Connecting core to gameport. Need help

Testing/Troubleshooting
1

Hi,

Started building BOX not long ago. Ordered parts, and even soldered CORE and both DIN modules. The question is - How to make core work over Gameport?

I sure tried mbhp_midi_gameport.gif. I just don’t see anything in MIDI-OX. I also did  Midi troubleshooting step by step.

  • Crystal in place

  • Jumpers too

  • Checked for bad soldering ten times

  • Voltages OK

  • Ground OK

  • Didn’t check polarity of Midi plugs, because i want to connect to gameport, and didn’t use midi plugs

  • Diod is OK

  • Resistors OK

  • LED connected to MIDI out flickers

  • Checked MIDI-OX config

Still no upload request in MIDI-OX.

My soundcard is Audigy 2, not premium so i haven’t got midi I/O connectors. Only alternative is gameport.

I soldered my cable using mbhp_midi_gameport.gif. Connected it to core via J11. Unplugged 6N138. Replaced R6 with 100k. The other end of cable goes straight to gameport connector.

Where could be the problem?

P.S. Big thanks to TK and to whole community. And greets from Estonia :slight_smile:

2

Hi,

maybe it makes sense to check the Windows driver of your gameport first. This can be done with a loopback test - you have to connect pins 12 and 15 of the gameport together. Thereafter send a MIDI event (e.g. a note with the virtual keyboard of MIOS Studio or MIDI-Ox), it should be received and displayed on the Input monitor

Best Regards, Thorsten.

3

Thanks! I tried shorting pins on Audigy with no luck. But i got everything working using onboard soundcard.

Now i got another problem. When playing with core and DIN modules, I accidentially put one of the DIN modules on some metal bridges. I think it shortened something. After that i got following problems:

  • LCD is not working, when DIN is connected.

  • When DIN is not connected, I get wrong symbols on display.

Could it be because of some burnt resistor or other component?

EDIT: When left alone with no power for some time (quite long time), CORE boots normally displaying normal text, READY, not RAA@Q

4

Resoldered LCD to core, now works OK.

5

*phew!*  :o

It’s such a relief when that stuff happens