vsmGuy

Aww come on .. I was just pulling you guys leg.. otherwise why I keep on asking: Should I upload schematics and software here? I use KiCAD - is that OK? Do you guys have some kind of VSM simulation software with you? (Proteus et al) It's ME who needs all the help!

This so so cool. Thanks you guys :D I want to put up some stuff now .. Should I upload schematics and software here? I use KiCAD - is that OK? Do you guys have some kind of VSM simulation software with you? (Proteus et al)

madox, please stop sounding so apologetic :-[ As I told you before, I am not "in" coz I want to play music on my synth patched to my lappy. I am in this because I wanna build my own cable and then let GOD take it where it goes. Back in 1999 a synth used to sound much sweeter than the MIDI files in a computer. Nowadays, the computer sounds sweeter. Thanks for the references and the detailed writeup. Would you be interested in contributing if I opened up the schematics? It will not be available to everyone of course - ONLY to those who contribute ;-) I do require you to have Proteus/Qux however...

I am happy now with the kind of discussions we are having :-) MIDI ports are unidirectional .. am I right? I am a little confised about "current loop" though. MIDI seems to use an "active high" signal of 5mA. The question is - 5ma at WHAT voltage? I am asking coz I want to add a current limiting resistor. Similarly, when I do the MIDI out, what voltage do I send out the 5mA signal at (will I be able to use a resistor to limit the current drawn or do I need to make a complicated opamp based curren limiter circuit?) I do not mind using two uC for RS232 communication - one for MIDI in and another for MIDI out. There will be a third uC to send these data to a computer serial port. Once I have this setup working, I will implement software UART in the uC to replace the 3rd uC. What do you guys think? I was suggesting USB not only because current systems dont have RS232 but also because there seems too be a ready-to-go USB-MIDI driver on all latest OS (whether that works with the approach I am telling is to be seen) I think right now I need some tried and tested serial MIDI drivers - any suggestions?

I have been doing a little bit of poking around with docs and have an idea in my head - MIDI is simply usual Serial transmission BUT at a Baud rate of 31250. What if: 1. I located a MIDI driver/program that can read from a computer's serial port at say 38kbps - you guys know of some serial drivers? (Will CakeWalk/etc be able to do this?) 2. I made a AVR/PIC/8051 based convertor that reads from my synth at a Baud rate of 31250 and sends that data to my computer's serial port? Would this not be exactly what I want? Did anyone try something like this before? Oh - and regarding the PIC EUSART silicon error - it seems it's fixed now.!

Thanks people for all the answers, I really really apprecaite it. I know that I would be wasting around 90 - 100 hours chasing behind a PIC based solution, and the chances are I would end up buying the GM5 anyways, but the fun is in the chase :-) I just wanted to ask - would I get similar warm and informative responses if I came up with questions/queries when building the PIC based USB - MIDI interface? I am not so much interested in "making music" rather than "making my own". In the end, when all of this works, all I would be doing is editing my tracks on a PC and playing it back on the keyboard... no settings/sample storing/OS upgrading (sysex stuff) So far, the PIC interface looks like it can do that pretty well.

I have a question - would the PIC interface be "good enough" if I need not use sysex? Buying many GM5 is a good option BTW - I really did not consider that!

I really appreciate your help and efforts into giving the answers guys. Thanks a lot for your time. The GM5 is really cheap, and has the "bang for the buck" - really a nice design. Yet it's an overkill for my needs - maybe when I become more serious. It's not the cost that is a factor, it's far too cheap tp be. What matters to me is I have no specific lead time should the part go wrong, especially since it's a DIY. I am really not sure if I sysex transfers are a priority for me for my specific scenario? Anyways, thanks a lot really, and I apologize if I rubbed anyone the wrong way - I honestly did not mean to. Good day.

Is there nothing as a GM5 datasheet? Why do I have this feeling that the GM5 is a buy-from-ATMEL-today AVR with a customized firmware? In that case, what's up with the bulk orders when all they need to do is sell the firmware?

Thanks for the replies. Wow .. my choices are pretty limited. I would rather stay out of ordering custom silicon. I have experienced this before - you have to wait for a long lead time first, and later if it stops working, you have to wait even more, and the wait tends to become infinite as the years go by and companies rise and fall. I would rather not face this again. From what I see, the best choice would be the PIC based solution. What were/is the issues with it? Would it be able to do the USB <-> MIDI conversion that I want?

Hi, In August 2005, N&V had published Robert Lang's Midi-nator design, which showed that a hobbyist could create a USB-based MIDI device. I had made one, but now the problem is that the software works only on Win XP and I need to update my systems to Vista, and I would rather shift to openSuse. It seems like you guys are the last (and the first) word in MIDI designs, and I had a look at all the "stuff" and frankly I am overwhelmed by it all. I just can't understand which project I need to build (like the Midi-nator design) so that I can hook up my synth to the USB port. Note that I have amix of USB1.1 and USB2.0 ports .. will that make a difference?