Final Stages of construction..some issues..

[ourmanflint]

Hi All...I need a little advice on final troubleshooting on my FM please!!  ;D

To cut to the chase, I have downloaded MIOS 1.9 into her and she took it, I now get just two sys ex requests on startup. I have not yet downloaded the FM s/w. Maybe I should try...but anyway, following the install instructions I should see a copyright message and a ready prompt on the 2 by 40 lcd but I don't. It's alight and I can adjust contrast till I see solid squares along the top row but no text. Also all the leds are on for 'inst' and 'op' select and 1-4 but none of the others. Power rails are all ok.

I've been through all the switch and led and display connections as thoroughly as I can using a meter, I'm sure these are all good and especially that the led's are wired correctly. I've checked all inter-pcb connections per the schematics. The only things I don't have pinouts for are the encoder pots ( which I've disconnected ) and the display ( I've followed the pdf's and guides you provide, I had to reverse the luminance connections 15 & 16 ).

So should i just get on with it and d/l midibox FM s/w and see what happens??

I can always clear this by loading up something else right?

Sorry if this sems a little idiotic but you know, I thought I'd ask...

Er...there are 11 of the subminiature buttons right, not 10? 10 over on the switch matrix and 1 up on top of the inst op section?? Only the parts list seems to indicate only 10 are needed :-? You notice the need when you wire up as per the connection details  ::)

[th0mas]

You could try uploading a little project I made a couple weeks ago that tests your LCD data pins for a short.  You can read about it here:

http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=6514.0

Aside from that, I think there's no harm in uploading the FM s/w and seeing if it plays.  Your LCD is independent from that (aside from some catastrophic short or something) and, assuming the rest of the hardware is okay, it will run, albeit without the LCD.

[ourmanflint]

Thnx, I've checked all that out already with a meter when I went through my conections..I'm used to problematic address and data buses so it was one of the checks I made..I'd read the post about the app. whilst rooting about on here for info, when I read your disclaimer I though I'd better leave it alone lol!!

[th0mas]

Thnx, I've checked all that out already with a meter when I went through my conections..I'm used to problematic address and data buses so it was one of the checks I made..I'd read the post about the app. whilst rooting about on here for info, when I read your disclaimer I though I'd better leave it alone lol!!

:) anything you do is obviously at your own risk, but someone with a better understanding of the risks involved than I (Thorsten) was willing to run it, so I don't think it's that risky :)

[ourmanflint]

Yes, I can load up other programs on top of MIOS and they run, ie the test tone, so I just have interface issues, leds and lcd..also my buttons could be stuffed but I can't seem to check without an lcd. Maybe it's deconstruction time...

Umm, is there an app that will o/p a beep or similar if a front panel button is pressed or an encoder is rotated? Maybe a rising tone for each button sequentially..? do ray me fa so la tee etc etc.

A question...if I wanted to use a psu that had +5v & +/-12v with seperate analog and digital grounds ( +5v digital, +/-12v analog ), could I achieve this? The grounds are mixed only on the opl3 card. I'll need to get a datasheet for the psu to check on manufacturers recommendations, like a resistor between them, but is there a cut(s) I could make on the opl3 board to seperate the grounds? It looks like just the op amps use solely the +/- 12v & the Yamaha chips use only the +5v line...

Thnx for your help! Any advice appreciated!

[TK.]

Just upload MIDIO128, it will send a MIDI event when a DIN changes. It's the most powerful debugging help, because in combination with a MIDI monitor you can follow the pin toggles in a logfile/window

PSU: not my area of competence ;-)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[ourmanflint]

Hmm no go with the button tests, it loaded ok but no midi o/p. I'll scope around a bit and see what I can see..!  :-\

[ourmanflint]

Ahh sweet success!! ;D

Sadnesss and joy, I'd overlooked a detail...J8 on the core, I'd just chained it to the din then the dout, so of course I was using the wrong port for one and fouling the data line for the other, bit silly really!!  :-[ But so glad I realised. Hooked them up correctly and bingo, I have a good front panel. Now I still have the lcd to fix, I wish I had another to swap in. I hope I havent broken it!

How can I check encoder operation w/o an LCD..? direction is important here.. ???

Umm, just to re-iterate, there are 11 taster buttons on the front panel, not 10 like the parts list states. Also in the core module text, the table of port assignments it does not give any assignments for midibox fm, there is no mention of it. I know it's kinda obvious, 1 port for in and 1 for out but it did make me question it for a minute or two.

Thnx folks, it's a really nice feeling when it comes together, thnx for putting all this up for us mere mortals!

[raphael]

Umm, just to re-iterate, there are 11 taster buttons on the front panel, not 10 like the parts list states. Also in the core module text, the table of port assignments it does not give any assignments for midibox fm, there is no mention of it. I know it's kinda obvious, 1 port for in and 1 for out but it did make me question it for a minute or two.

Hmm, the ports are mentioned on the button/led wiring diagrams on the MBFM site ;):

http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_fm/mbfm_din_default.pdf (Core J9)

http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_fm/mbfm_dout_default.pdf (Core J8)

How can I check encoder operation w/o an LCD..? direction is important here..

Just use the MIDIO128 app. You will get several MIDI events per turn (How much depends on the encoder). Other possibility would be to upload a MB64E with appropriate encoder settings (mios_tables.inc).

Raphael