Specifications

There are two buffers represented in the flow chart. The path buffer is the buffer the

openMP3 function creates to store the path and filename in and the song buffer is the

buffer the function stores the song name in. It starts by adding the song number to the

start of the buffer and then copying each character from the beginning of the path into

the song buffer one character at a time. If it reads a ‘\’ in the path buffer it moves the

pointer to the current position in the song name buffer back to the beginning and re-

inserts the song number. The same is done if a space is read that is followed by ‘–‘ and

another space, representing a separator in MP3 naming standards. As a result the song

name that is stored is the song buffer after all the back slashes and dash separators. The

string copying stops when it gets to a ‘.’ followed by ‘m’ ‘p’ ‘3’. The string that remains

is the song name that is sent to the player. The player then successfully prints this to the

LCD.

5.3.9 The Graphical user interface (GUI).

The main function of the GUI is to enable a search through the computers on the

network and then select files to go on the song play list. This play list should also be

able to be modified while the music is playing.

5.3.9.1 Where should the GUI be?

This question came up at various design stages of the project. GUI means the interface

the users operates to navigate through the Windows computers on the network selecting

files to be put into the play list. This can also be extended to an interface that allows the

user to navigate through the play list while in a playback mode. Initially the goal was to

place all of this on the player itself. An LCD would provide the required display and

buttons would provide the controls needed. Due to development time limitations, it was

decided to develop the GUI on a PC connect to the player through the network.

5.3.9.2 The web page based GUI

Many possibilities were opened up by this decision, not only which development

environment would be used, but how the communication with Windows and the MP3

player could be arranged.