Mickey_Sadler

Hey logicat2001, Check Dontronics at http://www.dontronics.com for a USB PIC Programmer kit for about $34USD. The page is at http://www.dontronics.com/diyk149.html . Looks like a decent kit, but I think the software is PC oriented. I don't know how it would work with Virtual PC running on the iMac. (I am running a iMac with OS X Jaguar so I have the same problems with ports.) Later, Mickey

YAY YAY YAY!!! I got my sample PIC18F452s and 24LC256s this week. I'll be ordering boards soon. I hope you find a supplier of the USB chip soon. I will need the USB version to use with my iMac. Later, Mickey

Hi Brian, Check this site: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/555/555.html It has a power failure alarm (near the bottom of the page) that may be close to what you want. This page is a very good tutorial on the 555. The +9v at the top of your circuit is actually power in to the 555. Later, Mickey

Dublin, Ohio U. S. A.

Hi All, The RS-232 standard states that -3 volts to -25 volts is a logic 1, and +3 volts to +25 volts is a logic 0. The -3 volt to +3 volt region is a "transition region" and a logic state is not assigned. Most computers supply -12 volt and +12 volt output, but some laptops only use around 4 to 5 volts + and - and this is not enough to drive some equipment. I have seen the same problem with some modems connected to a laptop serial port. Sometimes they worked, sometimes not, and sometimes just marginal communications. That's probably why your programmer worked on the PC and not the laptop. Later, Mickey

Hi All, The RS-232 standard states that -3 volts to -25 volts is a logic 1, and +3 volts to +25 volts is a logic 0. The -3 volt to +3 volt region is a "transition region" and a logic state is not assigned. Most computers supply -12 volt and +12 volt output, but some laptops only use around 4 to 5 volts + and - and this is not enough to drive some equipment. I have seen the same problem with some modems connected to a laptop serial port. Sometimes they worked, sometimes not, and sometimes just marginal communications. That's probably why your programmer worked on the PC and not the laptop. Later, Mickey

I should have added that the iMAC has only USB and Firewire and ethernet ports. The older MACs have serial and SCSI and ethernet ports. Mickey

OS X Jaguar on my iMAC (also OS 9 /Classic)(Also Virtual PC with Windows 2000 on it for PC type stuff), older MACs with OS 7.5 and 8.0 available (I intend to use these in the workshop to play with CNC and stuff). Mickey

Smash wrote: I would like to see the RC servo drivers ported to the MB. I am looking to control mechanical musical instruments like band organs and crank organs with MIDI, and pipe chest sliders would be a good use of servos. (Although I could probably use solenoids instead.) Mickey

Smash wrote: I would like to see the RC servo drivers ported to the MB. I am looking to control mechanical musical instruments like band organs and crank organs with MIDI, and pipe chest sliders would be a good use of servos. (Although I could probably use solenoids instead.) Mickey

Hi All, From visiting this web site I have had some very interesting e-mail chats with Bob Parker. He seems to be a vey nice guy at heart, he just doesn't like to work with the PIC. His favorite is the Zilog Z8, and he is waiting on the flash version to come out. It turns out we have very similar backgrounds in training, electronic repair, etc. I'm glad to have "met" him through this link. As I told him, the internet is great. Where else could someone in Dublin, Ohio U. S. A. find a link on a board in Germany and "meet" someone in Australia. I hope to "meet" a lot of the MIDIBox people as I get more into the MIDIBox and MIOS. Later, Mickey

Looks like somebody can't learn new stuff - I wonder how he learned to program the Zilog stuff ??????????????? Mickey

Hey ilmenator, You're welcome. Yeah, I prefer the single sided boards too. Not as much soldering to do! One job I had, if we got a board of a particular manufacturer (read cheap) that didn't work or was intermittant, the first thing we did was spend an hour or so heating each via and inserting #26 wire in each. Seem like the holes were not plated properly and solder would not flow through them when they were wave soldered. Then the weak connection would break and I would have to repair the darn things. That usually fixed the problem. (Think 1000 or so vias - the bottom of the board looked like a grassy field before I clipped the wires I soldered in.) Later, Mickey

Hi All, Making a 2-layer board is possible with your existing equipment. First, drill a couple of holes through the board so the top and bottom negatives (or whatever method you are using) can be aligned by putting a pin or piece of wire through the holes. Then expose/transfer the pattern and etch. When assembling, solder both top and bottom of component leads and, since the holes are not plated through, use a piece of wire or cut-off piece of resistor lead through the vias and solder to the tracks. Now three or four layer boards are another story. ;D ;D ;D Later, Mickey

