How to link 2 MF modules

MIDIbox NG
1

Hi, I´m having trouble understanding how to link 2 MB_MF modules. I don´t want to damage anything by connecting the wrong wires.

As I understand this it´s like this:

 

CORE (midi out) ----------->  (midi in) MB_MF 1 (midi out) -------------> (midi in) MB_MF 2 (midi out) -----------------> (midi in) CORE

 

is that correct?

 

Which one of these 2 would be the end point?

And how would I choose the one I want to calibrate or assign inside an NG script?

 

Sorry for all the questions, but I really don´t get this.

 

Thanks

 

my regards

2

CORE (midi out) ----------->  (midi in) MB_MF 1 (midi out) -------------> (midi in) MB_MF 2 (midi out) -----------------> (midi in) CORE

 

is that correct?

 

Yes, correct.

 

MB_MF 2 is the endpoint i think.  

But i think you don’t need to be worried about damaging something by miss cableling Midi signals…

 

The Calibration is done in the MIOS Studio MBHP_MF_NG TOOL. There you can assign a MF_NG Module by its Device ID.

How to Define those parameters in NGC seams to be not documented until now. If it is possible anyhow…

Have a nice day!

novski

3

Hi, thanks for the reply. I´m worried because some times in the past, when I connected midi in/out wrong to the core, the core wouldn´t start and I couldn´t explain why. I just thought that couldn´t be good for the core so I´m trying to avoid this.

 

How can I define an ID for the modules? Do I have to connect the modules seperately, then assign an ID and then link the modules? Or can I link them together and assign an ID afterwards?

 

In the NGC file the MF modules have to assigned as “MF n=1 enabled=1 midi_in_port=IN2 midi_outport=OUT2  …” while n=x refers to the module. Does this n refer to the ID, too?

 

Thanks

 

my regards

4

hi

 

if you look at the MB_MF page on ucapps you read this..

 

the module can either be connected to a PC directly, or controlled from a second PIC or STM32 or LPC17 (note that MBHP_CORE_LPC17 has a third and even a fourth MIDI IO port at TTL level so that the available two MIDI IO pairs are still free)

 

 i would connect MF module 1 on the third midi IO port and MF module 2 on Fourth Mid IO port…

 

and this is a Line TK gave me..

 

 

MF n=1  enabled=1  midi_in_port=IN3  midi_out_port=OUT3  chn=1  config_port=USB3

 

this way if you select USB port 3 on MS you can Configure the First MF module..

 

 

MF n=2  enabled=1  midi_in_port=IN4  midi_out_port=OUT4  chn=1  config_port=USB4

 

and this line will be for the second MF module.. and you need USB Port 4 on MS to configure it..

 

no ID needed..

 

and if you put them both on Emulated MOTORMIX you can configure them on the .NGC file from the LPC

works realy nice for me..

 

/spirit

5

Hi Spirit, Thanks for the reply. After some unsuccesfull runs trying to link both MF modules, I decided to go with the 3. and 4. midi connections. For the moment, the MF modules are connected to the native LPC midi ports (1.+2.), because I had some trouble with the midi port extension (really bad trouble). But I will take another shot at this soon.

Thanks again

 

my regards

6

Separate Device IDs will be required if you want to access the cores from MIOS Studio.

The change_id application can be used to re-program the device ID without re-flashing the PIC MIOS8 bootloader.

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.

7

Thanks for the info. It will come to that point sooner or later, when I will have to install the midiport extension in my box correctly. I am still planing on using the native midi ports (or the 3. and 4. of the extension for that matter) at some point in the future.

 

my regards 

8

does someone know how to store the patch name of a MF in the MBHP_MF_NG Tool? In my Prototype it always disapears after pressing send and receive…

wold be a good verification by switching between device ids…

9

The configuration name isn’t stored in the EEPROM.

In other words: it isn’t possible.

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.

10

Thank you, Thorsten!

11

I have an additional Question about what John E.Finster asked in the first Post.

