Hello guys!

Could you guys help me in a more scientific route to correctly circuit bend the new 2012 furby.
Bought this thing because it had those LED display eyes and i though that it'd be a fun project.

I'd like to start with a basic loop switch. I currently have a push button that closes the circuit when pushed down.
The way i want to wire it is that when i push the button down, the toy pauses where it was and the audio stays in loop.
So if it says stuff like "i love you" It'd be stuck when i press the button and do this instead: "I loooooooo---" And when i stop pressing the button, it continues: "---ve you" Where should i connect this wiring?

Next i'd like to add two potentiometers one to control the clock speed of the processor and one the volume pitch.
But i don't know where should i connect the potentiometer and what size of should i use.
I could check with a multimeter to measure the correct Ohm's and get a fitting potentiometer if i knew where to connect it.

All these switches and knobs would be soldered to the circuitboard and connected to a controller box where i can start glitching this thing.
Also i have 3 red switches with [ I ] [ ACC ] [ O ] on them so i assume it's on, accessory, off and the accessory means it's always on.
Could i use these 3 switches to do weird glitchy sounds?


Instead of going the circuit bending route of just poking and seeing what happens,
i'd like to go with a more scientific route so i won't fry the thing.


I can post images of the circuit board once i get enough time to skin this thing.

Thanks!

 

Apparently the boxed I is code for something so it disappeared. And it won't let me edit it.. But you get the idea...

 

Avoid using boxed letters. These are called tags and are used to format text and alter how things are displayed on your screen.

 

I have a feeling you are going to be disappointed by these efforts.
Modern electronic toys are so heavily integrated that not much tweakable circuitry is accessible.
The CPU that runs the toy is black-box, you cannot read it, nor alter the code, the clock oscillator is usually inside the chip so you cannot change the clock rate.

 

How about that pause/loop switch?

Some guy managed to hook it up to an atari controller..

None of these have any instructions where to hook up the wiring.. I have all the switches and push buttons and a roll of wire ready but i fail to find any pictures or instructions how to do it.. And the poke and see method can fry the thing hard..

 

Found this link:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Change-Furbys-Clock-by-RadioWaves-from-Home-applia/

Not something that i'd do but it has a picture of the circuit board that the specific furby i have, has..
If someone experienced could check out anything that's a certain no-no that should not be shortcircuited?

My original plan was to just take one piece of wire and start poking around what makes the weirdest sound.
But after hearing that there is a 60% chance you'll fry it each time.. I think i'd rather have someone else have a look who actually knows about this stuff..

 

Found this link:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Change-Furbys-Clock-by-RadioWaves-from-Home-applia/

Not something that i'd do but it has a picture of the circuit board that the specific furby i have, has..
If someone experienced could check out anything that's a certain no-no that should not be shortcircuited?

My original plan was to just take one piece of wire and start poking around what makes the weirdest sound.
But after hearing that there is a 60% chance you'll fry it each time.. I think i'd rather have someone else have a look who actually knows about this stuff..

Right off the top of my head, that's the silliest/dumbest thing I've seen in months. Don't do it.

 

Right off the top of my head, that's the silliest/dumbest thing I've seen in months. Don't do it.

Why not? The toy is useless and annoying. Only thing despite throwing it in the trash would be actually modifying it and learning about electronics.

 

OK, maybe you can remove the resonator and inject some variable frequency pulse train into the clock input.The Atari joystick guy has probably done just that.

But it's far more complex than just "poking around with a wire"

 

OK, maybe you can remove the resonator and inject some variable frequency pulse train into the clock input.The Atari joystick guy has probably done just that.

But it's far more complex than just "poking around with a wire"

How about the loop switch? Pausing it by holding down a button would be hilarious.

 

How about the loop switch? Pausing it by holding down a button would be hilarious.

And again you actually have to know and understand how the digital circuitry is setup to do so which if you're just a beginner in electronics what you want to do is about like someone who can barely change a windshield wiper on their vehicle wanting to take on the task of building a high performance engine for said vehicle from their stock one.

 

And again you actually have to know and understand how the digital circuitry is setup to do so which if you're just a beginner in electronics what you want to do is about like someone who can barely change a windshield wiper on their vehicle wanting to take on the task of building a high performance engine for said vehicle from their stock one.

In that case, i'll just do the poke and hope it doesn't fry method..
Are there any extremely obvious locations that should not be short circuited?

I thought that i'd just poke around the resistors near the processor and hook up a potentiometer to the resistor poles and then "bypass it" by changing the resistance and hope the pitch changes or something happens.. Or i could just connect two resistors with eachother so there is a loop between two and it would short circuit it somehow..

First mod i'll do is an on off switch because those things are annoying AND they don't shut up ever..
Gonna just cut the positive terminal wire and hook up a switch between it..

 

Have a garbage can at the ready- you are going to need it.

If you must:

Here is a rule to help prevent needing the garbage can:

1) Be very careful to never short two short any metallic conductors together without a resistor in series to prevent destructive current flow.
Use a 100 ohm resistor for battery powered, low voltage stuff like this.

Randomly shorting stuff with a wire is a sure way to blow it up.
Keep in mind that this thing is mostly digital, there is not much analog "bendable" stuff going on- don't expect much.

 

So i should have a wire that has a 100 ohm resistor in the middle. And use that wire to short circuit different components together and have a SMALLER RISK of frying anything.

 

So i should have a wire that has a 100 ohm resistor in the middle. And use that wire to short circuit different components together and have a SMALLER RISK of frying anything.

Basically, yes.