EsotericLabs

I'll take 20 encoders. Mailed you!

An update on the DB50XG and NEC XR385 sound boards. I got it up and running with a GMVoice like docking board for the sound card and the output level shifters on the LPC17 side. I needed to connect both the M+ and M- wires to get it to work, so basicly a full midi out and midi in interface, apart from the DIN connectors. Now I'm working on mios based software for the XG and TB mode of the card, the voicing and the effect system, the QS300 user voices and multipart and drum setups. A crude and primitive 0.1 is working already, hope to get the effect section running before end of January. It will be a module (two .c and two .h) that can be integrated in any mios/scs/sdcard based application.

I'm also in for a desktop case for the Seq4 with lpc17 core

For documenting purposes: I had compiling errors with seq_scales.c and seq_chords.c on my Mac (osx 10.7.5) with Xcode 4.5.2: Missing brackets near initializer. It's most probably a quirk on this particular setup. It's got something to do with arrays and unions within typedefs, needing different curly brackets. In seq_scales.c I changed the scale data arrays to (double opening and closing curly brackets instead of single): {{ 0, 2, 2, 4, 4, 5, 7, 7, 9, 9, 11, 11,"Major " }}, and in seq_chords the chord arrays to (extra curly brackets around the numbers) { {0, 4, 7, -1}, "Maj.I " }, And then it compiled properly!

Hello, I still experience too fast tempos with the tap tempo function on my seq4l.068. If I tap along a beat, it speeds up! I have both the newest firmware and the new bootloader. Strange, not? Edit: found it and solved! The seq4L file seq_ui.c function 3SEQ_UI_Button_TapTempo() still had the old code. I checked in file seq_ui_bpm function SEQ_UI_BPM_TapTempo() of the big seq4. The bpm calculation was different, so I put big seq4's version in and Bingo! // original seq4l version: comes up with too high tempo // u32 bpm = 60000000 / (accumulated_delay / tap_tempo_beat_ctr); // new version copied from the large seq4 seq_ui_bpm.c function SEQ_UI_BPM_TapTempo u32 bpm = 60000000 / (accumulated_delay / TAP_DELAY_STORAGE_SIZE);

Correctly moved: much of what I want (and much much more) is covered in the MIDIO128v3. Thanks to Sparx for pointing me there. There is no such thing as reading just enough on ucapps an the forums, there is always more great information to be found. I am already rethinking the software strategy.

Hello, I'm planning to work on an extended midi file player - tentatively called Hyper Songbook. I'm not completely unexperienced any more, but still kind of new.. If the idea belongs to another forum, please move it. I'll add my progress (if any) and look forward to reading ideas and suggestions that come up! The basic hardware setup is an LPC17 core with an LCD, the standard control surface and an SDCard. Then a waveblaster daughterboard (a DB60XG clone for instance..) and -as I came to understand- also the midi level shifters or output buffers. There's a thread on wavetable daughterboards and especially the DB60XG (or its NEC XR385 OEM version) and The hardware may eventually evolve to add audio in, an onboard mixer with dpot control and relay switching. The basic software setup is of course TK's midi file player tutorial #019 and the standard control surface tutorial #027: an excellent starting point. I want to upload midi files thru USB, so in comes the code in msic/usb_mass_storage_device. The built-in xr385 will be the standard playback device, so I'll need to code for its numerous modes and effects. I have a keyboard and an Axon midi guitar converter (that's a pretty amazing machine..), so I want to hook up this gear, both for controlling playback and for playing along. I'll need more dedicated code for controlling them as well. I might even buy a Behringer FCB1010 foot controller for playback control. Most probably, playback control (start/stop/pause, next/previous song, tempo changes etc) wll be handled by CC's or the dedicated messages like song select. The playalong feature will add lots of fun. Why not include an arpeggiator, force to scale mode and / or sample triggering? All the sofware is there, written by TK and you guys'n'gals and hopefully I can manage to patch it up together and add the remaining bits. Where am I now: the basic hardware setup is working with the file player and the standard control surface tutorials glued together.

Hello Midiboxers, My standard 2x16 LCD shows only squares on the upper line. It has worked before properly, I doublechecked the cable. I measured voltages on the J15A pins, Vss = 0V; Vdd= 5V; VO depends on the setting of the contrast pot, the same on the properly labeled soldering islands on the display itself. Solved: the IC2 74HC595 was toasted. New one in and LCD working.

Do you have the mios toolchain installed? http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=macos_mios32_toolchain_core I don t think sdcc is still needed with newer macs. The tool chain uses the compiler gcc. I got the same type of errors when my environment settings were not correct. Do you compile and build within Xcode? Then you must add " export PATH= /path to mios_toolchain/bin:$PATH " to your run script. Hope this helps, otherwise post or pm me.

Update: I also tested whether the midi signal gets from the core thru to the docking board. I soldered a led and a 100R resistor between +5V and the midi in signal line after the 74LS00 (closest as possible to the soundboard itself). This led happily flashed in sync with the led on the LPC1796. I also found that several designs have a 270R in the output lines (Others have opamp amplifiers). But still no sound.. I then connected Analog out to the ground of the 5V supply (it's an SNP0502 from Skynet in Taiwan) to see whether that makes a difference - No.. Now only a second digital ground wire is connected to the GND of the +/- 12V supply. I checked with the seller, he says boards were tested before shipping and that he will send tips to get it set up properly (but now he's asleep on the other side of the globe). In the meantime I improved the testing rig by soldering headers and connectors to the boards most frequently mounted and taken off again. My next step will be to wait for the ICL7662 voltage inverter IC and to build a +/- 12V with 7812 & 7912 & caps from the fan output of the SNP and a combined PSU header rail with +5/0/+12/-12V. Leaves more space on my board The velleman will make a fine lab PSU with adjustable voltages one day. I aslo consider build an output / input amplifier board with some opamps. Most schems have it and Mike also built one for input. But honestly, I don't see why this would help, but possibly maybe. If any of you have hints, please let me know. I think I have most of the common issues sorted out, but I'll be happy to have missed one in return for having this work..

