The Dub Master MIDIbox 64 -work in progress-

[Foona]

Ok iv'e dissconnected every beard now.

I measured all the voltages again before procceeding with turning the MB on.

Now the LCD shows two rows of squares, just like in this picture from post #110:

As i stated before, PIC is loaded with MB64 app.

Is this healthy?

Im going to proceed with hooking up one AIN board now.

[nILS]

It does not. It shows ONE row of black squares. The other row is just visible because the contrast is cranked way up. This is what you see if the display has power but has not been initialized.

Possible reasons:

* Wiring

* Wrong/No software on the PIC

* Wiring

* for more see stryd's GROT

[Foona]

ok..

The only wires on the core are the LCD and power supply.

All other wires have been dissconnected.

Would the LCD show this eventhough software hasn't been fully uploaded?

<add-edit>

Of course, midi cables are still there too :)

[dstamand]

ok..

The only wires on the core are the LCD and power supply.

All other wires have been dissconnected.

Would the LCD show this eventhough software hasn't been fully uploaded?

<add-edit>

Of course, midi cables are still there too :)

All unused analog inputs must be clamped to ground

[Foona]

Oh yeah.  :-[

Ok doing it.

[nILS]

http://ucapps.de/mbhp/auaimbctg.pdf

Ask. Read answer. That's how we play here :-)

[Foona]

hahahaha  ;D

Im really a screw up.

Ok, iv'e clamped every unused input to ground now.

this is what i get on the LCD:

It's not fluxuating anymore.

Can i proceed with connectin a AIN module?

<add-edit>

Ok first AIN is connected now with success im happy to tell you. :)

I didn't check the app before i uploaded it, so i have no idea how it's mapped right now.

Some faders do nothing, and some do something.

Fader going upp, numbers go up, fader go down, numbers go down, and it looks stable.

Im gonna check the wiring on the AIN2 board now before i connect it.

I'll dissconnect everything from it then do it all over.

[stryd_one]

Ok, iv'e clamped every unused input to ground now.

Can i proceed with connectin a AIN module?

You should only ground the unused analog inputs - Don't ground digital pins!

Grounded AIN = Always reads as zero = No constant updating and making stuff flicker and go crazy

Grounded digital pins (not jut DINs but any thig aside from AINs basically) + that pin goes high = short circuit = fried PIC.

Edit: I like your newfound one-thing-at-a-time approach... and I think you do too, it's working out well so far :)

[Foona]

I didn't ground any of the Digital pins before, and after that explanation i certainly wont do it in the future.

..i hope haha.

Proceeding with next AIN board.

<edit-add>

Wait a minute.

I just discovered i haven't connected J6 on AIN1 module to J6 on core....but it seems to work.

what does port J6 really do here?

<add-edit>

I have dissconnected the AIN1 module again and proceeded with connecting AIN2 module to J5A on core.

I wanted to see if i got the same results as with AIN1, but here i get the "LCD halt-before-boot of death".

So, im gonna figure out whats wrong with the wiring on it.

<add-edit>

I resoldered the connections again, and voila.

the fluxuating thingy is back again! :D

This makes me happy, cuz at least now im on to something.

Gotta find that GND problem.

<add-edit>

I just had to throw in a qiz in between here.

Stryd, when you said "Don't ground digital pins!"

Did you mean the DOUT pins too?

[stryd_one]

Okay sorry I should elaborate... I thought you just had a core module at that point, with no AIN modules connected (reading the lines I quoted, it sounded that way) .... Grounding the unused digital inputs on a core module would be bad, so I wanted to post quickly to save your gear, so I rushed it :)

Any pin that can act as an output, should not be grounded. Any of the pins on the PIC fall into this category, as do the DOUTs. With DINs you're probably safe, but why would you want to do that anyway? So it's best not to...

Just ground the unused AINs, leave everything else...

[/tilted/]

hahahaha  ;D

Im really a screw up.

No, you're not.

