Use a high-impedance speaker together with a small transformer. Or, if your sound frequency doesn't vary very mutch, use a piezo transducer in parallel with an impedance of some mH. I 've used this for an alarm device. Produces VERY loud sounds. >---------- >Von: Werner Terreblanche[SMTP:wterreb@PLESSEY.CO.ZA] >Gesendet: Montag, 7. April 1997 12:21 >An: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU >Betreff: Driving a speaker directly with a PIC > >I've got a simple question, but would really welcome some comments by >other people who had similiar experience. > >I'm using a PIC in a battery operated device, and amongst other the >PIC must output some sound on a speaker. My question is... how do I >increase the sound volume without draining too much extra power. My >current method is to use two I/O pins that would always reverse polarity >and thus give you evectively 10Vpp swing across the leads of the >speaker. And yes, I do have a capacitor in series to protect the I/O >pins! :) > >However I find that the sound is still not loud enough. Would it >help to rather use a transistor to drive the speaker? Would internal >impedance mismatch with speaker have a great influence on the volume? >Is there any type of small amplifier that runs of the 5V supply that >someone can recommend? > >I will appreciate some advice. > >Rgds >Werner >-- >Werner Terreblanche http://www.aztec.co.za/users/werner >wterreb@plessey.co.za (work) OR werner@aztec.co.za (home) >Plessey SA, PO Box 30451,Tokai 7966, Cape Town, South Africa >or at home : Suite 251, PostNet X5061, Stellenbosch, 7599 >Tel +27 21 7102251 Fax +27 21 7102886 Home +27 21 8872196 >------------------------------------------------------------ >