Wilba

Quote from the MIDIbox SID V2 User Manual --- Frontpanel That means you can reuse your Link, CC and Edit buttons for this purpose (if you have them).

Oops again! I put a via under the crystal, which means it might conduct from the via pad to the metal can of the crystal if it's flat against the PCB. Probably won't matter, but to avoid any potential problems, mount the crystal a little above the PCB, use a strip of card under it while you solder and remove after.

Poke that iron right into the hole and try to heat up inside the hole (this helps a bit).

One more: The silkscreen for the diode in each core has a via right in the middle, obscuring the arrow. Which direction is the arrow pointing? Yeah that was an oops. The diode is pointing down. Cathode on the lower pin. Refer to base PCB PDF http://members.optusnet.com.au/~wilba6581/mb-6582/MB-6582_Base_PCB.pdf

1) Jimp tells me that the tiny jumper pads on the solder side beneath the cores have something to do with 8-bit mode for LCDs. How are these supposed to be set? Connect ribbon cable to the LCD or PLED using all wires, as if you were going to use 8-bit mode on a normal Core module. The four wires you don't need for 4-bit mode are not connected on J15 by default. If you discover your display freezing up after a while (but the synth still works in the background), you can execute a MIOS memory read from MIOS Studio to validate that the display has timed out, most likely due to a bug working in 4-bit mode. To fix this, you can run in 8-bit mode by using two PIC pins from port E to replace the two PIC pins being used by the CAN bus. Solder those jumper pads on the bottom side, run the change device ID app to use custom LCD driver, the custom LCD driver file should already be in the source code of the MB-SID V2 application and compiled in. If you want to run other applications, you'll need to copy that custom LCD driver file into those source directories and rebuild those applications. 2) Is there any reason why 16-volt 2200uF caps cannot be used instead of 25-volt ones? For the 5v supply: no. For the 9v AC after the bridge rectifier: not really. I was told once to expect up to 2x the voltage after the rectivier, i.e. if it's 9v AC, choose capacitor to handle 18v DC. It really doesn't go up that high I think, and caps rated to 15v should be enough. (Again this is a case of listing the parts I used, with my design choice based on the ASS principle... aesthetics, symmetry and superstition).

You don't really need a workshop... I do all my soldering on a table in my study (home office) with a piece of chipboard on top. You will probably be overloaded with advice soon... like get a cheap temperature-controlled soldering iron with a narrow pointed tip (not a flattened tip!)... they usually come with their own holder (so you don't lay the iron on the bench and burn your bench or yourself). And use thin solder. My personal soldering technique is described here (see the part about Tacking, that's my term, perhaps people call it something else?)

The bulk panel order was organised in this thread and is now closed. http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=9714.0

I said "people found errors" but it was jimp. I know it's no big deal, I was just hoping a repeat performance of the prototype, which was faultless, right up until the point TK changed to using PIC18F4685 and it needed a rewired MIDI Out and a CAN bus ;D

Which SID application are you uploading? midibox_sid_v1_7303b.zip 411k The PIC18F452 version of MIDIbox SID midibox_sid_v1_74685.zip 327k The PIC18F4685 version of MIDIbox SID V1.7(303) - please read the ChangeLog for details! [/code] The first one works on PIC18F452, the second one will not. Also, you say you uploaded main.hex, you should upload one of the other .hex files depending on SID type. Try also uploading http://www.ucapps.de/mios/sid_testtone_v3.zip to test the SID. FYI it doesn't matter whether the SID module is connected or not.

Hi bassbinz! Try not to be too terrified of building your own MIDIbox SID. There is a lot to learn about how the modules go together, and a lot of helpful information is in the MIDIbox Knowledge Base (or more commonly referred to as "the wiki"). There are lots of people here to help you out during construction, either through forum posts or the chat client. You can start small with just a Core and SID module and getting them to work, gaining some practice in soldering and understanding the MIDIbox concepts. SmashTV sells complete kits for the modules in his shop. Then perhaps move on to using the MB-6582 PCBs, which puts multiple Core and SID modules on one PCB, along with the other extra circuits to use a C64 PSU, store patches, and attach a control surface (switches, knobs, LEDs, LCD display). While this PCB is large, it's a lot less work than soldering lots of individual modules and wiring them together, and does solve the usual newbie roadblock of converting the schematics for these extra circuits into prototyping boards. (I hope this doesn't appear like I'm "pimping" my own work ;D but you are sure to see references to it on the forum, with 120 base PCBs about to be constructed!) I would not worry too much about your SIDs, if you follow all the testing procedures before you insert a SID into a SID module, you shouldn't be able to damage the SID.

