A Few Simple Questions

[Mousikos]

Hi guys!

I just purchased my first two MF_NG boards and soldered my first board (ever) last night! It was really enjoyable, I think I found myself a new hobby.

Now that I'm finally getting myself involved with midibox, I'm hoping for some clear, concise answers to clarify a few simple questions I have.

I have read through much of the site and the forums, if I missed an answer to one of my questions, please forgive my ignorance.

QUESTIONS:

1.) How many modules can be connected to the LPC CORE?

2.)Does the type of module connected to the LPC CORE make a difference?

For example:

If I had two CORE modules and I connected only AINSER64 modules to one CORE, and connected only MF_NG modules to the second CORE. Would both COREs have the same amount of modules connected to them? Or does the type of module connected to the CORE make a difference in the amount of modules that the CORE can handle?

3.) How many LPC CORE modules can be (daisy) chained together?

Finally, power supplies.

4.) How do I figure out how much power I need to supply?

5.) Does each module need to be hooked up to a power supply, or can the LPC CORE transfer current to modules that are connected to it?

Bonus.) Where can I find an LCD screen to use with the Midibox modules?

Thanks in advance to all of you electronic gurus, wizards, and elites!

[TK.]

Hi,

the modules are using different interfaces, therefore we can't say that each firmware would support N modules of any kind...

The maximum amount of connectable modules mainly depends on the interface type, hardware resources and firmware capabilities.

Therefore you've to ask more concretely which setup you are planning to use (if the user manual of the appr. application doesn't already help)

How many LPC CORE modules can be (daisy) chained together?

MBHP_CORE_LPC17 cores are working independent from each other; especially if they are connected via USB to a PC/Mac there is direct access to each core (each one has an own MIDI interface)

How do I figure out how much power I need to supply?

Very difficult to calculate if we don't know the details of your setup - but the most simple way is to measure the power consumption of each module separately and to accumulate it - or if you don't need such detailed informations, just measure the complete current of your setup to decide if your PSU is strong enough (or too strong)

Does each module need to be hooked up to a power supply, or can the LPC CORE transfer current to modules that are connected to it?

The MBHP_CORE_LPC17 powers the connected modules via Vs/Vd lines of the interface.

Where can I find an LCD screen to use with the Midibox modules?

Almost everywhere... ;-)

Where are you living? Maybe somebody can give you a special tip for your country.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Mousikos]

Hi Thorsten,

Thanks so much for your reply! Your answer was just what I was looking for, it cleared everything up.

I'm sure I'll be back for more questions, once I have all of my boards assembled and need to figure out a concrete configuration to make everything work properly.

Best,

Mousikos