The thing to remember with the CM design is the 2A03 is not running a proper NES kernel. The CPLD state machine is kind of jamming this simple loop into the 2A03. The PPU is not started and has no need for CHR data, no NMIs are generated; the ports aren't read, nothing is done but load bytes into the PSG registers. Now the lack of a video screen may be off putting to some, but it would just complicate the system and leads to Midi lag. There is very little difference between the naked 2A03 on the TSUNDERE and the cart based Chip Maestro. If anything the CM cart is inferior because of the smaller ATMega 168.
Yogi
113 Feb 7, 2016 2:04 am
Re: Chip Maestro Improvements (24 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)
114 Feb 7, 2016 12:13 am
Re: Chip Maestro Improvements (24 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)
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I'll keep an eye on your project for sure. And yeah, I switched the Teensy for a 3.1 like you mentioned because it is 5v tolerant and runs much faster. I feel like the extra memory and speed could be used to store samples, without the use of teh CHR space.
Yea, the Teensy 3.1 will beat the pants off the ATMega168! At it's speed, won't have to worry too much about a stripped down synth engine. And should be able to do raw PCM samples from SD maybe.
There was another thread about the CM, with some info about the CPLD logic. It's a very simple 'program' loop, and in theory should allow very fast access. If I recall, about 15 instructions(EDIT:cycles) long. Here is the nesdev.org thread with Kevtris' design
http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?t=3836
He explains the loop and the interface to the uC. Beyond this hardware, the uC does everything else - process Midi messages, convert Midi messages to 2A03 register values, manage sound FX like arps or slides or whatever and then sends data to interface.
Yogi
115 Feb 2, 2016 4:06 am
Re: Sauraen's MBGenesis synth project (10 replies, posted in Sega)
Really excited by this project Also Above I had thought he was streaming from a PC, but his notes on the video said it's SD card based. Very impressive, and this is just the proof of concept for the board, can't wait to see his other features implemented.
Yogi
116 Jan 29, 2016 9:23 pm
Topic: Sauraen's MBGenesis synth project (10 replies, posted in Sega)
So I messed abit with a MidiBox Genesis project but life (and my poor C skills) got in the way and I lost momentum
Well, a genius coder/synth builder I had discussed it with took up the challenge and, while still a WIP, has fantastic streaming VGA player running.
http://midibox.org/forums/topic/19678-m
ent=173409
His plans are for a synth with 4 FM/PSG boards and judging by his other projects it will be mind blowing
Yogi
4/6/16 update with this project,
VGM player app released. Runs on min HW and streams files from SD card with support for up to 4 FM/PSG boards; can play a different VGM on each FM/PSG board at the same time.
wiiki page-
http://wiki.midibox.org/doku.php?id=midibox_vgmplayer
http://wiki.midibox.org/doku.php?id=mbhp_genesis
Forum page-
http://midibox.org/forums/topic/20030-m
ent=174566
http://midibox.org/forums/topic/19678-m
is/?page=3
demo-
https://youtu.be/YCZNiDBotLM
http://midibox.org/forums/topic/19678-m
ent=174454
FM/PSG boards and STM32F4 Discovery carrier board at The MidiBox Shop-
http://midiboxshop.bigcartel.com/category/boards
Yogi
117 Jan 23, 2016 11:59 pm
Re: Chip Maestro Improvements (24 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)
Hi Jazz. Good idea
I really believe that the CM is kind of a dead end, design wise. The main idea is to tightly control the 2A03 in a very limited loop. In theory the super simple loop that the CPLD does is the lowest latency way to push bytes into the PSG and the AVR code is the 'make or break' of the design, which is where the CM kind of went wrong. With a faster/ larger uC a better synth engine could have been designed.
