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tomcc

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Posts posted by tomcc

  1. Thank you so much, TK.   I will be downloading it and checking it out.   

    You are amazing!

    Have two busy work days ahead but plan to bench test it Tuesday night and will let you know. 

    It would also be extremely helpful if EVENT_LED had an INVERTED option.  This might seem silly for LEDs but for pipe organs,  the EVENT_LED  would be the means to drive the key switch bus (which is typically not matrixed) for midi playback and might require either polarity.   In general,  it seems that for maximum flexibility that any input or output should allow for either polarity.  

    I hope this would not be too much bother to implement.  

    The following are just some musings,  and not nearly as important,  but also wonder if an INVERTED option might be helpful and perhaps more efficient at the chip level (all 8 bits of a chip inverted with a single instruction) and our DIN/DOUT board (32 bits at a time)  and/or the entire bus,  e.g.:  ALL DINS INVERTED  or ALL DOUTS INVERTED.  

    The 256 possible inputs and outputs now available in NG opens up MIDIBOX to the pipe organ world.  128 was just not enough unless the person was a real wiz and able to wire their keyboards into a matrix,  and I know there are some of those smart people on this board.  But that kind of wizardry is beyond most pipe organ technicians.   They are looking for a system where they can wire one key to an input and/or ouput.  NG now gives them that capability.  

    Thank you for all your great work in putting together this incredible system and for giving it away to the world!

    Tom

     

  2. Hello TK -

    Using NG on a pipe organ.  Need all those inputs!  Keyboards are 1 line per key,  no matrix.  Keying is usually 12 volts on pipe organs,  and can be either active high or active low.  Ours is active high,  but running through ULN2803 to convert voltage,  which also inverts.  This would be a very common situation for someone trying to use NG on a pipe organ.  

    Since there is no matrix,  I am just using one line per key into DIN,  and then EVENT_BUTTON for each key.  This works beautifully in bench testing and provides exactly what I need (Note_On when a key is pressed, and Note_Off when released)  for non-inverted input.   But of course my input is inverted.   Inverted inputs are not unusual.  

    I have searched the docs and see inverted options in matrix and keyboard statements,  but not in EVENT_BUTTON.   Some work arounds have been suggested and I have tried them,  but none of them provide the elegant simplicity of EVENT_BUTTON.  (for example,  tried use type NOTE_OFF but only get Note_off msgs.  Likewise,  an option that only provides Note_On 0 and 127 is not a satisfying solution.  I need  to track MIDI messages and would like for them to be standard and make sense.  

    What would solve all of this and enhance the capability of EVENT_BUTTON is an INVERTED yes/no option (default no).   

    Would you please consider adding this feature?   It would be a life saver for me!

    Thank you for considering this request,  and thank you for all your hard work in putting together this great system. 

    Tom

    Tacoma, WA USA

  3. Thank you, Novski, for your quick reply and your ideas.    I did see this suggestion of yours posted elsewhere in the forum,  and I have studied the EVENT_BUTTON documentation.  

    I have keyboards (non-matrix - just one line per key) that are running through ULN2803s for voltage translation into DIN.   So I have active-low inputs.  The inputs are normally at +5 (by pull-ups),  when a key is pressed they go to 0.  Active low inputs are not at all unusual.  

    What I need is for EVENT_BUTTON to work just as it does (which, by the way,  is beautifully!)  but with inverted (active-low) inputs:  to send a Note_On when the key is pressed,  and a Note_Off when the key is released.  

    I did try your idea today,  and also tried things such as using type=NoteOff  instead of type=NoteOn with the EVENT_BUTTON statement.

    Using type=NoteOff only sends Note_Off msgs:  it does not send Note_On msgs.  

    There may be a software trick to get this to work with all Note_On messages,  but I would hate to settle for that:  I really like to be able to track MIDI msgs and have them be standard and make sense.  

    Another objection to a software trick is just an aesthetic objection:  with normal inputs I can write a configuration file that is clean, logical and makes sense.  

