I found out today that microchip has a new PIC for USB.
PIC18F4550 is even usb2 compliant, is in a pdip 40pin package easy to solder, and comes in free samples from microchip!
I don’t know if it could be used for midibox to usb or what the effort will be , but I think that it is worth a look by T.K. or those who are into programming PICs.
The introduction for this chip exists since more than one year, but there are no devices available yet.
Please keep also in mind that it would mean a lot of effort for myself to create a new USB project (which I wouldn’t really need) - maybe 3 months or more - and a lot of extra support effort to help you with debugging the new hardware - just to give you an impression. So, I think that somebody else has to implement an alternative USB solution.
Best Regards, Thorsten.
Thanks for the reply Thorsten!
I am aware of the effort you spend on your project and I surely don’t want to e a pain in the ass!
The only reason I asked about this chip is the simplicity of the circuits (and the already built codes) that microchip offers for USB keyboard, mouse and joystick!
So I thought maybe it could have been that easy.
Thanks for all the amazing project!
uclaros
Hi uclaros,
The only reason I asked about this chip is the simplicity of the circuits (and the already built codes) that microchip offers for USB keyboard, mouse and joystick!
So I thought maybe it could have been that easy.
but these are PIC*C* types and no “F” types, means: microcontrollers with OTP (One Time Programmable) memory. In other words: you can program the memory once and then never again - makes development difficult, no? 
Best Regards, Thorsten.
Sure T.K.!
But then again I saw they released the pic18f4550 series, being an F pic it impressed me!
It seems that I’ll have to solder down the SMD usb chip!!!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but is the 18F4550 the same as 18F452?
I’m meaning, with the 452 you need a midi port, and for the 4550 an usb port?
So if you use the 4550, you don’t need midiports anymore?
René
Hey René,
Correct me if I’m wrong, but is the 18F4550 the same as 18F452?
I’m meaning, with the 452 you need a midi port, and for the 4550 an usb port?
So if you use the 4550, you don’t need midiports anymore?
As Thorsten has written in this message: http://69.56.171.55/~midibox/forum/index.php?topic=4138.msg28466#msg28466 (German!) the 18F4550 is verry buggy at the moment. So mios will not run on it.
And there is another Problem: The USB memory overlaps the MIOS memory 
Ah, I shell read it, but my German is terrible. ;D