What determines the duration of a baby lamp?

[jaysgr]

It might be a silly question, but what determines the duration of a baby lamp that goes off after a few minutes?

Also, does anyone know how the songs on a baby toy work?
I mean, where are these songs recorded (which component) and how can they alter by the press of the same button? Each time you press the button a different song plays. When all the song play one by one , they start again from the first one, like in a loop.

 

[Gryd3]

It might be a silly question, but what determines the duration of a baby lamp that goes off after a few minutes?

Also, does anyone know how the songs on a baby toy work?
I mean, where are these songs recorded (which component) and how can they alter by the press of the same button? Each time you press the button a different song plays. When all the song play one by one , they start again from the first one, like in a loop.

To sum it up for you.
The easiest method would probably be a purpose programmed microcontroller.
Make the program once, and duplicate it by millions, and you have a special part that behaves exactly how you want it to.

This microprocessor can take care of timing, and the songs.


If you want to go into more detail, we are certainly welcome to go there, but no hard answer can be provided, as this topic has soo many solutions it could blow up to a few dozen pages easily talking about pros and cons to each approach, which one is better, cheaper, more robust, easier to build etc.

 

[garublador]

I was half way though saying something really similar when I got ninja'd.

To add a bit, Google "PIC Microcontrollers" to see examples of these types of devices.

 

[jaysgr]

Thanks for your replies guys!