GM 5x5x5 19" Case Design Competition

[technobreath]

Yo!

I’d like to introduce this thing. If you are one of the many who have been following the GM5 bulk order thread, chances are u picked up this. Well, here’s the compo thread!

What is this? Some background info (qouting myself here):

And -> I have ordered 6 chips and 4 nils-boards - If I keep em all to myself I have 6 boards and 8 chips in total. I really don’t need that many I/Os . I signed up for those numbers becasue I wanted to make this happen, not just for me, but for everyone else. Let’s just put it this way - I will never have the use for 30 midi I/Os myself.

To make it interesting (if the admins will let me and don’t think it’s a stupid idea - please tell me so in that case):

Background is that I got a very good deal on my first two gm5x5x5 boards myself back when I bought em. Since I have now signed up for more than I needed, I will be responsible and share around myself as I ones was “shared with”. MIDIBox community is “gold” and a lot of people have fun here, and learn a lot of stuff - I have learnt a lot myself -> I would like to “invest” something back in the community. What I would like is to set up a competition of some kind where the prize is 2x GM5x5x5 PCB including the chip. Maybe one winner or two, don’t know yet . Have no idea what kinda compo either yet.

Let’s be clear. My proposal aint to gain cred, fame, friends, nothing like that. It’s just a funny way of “investing” in the people of this community - ultimately providing a platform for people to learn more about midibox and electronics. The only catch is that I need the winner(s) to pay for the shipping, but that should be affordable for about anyone I gather… I’m no richie rich, just a normal person with family and too many midi interfaces hehe, so I thought it would be funny to stir it up a little bit with this thing ;).

So! Prize for the winner is 2x GM5x5x5 PCB including chips!

Another quote from rosch:

ok i’ll deliver the rest of the board components then for the winner (not the panel mount stuff).

Another from rosch

maybe you could offer it as prize for the best Schaeffer/FPE 19" 1U panel layout for 2 instances of the GM5x5x5, all in/outs on the back, on the front the usb,leds and maybe 1 or 2 pairs of midi jacks on the froont too for easy access on the fly

It actually looks like the prize now is the following:

2x GM5x5x5 PCB

2x GM5 Chips

2x Component kit for the PCB - excluding the MIDI connectors and everything that isn’t to be mounted on the PCBs.

This is a really nice prize for the winner!

Design guidelines is discussed, and if u have input on this, please leave a comment. I will not post any official guidelines now, but update this thread when it’s finalized.

The way it looks now is that the whole community will decide the winner out of a few finalists by voting.

My hope for this is that many people will learn a lot in the process, and that it will be fun! I also take it for granted that the design will be released for the community to use afterwards.

Anyway! This was supposed to act as a teaser - I will come back later and tidy up this entry :P.

[Arkay]

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[technobreath]

Dude, I know - I wrote this in the middle of the night And I insured myself against nitpickers (that was a joke)

Anyway! This was supposed to act as a teaser - I will come back later and tidy up this entry :P.

Next u try to write this in Norwegian (that was another joke)

[Arkay]

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[Hawkeye]

By the way: great initiative! Am looking forward to seeing some nice case designs

[rosch]

it would be great to have all 20 midi jacks on the back as well as the usb connectors. and on the ones on the front maybe with a switch each so you could easily switch over to front when you like to test new equipment and keep the standard wiring on the back.

but sure that’s probably not what everybody wants, and i can just drill those 2 extra holes on my panel (and more desired midi socket holes on the back)

does the competition also include a design for the back side? or would a drilling guide to diy be enough?

a thing to consider is that there are different cases, so it would be good if there could be some minimum distance from the borders to allow use of different case types.

if there’s a nice midibox glorifying design and some interest we could do a bulk order. i need 2 at least. we could ask julianF if/when there are some numbers.

and if we can find easily available standard panel mount parts i’ll include the panel stuff too in the priZe.

[nILS]

Small nitpick technobreath, and I feel bad for saying it as I’m not one of those spelling nazi’s on forums. But I’m sure you mean “Prize”, not price Even if English isn’t your primary language In this case it really stands out as one you have to pay for, the other is a reward…

Small nitpick, Arkay, and I feel bad for saying it, as I’m not one of those spelling nazis on forums, but you’re missing a comma, there shouldn’t be a “.” before “but” and it’s “nazis” not “nazi’s”.

Please stop doing that.

[technobreath]

Yo rosch, the switchable port front / back is a neat idea… How is it doable in real life is a bit more complicated. There are 5 wires that need to be switched, no? It would be a really cool feature. Could it be done electronically? It would be cool to have one pushbutton that says “switch” or similar. I haven’t studied electonic switching techniques, so I have no idea myself how to solve it - yet :D. It could easily be achieved with some small signal relays. In either case I can smack up a Eagle PCB layout designed in a way that it can easily be etched at home, or ordered if that is an option.

