Wilba

I will add: Solution 2 is preferred by me, but also requires 13 ALPS tactile switches SKHHBVA010 (7mm length) or alternatives from other manufacturer, i.e. shorter ones than the other tactile switch SKHHDTA010 (which is 13mm length). Do not bother with trying to shorten the 13mm ones to 7mm (I tried and failed miserably). If cimo is unable to convince 9 others to join him in an OLED/PLED display order, I will still support people's efforts to use these displays, even though they are now rare, discontinued and slightly more effort/cost to use in the MB-6582. That might involve me getting a very small batch of the extra PCBs made and distributing them to the OLED/PLED fans, but I'm not promising anything at this stage.

Fantastic! This is one of those features that I'd hope you'd sneak in someday! ASID XP works most of the time for me (using WindowsXP) and occasionally won't play it properly from the start, i.e. if I play Terra Cresta after some other SID file then it plays it but the volume is zero. (I guess that's what you mean by the sounds not being properly initialized). But if I then stop it in ASID XP, press "Menu" button on the MB-SID and play it again in ASID, it starts up fine. (But I have no idea if the "sound" is correct though). BTW, when a SID file is not being played (i.e. after you stop it) there's a huge amount of background noise that sounds identical to when the Ext In is on (even with a grounded audio input it's noisy), so perhaps as a "feature" the SID Player should permanently set this flag off.

As far as I know, Smash will be offering an MB-6582 base PCB parts kit, but as you can imagine, preparing 100+ PCBs for shipping is a lot easier than preparing 100+ boxes of assorted components, so have patience.

nebula: thanks for the motivation (aka. kick up the ass) to get people interested in wiki documentation again.

In the original, I was going to put something in the top left corner but couldn't decide what to put, was a bit restricted by engraving, and eventually decided to leave it blank. Unfortunately there's not a large amount of empty area on the frontpanel for a big logo or label.

The "bushing" is the threaded part of the encoder. I advise you to continue your cross-section diagram with proposed switches and LEDs and importantly the knobs, to make sure the rest will fit and look good at that different gap width. Hole size for switches are 3.5mm so a tactile switch which normally tapers from 3.5mm to 3.0mm should fit even at smaller gap sizes (the SID and select buttons on my prototype are like this). However if you are determined to use PLEDs, then I still think the nicest solution is to mount the PLED inside a 10mm gap and put the buttons/LEDs above and below on two separate prototyping boards. Maybe people can get a pair made by BatchPCB or something, or if there's enough interest I'll arrange a prototyping panel of just these extra PCBs and distribute from here. You would still have to find the shorter tactile switches but that's a lot easier than redesigning for a different gap width.

Your SIDs should be fine, I've sent enough before to know there are no death rays at customs.

Warning about that image, the bridge rectifier is strange pinout, typically the + and - are diagonally opposite pins. Someone blew up their C64 PSU by not noticing this.

I'm not going to personally PM all of you. If you want in on a future bulk order, you have to email me with numbers of each PCB. MY email is Jason.S.Williams@IHATESPAMgmail.com If Slorrin is sufficiently motivated, he can PM people on this list to remind them that this is what they have to do.

If anyone wants 6582 SIDs, just email me and I will inform you when the next batch arrives. Unfortunately I still can't get them as cheap as I used to and the price is US$25 each. However, they are new old stock, never been used, and are tested for working oscillators, filter and output level. My email: Jason.S.Williams@IHATESPAMgmail.com Please specify quantity in your email (multiples of 2 only please).

Trimming the shaft isn't the problem, the height of an encoder base is typically >5mm plus there's the bushing. ... so you can't use 5mm spacers. Unfortunately I have to say it's not looking good for using PLEDs mounted from behind the PCB (unless you like a big gap)... and mounting them in front of the PCB would involve fiddly little extra boards for the SID and select buttons/LEDs. The more you talk about it, the more you highlight the design flaw in my control surface PCB - works well as a one-off but for people wanting to use different kinds of displays it's restrictive. (But I've been saying that from the start!) In future I'll always design it so the displays never overlap anything and can be mounted as close to the panel as desired. ;)

Uploading MIOS again should remove the application. It sounds like your MIOS uploading is failing. Are you using "Smart Mode" and not receiving errors?

Are you suggesting using 5mm spacers between control surface PCB and panel, and mounting the PLED behind the control surface PCB? i.e. reducing 10mm gap to 5mm? It would work if you could find the right tactile switches and rotary encoders.

You will have (on average) a 2.5mm gap with backlit LCD, and 6.2mm gap with PLED. Having the PLED display 7.7mm behind the frontpanel front surface is going to look a bit strange. If I were to use a PLED again for the current control surface, I would do it the same way as last time, mounting it in the gap (above the control surface PCB) and using two extra PCBs to mount the buttons/LEDs above the display's PCB. I do have two spare extra PCBs (from the prototype) but it should be possible to make ones out of prototyping board so long as you mount the switches/LEDs on the copper side so that it's flat (no solder/pins) where it mounts close to the LCD's PCBs. I redesign to suit thicker LCD displays and partially undo the bad design of buttons/LEDs overlapping the LCD's PCB and the need for two different tactile switch shaft lengths and the more complex construction. I'm not wanting to spoil people's dream of using a PLED, just advising people of the issues.

I think I paid about AU$45 (about 27 Euro). They should work fine but since I redesigned the control surface PCB to suit thicker LCDs with LED backlight, the front of the thinner PLED is going to be further behind the frontpanel (i.e. greater gap). Just a caution.

