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MIDIO128 V2

Created in September 2001

NOTE: This design is expired! In 2011 MIDIO128 V3 has been developed which replaced the old version. See this page for more details.

The MIDIO128 interface enables you to drive up to 128 digital output pins and to react on up to 128 digital input pins via MIDI.

The main intention of MIDIO128 was to midify an very old orchestrion called Frati. Find a brief description from the owner here and especially here. Someday Willy asked me for assistance because he wanted to build an interface between the orchestrion and his PC in order to record and replay the playrolls via MIDI. It wasn't much effort for me to modify my existing MIDIbox64 design for this purpose, so I just did it. :) Maybe other people are also interested in controlling instruments or electronical devices like lights, motors or just a coffee machine, so I suppose it is a good idea to publish the design.

The Hardware

The Hardware design is kept very simple. Since it is based on the MBHP and is running under MIOS, it allows a lot of extensions in the future. The PIC is connected with MIDI In/Out ports and two large serial register chains: one chain for the inputs, one for the outputs. If you want to build this project, but don't need 128 IOs, you are allowed to left some shift registers (every shift register includes 8 in- or outputs). It's only important that the last input shift register is terminated with ground level (0V), so that the firmware doesn't recognize invalid values.

The Software

The software captures all 128 inputs within a period of 1 mS. If the status of an input pin has been changed, the program searches for the predefined MIDI event in a big table and sends it out:

Outgoing
MIDI Event

On Input pin changes, send:

9n xx v1, 9n yy v2

Note Event, channel n
number xx v1 if input=0V
number yy v2 if input=5V

An xx v1, An yy v2

Aftertouch Event, channel n
number xx v1 if input=0V
number yy v2 if input=5V

Bn xx v1, Bn yy v2

Controller Event, channel n
number xx v1 if input=0V
number yy v2 if input=5V

Cn xx

Program Change Event, channel n
number xx v1 if input=0V
number yy v2 if input=5V

Dn xx

Channel Aftertouch Event, channel n

En xx v1, En yy v2

Pitchbender Event, channel n
number xx v1 if input=0V
number yy v2 if input=5V

On incomming MIDI events, the software searches in another table if an output pin is assigned for the event and sets (or toggles) the pin(s) if it matches:

Incoming
MIDI Event

Output pin:

9n xx vv

0V if vv=00, else 5V

An xx vv

0V if vv=00, else 5V

Bn xx vv

0V if vv=00, else 5V

Cn xx

Two modes are configurable in the midio128.ini file:
Normal Mode: on incoming program change events, the appr. output pin will just toggle from 0V to 5V and vice versa
Alternative Mode:on incoming program change events, all output pins (assigned to program change) of the same channel will be set to 0V, but the pin which is assigned to the channel and to the program change value will be set to 5V

Dn xx

Toggle: 0V if output pin currently 5V
5V if output pin currently 0V

En xx vv

0V if vv=00, else 5V

The MIDI Events for all IO pins can be configured with the mk_midio128_syx.pl script, which converts a .ini file into a SysEx Dump file. The SysEx dump has to be transfered to the MIDIO128 device via MIDI. On this way you are able to redefine the IOs every time you want without much effort and especially without re-programming the PIC. :)

Note that also the polarity of the input and output pins (negative or positive logic) can be configured in the midio128.ini file.

Alternatively, the configuration can be done with MIOS Studio 2:

MIDI Merger

The MIDI Merger has to be enabled within the midio128.ini file. If activated, the MIDIO128 forwards all incoming MIDI events to the MIDI Out port. This allows you to cascade MIDI devices, i.e. to plug another MIDIO128, a MIDIbox or a keyboard behind or before the MIDIO128.

Interfacing

Every output pin can drive up to 10-20 mA. This is enough for digital applications or LEDs. In order to control relays, lamps, motors or coffee machines, I recomment a darlington transistor driver like the ULN2803, which is cheap and handy. A datasheet can be found below.

The digital input reacts on TTL levels, this means it switches to "0" on a level below 0.5V and switches to "1" on a level above ca. 3V. Don't drive the inputs with voltages above 5V!!! See the MIDIbox64 schematic if you want to use buttons. Optocouplers help to isolate the device from critical machines.

Download

Schematics & PCBs
File Size Description
MBHP LINK see MIDIbox Hardware Platform
Firmware
MIOS Download LINK Port to PIC18F452 with Source code
PIC16F Firmwares LINK Firmware for PIC16F877 (expired, don't use it for new MIDIboxes!)
ChangeLog LINK MIDIO128 ChangeLog
.syx File Generator
sysex_implementation.txt 2k Regarding the SysEx format
Alternative PCBs (see also MBHP)
midio128_pcb_rasmus.zip 1.38MB PCB Layout by Rasmus
midio128_pcb_roman.zip 675k PCB Layout by Roman Krause
Misc.
MIDIbox Forum LINK Support at the MIDIbox Forum
MIDIbox Wiki LINK A lot of additional informations on MIDIbox, MIOS and MIDIO128
midi_thru.gif 50k Optional MIDI Thru Port
relay_example.pdf 6k How to connect relays to the MIDIO128
uln2803.pdf 96k ULN2803 datasheet
mbhp_doutx1_reed_relays.pdf 9k How to connect Reed Relays to a DOUT module - see also this photo
fratipcb.jpg 33k A picture of the Frati MIDI Interface
mvdReijden.html LINK An article about the MIDIO128 project by Willy van Reijden

NOTE: This design is expired! In 2011 MIDIO128 V3 has been developed which replaced the old version. See this page for more details.



Last update: 2024-05-08

Copyright © 1998-2023, Thorsten Klose. All rights reserved.