> Why do you want to make your own project with the ICs
Because I like doing things my way ;-)
From what I gathered I'd need all the MIDIbox stuff on top of the OPL3 board, which is a nice system if that's what one wants, but I just want my little single board with MCU on it, in the format I like, and all that.
Also, I'd make it all-SMD.
You got a point about reinventing the wheel. Especially because I have other projects ^^
But as I found the ICs on ebay and no salvaging of soundblasters was necessary, I could not resist ;-)
Although the main effort for me would probably be to get into FM programming, as in, creating sounds with that obscure technique, very different from subtractive synthesis. I have zero experience with FM.
Compared to that, implementing the "CPU interface" part of the datasheet doesn't seem that much effort :-)
Is there actually C-code for talking to the OPL3 in the MIDIboy projects? I very faintly remember having looked through some code way back, and it was some sort of assembly of an MCU I won't use, but I may very well be confusing this with something else.
I wouldn't say no to some head start on the driver implementation, it's more tedious than difficult.
To get things like some extra modulators running is a relatively small effort, I have done some basic "virtual analog" stuff that I can take code from.
As for experience, I have designed a few PCBs (less than ten, but hey, this get's added to the list then ;) And luckily, I know people who can tell me when I did something horrible layout wise :-D ).
And programmed a lot more.
I'll have to look at the other project you mentioned. More important than to see a project, for me, would be to be told the experience of actually using the project!
Exactly because I do not want to make such a design in vain, only to find out later when using it "damn, I should have used 4 channels per OPL3"... But it can also be a waste, of space, for one thing, espc. should I use more then one OPL3 :-)
Just having the board made a couple times to get more would be viable if you have no, or a cheap MCU on the PCb that only talks to the YFM. But I *might* have a more powerful one on there that does more.
Well, that's all decisions I yet have to make. Therefore, I need . . .