How about a FlashDrive? ;) See http://www.macally.com/new/new_flashdrive.html ..... as soon as we add USB ;D Mickey

Hi All, For more information on working with SMD check http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/surface.html where there are several articles on working with SMD for DIYers. Also see http://www.geocities.com vk3em/smtguide/smtguide.htm for more good info. Another good tip is at http://www.psnw.com/~kd7s/smdhd.html - a hold-down jig for SMD. Surface mount can be done by DIYers, but make sure to practice soldering first - and practice and practice and pra.... you get the idea. Later, Mickey

Hi All, For more information on working with SMD check http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/surface.html where there are several articles on working with SMD for DIYers. Also see http://www.geocities.com vk3em/smtguide/smtguide.htm for more good info. Another good tip is at http://www.psnw.com/~kd7s/smdhd.html - a hold-down jig for SMD. Surface mount can be done by DIYers, but make sure to practice soldering first - and practice and practice and pra.... you get the idea. Later, Mickey

Hi Dan, Actually we are using a cheap optical mouse. The HDNS-2000 is the chip used in these and would have to have the 4 parts - the sensor chip, the led, the lense with light pipe, and the led clip. I was trying to point to the datasheet for the chip itself. We are planning on mounting the mouse on the bed of our scanner and read the paper movement into our scanning software. The same thing could be done by mounting a optical mouse and using a moving disk or roller or anything that would move so the mouse could detect it without need for a spoked encoder wheel. It's at least something to think about. (We are planning on scanning piano rolls [band/fair organ, craank organ, etc rolls and books] and saving the data to archive rolls so they are not lost. Lots of old rolls have only one copy to be found! Also, part of the project will convert the data to MIDI - and that is the part the MBHP will play for me. See http://www.iammp.org for more info and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Rollscanners/ for the discussoin archive. Also, if you are interested in Mechanical Music, check http://mmd.foxtail.com for the Mechanical Music Digest. They have some discussions of MIDI stuff from time to time. Later, Mickey

Hi All, On another group we are talking about using the optical sensor from a optical mouse to measure the speed of a moving roll of paper. We found the sensor at http://www.semiconductor.agilent.com and do a quick search on HDNS-2000. They have data sheets, application notes etc. available for download. This may eliminate the need to have an encoder wheel with a pattern of "spokes", just a moving wheel under the sensor. Just another idea for the group. Later, Mickey

OOOOOPS!!! My last post should have said LIBUSB not USBLIB. Get it at http://sourceforge.net/projects/libusb/ . Later, Mickey

Hi All, I just found (through another list) a USB Atmel programmer at http://norum.homeunix.net/%7Ecarl/atmel/ with hardware and software stuff. I have not had a chance to look it over yet, but maybe some of the information could help adding USB to our projects. The USBLIB is the part that we may be able to use. It's a cross-platform USB Library. Later, Mickey

Hi All, I started in electronics in 1950 as a hobby - amateur radio - then on to technical school. I am very new to MIDI! I see some of the postings saying that the posters are new to electronics, soldering, etc., so in the spirit of helping others ( the way I had help when I was 12 years old!), here are some links that will give you some great information. http://www.aade.com/ check - the links page, check the soldering how-to link http://www.aade.com/sexypnls.htm - how to make panel overlays http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/ - tutorials starting with basic electronics http://www.morsex.com/building/atoz.htm - electronics construction how-to http://www.eio.com/ - besides the surplus stuff, check the technical forums I hope these may be of help. I will probably be asking many, many MIDI related questions when I get my MIDIbox built. Later, Mickey

Hi All, I just bought the book Programming and Customizing PICmicro Microcontrollers by Myke Predko and have just started studying it. It comes with a CD of software and a Printed Circuit Board for building a programmer. See http://www.myke.com for more information and for program updates, etc. I think it is a greatbook. Later, Mickey

Yeah, kinda what I figured Thorsten. At least there is now another solution to programming the PIC with a computer that has USB ports. I'll probably get the USB programmer and also get a USB to SERIAL and USB to PARALLEL adapters for the experimenting I want to do in addition to the MIDIBox stuff. ;) Mickey

Hi MIDIBoxers, Most new computers are being built with USB I/O now. My iMAC has only USB and Firewire ports - no serial or parallel ports. There is some fear that the serial and parallel ports on PC's will go away (remember the 5.25 in. disc drives?). I found on the Dontronics site http://www.dontronics.com a USB PIC programmer kit and the drivers for it. It is about $30 USD. Thorsten, do you think the JDM programmer could be modified to use USB? I know Kevin Coble is updating his MACPIC programming software for us MAC users. See http://www.macrobotics.com/macrobotics.html for more info. Mickey