usb connection questions.

[massimiliano]

is the usb connection faster then midi?

is it possible to allow a midibox to send and recive non midi datas.

tis because i'm thinking to a special appication that runs exclusively on pc... i want to develop a software that will communicate with the hardaware box in the faster way possible. the handling of midi will be only software based.

the project is based on midibox lc, with endless encoders and motorfaders. a lot of updates of the controller position will be often needed, because there will be a joystick to switch between "pages", each containing a set of assignments.

the software that this midibox will be builded for is energy-xt. a baeutiful modular host.

since the set of midiout(or sysxout) signals from the box is fixed, i want to know if there is a way to make updates data transfer as fast as possible. (an update is the list of the state of all controllers in the box)

it makes sense to use usb? or midi is fast enough?

where can i find more documentation about the midibox lc hardware?

how the software sequencers like cubase send a feedback to the midibox?

how dk2 and other midibox lc builders chained many midiboxes in a single unit?

if i succeed in using a non midi communication protocol between the hardware and the pc-software, is it possible to have a higher resolution for the faders?

of course i need a lot of help... i have many programming skilled friends that will help me, but the most important hel will come from this forum!!

thanks

[TK.]

Hi,

MIOS doesn't run on PICs with integrated USB peripheral, this means that you would have to implement the operating system from scratch. In addition, you propably have to write your own windows driver if you want to transmit events which don't comply to the MIDI protocol. However, by using NRPNs or Pitch Bender events, it is already possible to send 14bit values, so one of the fist steps would be to read the MIDI spec (see also ucapps FAQ)

it makes sense to use usb? or midi is fast enough?

What do you understand under "fast"?

How many values need to be updated within which time?

where can i find more documentation about the midibox lc hardware?

there is not that much documentation available, only the schematics at ucapps.de

how the software sequencers like cubase send a feedback to the midibox?

there are different ways, they should be documented in the manual which comes with Cubase (I'm not a Cubase user, therefore I cannot help here - for Logic a special LC manual is available, the link is in the Wiki)

how dk2 and other midibox lc builders chained many midiboxes in a single unit?

they use multiple MIDI IO ports (so, it's not chained)

if i succeed in using a non midi communication protocol between the hardware and the pc-software, is it possible to have a higher resolution for the faders?

the maximum resolution provided by the LC protocol is 14bit (faders send and receive pitch bend events), but the PIC only provides a 10bit ADC

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[massimiliano]

there will be a software application that stores the datas of many pages of assignments. a joystick will send messages to the computer to switch between pages. everytime i select a new page an "update" will occur, so every led ring and motor fader will take his position.

i want to use eight motor faders, eight endless knobs with lad rings and 24 illuminated buttons. i want to know if there is a way to send and update using non midi datas... to prevent from loosing precious milliseconds..

how much time is needed to send midimessages of an whole update of all positions for a midibox lc?

my midi-box concept will work only in combination with his software, so the messages that the box sends are fixed. they don't need to be midi messages, formed of 3 bytes.

it is possible to use non midi messages of 1 byte or 2?

and about the midi feedback: i want to know if cubase and othes programs use midi messages or sysx messages to set a new position of a fader\led ring.

[TK.]

An update of all LEDs/LED rings, etc... is so fast, that you won't regognize it. Motorfaders need a little bit longer, but this is not a problem with the protocol, but more a mechanical issue ;-)

Here a link to the logic control manual which contains a detailed description about the MIDI implementation: http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/prodbilder/151261_manual.pdf

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[massimiliano]

the maximum resolution provided by the LC protocol is 14bit (faders send and receive pitch bend events), but the PIC only provides a 10bit ADC

so, i can send 14bit with all controllers, but the real resolution of faders is 10bit, right?

i have some other questions regarding lc application.

i need the led lights to be controlled exclusively via midi in messages, is it a simle thing to modify in the code?

i want to control the leds (not the led rings) with notes and their color with the velocity value.

is it possible to enable rgb led handling? i think to a function that assciate a different colors to different velocity values... can i write it using c language?

about rgb led colors... using them simply connected to 3 dout contscts the possible colors will be 8... is it possible to connect each pin to two dout contacts with different voltages?

this solution could bring 27 possible colors!

is there enough memory in the pic to add rgb handling and velocity pads to the lc application?

[TK.]

i need the led lights to be controlled exclusively via midi in messages, is it a simle thing to modify in the code?

have you already seen the code? Does it look familar to you?

i want to control the leds (not the led rings) with notes and their color with the velocity value.

is it possible to enable rgb led handling? i think to a function that assciate a different colors to different velocity values... can i write it using c language?

about rgb led colors... using them simply connected to 3 dout contscts the possible colors will be 8... is it possible to connect each pin to two dout contacts with different voltages?

this solution could bring 27 possible colors!

I've a test application for my 4x16 Button/Duo-LED matrix, but it can only adapted to 3-colour LEDs by skilled assembly programmers, and it cannot be integrated into the MBLC application. However, this doesn't make much sense anyhow, you want to develop a different protocol, therefore it will be possibly easier for you to build up the application from scratch.

For general RGB LED handling: see also this article: http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=5626.0

Best Regards, Thorsten.