Doc,
No problem making the suggestion. A free flow of ideas is good. Here are a
couple of considerations that I see:
1. Dave has already allocated all pins of the ATtiny2313. We'd need a
larger ATMEGA device for the button inputs.
2. MIDI RX at the CVS board can't be easily shared, or OR'd as suggested,
unless you have a toggle to turn external MIDI on/off or insure MIDI IN is
not used. So MIDI from the LCD Support PCB to the CVS PCB requires another
dedicated pin on the BASIC ATOM PRO.
3. Need a cursor character for button data entry, which consumes one of the
programmable LCD characters.
4. Program or parameter selection can also be done from the CVS knobs, if
so desired. Maybe one knob scrolls through functions, another changes the
values. This makes buttons redundant, but dedicates the knobs to that
function.
5. Data entry is really valuable if we have runtime Flash storage, which we
apparently get with the ATOM PRO 28M.
John Loffink
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.comThe Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com > -----Original Message-----
> From: ComputerVoltageSources@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:ComputerVoltageSources@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of drmabuce
>
> Hi All (especially John, Dave, Eric & any other LCD enthusiasts)
> first off,
>
> please feel free to tell me to [insert favorite euphemism for consume
> feces and cease to exist here] because i lack the expertise and the
> time to pitch in on this suggestion in any substantive way....
>
> it's a fair cop...
>
> but here goes
>
> i've been trying to digest all the discussion about the LCD
> implementation and my (so-called) mind wandered into the question of
> using this gadget not only as a display but as part of an INPUT scheme
> for user interaction as well.
> (yes! i know i've always been sort of indifferent to the LCD before
> and so i have to wear the 'hypocrite hat' for 24 hours too!)
>
>
>
> ------------
> but considering the following two design ideas:
>
> a separate (Samsung? Hitachi?) microcontroller residing on a separate
> PCB with the LCD
>
> and
>
> a fairly flexible and open-ended interface, specifically: piggybacking
> display data traffic on MIDI sysex
> (which strikes me as cleverer every time i think about it... kudos Dave!)
> -------
>
> Is it feasible and practical to consider the addition of a few (maybe
> 5) buttons to interact with the display via cursor? (up down left
> right enter)
> and THUS transmit some data to the main CSV processor (ie program
> selection parameter select etc.) via sysex
> Now as i have already expressed my readiness to be openly ridiculed
> for broaching such a can of worms. Let me say that i have a little
> experience with the software side of interpreting 'Keyhole' interfaces
> and i realize that as a user interface, they are far from luxurious
> (ala the DX7 or the Mirage)
>
> i also realize that we'd have to "OR" into the RXD pin on the Main
> processor but that doesn't 'SEEM' to intrusive to my unschooled eye.
>
> so i'll shut up about this now
> and leave this notion to those better able to judge it's merits than
> myself
>
> a tip of the hat to all for keeping this barn-raising in motion,
> -doc
>