I used Gold Phoenix for the MB-6582 prototype and current run of PCBs. So does SparkFun (and BatchPCB which you might want to try for small one-offs). Their prototyping service is good value, but pay attention to the extra fee for "multi-project" i.e. if you are combining more than one PCB design on the panel. They do route them all out for you. If you were just filling a panel with one design then you don't pay the "multi-project" cost. Please tell me how to produce 2-layer plated through holes with solder mask yourself. Then tell me how to do it cheaper than $110. ;D

stryd_one, you of all people should know that post count has little correlation to ability or MIDIbox experience ;D

No, I actually buy with my own money first.

Yet again I get misunderstood, and by another native English speaker even... My point was mainly that all projects, whether "official" or "user" belong in the same list, for the wiki browser to find easily, whether they are all on the home page or in a "Projects" page linked to from the home page. Reorganize, restructure, it's all good. You used the term "not readable". I agree the home page should be a little more structured, but if you're going to exaggerate and call it "not readable" then I'll point out that people that really find it unreadable will find the rest of the wiki equally so. Sorry if being brief came across as barking orders. It was a reply to your request for opinions. That's a misunderstanding (and related rant). I was referring to putting in so much effort into the wiki pages for the people who don't read my emails properly and wondering why I bothered. ;D kissy kissy make up now pretty please? ;D

Put back the user projects. All MIDIbox projects are "specialized". The fact that "extensive background documentation is not available from TK or ucapps" is a great reason why user projects should be easily found on the home page. People have put a lot of effort into documenting user projects and making them available to others - these projects have earned their place next to TK's "official" projects. If people find the original home page "not readable from top to bottom", then people ought to find another hobby, because the rest of the doco will be just as "unreadable", i.e. long and full of detailed instructions. Perhaps I'm just having a rant because people can't even read and follow instructions in my emails, and I wonder if I should have bothered with putting so much into the wiki if it's going to be just as ignored... ;D

I've been too busy to create the LCD wiring guide, it's top of the list. If you're adventurous, do this: - connect IDC connector to 16 wire ribbon cable so that the red wire is pin 1. Looking at the port on the PCB, you want the cable to go away from the PIC, not over the top of it. Do not attach the extra "stress relief" bit of plastic - i.e there are three parts to the IDC connector, leave off the last part (there's no room in the PT-10 case for this!) - ultimately you will round the cable (separate all wires and tape together into a rounded bundle instead of flat ribbon). So you can attach the rounded cable up the side of the PT-10 (top part) and then along the top edge and then down to the LCD pins. Cut the cable at 50 cms, this should be more than enough. If it's too long when you finally get your PT-10 and assemble, you can always move the IDC connector closer. - strip and connect all wires to the LCD's pins on the bottom, coming from the top.. Yes I know this is pretty obvious but it needs saying. The LCD will be screwed to the PCB from behind, as close as it can go. So try not to let solder go into the holes and create bumps on the top side of the LCD. Don't put wires into the holes, solder them flat against the contact leading away from the LCD. Later you can put sticky tape on the front side of the LCD's PCB to prevent electrical contacts with the control surface PCB. - the easy way to handle the LCD/J15 wiring differences is to split the wires about 15cm and use sticky tape to hold them reordered. - you can mount the LCD to the control surface PCB with 2.5mm screws, I use flat washers and spring washers as well. - remember it's not too bad if you have to resolder this cable, and it's more important to have this display connected when you're constructing the base PCB than waiting until you finish the control surface. - this guide is good: http://www.midibox.org/users/jim_henry/building_a_midibox_lcd_cable.pdf but I advice not to put the wires into the holes, rather solder them flat against the pads, that's just to keep the other side of the pads flat (no solder blobs or wire)

Just so we're all clear... when I said I will share this PCB with the community, I meant I will arrange future bulk orders of it. I am not releasing the PCB layout files for other people to get them made themselves. There's a difference between schematics and a PCB layout, the schematics for the MB-6582 PCBs are mostly the same as the Core and SID modules, the PCB layout is obviously different to SmashTV's PCBs as it's all on one board. There are many reasons for not releasing the PCB layout files, most of them are the same reasons SmashTV doesn't release the PCB layout files for his PCBs, and there's no point arguing about it here. BTW I do not feel harassed, if there's more people who want these PCBs, that's great, but it's a lot easier for me to just copy people's email addresses and desired quantities into a spreadsheet than scan this thread for "me too!" posts.

No, it goes like this: Base PCB: US$20 Control Surface PCB: US$20 If I get enough orders to make that price with current supplier, the order happens. If I do not, the order does not happen.

This thread is for the current order. Move all discussion about future orders to the other thread.

1. Change the topic. It's called MB-6582, not 6582. 2. I have always stated I would share the PCB design with the MIDIbox community and will continue to do so. What was originally just "doing a few PCBs for the MB-SID fans" turned into "90 customers". 3. A future MB-6582 PCB bulk order (if it happens) will be run along the same lines as the previous one, so I get the right numbers of each kind, but payment will be by PayPal, in advance, including postage. Do not expect anyone else to "stock" these PCBs, it is costly and hard to know how many of each kind to stock (not everyone wants the control surface PCB). 4. I continue to have no intention of selling "kits" so don't ask. The best I can do is point you towards bulk orders and suppliers and provide complete parts lists and construction guides. 5. Join in the bulk order for panels now, there is no point waiting until you have PCBs, the base and control surface PCB design will not change. 6. You can email me to get your email address on the notify list. Jason.S.Williams@IHATESPAMgmail.com