If you're working with Xcode 4, some steps are here There are also posts on older Xcode versions.

My PSU is still in two parts. One is a complete 5v 2a board from budgetronics.eu. See link 1). The second one delivers + and -12v at max 1A it is a Velleman kit 8042 see link 2. I was a bit afraid of 230 v so I wanted something ready made or reliable. Only later I found that the SNP has a fan connector t 15V and that voltage inverter IC' s exist. I planned to use the voltage inverter and a pair of 7812 /7912 with proper capacitors ( The velleman can be used for other purposes then) . If you re not from Europe: velleman is a prime supplier of electronic DIY kits The SNP feeds the core and the sound card with 5v through a small board with a double row header. Digital ground of the sound card is linked to the SNP ground. +and-12v is linked to the velleman of course. The velleman ground is connected t both digital and analog ground. This is the only place AGND an DGND meet. This also connects the two PSU'S grounds, otherwise they may be floating. There is a 3 pin header taking analog ground and audio L&R out to an audio jack on an alu piece of L profile. Now you ask, the hum on the elco goes away when I touch this profile. Maybe there is a ground loop? But then, why wouldn't the card function at all? And the reset on pin 26 has a 10k pull-up resistor to 5v and a 10uF electrolytic capacitor to ground. No button yet. When I got the board, everything was on. Only later the tiny SMD thing came off. I soldered a normal one in place. The black side of smd is negative, I found on the Internet. I hope this info leads to somewhere. If you see anything strange, please tell. If not I ll ask the seller for a replacement. Or I ll built a docking with a ready made board, vero strip board is nice, but prone to error in my hands... Thanks a million! In between I'm working on c chores specific for the Db60xg and more general for midi gear. I ll be happy to share them if you want them. http://www.budgetronics.eu/index.php?item=voedingsprint-5-volt-10-watt&action=article&group_id=39&aid=6955&lang=NL http://www.velleman.eu/products/search/?q=8042&search=Search

Did that and the LED is flashing. The core then must be working correctly. It is either the docking or the sound card itself. But also with the unused inputs of the 74LS00 wired to ground, no sound yet. I measured voltages on the docking board without sound card, which seem correct (input 4v98 high pulled up - out 1 & inputs 2a & B low 0V11 (NANDed) - out 2 high 4v43, pin 4 high. This seems correct to me. With the NEC XR385 board mounted pin 8 (midi out) is also pulled up to about 4V97 -> the xr385 has pin 8 as a midi thru. Supply voltage is 5V03 to be exact. What do you think about the hum when touching elco's on the soundcard? is it normal? I would expect the casings of these smd elco's to be grounded. Maybe I should reclamate to the seller of the sound card? Thanks again, I appreciate your help very much.

Yes but how? I don't have a midi 3/4 breakout box yet. Any other method? No they're not yet. Will do & let you know. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Hello, May I ask for debugging hints? I have a NEX XR385 card; the DB60XG clone connected to my LPC 17 core. I think its properly set up and connected (at least I'm out of debugging ideas), but: No Sound... All PSU pins on the card show proper voltages; the card's midi is connected to j4b.Sc. first directly, then through two stages of a 74LS00 (double NAND) as in most schematics for waveblaster breakout boxes, with a 1k2 pullup to +5V on the TTL signal input (elector; GM Voice by Sparx; Mikes, Wave SA). Line outs are fed directly into crappy but functional PC speakers. Pin 4 of the soundcard (midi in) with the 74LS00 buffer measures 1.43V, J4B.SC on the core measures 2.15V. I interpreted this as some average over a signal of zero's and ones (+5V) as i don't have a scope. Reset (pin 26) is properly pulled up to +5V with 10k and has a 10uF elco to GND. Got the card from Ebay, one SMD elco fell off and i replaced it with a regular one. c33 and c34 make the speakers hum when touched left resp right. My firmware is basicly tutorial #001 forwarding midi - with all input going to UART3 - thats midi 4 out aka j4b right? #define MIOS32_UART_NUM 4 is present in mios32_config.h but no further initialization in App_init. I added debug messeage to tell of incoming midi in the mios terminal - this works fine. But no sound.. I added a GM reset to the App_Init and a "set master volume to 127" thru sysex. But no sound... I feel I'm stuck, I would appreciate your debugging hints & directions to look into very much. Or might the soundcard itself be faulty?

It is the Standard Control Surface hardware from tutorial #027. I wanted to make a basic program myself for learning how to work with this hardware. And in the end, I got it working! For serious applications, I would use the full code of tutorial #027 with lots of functionality ready-made.

D'akujem moc! Now it works like a charm. In my first try, I connected RC2 instead of RC1. And i had figured out the links between DO/DI & MISO & MOSI incorrectly. Thank you for helping me out! Have you posted on your projects? I'd love to see them. And for all the other newbs around: the config in the post above is correct!

Thank you for your insights- i think i did it right, connecting a cable to the card is well documented and the different pin names are easily found on the web. i swapped miso and mosi but no result. I ll solder a female header to the cable and test the spare parts. One resistor looks out of place on this one. I ll let you know..