Or is there simply a switch (affordable and available) that can do the same thing mechanically?

I’ll do some research on this myself, but please comment if u have a bright idea! :).

My suggestions on the other things are that design should be for both front and back. A drillguide would of course be useful, but it would be nice with some letters and numbers on the back too :). We just gotta watch out so that it doesn’t get too expensive for people to buy afterwards -> that would kinda go against the whole idea about the compo! :).

I’ll be back later today and upgrade the first post, now that we seem to be close to an understanding about the guidelines :).

[rosch]

i’ll have a look for switches too. i got 2 round six layer / 2 pole pushbutton toggle switches here with on/off indicator . these would be great but i believe they’re far from ‘available’. but since with 5 layers (or what it’s called) we’d need just 2 switches total for both channels it wouldn’t be that much a financial issue if they cost a few bux (sorry, i mean bucks)

and yes a labeled back side would be great, it’s important to see what you’re doing without touching it with the nose in dim light behind the racks

[artyman]

Here’s a couple more ideas to add to the pot…

There’s no real need to switch a port from front to back.. just have 1 port (in and out) on the front and all the rest on the back. that’s how it’s done on my MOTU Midi express XT.

Another way could be to have the front sockets wired in parallel with the rear ones, and just use it as an ‘either one, but not both’ option, or fit a midi merger on the 2 I/P sockets so both could be used.

[Arkay]

Small nitpick, Arkay, and I feel bad for saying it, as I’m not one of those spelling nazis on forums, but you’re missing a comma, there shouldn’t be a “.” before “but” and it’s “nazis” not “nazi’s”.

Please stop doing that.

Wow.

[rosch]

There’s no real need to switch a port from front to back.. just have 1 port (in and out) on the front and all the rest on the back. that’s how it’s done on my MOTU Midi express XT.

you’re right, one should be enough and 9 on the back is more than enough actually.

[technobreath]

Hey again. I’m just putting out the fire here - nobody meant to be a prick - including you :). I’m sure Nils made this comment with a friendly smile around his face, not keyboard commando mode :). We are all really friendly here 99% of the time, and believe me, this situation is not one of those who qualify for angry thoughts and comments :).

I did never take this personal, and it is not neccesary to appologize to me, I’m sorry if the comments came across as hostile - they were meant more as a ironic / self-ironic friendly funny thing. Nothing more :).

Let us all just interpret this thing as the ting it actually was - a funny comment. And I’m sure this is just Nils’ way of welcoming you hehe. One gotta pass the sarcastic-nils-test hehe. Most of us is nice friendly guys :).

You are welcome to compete, and it will be fun having you around!

[nILS]

I just like answering “you made a typo there” with “you made a typo there”. :whistle:

:flowers:

[Arkay]

All good. I have no idea what even made me send the first post. I always think people correcting other people’s grammar/spelling on forums is a sure sign of them having no life… But then I guess in many many years of posting I haven’t really put my foot in my mouth often. It does happen from time to time though…

Anyhow. On with the fantastic idea for a competition. I’m absolutely useless at anything with the word “design” in it, but I’ll grab some popcorn, sit back, and watch with amazement as the entries roll in. Whilst secretly downloading all the design files in the background for if/when I manage to get a GM5x5x5 pcb/chip

Cheers,

Arkay.

[T.K]

I like the idea as well!

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Shuriken]

I made a 1U frontpanel and back panel design in FPD a while back.

However i made it as cheap as possible (I figured i could do an inlay myself). If possible i want to see if i can get 2 GM5x5x5 shoved in there. Which might be possible if you mount one upside down.

I will have to see, if it will actually fit if i receive my case from modushop (NorthernLightx and me bought some cases together) So i don’t have a propper layedout backpanel design yet. There is enough room on the front for 1 midi in/out.

The mounting holes are specific for this case.

Personally i am not a fan of the USB on the front. But i can imagine that for you laptop users, it might be convenient.

[rosch]

Yay!! Thank you! First entry!

looks great. and the case looks like very good quality too.

Awesome design

[gtxdude]

Here is what I am doing with mine. Just ordered the metal yesterday from FPD. Should have it in 10 to 12 days. I’ll post another pic when I have it assembled.

Cheers!

[Shuriken]

Here is what I am doing with mine. Just ordered the metal yesterday from FPD. Should have it in 10 to 12 days. I’ll post another pic when I have it assembled.

Cheers!

I assume the smaller panels are top and bottom panels? so no back panel.