design questions

[rogic]

Hi,

Our goal is to make MIDIbox 64. Controller will be used for DJing purposes, so we won't need DIN connectors and LCD. Here are the Questions:

1. If I want to use COM port (for laptop usage), do I need LCD display since it is possible only to select COM port through menus?

2. Why are there sockets for every IC on every module? I understand that PIC of the core module can be reprogrammed, but why do we need other sockets?

3. Power supply - is it 5V only for the CORE module? All other modules are using this supply? Can we use the old rectifier from the old Sony CD player with voltage stabilizer? (it gives 5V DC)

4. Bank sticks - are these required only for different modes of sending data? Since we want to use pure, simple linear data of pots.

thanks for ANY replies...

[LO]

Hi

I am part way thru making a controller for DJ'in also.

You may want the DIN for menu? & freq kill buttons? but if you have enough spare AIN's you could probably just use those.

LCD displays are useful but not essential, you should be able to turn the com port on or off via the ini file?? someone else on this list should be able to help with this?

No you dont need IC sockets for the other IC's but it makes it easier to solder, less chance of damaging your IC's & they are easier to replace if you need to (& they are cheap).

Yes the 5v supply gives the power to the other modules like DIN, DOU, AIN, LTC if you want to add other cores for Motorfaders or SID's then you need additional P/S

If your CD player provides 500mA and its a very stable supply, it should be OK?

Banksticks are so you can save pot settings if you are using a DJ mp3 player with midi learn you could probably just have the settings on ya PC (the eeproms are cheap tho)

good luck

[Captain_Hastings]

About the COM port... if this was a setting you could change using Sysex/vmidibox, you would need a midiport to send it thru in the first place. Besides, changing the midi port this way would disconnect the midibox...  :-/

So i think the only option to turn the COM option on is via the software/LCD menu on the midibox itself.

The only alternative could be... a firmware that uses the COM port as a default... which does not exist right now (i think), but it might be a suggestion for Thorsten?

This is probably just one bit in the hex file...  ;D

[LO]

yeah I think thats what Im tring to get at ;)

you would need to find the right bit of code and burn it in to the PIC

[rogic]

Hi,

thanks for the replies.

There was misundertanding: I sure want DIN (digital inputs), but I don't want standard MIDI input/output female connectors.

Since LCD is needed to switch to COM port, I am sure I am going to make the box wirth a LCD. If I understand right, it should be soldered to a CORE module, without any additional PCBs, right?

Power supply: I am not sure if player gives 500mA, but I will check it and see if it is OK. I need a stable voltage (If I undersood Thorsten's pages right) so I can do this with an extra 7805?

Banksticks: Since I will be using NI Traktor, all settings can be saved in software itself as an option. I don't need banksticks then...

thanks everyone

[LO]

Hi

Yeah the LCD connects to the core with a ribbon cable & plug so you could just use it for setting up the box and then remove it if it wasnt needed.

I dont know if using an extra 7805 is going to make your supply any more stable? just give your CD player P/S a go.  500mA is required to run a backlit LCD you could get away with less if it wasnt backlit.

if you dont want midi sockets just dont solder them to the board, dont bother about stuffing the optpcoupler either

The good thing about the MBHP is that if you find that it doesnt do exactly what you need it to you can just add additional modules ie banksticks etc

LO

[TK.]

If you need a dedicated firmware with MIDIbox-to-COM enabled by default, just request it via mail. There are already existing a lot of non-published MIDIbox variants (I just counted it: more than 64 variants! ;-) and I don't want to compile them with every new release, since on this way I would also have to test the variants by myself to avoid any trouble... :-/

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[rogic]

Hi,

If LCD is not an expensive option, then we'll definately add one and have a option to turn on/off COM data transfer for MIDIbox. On the other side, we are not going to make a interface for a gameport, so we surely know it will work only with COM. So I'm wandering what to burn by default into PIC? Thorsten, please send me the firmware if you read this.

Since I know very little about electronics, all modules will be made by a proffessional guy. Soldering pots, power supply, LCD, etc. will be done by me, so pardon my dumb questions about whole hardware platform.

:-/

[TK.]

If you have to switch between the modes very often, I could compile a special version which allows to select the mode with the spare pin (J14 of the core module). In this case, you have to connect a 10k pull-up resistor between J14 and +5V and can select the to-COM option by using a jumper to ground.

I have to test this version, because I don't know if it already works correctly. You will get it next week (I'm not at home and currently have no access to my source files).

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[rogic]

Hi,

I don't think we are going to switch modules very often, since we would like to use it with laptop and the same goes for desktop computer. The problem is that I don't know if we are going to build it with LCD; if it is cheap, we'll build it with LCD and use normal firmware. Are there any problems with COM port driver? Anyone tested it?

>In this case, you have to connect a 10k pull-up

>resistor between J14 and +5V and can select the to-

>COM option by using a jumper to ground.

:-/ Please, no other options, as I've said, I am total newbie to all of this, it is already a hard task for me

>You will get it next week (I'm not at home and

>currently have no access to my source files).

If we decide to use LCD, there will be no need for this. Anyway, Thorsten -  thanks a lot.