c0nsumer

Okay, nifty. I'd like to take a look at them. One suggestion, try to avoid < 90 degree corners in your board. They don't usually etch very well. And I'm curious, what sockets are those? I don't think I've seen that footprint before.

They have two year old OLEDs? I didn't think they had been manufactured for that long... Are you sure they just a higher contrast LCD? The only articles I can regarding HP actually using / doing anything with OLEDs are some from June or July of this year, and is regarding research HP is doing into them. Not using them in parts. -Steve

Mind sharing the .SCH and .BRD files? -Steve

Sorry, edited the previous post a bit too... Yeah, they are really nice. I'm slightly concerned about the life of them, but as Crystalfontz likes to maintain standard display sizes, I think that it is pretty likely that some manner of drop-in replacement will be available for a while now. The enclosure design I'm working up will accept anything from the 4.9mm thick (metal box part) OLED to a 9.5mm (or whatever, also metal box part) LCD, provided the drill holes and display itself are in the same location. So it shouldn't be a concern if it needs replacing at some point. -Steve

Thanks, I agree. I can't wait to see them in the enclosures... Anectdotally I think that the display is quite a bit faster than the LCD (a Crystalfontz CFAH2002A-RMI-JP), as I can see the blanking of the display when it is redrawn after switching banks. It's not especially noticable (nor bothersome), but it's there. When I get some time this evening I'll look at the LCD benchmark app and get some imperical numbers for you which you could compare yours to. Also, the specs for the respective displays list the response times: CFAP2002A-Y-ECS (OLED): T rise: 10?s T fall: 10?s CFAH2002A-RMI-JP (LCD): T rise: 150ms / 200ms (typical / maximum) T fall: 150ms / 200ms (typical / maximum) Hope that helps... -Steve UPDATE: After taking a look at it, I think that the LCD benchmark app checks the response of the display (LCD) driver and the logic on the display board, not the display itself. So while I'll still run this, I think the numbers above should give you the response time answer you are looking for. So, sorry stryd_one, I have to disagree. I am of the opinion that the OLED is a lot faster.

Hey everyone... When I arrived home from work today my two Crystalfontz CFAP2002A-Y-ECS PLED / OLED Modules were waiting for me. Well, after dinner I added a header to one and tried it out with one of the test MIDIbox SID-NUXX PCBs. I must say, I'm really, really happy. Since there's no room taken up by a backlight the display is really thin (metal box is 4.9mm), and (also because of the lack of a backlight) it requires considerably less power. This means less draw on the linear regs and less heat dissapated. This is good. As you can see above, the contrast is also excellent. The display is a greenish yellow, definitely not an unplesant color. I'm hoping to theme my enclosure in black and yellow (with some white indicators) in order to match this. The displays are also sized (PCB and pin location) to match Crystalfontz's other 116mm x 37mm 20x2 displays. So, you could use one of these as a drop-in replacement for whatever your current display is, or in place of another similarly sized one. Also, there is another photo of the display hooked up and running (also showing the breadboarded rotary encoder, and probe-for-a-switch) here: http://www.nuxx.net/gallery/v/stuffivemade/midibox_sid_nuxx/in_progress/IMG_4532.JPG.html Some things to note: When connected to a standard MBHP_CORE, the 'Contrast' adjustment becomes brightness / luminance, and 'Luminance' isn't used. The specifications listed on the CFAP2002A-Y-ECS page itself, on the dimensions page, and on the printable template are wrong. Refer to the actual data sheet for the proper dimensions. I had no problems using the same cable for either an LCD or the OLED. Not all the pins are used with the OLED (A and K), but they are left unconnected on the OLED side, so there's no harm in making a cable with them. My understanding is that the life of OLEDs is less than that of LCDs. I can't say how much shorter, though. In my opinion, the better display of the OLED is probably worth the possibility of maybe having to replace the display a few years down the line. The photos above showing the display are as they were out of the camera, taken under some compact fluorescent studio lights, with a polarizing filter set parallel to the filter on the OLED. In other words, yes, that's how good it looks in person. The slightly blur in the photos is due the protective plastic which is still over the display. The pixels themselves may have been slightly overexposed as well, causing a bit of blooming. Anyway, that's about it... I just ordered three more of the displays so that the rest of my MIDIbox SID-NUXXs may be fitted with them. That's coming along nicely as well... But that's a topic for another post. -Steve

