Arkay

Thanks taximan. I'll keep looking through the code. Maybe for some bizarre reason I might have to set the menu encoder to type 3 and everything else to a different type. That's what it's felling like. Though I'm yet to find a type that works perfectly for the non detented encoders. That shouldn't make sense either as they are all the same type. Hope I can sort it as buying another 15 ALPS encoders is something I'd rather avoid. Not due to the cost, more to the disassembly and desoldering required.... I really dislike desoldering! :) Cheers, Arkay.

Ok. I've checked and the resistor arrays are all in place, all the right way around as far as I understand. Can't see the squares anymore but the dot on each of the arrays is directly below the resistor number which if I remember correctly from the schematics is the way it should be. I'm not sure what else I can check. Everything is ok until I turn the encoder, there's no jumping or randomness indicative of a short until I turn the encoder. Then they jump all over the place by up to 10 points in either direction, sometimes more. The ones with the removed detents are far worse than the menu encoder. Is there anything I can measure with a multimeter, anything I can trace to see what's going on. Sadly I don't have an oscilloscope. I have a bunch of new bourns encoders for my MBSEQv4, perhaps it's worth trying one of those to see if it acts the same way, if I can work out how to temporarily connect it to the base board without the CS plugged in. Cheers, Arkay.

Hi Antix, I'll check it all over. The arrays are definitely there, but I guess I could have put one in backwards or something (though I doubt it), it is worth checking. Cheers, Arkay.

Ok. Scratch my earlier excitement. Tried all possible encoder types now. 3 was better for the menu encoder that still has the detents, but all the others are lousy, jumping up to 10 points at a time seemingly at random. Going 1 step forwards, 2 steps back at times even though I'm moving it in the upward direction. Then at times it'll go 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,6,11,8,9,10 etc etc... It's odd. 1, 4 and 5 were no good at all, giving me two increments per click of the encoder, still with the randomness. I have to checkout the code at home and read it some more, just to make sure there's no other adjustments I can play with. I'm still open to suggestions though. Maybe people with mb6582's can confirm that they are able to accurately and repeatedly go up or down, 1 increment at a time, right the way through the range of whatever is selected? Maybe I'm expecting more accuracy than there can be? Cheers, Arkay.

Love this midibox stuff. It's all so well put together. Grabbed the code, read for a few mins, grabbed the required compiler, set 2 ENV VARS (love Linux!), found where the DETENT setup is in the mb-6582 setup assembly and just made myself 5 firmwares (1 for each encoder type), to try out when I get home. Looks like the default is type 2 and I'm sure I read type 3 was correct for the bourns encoders. Can't wait to get home and try it out now! Been so long since I looked at assembly and I actually miss it.... LOL. Stay tuned. Cheers, Arkay.

Cool, thanks. :) Bout time I looked at the code anyway. Now I have to work out how to get a dev environment working. Hope it compiles under linux :) Cheers, Arkay.

Hi Nebula, Thanks for the post :) I haven't experimented at all with the software yet. Trying to ascertain what I could look at before I get to that point. Will need to check everything but I'm pretty certain it's all ok. Everything works as it should, except the encoders. Shorts or ground issues I would think would show up at all times, not when only turning encoders. I'd also expect to see some problems with the LED's if the 595's were involved. All buttons work as expected. No double presses or bounce. I do have a fan connected at 5v, still looking for the right sized heat sinks here in Aus. Hopefully there's some test code to read the encoders and output what is going on. I'm using a C64 supply at the moment. Seemed more appropriate than messing with anything else during the initial build. Thanks! It was a great project. Highly enjoyable. Been a while since I'd done something like this, and I don't think I've ever done one that resulted in such a fun and awesome end product :D Cheers, Arkay.