I hate to create a topic like this, but it's the truth! People found errors on the PCB before I did because I have NO TIME to pick up the iron and solder the base PCB myself and find them first. Damn. 1. I failed to connect the B+ pin of the LCD port (J15) to +5v. Since it wasn't connected in the schematic, it didn't show up as a missing track in the layout. >:( This should just mean that the backlight doesn't light up, but I will have to validate this won't kill your LCD. You will have to connect the B+ pin (pin 9) to +5v (pin 12). 2. The C64 power socket works with my C64 PSU but not with some other peoples. See here: Bridging across those pins should solve the problem.

1) What is the function of J11 (directly below U1_Core1)? Using a jumper, this allows you to connect the PIC's serial output to the MIDI port. You would only need to use this once for the first upload of MIOS and the MB-SID V2 firmware, thereafter connect the master PIC (1) to the MIDI out and after uploading new MB-SID V2 firmware, the master PIC can clone itself to the other PICs across the CAN bus. 2) What is the function of P1 (extreme lower right corner)? LCD backlight brightness control, just like on the Core module. 3) How are the attentuating pots pictured on the rear of the chassis connected? They are dual-gang "feedback" pots, connected to J3_SIDx and J23_SIDx. Input goes to wiper pin (middle pin). Ground goes to left pin (facing towards pot shaft, pins pointing down). Output goes to right pin (facing towards pot shaft, pins pointing down). 4) What sorts of heatsinks should be fitted for V3 and V1 (I am using Option B). Their positions seem to prevent both from having a sink at the same time. Should I look for flatter heatsinks? Heatsinks may not be required, it all depends on how many SIDs you use and the load on the 9v and 12v supplies. But if you discover your regulators are getting hot, then you can add heatsinks. I used these ones as a guide for placing the regulators far enough apart, giving enough space for both to be fitted. http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=H0640 http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=H0628 You could also drill two holes in a large heatsink and connecting both regulators to it. 5) If I'm using the Pactek chassis do the extra headers on the cores really need to be populated? It all depends on whether you want to eventually connect analog inputs (pots, joysticks, etc.) or analog outputs (to control external filters) to the expansion port on the rear panel. Obviously some are truly unused and never likely to be used (like the IIC port and DIN/DOUT ports) but I put them all in there for full flexibility and compatibility with the Core module PCB. Basically, if you understand the Core module enough to know they aren't needed, then it's up to you whether to populate them. At a minimum I recommend at least populating the J15 headers (for LCD) so you can troubleshooting slave cores easily by connecting an LCD (should things stop working!) 6) Likewise, do I really need to mount pot P2 for the slave cores? As above, these are the contrast pots for LCDs so they're only useful for troubleshooting. If you want to save on trim pots, you could short between the middle pin and the left or right pin, this would approximate turning the trimpot fully one way and at least let the LCD display something when connected to slave PICs. Finally... I choose to fully populate the PCB so that I don't ever need to solder it again, and it looks better than empty holes on the PCB. I suggest people do the same, for the advantages should you need to troubleshoot, but ultimately you're free to do what you like.

jimp discovered his two C64 PSUs do not have all 7 pins in the plug, only the 4 required (9v AC, 9v AC, +5v, Gnd) and actually have the +5v pin in a different position to my PSU, TK's diagram of using a C64 PSU (http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_4xsid_c64_psu_optimized.pdf) and unfortunately the socket pin used on the MB-6582 Base PCB. As can be seen in these references: http://www.hardwarebook.info/C64_Power_Supply http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm/pinouts.txt Pin 5 is shown with +5v to be connected always, with pin 4 either not connected or the same +5v. jimp's C64 PSU only has pin 5 and not pin 4. But on my PSU, pin 4 has +5v and pin 5 has nothing, and this matches TK's diagram of which pin has the +5v, and so naturally I designed the MB-6582 base PCB to match. This means jimp's PSUs (and maybe others!) won't work with the MB-6582 base PCB without a little "fix" :-[ This is just a warning to people who are starting to solder/use their PCBs that you should check the expected voltages are coming out of your PSU. I've been too busy to write up the complete construction guide including things to test like this... ::) You should be fairly safe to solder a thick insulated wire between pins 4 and 5 of the power socket on the base PCB, to get +5v from pin 5 across to pin 4 and the rest of the PCB. But don't do this unless you fully understand why you are doing this - I'd like to get some more info before I publish this as an official "everyone do this" fix. Pin 4 and 5 are the two pins closest and on either side of the pin in the middle. Quick hacky diagram until I do something better (bottom of PCB shown): [tt] O O O O-------O O O [/tt] I'd like to know which PSUs are affected. Is this a Europe/Australia vs. U.S.A. thing? Or a 220v vs. 110v thing? Why does my PSU have +5v only on the optional +5v pin and nothing on the always +5v pin (according to the pinout diagrams)? Did TK draw that diagram because his PSU and many other "Eurpoean" ones are the same as mine? Or does his have +5v on both pins 4 and 5 and just happened to choose pin 4?