Just FYI, I tried this with v1.7303 and it behaved as I would have expected, taking me to a display which reads: [tt]B# P# do! A120 Stacco4[/tt] As far as additional info goes, it's MIOS v1.9 on a PIC18F4620 recompiled to use IIC_MIDI for output. MB_SID has also been recompiled to match my button layout. That is, nothing special at all. -Steve

Thank you. I didn't think so, but I wanted to be certain. In light of V2 coming and my control surface matching yours, I'll probably not bother making the new menu design. One other question, are you planning on changing which characters in the LCD display are the center of the menu options? To clarify, as it appears you have done, on my control surface I aligned the pushbuttons directly beneath the center pixel of menu items such as OSC, FIL, etc. This can be seen here. With your current plans, will these buttons / indicator lines on our layouts continue to be aligned with the center of these menu items? Thanks very much... -Steve

I'm thinking of redoing the menu system so that only a single button (menu) and the rotary encoder (or next/previous buttons) would be needed for all menu functions. It would require some rethinking of the way in which the menus are laid out, but I think it's possible. That said, I just finished designing my control surface to match the basics of your 'Step A'. That is, five buttons below the LCD, rotary encoder, and menu button. This is the design I'm making available to others so they can easily copy it, if they like. That's understandable. I imagine with less flexibility of implementation you'll be able to do quite a few more advanced things. I'm curious, do you plan to change any of your front panel design for MBSID V2? -Steve

In case anyone is interested, I finished the design of the MIDIbox SID-NUXX's front panel PCB and metal panel. I also ordered all the parts to make the first box. If everything goes as planned, I'll have the first one complete not long after I return from vacation, in about three weeks. All the parts used for the front panel can be found here: http://www.nuxx.net/wiki/MIDIbox_SID-NUXX_-_Enclosure Panel / PCB / whatever images can be found here: http://www.nuxx.net/gallery/v/stuffivemade/midibox_sid_nuxx/enclosure/ Off the top of my head, estimated cost for assembling a MIDIbox SID-NUXX, in quantities of five, is around US$200/each. This is for enclosure with custom panels, Organic LED display, controls, powersupply, everything. A breakdown will be posted later after I'm sure of all the costs.

Well, of course. What I'm asking is if anyone else has begun / completed this, so that I'm not duplicating effort. -Steve

I'm curious, has there been any work (done by anyone) on making the MIDIbox SID's menu work with a rotary encoder and single button? Based on the current menu I get the impression that the menuing system would be mostly usable as it is, but with a single button instead of the five along the bottom of the LCD. I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone down this path before I start working on it... Thanks... -Steve

Ah, yeah... It's probably due to the inherent problems of communicating online. I initially thought that you were implying that most people who have Illustrator have pirated copies. This morning (after some much-needed sleep) I'm thinking that you were saying otherwise... Actually, I wasn't really speaking of alternatives to PCB CAD software. I've heard of people doing PCB layout with Illustrator, and because of the request for PDFs (which Illustrator will open) I inferred that Jaicen was using Illustrator to do it. It's possible, if one makes a group for each type of part, copies them, then manually draws in traces... It's the only decent, widely available vector graphics package which I could see being used instead of CAD software. But it's (also obviously) not a good tool for that. Just so you know, Eagle is available for a lot less than US$300, if you will only be doing non-profit things. Sure, it still has a board size limit (100m x 160mm, if I recall correctly) but that's generally plenty usable. I think the cost is somewhere around US$140 after shipping. Also, I believe Illustrator can be had as part of the Student version of Creative Suite 2, which costs something like US$299. If one qualifies for student pricing, that is. Or if your workplace has it available... Not that I'd recommend Illustrator for PCB layout, though. Panel artwork and some mockup work, yes. Layout, no. -Steve

Ah, yes. :) Them... Okay. I had looked into them at first, but with the software not making anything but their own format, I was a bit stuck when it came to if I wanted larger runs. For those they aren't so cheap. :\ I can still get you PDFs if you'd like... Just let me know. PM me or find me on AIM or something. I'm actually taking a short break from making the paper mockups for the front panel and front panel PCB to finish validation that everything is good. It appears that things will be, and if so, I'll hopefully be ordering a set of PCBs and a first panel tomorrow. (Going to be making a total of three or four of these, I think...) -Steve