    I am now convinced that we really need an option of inverted 0|1 (default 0)  in the EVENT_BUTTON.  

    Do you agree or am I missing something?  

    Should I post this request as a new thread? 

    Thanks again for your reply and I will be looking forward to reading your thoughts on this.  

    Tom

     

     

     

  4. Hello -

    can't find an inverted 0|1 option for buttons and I really, really need it.  See that option for other DIN configurations (keyboard/matrix etc)  but not for just the simple BUTTON event.  Am I missing something?  I did check the NG documentation and searched the forum.   (Inserting another layer of electronics to invert the signals is not an option,  nor is a complicated software trick).  Seems that "inverted 0|1"  should be an option in the BUTTON statement,  as it is for other types of DIN reads.  Am thinking about making this a formal feature request,  but thought I should post first as a question in case I'm all wet and missing something obvious.  

     

    Thanks

     

    Tom

    Tacoma WA USA

     

     

     

  5. Everything was going great (except that the dense rows of 3 pins on Rev C of the LPC17 do not line up with the Smart TV board - they are off by half a tenth (one half pin position)).  But I gradually and carefully nudged them to fit.) 

    Uploaded the bootloader:  worked great.  Nice to see the LED on the LPC board light up - a sign of life!   I did not get the 3 flashes and dims as predicted:  My LPC17 if it has power is always flashing in the same 1 second on and dim.  The only exception is when I'm trying to upload,  when the LED is steady on. 

     

    But I cannot upload  NG.  It all seems to go fine except for that fact that after the upload it does not seem to be there!  I have tried power off/on to make sure and it is just not there.  Just the bootloader. 

    I tried to load MIDIO128 just as an experiment:  same result.  Upload process seems to go fine but it just isn't there after the upload. 

    I tried to re-upload the bootloader.  

    I spent many hours checking the forum before posting this request for help.  I did go thru the "Read this first before requesting help..." MIDI tests but most of those are PIC oriented.  I also do not have a MIDI device to test MIDI IN or OUT.  That may seem strange but that is because this platform is for me to build a MIDI device (a pipe organ midification).   Also went thru the trouble shooting section of the forum to look for the same problem and did not find it.  

    So after doing everything I could think of, and reading everything I could find,  I am stuck and would really appreciate some help on what to do next. 

    I have attached screens: 

    screen1:  what I see with the LPC on and booting Studio.  

    screen2 and screen3 show the attempt to upload NG process. 

    I have attached screen4 hoping it will help:  there is a message in the terminal screen.  But when I power off and start over I am right back at screen 1 (with no error msgs). 

    When I press keys on the virtual keyboard I do see FF activity on both the left and right upper screens. 

    I have tried to be complete in the presentation of the problem.  

    I would be most grateful for some help. 

    Thank you!

    Tom

    Tacoma WA USA screen3.bmp 

     

     

    screen3.jpg

    screen2.jpg

    screen1.jpg

    screen4.jpg

  6. Thanks for the note John.  It is certainly a bigger job than we thought it would be.  We are working on an electrical interface to the existing keying system,  plan to use NG to get the 256 IN/OUT which is enough for us (but still would not be enough for most theater organs).  At present there is no combination action but have allowed for that possibility.  We are now well into the project and just hoping to have it done by Christmas.  

  7. Well I have spent many hours searching the forum and thought I would find a project similar to mine with answers to the questions I have,  but I will now post some questions and if the answer is already out there please forgive me and just point me to what I should be reading: 

    we want MIDI IN and OUT for an existing pipe organ, about 20 ranks:  2 keyboards (61 notes each) and pedals (32) and about 50 stop tabs.  

    I have read of many projects where an organ console was converted to MIDI IN for use with Hauptwerk, etc.  But this is a working pipe organ with a 12 volt keying and switching system that we want to keep working.   

    I think I understand what is needed to get MIDI-in (please correct me if I'm wrong):  I can use 2803's to convert the voltage (maybe I should be using opto-couplers,  but I'm familiar with the 2803's and they do 8 notes per switch whereas opticals are at most 4 per chip),  and then read in the keyboards as a matrix either using the DIO matrix boards or the MidiBox KB scheme. 

