[sdiy] polysix keyboard interface help

[Colin f]

> If the source is using a microcontroller too, it might be feasable to
> read the Polysix's 8 output lines by the interface processor, and then
> matchingly outputting 8 bits from the interface into the 8 
> Polysix input
> lines. I have no idea about speed requirements, but I'd guess that
> today's processors should be fast enough to satisfy that 
> ancient Polysix
> contoller in time.

This is easily done - the assigner processor is slow...
I built a polysix MIDI interface some years ago using an AVR '2313, with a
74148 decoder to tell the AVR which column was selected, and a port on the
AVR would then output the key status for each row on an 8 bit port.
The software received MIDI notes via the UART, and updated a table with the
on/off status of each note.
You could lose the decoder if you had a microcontoller with enough input
pins for the 8 column lines.
If I did it again, I'd use a PIC 18F242, an opto-isolator for MIDI in, and a
few passive components.

Cheers,
Colin f