Musical Feet: A Step-by-Step Approach to Music Generation

The proposed digital system consists of several different modules that can be divided into three main groups: input modules, audio output modules, and video output modules. All of these modules will be clocked off a 27MHz clock signal provided by the 6.111 Labkit. The system’s input comes from an analog signal produced by a pedometer, and it is then processed by the input modules to produce relevant data pertaining to the tempo and tonality of the generated music. These data signals are then sent to both the video and the audio output modules. The video output modules create a visualization pattern consisting of ripples that occur whenever a footstep is taken. The audio output modules use the data produced by the input modules to generate notes to be synthesized. These notes are produced from samples stored in BRAMs and then sent to the AC97 to be converted into analog signals, which can then be played by a speaker. The following sections outline the general function and implementation of the various modules. Figure 1, attached at the end of this proposal, is a high-level block diagram showing the interconnections between the modules.