the "ajaxBox", my 2 channel traktor pro controller. (Midibox64E)

[Ajax]

OLD DESIGN

i started designing this over a month ago.

it's on version 0.4 so far.

i tryed to base it off the xone 4d and 3d.

although tryed to take some inspiration from all other mixers/controllers i like.

i really want 4 deck control with lots of practicality.

as minimal as i can make it while still being practical.

my plan is to order the midibox system for it next week.

to the current specifications i believe i need:

3 DINx4

1 AINx4

1 DOUTx4

1 CORE

i plan on using standard panel mount black push buttons, and quality faders (alps).

i also wanted to use the monome all in one buttons from http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/monomelike-button-preorder-p-108.html

but i just had the thought that i have no freaking idea how i'm going to mount it since i want it all to be panel mount stuff for easy of construction.

so more than likely will just drill led holes above more black push buttons.

please give any recommendations/thoughts/ideas/questions/and or tips.

:D!

-Ajax

[stryd_one]

Sounds like a gameplan. That seeedstudio site is interesting too, thanks for the link :)

[Ajax]

no problem :].

i was going to build this into the side of a military ammo container.

i found just the right one at the local military surplus.

but i went in again yesterday and it had been sold.

would of been the perfect watertight case for 15$.

-Ajax

[stryd_one]

Heh, those things are far from rare, don't worry you'll find another!

[Ajax]

i've aquired traktor pro and love it.

so the logical thing to do is to design the midibox to be used for traktor pro.

the modifiers are interesting in traktor pro so i'm reading the "traktor bible".

i have found in the traktor pro midi settings that you can set LED outputs for pretty much anything and the variables are the min and max of both a controller range and a midi range.

there are also options to turn on invert and blend.

i was wondering if i could implement theses outputs into my controller?

i would really like led strips to show me the output volume and also lots of feedback with LEDs.

-Ajax

[Ajax]

*abracadabra!*

/midibox comes back to life

so i'm back.

got busy with school and the midibox was shoved under papers.

but now i'm scheduled to play a set at a gig in a month and need to have my basics finished for mixing.

i'm finished debugging the communication between the core and the computer, and have midibox64 uploaded.

i'm waiting on pin headers and ribbon cables that i ordered from smashtv for quickness, should be here tomorrow or monday.

once i have the modules working with the core i will order some potentiometers or rotary encoders(still deciding which ones to go with, though i have 4 dinx4 modules so might go with 64e.

we shall see :].

i was trying to get the j5 to do some basic digital out to light up a led but apparently suck at programming even though i have a good 6 years of experience.

looking forward to spending a good amount of time on here in the next few weeks.

but yea, i shall continue tomorrow :].

-Ajax

[Soclt]

Hehe, mine midibox should be like this one, but I need all effects available :)

[Ajax]

ribbon cables arrived today with the pin headers, going to put those together :].

-Ajax

[Ajax]

i've been pretty busy with finals but i got to play with it a bit and have found that it won't accept code through mios studio now, before i could upload programs, now when i do it returns with a midi in error.

i will be going through the midi troubleshooting list later tonight ;].

also, i will be ordering some pots and buttons tonight, i've found some nice casemount pots that have pushbuttons built in which would be nice since this is primarily for traktor pro.

i will also be ordering casemount buttons because i really feel casemount will be the easiest with the least amount of tools.

the only problem i really have been having is deciding on knobs, i can't seem to find any knobs that would fit for any of the pots i have looked at, if anyone can show me some suggestion on what to look for it would be nice :].

edit-

this is what i am going to probably be ordering:

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16267

"Shaft size is 0.70"L x 0.25"Dia. "D" shaft"

anyone hav esuggestions for knobs?

-Ajax

[Ajax]

added up what i really need to have done in 3 weeks-

2x 4 channel EQ w/killswitches, cue button, gain, channel level, and filter w/ on/off

-14x rotary encoders

-12x buttons

1x 3 level simple FX w/ individual levels, wet/dry, and up/down selection buttons

-4x rotary encoders

-9x buttons

2x trans (play,stop,master,sync,and fx on/off)

-10x buttons

2x loop controls (active, save, delete, -1/2, 8, 16, +1/2)

-14x buttons

which comes to a total of 18 encoders and 45 buttons.

a total of 49.50$

using the buttons here: http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G1801A

didn't see a voltage/amp rating on there, anyone know if they will work?

-Ajax

[hoxoboxo]

I wouldn' recomend those buttons. They seem to have a long travel length (how much they move when pressed), which is not good for djing.

[Ajax]

I wouldn' recomend those buttons. They seem to have a long travel length (how much they move when pressed), which is not good for djing.

good point, do you know of any other good panel mount push switches?

i shall continue the search tomorrow :].

-Ajax

[Ajax]

My core is now working perfectly, and i have grounded all of my analog pins since i'm not using any analog components.

i am now trying to wire up a encoder to a DINx4 which in turn is connected to J9.

i'm pretty sure i have it all connected correctly, J1 from the DIN to J9 on the Core, then D1 and D2 are used for the side pins of the encoder while the middle is grounded.

though when i try turning it nothing happens in MIOS Studio.

i've also tried it connect to J6 though nothing changes.

i'm so close to controlling traktor that i can taste it.

... it tastes damn good...

