Blatboy

I installed MIOS and the 6582 hex on all cores (admittedly after a few drinks at the pub) The box is behaving much more nicely now and even loaded the presets without a problem. (With the exception that I unwittingly attempted to install them into the ensemble bank at first.) It always starts up with all sids pointing to channel 16 regardless what I did in the last session. There must be a way to adjust this, right? Still not getting a sound... but I'm admittedly at home in my kitchen using a battery powered mini (mono) marshall amp. A real test can't happen till I'm on a working system I suppose. This being said, I could hear some noise when I sent notes to the box... but just faint white noise when notes changed, regardless patch. Getting closer, but still no cigar. I want that Cuban stogie, you dig??!!?? Crazy the next few days... maybe not able to really test till Sunday. :( However, I do feel progress has been made... :)

Great. Thanks. I'll hopefully get to it tonight...

From "Initial Installation of Slave Cores" Ok... making sure I understand this... (FYI I've already successfully --I think-- installed the MB6582 onto the master core) so, the bootloader comes pre installed into my PIC chips I got from SmashTV, therefore I dont' need to worry about step 1 or step 3. on steps 2 and step 4, I install onto all cores by moving J11 for each core, correct? (on step 4 I use the mb6502 hex instead of the midibox_sid_v2 hex)

Good morning. When I try to clone the cores, it finishes core 01 saying "Address: 00", then on core 02 and 03 it says "Address: 0D !!!!" Then it says "!!!!!!!! Clone Failed !!!!!!" I double checked, and I do have a 1K resistor at R80. I tried this with SIDs in cores 00 and 01,(core 1 and 2 depending on your numbering scheme) and without them in core 01 (core 2) as well. Any ideas of where I can test/troubleshoot next? Thanks!

cool. Thanks. Sorry I missed that in the manual...

I'm having some odd problems... still can't get a sound out of my mb6582. I'm still in the troubleshooting phase. As opposed to going through my list of issues and questions, which I still want to research more before I annoy you further, I do want to pose this question: Do I need to install the 6582 application individually for each of the four cores, moving the jumper at J11 for each installation? Thanks w

I'm in for 20 blue/transparent I didn't see a black opaque option, but if there was (or a blue) I would get 20 of those too. Thanks!

Does the MidiBox need to be in a special mode to receive the data? I'm sending via the SysEx tool to my box and it doesn't seem to be receiving it... Thanks!

Thanks! of course I just upgraded to 10.7... Maybe I can try it on my wife's laptop... hmmmm w

Another potentially stupid question: Do I need to put the MB-6582 into a SysEx receive mode to receive the data using the SysEx tool that comes with MIOS Studio? If so, how do I get to it? Thanks

Amazing. I think it works. The only snag I had was forgetting to put the jumper in at J11. After that, it seemed to boot up just fine. I've yet to get a sound out of it (slight drawback), but I think that's more my inexperience with the operating system than anything else. Just playing a midi keyboard into it doesn't seem to get it going. That being said, I'm about to delve into the use of MIOS. I'll post pics and more thoughts when I get a little more time. Thanks for the help and for putting up with me. I can't believe it's alive! :) w

I thought it was something simple like that. :rolleyes: I'll take care of it and tell ya how it goes. Thanks again!

It's taken a considerable amount of time due to life/work getting in the way, but I finally got my MB-6582 to the point where it should power up and go. I attached the control board to the enclosure. All good there. I made all my cables. I ended up scrapping the original idea of making them removable on both sides, the plugs didn't fit inside the case. (Just as you had thought, Hawkeye) Maybe I'll find another use for those parts one day. I soldered the base PCB side of the cables to the headers like the tutorial, and have some heat shrink tubing on them ready to go. When all my cables were attached, I powered up. Sadly nothing really happened. I just got the same screen I originally got when the LCD started working. No lights, no fanfare... I just get a nice copyright notice from TK, and the awfully positive seeming, "READY." I moved pots, and hit buttons. Nada. I double checked my cables and it seems they are attached ok. Those PIC chips on the base PCB are already all set up to go, right? The operating system just doesn't seem to be doing anything. Or did I perhaps not hook something up correctly. I only have two SID chips in for testing, (why fry them all, right?) but that shouldn't matter, right? Did I miss some insanely obvious header connection or something? Any ideas? See below: Here's a couple peeks inside: Thanks!

I can't wait to finish it and fire it up. My M2.5 and M3 screws/nuts just came in the mail, and I should have time to do some more work on it tomorrow. Since I have the same LEDs as you I should just be able to use the 1K resistors, right? How would one test that w/out soldering? Since the LCD screen seems to work, I figure it's probably safe to put a SID in... yes? I've done all the other testing. :) w

Hey Hawkeye, In Step 14 you call for 4pcs M2.5 x 10mm screws (Reichelt SZK M2,5x10)... is there enough room in there to use 12mm screws? 10mm are hard to find around here without buying in bulk... Thanks! [EDIT] Actually, buying 100 is pretty darn cheap... so I'm just gonna do it.

It's been a while since I posted, as it's been a while since I've been able to work on the MB6582. I've been waiting for parts to come in (namely the LCDs from China.) In the meantime, I replaced all the SMD capacitors on the logic board of an old, non working Mac Classic II I had bought on ebay for a song. It actually works now! I'm gaining a little confidence. (Look out!) So, I took all your helpful suggestions to heart. I made a new LCD cable, attached the connector, and tested all the connections. I twisted and tinned the ends of the wires, fluxed the pads on the LCD and added some solder. Once I did all that, soldering all the connections was a breeze. Then, the moment of truth (er, again) I turned it on. Nothing. Turned it off. I thought it might be a good idea to try switching pins 15 and 16, as I had completely followed Hawkeye's tutorial being that I had the same part that he used (er, but mine was in blue) So, it seems that the pads were labeled correctly on my part, as when I turned it on a second time, and adjusted the contrast, I got this: What an amazing thrill it was to see THAT! I celebrated in a 12oz fashion afterwards. Seriously, I'm so happy that it worked. So, I guess I move on... I've already started crimping cables to connect the base PCB to the control board with my new crimping tool. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. I'm feelin' like I'm gonna start cookin' with gas here. ...but I don't want to jinx it...