 

CORE (midi out) ----------->  (midi in) MB_MF 1 (midi out) -------------> (midi in) MB_MF 2 (midi out) -----------------> (midi in) CORE

 

I connected my MF_NG Modules exactly like this. Core has ID0 the first MF_NG=ID1 and the second MF_NG=ID2 

 

I configured it in .NGC like this:

MF n=1  enabled=1  midi_in_port=IN2  midi_out_port=OUT2  chn=1  ts_first_button_id=2001  config_port=USB2

################################################################################

on motorfader movements FaderCore

EVENT_MF  id= 1  fwd_id=ENC:33  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=32  range=0:127  lcd_pos=1:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 2  fwd_id=ENC:34  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=33  range=0:127  lcd_pos=2:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 3  fwd_id=ENC:35  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=34  range=0:127  lcd_pos=3:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 4  fwd_id=ENC:36  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=35  range=0:127  lcd_pos=4:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 5  fwd_id=ENC:37  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=36  range=0:127  lcd_pos=5:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 6  fwd_id=ENC:38  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=37  range=0:127  lcd_pos=6:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 7  fwd_id=ENC:39  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=38  range=0:127  lcd_pos=7:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 8  fwd_id=ENC:40  type=CC  chn= 1 cc=39  range=0:127  lcd_pos=8:1:5  label=“^std_mf”

on touchsensor event FaderCore

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2001  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x68  range=0:127  lcd_pos=1:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2002  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x69  range=0:127  lcd_pos=2:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2003  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x70  range=0:127  lcd_pos=3:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2004  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x71  range=0:127  lcd_pos=4:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2005  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x72  range=0:127  lcd_pos=5:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2006  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x73  range=0:127  lcd_pos=6:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2007  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x74  range=0:127  lcd_pos=7:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2008  type=NoteOn chn= 1 key=0x75  range=0:127  lcd_pos=8:1:7  label=“^std_btn”

 

MF n=2  enabled=1 midi_in_port=IN2  midi_out_port=OUT2 _ chn=2 _ ts_first_button_id=2009  config_port=USB2

################################################################################

on motorfader movements FaderSlave

EVENT_MF  id= 9   fwd_id=ENC:41  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=32  range=0:127  lcd_pos=1:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 10  fwd_id=ENC:42  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=33  range=0:127  lcd_pos=2:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 11  fwd_id=ENC:43  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=34  range=0:127  lcd_pos=3:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 12  fwd_id=ENC:44  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=35  range=0:127  lcd_pos=4:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 13  fwd_id=ENC:45  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=36  range=0:127  lcd_pos=5:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 14  fwd_id=ENC:46  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=37  range=0:127  lcd_pos=6:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 15  fwd_id=ENC:47  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=38  range=0:127  lcd_pos=7:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

EVENT_MF  id= 16  fwd_id=ENC:48  type=CC  chn= 2 cc=39  range=0:127  lcd_pos=8:1:6  label=“^std_mf”

on touchsensor event FaderSlave 

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2009  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x68  range=0:127  lcd_pos=1:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2010  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x69  range=0:127  lcd_pos=2:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2011  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x70  range=0:127  lcd_pos=3:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2012  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x71  range=0:127  lcd_pos=4:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2013  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x72  range=0:127  lcd_pos=5:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2014  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x73  range=0:127  lcd_pos=6:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2015  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x74  range=0:127  lcd_pos=7:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

EVENT_BUTTON  id= 2016  type=NoteOn chn= 2 key=0x75  range=0:127  lcd_pos=8:1:8  label=“^std_btn”

 

Is this the correct configuration for 2 Modules?

The thing that makes me unsure is that if i change line “MF=n2” to ch=1 -it does nothing. 

But if i delete the chn=2 of line “EVENT_MF  id= 9” it receives Chn# 1 in the midi monitor of MIOS Studio on USB1 and ID0 = LPC17_Core

 

im trying to make it emulate Motormix. (don’t know if its necessary to know that :D just for sure… )

 

best regards

novski

12

Just to doublecheck: are you using the latest MBHP_MF_NG firmware (v1.004), and did you select channel 2 for the second core in the MBHP_MF_NG configuration tool?

It’s also important that this change will be permanently stored in EEPROM by pushing the SEND button in the tool.

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.

13

Im sure i have the latest MBHP_MF_NG firmware and they are configured at channel 1 & 2 with MBHP_MF_NG config Tool.

But it seams as i have several other problems i can’t locate. The two Core8 cores disappeared in MIOS_Studio sometime between the last post and today…

I see that MIOS_Studio is not supported by OSX Mavericks. I thoughtless updated last week..

Is it possible that Mavericks has impact on change_id or the query of a Core8 ID?

update 16:05:

i started my old Snowleopard macbook and made an aproch with MIOS 2.2.6 to query the cores there. no success. so OS seams fine.