The Teensy2 is good but consider moving up to the Teensy3 ARM based board. This seems like the best 'Bang for the Buck' and a larger CPLD not so much. There is just so much you can do without a more complicated main loop on the 2A03. In allot of way, this design mirrors Little Scale's interfaces; a simple loop running on the console and a uC sending raw register data, but in this case we are on the bus and not the pad ports.
Trying to add more features on the 2A03 side, you would end up with a PRG/CHR full on mapper, with the uC memory mapped. This is the basic design of the Midines: the PIC's parallel slave port is mapped in the NES's memory. A synth kernel running on the 2A03 checks the PIC address for changes, (I'm kind of guessing based on the hardware, so...) With this design, PRG ROM based DMA sample playback is do-able via the kernel. With the CM you need to send raw PCM samples to the DAC at the sample rate, so you end up needing a fast processor and a large storage for the samples. Which is a challenge for most uCs that don't have a native parallel bus, reads and writes are bit banged.
For a redesign of the TSUNDERE/CM take a look at this project-
https://github.com/Jaffe-/NESizer2
and the main board-
https://github.com/Jaffe-/NESizer2/blob
g?raw=true
In this design, the AVR is better synced to the 2A03 (they share the same 20 MHz CLK, AVR overclocked) and not dependent on a 'Gate' based CPLD loop. The ATMega 328 handles the 2A03 opcodes for the loop as well as the sample playback. The interface between the two is only an 8 bit latch, the majority of the other logic in the schema is to support the sample RAM busses.
For a cart, maybe scale back the amount of sample storage and use a EPROM. A 50~70 macrocell CPLD would be needed for the 30~50 register bits needed for the Data/Adr latches and decoder logic in a >40 Pin package. Perhaps a Xilinx XC9572xl cause it's +5 tolerant and breakout boards are cheap.
The uC would have to be synced to the system clock to cycle count for the state the 2A03; the Nesizer2 design shares the 20 MHz clock, which can't be done on the cart port. So maybe some sort of PLL locked on the Phi2?
Anyways, There's a ton of ideas and allot of work involved. I'm in the middle of building a beta of the Nesizer so will definitely share insights. I can also help a bit with the CPLD, currently getting my feet wet with VHDL so still a noob, but can get some basic logic going.
Yogi
118 Jan 23, 2016 11:59 pm
Re: Chip Maestro Improvements (24 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)
Sorry, some weird double post happened
119 Jan 10, 2016 2:25 am
Re: USB Midi to MIDI DIN? (36 replies, posted in Other Hardware)
uXe wrote:Raspberry Pi already has USB Host onboard. Arduino / Teensy does not.
Thanks. I know almost nothing about the boards. I'll go read up on them. This could be a good intro project!
If you go the HobbyTronic route, you would just connect the output from the host board to the Teensy/Arduinoboy board instead of the DIN midi socket. Sort of like this example- http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/midi-player-tutorial but with the controller board running Arduinoboy firmware. Looks like there wouldn't be any 'programming' involved on your part, the Host board connects with TTL level midi in and out to the controller. Plug and Play
Yogi
Using this Host board, could retro fit any number of DIY midi projects, SammichSID or Shruthi
120 Jan 10, 2016 1:15 am
Re: USB Midi to MIDI DIN? (36 replies, posted in Other Hardware)
yogi wrote:I was thinking that Teensyboy didn't act as a USB Host but just as a Device?
Yogi
Ow, can anyone confirm this?
At least, you can add these shields to an arduino (or Teensy or RasPi) : http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/usb-host-midi
Snap! that's brilliant. Will have to check these boards out some more; there are a few ideas that could use something like these
Yogi
121 Jan 10, 2016 12:30 am
Re: USB Midi to MIDI DIN? (36 replies, posted in Other Hardware)
Before reading the answers, I was thinking about the Teensyboy, and kineticturtle is mentioning it. Teensyboy seems to be the best and easiest way to make USB-midi works on a gameboy without the need of a computer.
Also, there's an internal Teensyboy shield project on this thread, but if I've correctly understood the OP, you'll have to wait some time before it will get released.
