Wiring and loading sounds

What you need

Item

Note

AMR-SPK-5-24-RS485 speaker box

DC 12–36 V supply

At least 800 mA

USB-to-RS485 adapter

The same one used with the RFID readers works

Micro USB cable

For loading sounds — needed once, at setup

WAV or MP3 files

Prepare them first

Wiring

Pin

Connect to

V+

12–36 V positive

V- / GND

Negative

A / 485+

Adapter A

B / 485-

Adapter B

Warning

Bond the grounds together. RS485 measures the voltage difference between A and B. If the speaker and the controller run from separate supplies with no common ground, the reference floats and you get intermittent communication — much harder to diagnose than an outright failure.

Swapped A and B

Nothing breaks, but nothing replies either — which looks identical to:

  • the wrong protocol (Modbus vs vendor-specific)

  • no power

  • a broken cable

Tip

Work cheapest-first. Swap A and B — ten seconds. Still silent? Try the other protocol page. Those two cover most cases. Measure voltages afterwards.

Loading sounds

Audio does not travel over RS485. Load it over Micro USB.

  1. Power the box off, then connect Micro USB to a PC

  2. It appears as an ordinary USB drive

  3. Create folders named AW001, AW002 … up to AW255

  4. Copy audio files into the folders you want

  5. Eject it properly with Safely Remove

Important

Folder names must be AW plus exactly three digits — AW001, not AW1. The manual specifies a fixed five-character format.

Get it wrong and playback is silent, with no error.

Warning

🔴 Do not unplug immediately after copying. The manual warns this can corrupt the storage or lose data. Always use Safely Remove and wait for confirmation.

First connection

Port settings are fixed and cannot be changed.

Value

Baud rate

9600

Data · stop · parity

8 · 1 · none

Device address

1

Trying it with the test tool first is faster than writing code blind.

Mounting

Important

Point the speaker at where people are, with nothing in front of it. Sound travels in a straight line; aimed into the chassis, most of the loudness is lost.

Danger

🔴 Never mount it where it can be hosed down. IP23 is not waterproof — it handles dripping water at up to 60° from vertical only.

Never mount it facing upward; water will pool in the speaker grille.

Tip

Two mounting options — DIN rail or screws. On a robot that vibrates constantly, use screws with rubber isolators. DIN rail is designed for cabinets that stay still.

The volume knob

There is a knob on the back. Clockwise is louder.

Warning

🔴 The knob multiplies the software volume — it does not replace it.

With the knob turned down, commanding volume 28 is still quiet, and you will not find the cause because every command still reports success.

Turn the knob fully up at installation and control loudness from software only, so there is one variable instead of two.