I had a really, really hard time with the free PCB offerings. Well, all except for Eagle. I wanted something which did bigger boards than the free version of Eagle, and the non-profit version fit the bill nicely. And not all of us have warezed copies of Illustrator. -Steve

I'll try and remember make one for you... If you aren't using PCB CAD software, though, you're going to have a real hard time laying out a board. It will be expensive for such software, though. :\ Although I guess you could tile some smaller boards... But that'd be hard... By the way, my board will be rather difficult to make by hand, if that's what you are planning on doing. Because it is double-sided it requires you to either somehow plate the holes yourself or solder each part on both sides of the board. With the design of the DINPUT / LED headers and LEDs, this will be pretty difficult. That said, you can make usable files yourself, just download the EAGLE demo, grab the files, and run them through the CAM processor and dump out some PostScript / whatever. I'm assuming you are using Illustrator (or something else which can open PDFs) to draw this, and these can also deal with PS rather nicely. -Steve

I'm using part 101-0661-EV - Mountain Switch TACTILE SWITCH 6X6MM from Mouser. Nice and small and you can get snap-on round or square caps in a vareity of colors. The whole switch is 6.19mm x 6.19mm, 7.29mm tall. If you need it, I drew up an Eagle package / part / whatever for it. -Steve

Thank you. :) I just need to confirm that it aligns with the front panel and will all fit within the enclosure before I can call it done. After I'm done with the layout and confirmed that it's ready for production I'll be making the EAGLE files themselves and Gerbers available. I can export some top/bottom PDFs for you too, if you'd like, or you can export them yourself. (The EAGLE CAM processor doesn't have any size restrictions on it.) With my whole MIDIbox SID-NUXX project I'm releasing all documentation and works created during the project, so everyone will have it all available to them to use. I'm just not releasing the files until I know things are good, because it does no one any good to have inaccurate, mis-aligned files floating around. With regards to the extra things you are wanting to add: It shouldn't be hard for you to expand the PCB and add additional encoders, if you'd like, but the free version of EAGLE won't handle a board of this size. The rotary encoder footprint seen there is for the Alps EC12E24204A9, which works great with MIOS. -Steve

In case any of you are interested, I've got the front panel design mostly nailed down. I just need to finish working on the PCB / display-mounting hardware (screws and spacers, mostly) and make some paper models of it all to ensure tolerances are good. You can see the PCB either up above there or here (300dpi). Here is the current front panel design. I've moved to yellow logos and buttons, too. The reason for this is I'm now planning on using a OLED instead of the previously-figured LCD, and this has a green/yellow look to it. Thoughts / comments / suggestions? -Steve

Oh, doh. Thanks. That's right... I forgot he didn't have a bankstick going. -Steve

Send a MIDI bank change command and read the main MIDIbox SID page. -Steve

Thanks for the idea, but it's not possible for me to allow these PCBs to be sold for-profit. I'm designing the PCBs using the non-profit version of EAGLE, and the license for this software dictates that it is to be used for non-profit uses only. If SmashTV were to sell them at any profit, I would be legally obliged to spend an additional $350 or so on software licenses. If he were interested in selling them non-profit (I'd presume he could continue to profit from the PICs and such -- just not the PCBs), I think this would be allowed. I'd imagine he and I would have to discuss this, though... That said, for now it's remaining a non-profit project with all my designs being released under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5. -Steve

For best results you should really be rendering the PCB into a series of PostScript files via the CAM processor. You can define a job to export all the different layers you need as separate PS files, then those can be brought into something like Adobe Illustrator and cleaned up (if need be) or printed. Just remember to export them with drill holes in the center of the pads, else you'll have one hell of a time drilling them.

That sounds to me like the typical bug in the SIDs where one can hear the VCA even when no other sounds are being played. Check out this page, in particular the bullet point which begins with "If the interconnection test was successfull..." under "Testing the SID module". This sound will go away if you change patches and come back as soon as you play another sound. I believe it can always be heard after a MIDIbox SID is powered up because of the sound played via the SID when a BankStick is found, and things not being reset afterwards. (I plan on removing this 'BankStick detected' sound from mine after the hardware is done because I don't like my synths making noise upon powerup. Just in case I (or someone else) needs to reboot one during a performance, etc.) -Steve

Thank you, and you're welcome. :) I've got some working info about the enclosure, including front and rear panel design posted now, too: MIDIbox SID-NUXX - Enclosure. With any luck I'll have the front panel PCB and panel layout nailed down tonight.