Also, Technobreath: I bought some flux thanks to your recommendations. I also really appreciate the thorough explanation. I'll follow that when the LCDs come in. The flux I was able to find at Radio Shack was the paste type. Since I still have a little to wait for these parts to come in, I may just order some of the liquid stuff... Thanks again!

Thanks so much guys. I've been waiting for the new LCDs to come in and have been doing some experimenting on other projects while I wait. (I'm building a lab DC power supply) Hopefully I'll eventually get this MB6582 working and become a little more comfortable. I want to eventually get one of those fancy LCDs like yours, Hawkeye, but (as you well know) that's a pretty penny if I fry that sucker. I gotta get a new crimper. I started to make some of the ribbon cables to connect the base to the control psb... but my "crimper" sucks. (I'm using one of those crimper/wire cutter/stripper combos that doesn't actually do a good job at any one of those things...) I pretty much have all my parts, though I've not been able to find the right size heat sinks for the SIDs from any of the US parts people. Anyhoo, I'm rambling. Again...thanks for all the encouragement. I'm still at it!!!! :)

awesome!

My next job was to tackle the LCD. I think I made a few mistakes, the first being the fact that I didn't take enough pictures. I made my cable. I crimped on the 10 pin connector to the ribbon cable, no problem. I did my tests and it seemed ok. When I started soldering the ribbon cable to the LCD, I think I did them upside down. It was odd, because I was trying to match the picture (photo 7 on step 12) on the tutorial, but I noticed the little arrow on the connector that I thought was supposed to point to pin 1. I assumed that's what I shoudl do as opposed to just copying the picture. Doing it that way made it seem that the connector was upside down compared to the picture, though it's not easy to see. Looking back, that was pretty flawed thinking. (One of my specialties!) Being that I had the same LCD from China (in blue) that Hawkeye used for his, I figured the pins would match, even the mis labeled pins. The soldering was a little difficult. I had strands of wire that kept wanting to short to the pin next to it. I probably should twist the ends better next time. So, either my two bad assumptions or my messy soldering could have been the culprit... I plugged in the LCD like I saw on the tutorial (with the ribbon going towards the PIC chip), and turned on the power. Nothing. I tried moving the contrast pot on the control board. Nothing. Then I smelled something. Ooops. I quickly unplugged it. After inspection, one of the rubber circles on the LCD was REALLY hot, and some of the rubber looked like it may have been a wee bit melted. I thought about how I may had put the ribbon cable on backwards (due to my thoughts about the arrow on the connector) and I figured I'd try to plug in the LCD the other way, just very quickly, to see what happened. Sure enough, I got something on the LCD screen, but no words or anything. It sorta lit up and then went out. After subsequent tries, continuity tests, and some cleaning up my soldering job, I think I possibly fried the LCD. :( Or maybe the polarity isn't labeled correctly? How do I test that? Just switch the two and test and pray there's no magic smoke? So... a PSU and an LCD I've fried. Damn. I'm a piece of work. I have my doubts if I am advanced enough to be really doing this project. I have no testing instincts, nor do I really know how to test everything. I might just order another LCD (or two.) At least they're cheap. ...but I won't have this thing finished for the concert, for sure. I'll be playing Hardsid instead...

It's been a minute since I posted... I'm sure you've missed me. I made some progress... then I hit a bump in the road. Then, some work came in, and thank goodness for that, but it's eaten into the time I'd rather be spending getting this synth project finished. Anyhoo... the progress. (I'll put the bump in the road on the next post) Here is the front panel with the tactile switches: I made a mask with the cardboard that came with my front panel: Here's the control board with the glue gunned hex spacers: The front panel after sanding: And the control board under a big pile of books: Then I put on the machined socket strips and the filter capacitors, which was basically the last step I needed to do for the base PCB before putting in the ICs: Then added the pots and 3 colors of LEDS: (I know man, I'm friggin' CRAZY.) Planning the colors and putting in the LEDs was probably one of the most fun parts of this project so far IMHO. I have no idea what that says about me. And the look of it with the front panel on and the LEDS! Woo hoo! More to come.

Hmmmm. I suppose the only reason I'm shying away from soldering directly on the headers is my lack of experience w/heat shrink. We do have a heat gun in the basement, last time I checked. It would be cheaper... and I wouldn't have to mail order the heat shrink... as I can get that at a local store... tempting... Decisions, decisions, decisions... Thanks again for the help!!!!! w

If I use those parts on the control board, do you think there is room to use the non-right angle version of that (http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity-AMP/280373-1/?qs=NCegfZXRvjjzCEJiYYjYfiA5umXozxJqNairr85cg%252bI%3d) on the main PCB? I think I'd prefer to do that than solder directly on the header and use heat shrink... The plugs that go with both parts are here: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity/280361/?qs=pyJNMv4wmxfbeWN9ZX56LQ%3d%3d

Thanks!!!

NICE! I'm lovin' the changes on the bridge, too. What a crazy visual setup too. Great job. I'm in a duo of trombone & guitar + vintage electronics, and found this inspiring!