6581 SID chips (that are pulls) often have faulty filters or oscillators, which you won't notice just "testing" them in a C64 to check if they make sound.

I have sent a message to the winner of the auction informing them of the facts and linking to this thread. Perhaps they will not pay this profiteer the (inflated) winning bid price.

This mess is in part a result of you taking the MIDIbox IP and slapping another kind of non-commercial license on them and releasing the PCB layout files for all to make their own (including the profiteers of the world like Flavio). It has had the effect of diluting the MIDIbox-ness of this particular abomination of pine and persplex, as can be seen in the auction details: Instead of discretely getting this auction pulled and privately asking SmashTV and/or TK for support to back your claims to eBay, you've broadcast everything here on a public forum beginning with relating to us all "how odd" that some relative stranger to you has tried to profit off your work, and more importantly the collective work of everyone who freely contributed to MIDIbox SID in ideas, code and support, as if you had no idea that such things could happen. I fail to see how you could not get eBay to kill this auction, but I was at least reassured you would take care of things regardless: ... until now I read: I don't get it. You are now not going to "win the auction at whatever price is needed then sort it out with eBay corporate later" ? Your eBay reputation is more important than your MIDIbox reputation? You care more about people making money off "your work" and the terms of some PCB CAD software license than people making money off the the collective work of everyone who freely contributed to MIDIbox SID in ideas, code and support? ???

Yes, the missing mute() function is in the "resid-0.16-p2.tgz" package.

I don't think so, not like your issues. I have separate analog and digital grounds, joined up near the 7809 ground pin. The ground pins of SIDs are connected to the analog ground. I don't hear hum or anything like that. The only digital "noise" is coming from the PLED display, and then only when I turn the volume to max and listen with headphones, and my guess is that noise isn't even coming through the ground but rather more an RF interference (it changes in sound depending on what pixels are showing!)

Unfortunately, sidplay2 doesn't just "build out of the box" >:( I did actually get the source package building, after finally working out where each directory of source had to go and tinkering with project files. Then decided I should build off the development source in CVS which might at least have someone else trying to build it with Visual Studio, but that didn't build immediately either... - you have to install "resid-0.16-p2.tgz" into "resid" subdirectory of root of all source. This contains changes to the official resid 0.16 which is in "resid-0.16.tar.gz" - you have to fix one compile error by replacing "log(2)" with "log(2.0)" Even with the lack of documentation on setting up a Visual Studio build environment, this was far quicker to setup than a lot of other open source projects ;D

btw, the link to the ASID protocol was broken a while ago, I've found it again: http://www.cs.tut.fi/~paulus/asid_protocol.txt

Coding C++ under Windows is my day job. ;D I'll volunteer ;D

Another low priority feature: detune left and right SIDs! ;D

The "compile option in mios.h" is for controlling the compilation of MIOS. It is MIOS which will default to 4-bit mode for LCDs when the PIC is PC18F4685. So it is best to leave it alone and use 4-bit mode and not recompile MIOS. If at some point you discover that display does not like 4-bit mode (unlikely) then you can use a custom LCD driver to connect it in 8-bit mode. But there's no need to use 8-bit mode until you have a problem with 4-bit mode.

You get the first "dispute" against you completely ignored by eBay. I had a stupid seller complain that I didn't buy one of two items in a multiple item auction. According to eBay rules, if I don't win all the items I want, I don't have to buy any, but "backing out" of the auction after it closed meant the seller had to pay fees. (Multiple item auctions are in general poorly run by eBay). I explained what was allowed by eBay but he raised a dispute against me anyway for not paying. I complained to eBay, and their default action is to just ignore the first dispute against someone rather than investigate it.

Did you upgrade to the latest MIOS, which included support for PIC18F4685? You might want to also try the V2 beta instead, you might be lucky and the problem goes away ;D Or try merging into setup_tk.asm (which might have something different to setup_8580.asm which makes this problem go away) Otherwise I'm a bit confused why it should be crashing. The DIN, DOUT and encoder tables should work identically to before, only by referencing a shift register by 16+1, 16+2 etc. will the SRM stuff get used. It should be 100% compatible to the current MB-SID control surface wiring (including any different wirings).