    What I do not understand is how to WRITE to a keyboard matrix.   Since the matrix is scanned, it seems that the output values would have to be latched between scans,  or the note would only be on when the scan is active.

    John,  I read about your project and you talk about driving your SAM's so I see aspects of MIDI-out in your system.  Is your system both MIDI IN and OUT? 

    That's where I'm stuck right now.  I don't understand how to do MIDI-OUT to a keyboard matrix. 

    Thanks in advance,

     

    Tom

     

  8. Thanks, John.  I did find the resolution to the conflict:  It is NG that allows 256 ins and outs.  So it looks like I'm going to have to set each keyboard up into a matrix.  That is going to be a formidable job.  It would sure be nice if there was a board for that!  

    That was my main question at this point (256 vs 128 I/O).  I am going to spend more time on the forum.  I went thru it from top to bottom before I bought the system and at that time (a couple of years ago)  did not see anybody doing an organ console with MIDI IN and OUT.   I did see a suggestion to "see John's build on this forum"  but with no link or idea on how to find that.  I will dig deeper and hopefully find out more about your project and learn from it.    

     

    If I have more questions then I will post them (and I'll try to put them in the right place!).  

    Thanks again for your reply and your offer to help.  

     

    Tom

     

  9. Hello -

    SORRY THAT I POSTED THIS AS A "NEW TOPIC" before finding the MIDIO 12 V3 topic!

    Goal is to have MIDI  IN and OUT for a church pipe organ (2-61 note keyboards + 32 note pedals +  Stop Action switches)

    I bought the MIDIO 128 V3 boards  including MBHP_CORE_LPC17 and 4 DIN kits and 4 DOUT kits  and parts from the guy in Tenessee USA thinking that was the max that could be addressed. 

    There seems to be conflicting info:  I read in one place that up to 4 of each (max 128 I/O) ,  but elsewhere it says that in the 32 bit OS that up to 8 DIN's and 8 DOUTS are possible. 

    I am just soldering the boards now,  and about to configure the inputs and outputs.  128 is not really enough for a 2 manual + pedal organ.  

    I did search the documentation (and found this seeming contradiction) and also searched the forum here to see if my question has been addressed.   I am baffled by how few people seem to be trying to do what I want to do:  to have full MIDI IN and OUT for a 2 manual organ.  

    Another issue I have is that the organ uses 12 volt keying and wondering if I'm going to have to build another layer of interface between the DIN/DOUTs and the keying.  

    There seem to be some very knowledgeable people on the form that are providing some very helpful advice.  

    Thank you in advance. 

    Tom

    WA state - USA

  10. Hello -

    Goal is to have MIDI  IN and OUT for a church pipe organ (2-61 note keyboards + 32 note pedals +  Stop Action switches)

    I bought the MIDIO 128 V3 boards  including MBHP_CORE_LPC17 and 4 DIN kits and 4 DOUT kits  and parts from the guy in Tenessee USA thinking that was the max that could be addressed. 

    There seems to be conflicting info:  I read in one place that up to 4 of each (max 128 I/O) ,  but elsewhere it says that in the 32 bit OS that up to 8 DIN's and 8 DOUTS are possible. 

    I am just soldering the boards now,  and about to configure the inputs and outputs.  128 is not really enough for a 2 manual + pedal organ.  

    I did search the documentation (and found this seeming contradiction) and also searched the forum here to see if my question has been addressed.   I am baffled by how few people seem to be trying to do what I want to do:  to have full MIDI IN and OUT for a 2 manual organ.  

    Another issue I have is that the organ uses 12 volt keying and wondering if I'm going to have to build another layer of interface between the DIN/DOUTs and the keying.  

    There seem to be some very knowledgeable people on the form that are providing some very helpful advice.  

    Thank you in advance. 

    Tom

    WA state - USA

     

     

     

     

     

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