 0x7b, 0x74,
 0x7d, 0x86, 0x85, 0x8b, 0x81, 0x76, 0x78, 0x78, 0x7e, 0x89, 0x83, 0x7e,
 0x80, 0x78, 0x7f, 0x84, 0x81, 0x84, 0x7a, 0x77, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x84, 0x81,
 0x78, 0x7a, 0x7e, 0x84, 0x8e, 0x81, 0x72, 0x75, 0x77, 0x83, 0x8b, 0x84,
 0x84, 0x7b, 0x72, 0x7a, 0x83, 0x84, 0x85, 0x7e, 0x78, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7f,
 0x82, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x7e, 0x7b, 0x80, 0x85, 0x84, 0x82,
 0x7d, 0x7a, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x84, 0x84, 0x7f, 0x79, 0x7b, 0x82, 0x80, 0x80,
 0x81, 0x80, 0x81, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x79, 0x79, 0x81, 0x86, 0x85, 0x82,
 0x7d, 0x77, 0x7a, 0x7e, 0x86, 0x8b, 0x84, 0x7a, 0x7a, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x83,
 0x83, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7c, 0x7c, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7e,
 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7c, 0x80, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x85, 0x81, 0x7c, 0x7d, 0x7b,
 0x7c, 0x81, 0x80, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7d, 0x82, 0x84, 0x7e, 0x7a, 0x7e,
 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x82, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x81, 0x83, 0x83,
 0x80, 0x79, 0x77, 0x7c, 0x83, 0x87, 0x86, 0x7f, 0x75, 0x79, 0x7e, 0x85,
 0x86, 0x80, 0x7a, 0x78, 0x7c, 0x7f, 0x83, 0x81, 0x82, 0x7d, 0x7a, 0x7f,
 0x81, 0x80, 0x80, 0x7c, 0x7b, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x85, 0x84, 0x7d, 0x7b,
 0x7a, 0x7f, 0x83, 0x82, 0x80, 0x7c, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7f,
 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x82, 0x7f, 0x7c, 0x7b, 0x7b, 0x82, 0x84, 0x83, 0x7e, 0x7c,
 0x7b, 0x7e, 0x83, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x83, 0x81, 0x7e, 0x7d,
 0x7b, 0x7d, 0x80, 0x82, 0x81, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x80,
 0x81, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x81, 0x82, 0x80, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x81,
 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7c, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7f,
 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x81, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7c, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x80, 0x80,
 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 0x81, 0x80, 0x7d,
 0x7c, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x83, 0x81, 0x7c, 0x7b, 0x7c, 0x7f, 0x82, 0x82, 0x7f,
 0x7d, 0x7c, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x81, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7d, 0x80, 0x82,
 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7d, 0x80, 0x83, 0x82, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x7a, 0x7d, 0x80,
 0x81, 0x81, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x80,
 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x81, 0x81, 0x80, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7e,
 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7e, 0x7c, 0x7f, 0x82,
 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7f,
 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7f, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7d,
 0x81, 0x82, 0x80, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x80, 0x81, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x80, 0x7f,
 0x7f, 0x7d, 0x7f, 0x81, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x7e, 0x7d, 0x7e, 0x4c,
 0x49, 0x53, 0x54, 0x48, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x49, 0x4e, 0x46, 0x4f, 0x49,
 0x43, 0x52, 0x44, 0x12, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x32, 0x30, 0x31, 0x36, 0x2d,
 0x31, 0x30, 0x2d, 0x31, 0x37, 0x20, 0x31, 0x37, 0x3a, 0x32, 0x37, 0x00,
 0x00, 0x49, 0x53, 0x46, 0x54, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x4c, 0x61, 0x76,
 0x66, 0x35, 0x37, 0x2e, 0x37, 0x32, 0x2e, 0x31, 0x30, 0x31, 0x20, 0x28,
 0x6c, 0x69, 0x62, 0x73, 0x6e, 0x64, 0x66, 0x69, 0x6c, 0x65, 0x2d, 0x31,
 0x2e, 0x30, 0x2e, 0x32, 0x34, 0x29, 0x00, 0x69, 0x64, 0x33, 0x20, 0x46,
 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x49, 0x44, 0x33, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
 0x3c, 0x54, 0x58, 0x58, 0x58, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x17, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
 0x53, 0x6f, 0x66, 0x74, 0x77, 0x61, 0x72, 0x65, 0x00, 0x4c, 0x61, 0x76,
 0x66, 0x35, 0x37, 0x2e, 0x37, 0x32, 0x2e, 0x31, 0x30, 0x31, 0x54, 0x44,
 0x52, 0x43, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x11, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x32, 0x30, 0x31,
 0x36, 0x2d, 0x31, 0x30, 0x2d, 0x31, 0x37, 0x20, 0x31, 0x37, 0x3a, 0x32,
 0x37

;

const long switchResampled_len = 1045;

A 4MHz PWM generator (8MHz/2) At 8 bits has a 15.625kHz fundamental. If you are not filtering this out with at least a 7kHz high-order low-pass you will hear it loud and clear.

You need to bring this fundamental to at least above 20kHz or so to get it out of your hearing range, it will still annoy your dog though.

The code you copied has a bug, which probably caused the issues he also writes about.

sample_count--;

if(sample_count ==0)

 sample_count = 2;
 if (count < switchResampled_len)
 OCR1A= pgm_read_byte(&switch_raw[count]);
 count++;
 

else
 OCR1A= BASE_LEVEL;

Every other tick you set OCR1A=BASE_LEVEL and the next tick you set it to your sample level, but the comments in the example code hints that the else statement is misplaced. Try this:

sample_count--;

if(sample_count ==0)

 sample_count = 2;
 if (count < switchResampled_len)
 OCR1A= pgm_read_byte(&switch_raw[count]);
 count++;
 
 else
 OCR1A= BASE_LEVEL;
 

(It was difficult not to reformat this to use consistent indents and bracket placement!)