Hi Guys, I've now completed my MB-6582 build and everything is working fine except for a minor issue with the encoders. I'm getting skipping/jumping of values in a repeatable fashion, but not at every detent (hard to explain). The encoders are the bourns type (mouser part PEC16-4220F-N0024). For example. If I turn the still detented menu encoder slowly, one detent at a time, I am able to select patch by patch in single increments for say the first 8 patches, but then it's like the encoder reaches some threshold and any minor movement at this point can send the values off wildly in either direction. Almost like a short in the encoder. It might jump 10 forward, could be several back. Whilst the encoder is in this position putting forward or backward pressure on it (without moving beyond the present detent), can result in the value continually changing, usually all the way back to 0, but where this occurs around the 360 degrees of a full rotation seems to be random (so it doesn't appear to be a set point in the encoder for instance). I could understand if it was a bad encoder. But this appears to be evident on all of the encoders (though all detents have been removed on the others), but they still jump in a similar fashion on slow turning). So I believe that the encoders are working as I can select individual increments to a point, up or down, but when trying to set a specific value (say 500 on the cutoff freq), it's near impossible without getting as close as possible with the encoder, then using buttons to inc/dec the value. I've searched and can't find anything that would still be relevant (I think). Mios 1.9g (which I have), supports the bourns encoder from what I've read. Other than that I've seen some mention of a variable in code (detended_3), but am unsure if I should need to resort to the code to try and fix this. I also have the latest MB-6582 v2.041 firwmare loaded. Is there a hex or an app that lets you test the encoders and what is coming back from them for accuracy? If I need to adjust something in the code I'm happy to do so. But given that SmashTV also sell these encoders I'd imagine that they should just work perfectly out of the box? Any help much appreciated. Thanks. Cheers, Arkay. P.S. The machine is perfectly usable as is as I can adjust everything well enough, but something just isn't right and I'd like to get it perfect ;) I can take a video of the effect if it would help.

Cool. Thanks. I'm building a sequencer next, parts on the way, so I'll see if I can order panels and windows at the same time. Cheers, Arkay.

LOL. Nice tool. But I fear for the strength needed to get these particular knobs off of these particular encoders it may have needed to be made of titanium infused kevlar, attached to a hydraulic arm. Seriously, I nearly jammed the panel in a door, tied them to the back of the car and drove away to get them off. Good news is that I managed to hold the underside of 6 of them whilst reefing the knobs off the top through a combination of prying and using the chip puller and wiggling the knobs a bit. As for the other 5 further into the center of the board that wasn't as pretty. I had to reef on each one until the encoders separated from their holding pins and pulled tight onto the underside of the panel, then I could keep pulling until the knob came off. Surprising I didn't do much damage.. Couple of tiny scratches on the knobs that I'll never notice. Having subsequently removed the panel from the control surface it's actually not so bad. I re-crimped the encoders together, tested them all with a multimeter just to make sure but they'll all fine, and I'm now gluing them with JB Weld so they can't come apart again. Does anyone know if you can still get (or where to get) those clear perspex windows I saw on some peoples MB6582's? I think I'll lubricate the inside of the knobs next time so I can get them off easily if I want to install a window later on. For now I might either use some clear plastic from an overhead transparency or a cd jewel case, just to keep the lcd protected. Cheers, Arkay.

Thanks for the suggestion ;). Yes, I can get something in between to hold the top of the encoders, at least for the bottom row and possibly the menu encoder, will require another set of hands but I can get a loan of those. I can give it a try. Though I'm still concerned that I'll have to pull too hard on the knobs and will likely damage them... Though they're easily replaced I guess. Cheers, Arkay.