You're just nervous.

You need to relax. Go drinking like cimo says. Trust cimo, he knows what he's talking about.

Also, you mentioned a few posts ago you had a lot of non-midibox work to do before this gig.

Highly reccommend you do a little of this, it will shake up those synapses and also help you to relax.

Just slow down, be methodical, have patience.

hmmm, patience... sounds like a golden rule... ::)

[dstamand]

Wait a minute.

I just discovered i haven't connected J6 on AIN1 module to J6 on core....but it seems to work.

what does port J6 really do here?

J6 on AIN:

These are the address pins of the multiplexers which allow the MIDIbox to select one of eigth inputs.

[cimo]

You need to relax. Go drinking like cimo says. Trust cimo, he knows what he's talking about.

Thank you for pointing out how much i know about Midiboxes ...... burp!

[stryd_one]

what does port J6 really do here?

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/mios_pin_list  ;)

[Foona]

Thanx guys  :)

Well, i did stop yesterday at about 4 hours before i had to go to work.

Today i came home, and instead of going straight to the MB, i stepped into my kitchen

opened the fridge and grabbed the coolest beer i could find.

I have now dissconnected all pots from AIN2 board.

And the jitters are gone. :)

Im now going to connect 1 pot at a time and check for GND jitters in between every connected pot.

Jitters...how do you get them.

Bad soldering? Shortage?

Oh yeah, i was born without patience.

Before midibox, i didn't even know how to spell it haha  ;D

But im really trying. I hope you can see that.

[cimo]

I have now dissconnected all pots from AIN2 board.

And the jitters are gone. Smiley

Im now going to connect 1 pot at a time and check for GND jitters in between every connected pot.

good boy

(i am slowly trying to move my ass out of Tenerife this weekend, i ll be at Roskilde Festivalen and then in DK, Sjaelland all summer long, if you pass by let me know)

Simone

[Foona]

There might be some cause for a trip to Denmark about that time.

I might be performing at a Psychedelic Trance party around then.

It depends on what happens now and how my Dub gig goes.

Well i have now connected pot by pot.

And i have gotten jitters and removed jitters.

Many times on the same pots. One second problems gone, another second problem comes back.

I have discovered that my pots are not to easy to solder.

The solder is having a hard time sticking to the surfare.

So...i pulled out a filing tool.... :)...and started filing on a leg.

After that, soldering is much more easy....and now i have to do this on every pot just to make shure.  :(

[dstamand]

The solder is having a hard time sticking to the surfare.

So...i pulled out a filing tool.... :)...and started filing on a leg.

How to solder

[cimo]

Well i have now connected pot by pot.

And i have gotten jitters and removed jitters.

Many times on the same pots. One second problems gone, another second problem comes back.

I have discovered that my pots are not to easy to solder.

The solder is having a hard time sticking to the surfare.

So...i pulled out a filing tool.... :)...and started filing on a leg.

After that, soldering is much more easy....and now i have to do this on every pot just to make shure.  :(

hi

do you have a small dremel like tool? it s a goodie to have at home

this could be the cause of jittering, or not.Have you tested the pots? if those pots have bad pins i wouldn t be surprised if some of them are not stable "inside"

There might be some cause for a trip to Denmark about that time.

I might be performing at a Psychedelic Trance party around then.

It depends on what happens now and how my Dub gig goes.

nice to hear, where is this psytrance party? would that be the danish side of the after-fusion?

i ll be living in Ringsted, moving to Christiania on the weekends...

vi ses

EDIT:

Quote from: Foona on Today at 18:30

The solder is having a hard time sticking to the surfare.

So...i pulled out a filing tool.... Smiley...and started filing on a leg.

How to solder

i don t think that foona misses sodlering skills, i ve noticed that sometime old or "bad pots" have some grease residue on the pins (from the mechanic part) that will make soldering more difficult.It could be that.

Video was rather interesting though, i got a couple of tips i didn t know myself.