Funny is the fact that i see the incoming Midi - events from both MF_NG modules in the monitor. once with Chn# 1 and if i touch the fader 9 with Chn# 2. so it seams to work althrou i can’t connect to the two MBHP_MF_NG cores anymore.

update 17:15

found out that loading a usb_midi_2x2_v1.008 app finds the second MF_NG core but not the first. what was strange because they are in series. So i disconnected the midi cable to the second MF_NG and pluged it in to the input of LPC17. now the query found the first MF_NG Modul. so i thaught it cold be because of the Midi Merger settings of MBHP_MF_NG config Tool. (i configured the first modul as link forwarding Point and the second as Link Endpoint)

I then reconfigured them as “enabled (recived midi events forwarded to midi out)” and after that i was able to query both MF_NG modules in serie with usb_midi_2x2_v1.008 app.

Changing the app back to MBHP_NG_v1_012 i can’t query them again. all trough i see the incoming midi events from CH1 & CH2 in MIOS Studio.

I also tryed 2 different LPC1769 this way.

if somebody can say me the correct configuration of the Midi Merger in MBHP_MF_NG config Tool for two modules in serie, that wold help me a lot in further testing…

best regards

novski

14

I see that MIOS_Studio is not supported by OSX Mavericks. I thoughtless updated last week..

 

it is (I upgraded last week as well) - I just haven’t updated the documentation yet (/edit: now done)

 

 

Is it possible that Mavericks has impact on change_id or the query of a Core8 ID?

 

no, I’m sure that it has no influence (I used MIOS Studio a lot during the weekend :wink:

 

 

if somebody can say me the correct configuration of the Midi Merger in MBHP_MF_NG config Tool for two modules in serie, that wold help me a lot in further testing…

 

I will try it at my side this evening.

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.

15

Ok, I found two problems:

 

  1. MBNG forwarded the SysEx stream multiple times, which resulted into garbage.

This issue is now fixed in following version: http://www.ucapps.de/mios32/midibox_ng_v1_027_pre4.zip

 

  1. there is a conceptional issue with the MIDIbox Link in such a configuration when the firmware of forwarding points should be updated or configured.

But there is also an easy to use workaround which should be sufficient.

I documented this in the header of this .ngc file: http://svnmios.midibox.org/filedetails.php?repname=svn.mios32&path=%2Ftrunk%2Fapps%2Fcontrollers%2Fmidibox_ng_v1%2Fcfg%2Ftests%2Fmf_multi.ngc

 

Everything is working at my side now, I hope that you’ve the same luck! :slight_smile:

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.

16

Thanks TK. once more…

 

Im going to make a new pcb anyway. So i need some advice…

What you write in the header seams to be workaround that wood help but if i make a new pcb anyway i can change the approach easily.

I liked the thought that i don’t have to make long cables between the modules and have spare MIDI ports, thats why i selected MB_Link instead of separate Midi ports to all MF_NG modules. And i still like that idea…

You write in the Header:

# NOTE: due to a conceptional issue with the way, how MIOS8 tunnels MIDI events # in a MIDIbox Link chain, it won't be possible to access the "Forwarding Points" # via SysEx. This means, that neither a MIOS Studio Query, Firmware update, nor # configuration with the MBHP_MF_NG tool is possible. # Communication only works with the last core in the chain.

and further down:

# NOTE for myself: # I've check that the firmware can be updated, and that the first MBHP_MF_NG # core can be configured with this workaround via USB2 -> seems to be sufficient! :)

 

My english isn’t that good so i have to ask…

 

a.) does that mean that you are going to update the firmware so it will work in future or

b.) that you already checked the firmware and it isn’t possible to manage this issue?

 

thanks a lot!

novski

17

What you write in the header seams to be workaround that wood help but if i make a new pcb anyway i can change the approach easily.

 

this isn’t really required, the linked cores are working fine

 

 

a.) does that mean that you are going to update the firmware so it will work in future or

 

no, because it’s only a minor issue which can be easily handled with the proposed procedure at the user side

 

Please also see: how often do you want to reconfigure your MBHP_MF_NG modules in future? (maybe never again.. :wink:

 

And the procedure can be easily handled in MIOS Studio, no need to open your MIDIbox, or to change connections or whatever… just temporary change the endpoint into a forwarding point via the MBHP_MF_NG tool in MIOS Studio, and you will be able to configure the other modules as well.

 

 

b.) that you already checked the firmware and it isn’t possible to manage this issue?

 

it’s due to a conceptional flaw which can’t be fixed.

 

Best Regards, Thorsten.

18

ok. thanks TK. i will continue using MBlink.