I was thinking that Teensyboy didn't act as a USB Host but just as a Device?
Yogi
122 Jan 9, 2016 4:28 am
Re: USB Midi to MIDI DIN? (36 replies, posted in Other Hardware)
The most affordable solution I've seen requires something like a Raspberry Pi to act as the MIDI host.
Another option along this line, the STM32F4 Discovery board @ $15, the Discovery core board $9, the dual MIDI board $8 and Midibox MIOS firmware. TK has implemented USB host mode, supporting Keyboards among other things.
http://midibox.org/forums/topic/18906-u
ent-165136
Yogi
123 Dec 7, 2015 6:45 pm
Re: Do you purchase your audio equipment/parts local or online? (8 replies, posted in General Discussion)
More and more, online. Love going to local electronic supply stores but over the last few years there are fewer in my area. Years ago, there were some great surplus stores and well stocked shops. The few that are left really only deal with IT and Alarm/CCVideo contractors and don't stock the large selection for DIY types.Plus the cost is way up there when you pay the retail prices.
Online, Mouser is my goto site but have been hitting EBay some for Bulk/NOS stuff. Mouser is super fast with it's shipping, OTOH EBay's China sellers take weeks but cost much less.
Yogi
124 Nov 26, 2015 2:27 am
Re: VIC-MIDI (19 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)
OH Yea Hoping that VicTracker will be supporting this.
Yogi
125 Nov 16, 2015 11:56 pm
Re: Advise on buying an ST (31 replies, posted in Atari)
Thank you for your replies. Just to clear something up: Is an STe 1040 with 4MB or RAM the same as an STe 520 with 4MB of RAM?
I think the only diff with the STe models is the RAM amount, same mobo.
Is maxYMiser good as a MIDI sequencer? Im wanting to buy an ST to take advantage of the tight MIDI timing to control my hardware with.
All the STs will work for midi, but the STe does sampled sound via DMA in addition to the YM PSG. So the STe has the advantage of much better Mod/digi tracking.
MaxYMiser really is aimed at chiptune tracking. It does midi but only to support the main function.
Does anyone have their hooked up to a flatscreen monitor? If so, what is the quality like and how did you get it to work?
I have an STFM so I've used a LCD composite TV as well as a VGA monitor. With high res, you can use a wide range of multi sync VGA monitors. In this mode you get B&W and very crisp pix.
For Color, Med and Low res, you will need either a 'special' Multi sync monitor (some models can handle the lower sync frequency) or a scan converter to re-sync the signal to a more modern frequency. Depending on how you re-sync, the Med and Low are not as sharp as High res.
Best Computer maintains a list for the monitors that will work and there are a few threads over @ AtariAge.org covering this topic
Yogi
126 Nov 1, 2015 10:58 pm
Re: Yerzmyey - a Chiptune concert in USA (November 2015) (16 replies, posted in Past Events)
Have a great show!
Yogi
127 Oct 30, 2015 1:48 am
Topic: NESizer Project (1 replies, posted in Nintendo Consoles)
So I just found the NESizer 2 project on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXKrs0bFvvk
https://github.com/Jaffe-/NESizer2
This is the NES synth that we hoped the CM would be. Can't wait for a board run
Yogi
128 Oct 30, 2015 12:22 am
Re: [SEGA MD / GEN] GenMDM SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive MIDI Interface (1,383 replies, posted in Sega)
I've got a queastion for anyone using a GenMDM with a standalone MIDI keyboard (i.e without using a computer).
Do you get polyphony when you play? Is there a MIDI CC to turn on/off polyphony?
Thanks!
I'm not 100%, but I don't think the Teensey code does poly on one channel like say the Midibox SID synth engine. Think it's pretty much one channel per voice, so for a cord it would have to be sequenced on 3 or 4 channels all set to the same patch.
Yogi