Hi Everyone, Been busily completing my MB6582 build. Base board went together without issue with everything (all 8 sids), working correctly on first power up (awesome machine!). I finally got all the remaining parts for my control surface last week and have put it all together. All was going well there too until Sunday afternoon when the Mrs was hounding me to do other more important things (like grocery shopping)! Arrrrgggh. In my haste I put the panel on my CS, compete with flat LED's etc, everything in place, LCD mounted and Waldorf knobs installed, all ready to go. Obviously NOT following Hawkeye's instructions at this point due to the implied rush and having read them a few times. What I've stupidly done is assembled everything before putting it in the pactec case. Assuming the CS board and panel would slide into the pactec from the top, then be screwed down onto the 4 corner tabs. Dunno why I was thinking this. Of course this can't be done as the panel needs to be mounted to the top of the case first with the CS board then being put onto the panel 1 final time, lining up the leds and buttons etc. I figure DOH, ok, not so bad. I'll just pull everything apart and do it the way it's meant to be done. But herein lies the problem. I can't get the knobs off without causing damage. I've got a chip puller that I put either side of a knob, gives quite a firm grip on them, but I can't budge the damn things. I pulled one so hard it actually ripped the encoder clean out of it's metal mount (the ones used to disassemble the encoder to remove the detents). So I can't put enough pressure on the encoders to get the knobs off. This leaves me stuck. I have one possible option that is a little drastic and depends on the structure of the board but, theoretically, it should be possible to remove a square of the CS circuit board at each corner (Where the mount holes are), which should then let me slide the entire panel into the case with the CS panel sitting on the 4 corner tabs as it should (I have corner screw holes in the panel). I could then screw it into place and all would be well (sortof). Short of that I'm not really sure what to do. I can really have at it essentially stuffing all my knobs and encoders until I can get the panel off. But I'll then have to fix all the encoders (or de/resolder new ones), plus get 15 new knobs and there's potential there to damage a perfectly well assembled control surface board and panel as well. I can't tell you how pissed I am with my self wife, for this terrible mistake right at the last step. I was literally finished had I mounted it on the case first. Now I'm stuck. If anyone has any secret method for removing encoder knobs I'm all ears. Would freezing them or heating them help? I would like to get it apart anyway as I realised I also haven't put a window above the LCD (not that it really needs it, but it would be nice), and I would like to JB Weld the encoders so those pins holding them together can't move or get loose, but I can't disassemble it at the moment. I've seen posts where people removed the corner tabs from the pactec entirely (for those with screwless panels), but I'm not sure how the control surface can be mounted in that case? Any and all help much appreciated. Cheers, Arkay.

All good. I have no idea what even made me send the first post. I always think people correcting other people's grammar/spelling on forums is a sure sign of them having no life... But then I guess in many many years of posting I haven't really put my foot in my mouth often. It does happen from time to time though... Anyhow. On with the fantastic idea for a competition. I'm absolutely useless at anything with the word "design" in it, but I'll grab some popcorn, sit back, and watch with amazement as the entries roll in. Whilst secretly downloading all the design files in the background for if/when I manage to get a GM5x5x5 pcb/chip :) Cheers, Arkay.

Wow.

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I have no idea what's going on with the bulk order... Not a clue. But if I can get a GM5x5x5 board and chip I'll grab one... Just cause I seem to not be able to get enough midibox stuff :D Cheers, Arkay.

NOS SIDS....... :drool:

Looking good. Will be very interested to see the finished product ;) Certainly for the price it looks excellent. Cheers, Arkay.

TK., That looks awesome. I'm very much a newby around these parts so I want to personally thank you and Hawkeye and Wilba and anyone else that makes all the midibox stuff so awesome. Seriously, it's like stumbling into "the garden of awesome hobbies" that you never knew existed :D LOL! Cheers, Arkay.

Very interested in this too. Any news? Cheers, Arkay.

Mine arrived yesterday at last!!! Thanks kristal=! Always takes a while down here :D Can't wait to get my 6582 finished so I can use them :drool: Cheers, Arkay.

I bought 15 too :) Very simple way of getting some I have to say. They haven't arrived yet but I'm in Australia so postage always takes a while. Saved me a lot of effort thanks Kristal=. Cheers, Arkay

I received my shipment of SIDs from androSID just recently too. I'd highly recommend his service, he's one of those rare people who go over and above with regard to service. Great to deal with, easy to talk to, price was great and everything comes well packed with obvious attention to detail. If you need SIDS for a project it's great to know you can get them without parting out a pile of 64's yourself. Cheers, Arkay. P.S. Thanks androSID!

I'll put my name down for 20 transparent black/red too please. Cheers, Arkay.