[Foona]

i ve noticed that sometime old or "bad pots" have some grease residue on the pins (from the mechanic part) that will make soldering more difficult.It could be that

Yes grease residue, thats it.

Well it looks like it though.

When the leg get heated, this grease becomes fluid and the solder wont get through to the surface.

I should have gotten the isopropanol out to clean the legs before soldering.

I don't know if my soldering skills are good or bad, either way reminders are never wrong.

So im still going to watch that movie.  :)

<add-edit>

I forgott.

All pots (rotary and faders) where measured with multimeter before mounting on panel.

<add-edit>

Well iv'e watched the video, and i must say, that is a great video!

Either way, my soldering skills aren't bad, i see that now. Though i should stop rushing it.

My biggest problem...

<add-edit>

;D WOHOOO!!! I finally got the first 8 pots to work flawlesly.  ;D

Alot of jobs on those pots i tell you.

Next time i'll clean them thoroughly before soldering.

No more grease please.

Lets se, i have 24 pots to go, so i better get crunching!

<add-edit>

16 pots to go.

Bring on the horses, cuz i still have a stable system...

I know, that joke is soo far fetched that i pulled a muscle in my hand typing it.

[/tilted/]

Today i came home, and instead of going straight to the MB, i stepped into my kitchen

opened the fridge and grabbed the coolest beer i could find.

Good man.

See how everything gets a little better when you have a beer?

A common misconception holds that midiboxing is all about the electronics.

Well, technically midiboxes do run on electricity.

But midiboxers run on beer.

edit: slightly improved clarity..

[Foona]

Check my new signature.

It must be the most true quote ever!

Back on course..

I have now managed to get all pots but 1 stable.

If i tweak the pot down it's stable, but when i tweak it up, jitters appear.

This is the only pot doing it.

Iv'e measured this pot several times now, while tweaking it too.

And it measures about 9.98K. this is ok. Then why isn't it working?

Im going to try to swap it for a new one.

I really hope it works, cuz im real fed up with searching for GND errors... :)

<edit>

It was a faulty pot!!!  ;D

Now i have to connect both AIN boards to the core.

<edit>

I was going to connect the second AIN board.

Question.

Is this the right way to connect the AIN boards?

AIN 1&2 Port J6 Pin A - RC on port J6 on Core

AIN 1&2 Port J6 Pin B - SC on port J6 on Core

AIN 1&2 Port J6 Pin C - SI on port J6 on Core

[Foona]

Ok now im getting pissed of.  >:(

Everything was okay yesterday.

Every pot checked out.

Iv'e been taking it slow, adding 1 pot at a time, and yesterday i found a faulty pot.

after fixing that everything was okay.

I checked several times.

And today i have jitters again.

And i cannot localize it.

Im going freaking mad!!

The only board connected is the AIN2 boards with the rotary pots on it.

I never got around to connect the second board yesterday.

[MTE]

Hi

I havent read the whole topic here, what pots are you using ?

I know this problem too, thats making so f....ing angry....Ive bought in the past very cheap "Radiohm"-pots...they go after a half year of using to brake....so they start flicker all the time :(

Get instead of really cheapos more quality pots, ALPS prefered, they great for years without any trouble ;)

[Foona]

CR*P CR*P CR*P!!!!

As soon as i find a jittering pot i have a new pot jittering.

I change it, then everything is okay..then seconds later while tweaking another pot i got new jitters.

Some pots can reach 127..and then i test a new one...i go back to the first one, and suddenly it only goes up to 120,

and down to 3. Then jitters appear.

How am i supposed to be able to do anything when it's like this.

Iv'e changed 4 pots and im still getting the jitters back.

! minute gone completely..next minute back.

You're probably right.....aw man...im not getting a paycheck for like another month, and by then my gig is over.

I'll have to do magic to get some new pots that fit.

<edit>

Ok, how does ALPS RK09  pots sound?

Would they do?