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Bluetooth Media Remote

Switch Activated

QR code to instructions

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Project Description

This project modifies a commercially available bluetooth media remote to support switch activation. It involves soldering female audio jacks to the existing board buttons. The device is lightweight and can be connected to a wide range of mobile devices or computers allowing for access to media software such as Spotify and other music applications.

This device is helpful for users with physical disabilities who would like quickly play/pause music and navigate between tracks.

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate (soldering is required)

⚠️ This open-source assistive technology project, including any instructions for modifying commercial products, is provided strictly "as is" without any warranties of any kind. By utilizing these materials, you assume all risks associated with the assembly, modification, and use of the designs, and you acknowledge that neither the creators nor the contributors will be liable for any damage, loss, or personal injury that may result from the use or inability to use the project or any resulting altered devices.

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Project Video

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Project License

This project is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution- ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

To help contribute to this project or provide feedback:

Email info@zeroday.camp

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Bill of Materials

Qty

Cost/item

Item/ Link to purchase

1

1

$16.99

2

3

$12.89/10

1

2

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Tools List

  • Wire strippers
  • Mini flathead screwdriver
  • Soldering iron and solder
  • Craft knife
  • Hot glue gun
  • Suguru (optional)

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Hardware Fabrication

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Test Device Operation

1

Pair the device through bluetooth with a mobile or computer opening a music playing application.

Press each button on the device to ensure all the buttons are correctly operating:

  • Play/Pause
  • Next Track
  • Previous Track
  • Volume Up
  • Volume Down

a

b

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Open the back case & remove battery

2

  1. Using a flathead screwdriver, insert the tip and open the back of the case.
  2. Remove the coin cell battery

a

b

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Remove the top cover

3

  1. Unscrew the cover ring from the front of the device
  2. From the back of the device, push the top cover off using the flathead screwdriver.

a

b

b

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Identify the button legs for modificationo8ewds3derewds7788888888888888‰5fhn 872311

4

Locate the 3 buttons and corresponding legs that will be connected to each mono jack.

⚠️ The legs will be on opposite and contralateral sides for each button.2

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``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````zaq ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````REF

Next Track Button

Play/ Pause Button

Previous Track Button

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Cut hole openings and thread wires through

5

Using a craft knife,

Cut an opening over the corresponding button areas and thread the mono jack wire through the opening.

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Prepare the mono jack wire

6

Using wire strippers,

  1. Remove ~½” of outer insulation.
  2. Remove about ¼” of inner insulation
  3. Twist wires into threaded bundle

Repeat the process for all 3 female mono jack wires.

a

b

c

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Tin the wires and button legs

7

Using the soldering iron and solder,

Apply a small amount of solder (tinning) to the tips of each wire and the identified legs on the PCB board from step #4.

💡If the solder does not attach properly to the legs of the PCB board, you may want to increase the heat of the soldering iron.

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Solder the wire to the button legs

8

Touch the tip of the wire to the button leg and apply heat from the soldering iron to solder the two components together.

Repeat the process for each button to be adapted.

Finished wires soldered to buttons

One end of wire soldered to leg of button

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Test the connections

9

  1. Reinsert the battery into the back of the device.
  2. Plug a switch into each jack and confirm the functionality of each button.

a

b

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Close the case

10

If all the switches are working properly:

  1. Carefully move the front case flush with the board.
  2. Reapply and turn case front ring.
  3. Close the back cover.

c

a

b

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Fasten the wires in place

11

Using a hot glue gun,

Apply glue around each wire to prevent it from getting pulled out and disconnected during usage.

Alternative: mold and apply Suguru around each wire and allow time to cure and harden.

a

b

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Troubleshooting

Switch press does not operate button during testing�- Confirm the correct button legs were soldered.�- Confirm wires are not touching each other or body of the button.�- Ensure the battery is inserted during testing process.�- Ensure the device is correctly paired.�- Remove and reply case cover in the event that wires shifted during this process.

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Deliverables Checklist

  • Bluetooth Media Remote Device
  • Coin cell battery
  • Original device instructions

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Device Storage & Maintenance

Maintain the device away from liquids or moisture at all time.

Prevent pulling or strain on the mono jack wires.

The device will automatically enter sleep mode after 30 seconds of inactivity. Any button press will reactivate it.

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Device Usage

  1. Pair the media controller with host device through bluetooth settings. The device will appear as “SmartRemote”.
  2. Launch the desired music application (Spotify, Music, etc.)
  3. Insert a switch into the desired jack for functionality as follows:

Next Track

Play/ Pause

Previous Track

Connecting a switch to the jack

Jack functionality

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Zero Day Camp (EIN: 81-4645962) is a Brooklyn based computer programming and robotics non-profit working to improve youth critical media literacy through direct services as well as development of instructional materials and tools. Learn more at https://zeroday.camp.

This work © 2025 by Zero Day Camp is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International