-Ajax

[Janis1279]

1. All encoders are not the same pinout. From wiki:

  http://www.avishowtech.com/mbhp/images/encspecs17.gif

  http://www.voti.nl/docs/rotary-encoder.jpg

2. As I understand :

  with old Pic16f877 core DIN module(s) is connected to J6 , but with pic18f...core is connected to J9 .

  Regards, Janis

[Ajax]

1. All encoders are not the same pinout. From wiki:

  http://www.avishowtech.com/mbhp/images/encspecs17.gif

  http://www.voti.nl/docs/rotary-encoder.jpg

2. As I understand :

  with old Pic16f877 core DIN module(s) is connected to J6 , but with pic18f...core is connected to J9 .

  Regards, Janis

it seems i had the pinout wrong :P.

i did a test circuit with an LED and resistor to see which pin was the ground, turns out what i thought was the first data point was actually the ground.

just shows to never assume, though now that i have it all wired up as the correct pin out i still get no midi signals while tweaking the user inputs(encoders).

i've tried to crudely make my own hex file to tell it where my encoders are(first DIN J3;J4;J5 using only half the digital ins for J5).

i have 8 encoders hooked up, though i don't get any midi signals through midiox or mios studio, i've also tried both J9 and J6.

-Ajax

[Janis1279]

it seems i had the pinout wrong :P.

i did a test circuit with an LED and resistor to see which pin was the ground, turns out what i thought was the first data point was actually the ground.

just shows to never assume, though now that i have it all wired up as the correct pin out i still get no midi signals while tweaking the user inputs(encoders).

i've tried to crudely make my own hex file to tell it where my encoders are(first DIN J3;J4;J5 using only half the digital ins for J5).

i have 8 encoders hooked up, though i don't get any midi signals through midiox or mios studio, i've also tried both J9 and J6.

If you have 8 encoders hooked up, you need 2 SR for example: connect to all pins of J3,J4,J5,J6.

I made some little changes in source file code . DIN module you need to try to J9 of core.

setup_midibox16e.asm

setup_midibox16e.hex

setup_midibox16e.asm

setup_midibox16e.hex

[Ajax]

i've trialed all the pins as ground with that hex file and none give me anything.

which makes me think hat there could be something wrong with DIN module or the communication from the DIN to the Core.

is there any test i can do to the DIN?

-Ajax

[Janis1279]

i have 8 encoders hooked up, though i don't get any midi signals through midiox or mios studio, i've also tried both J9 and J6.

I could be wrong.

When you tried both J9 and J6 with J1 DINx4, are you seen some differences in pinouts ( mirror ) ?

From left to right side on core

for J6 : RC  SC  S1  Vd  Vs

for J9 : Vs  Vd  S1  SC  RC

Regards, Janis

[Ajax]

i've made sure to keep it 1:1.

taken a few electronics classes, just don't have too much experience with microprocessors.

all my skills are in looking at schematics and figuring out values :P.

-Ajax

[Janis1279]

Are your 8 encoders with right pinout connected to DINx4 SR input pins i0-i7 as in example file for 16 encoders ? Is external cable  right wired :  Vs to Vs, Vd to Vd, S1 to S1, SC to SC, RC to RC to the correct Core port (reading commentary to schematic, too) ?

mbhp_dinx4_16enc.pdf

mbhp_dinx4_16enc.pdf

[Ajax]

Are your 8 encoders with right pinout connected to DINx4 SR input pins i0-i7 as in example file for 16 encoders ? Is external cable  right wired :  Vs to Vs, Vd to Vd, S1 to S1, SC to SC, RC to RC to the correct Core port (reading commentary to schematic, too) ?

yes they are, they have been this whole time.

like i said, i'm not a newbie.

though thanks for the thought.

one thing that has come to mind that might affect it is that i have all my grounds wired together.

though this shouldn't make any difference.

-Ajax

[nILS]

like i said, i'm not a newbie.

!=

one thing that has come to mind that might affect it is that i have all my grounds wired together.

We're all newbies here ;) Wiring all grounds together is correct and a good thing to do.

You can http://ucapps.de/mios/srio_interconnection_test_v1b.zip <- let's you do Core<->DIN interconnection testing. Also http://ucapps.de/mios/ain64_din128_dout128_v2b.zip should show some changes on the LCD or via MIDI when you move an encoder.

[Ajax]

You can http://ucapps.de/mios/srio_interconnection_test_v1b.zip <- let's you do Core<->DIN interconnection testing.

in the readme it says that:

By default all unselected pins are 0V, except for the CS# pin which is 5V

The Pins are mapped to following Modulation Wheel Values:

   # 0: Pin CORE::J8:DO and DOUT::J1:DO = ca. 5V

   # 1: Pin CORE::J8:SC, CORE::J9:SC, DOUT::J1:SC, DIN::J1:SC = ca. 5V

   # 2: Pin CORE::J8:RC, CORE::J9:RC, DOUT::J1:RC, DIN::J1:RC = ca. 5V

since i'm only worried about the DIN right now, because i don't currently have a DOUT, i'm only testing J9.

and from what i took from that readme is that it wants me to check the voltage across a ground and J9:SC;RC then doing the same to J1:SC;RC, right?

should be testing four voltages.

and to turn on the voltages it wants me to play with the modulation wheel in MIOS Studio?

when i do what i think it wants me to do i get nothing, not a single mV.

EDIT: i also just tryed the MIDIO128 hex and didn't get any results, and i tryed the rotary encoders in three pin configurations to test for ground.

-Ajax