HELP! Design Help For a Musical Instrument Program Step Changer (Not MIDI )

I have a project in which I need some assistance. (Block diagram attached )

1) I have a piece of music equipment that will allow me to step through 20 programs in a chonological manner. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc) I can step-thru the 20 programs with a foot pedal. Each time I depress the pedal I advance to the next sequential program number.

2) I want to build a device with a keypad and a LCD screen that will allow me to send information (pulses?) to trigger the musical device,thus allowing me to punch in a number on the keypad and have it rapidly sequence through the programs and stop at the desired program.without using a foot switch.

3) I believe I may need to use a PIC so that I can program additional program changes later to incorporate additional musical devices. Is there a way to do it without a PIC?

4) I am not afraid to build this unit from scratch, so any input that you might offer would be greatly appreciated. I have been out of the electronics field for about 12 years but, believe that it will all come back to me quickly. (Associates Degree in electronics)

5) Feel free to suggest schematics, project kits or anything you have up your sleeve,

6) I do understand electronic theory, circuit building to a degree and some digital application, so don't be afraid to suggest a more advanced method. I am willing to relearn and broaden my electronic horizons.

Thank you for taking time to read my request.

Alexandra
From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Attached Images

~Midi Marimba Block Diagram FS.jpg (222.5 KB, 13 views)

 

Check out the samples you may find in this post:
http://www.electro-tech-online.com/m...d-upd-0xd.html

basically, you need
- how to control LCD (so you can display the txt)
- how to read keypad (so you can enter the number)
- how to "blink" LED (instead blinking led, you send pulses to your equipment)

for example, on Nigel's tutorials Nigel's PIC Tutorial Page

LCD - PIC Tutorial Three - LCD Modules
Keypad - PIC Tutorial Nine - HEX Keypad
LED - PIC Tutorial One - LED's

If you are not into ASM, and prefere C/Basic/Pascal, you can get demo version (limited by size of the code and totally enough for your need so free)
mikroBasic - Advanced BASIC compiler for PIC microcontrollers
mikroPascal - Advanced Pascal compiler for PIC microcontrollers
mikroC - Advanced C compiler for PIC microcontrollers

and you will find also examples of how to do LCD/KeyPAD/LED there too (they also sell dev boards and test boards.. but you can use "self made" programmer also available from Nigel's page:
- schematic: http://www.lpilsley.co.uk/pdf/p16pro40.pdf
- app to program hex files: WinPicProg Page
)

There is bunch of simulators (all of them with demo versions available for download) you can use to test your work .. they all simulate keypads, lcd's, led's etc...
- Proteus ISIS
- OshonSoft PIC simulator
and many more

another note, you can go with 7seg display instead of LCD to save on the cost of building the device. The 7seg display samples are also available as samples in the sw packets as well as on Nigel's site

EDIT: almost forgot, you can program the chip using self built programmer but that can be PITA and requires hardware LPT port (usually do not work with USB adapters). The best advice is to get Junebug dev tool that is programmer + demo board, so you can test your app in real life. Junebug is available from: blueroomelectronics Inchworm DISCONTINUED see Inchworm+ and on that site you can also find extensive set of examples that will help you finish your product

 

Arhi;

Thank you very much for all the information that you bestowed upon me. I never thought I would get so much information from one person.

I never thought about the using the "BLINK" LED method, that idea escaped me, Good suggestion, I will definitely look deeper in to that application!

I have already visited many of the links which you provided in your reply earlier this week. I saw the JuneBug but failed to considered it useful. I will reconsider and revisit that as a viable option.

I will keep you posted as I progess with this project.

Once again, Thank you, Arhi.

Alexandra Sabina

 

The basic principle is the same. Sending digital signal to your equipment or sending 5V to the LED is pretty much the same, difference is that when you send it to LED you will have visual feedback .. So you can count the pulses (if not too fast) you send. Then in final product, you just need to connect your "box" instead of LED. It would be useful if you can find the spec of the "box" and check out what kind of pulses you need to send. If you are sending digital signals, you can send the pulse directly from pic, if not, you might have to involve a driving transistor or relay .. but from software point of view it is same.
If you decide to go with micro controller, and mine option is PIC, then you need some device that will program it. You need some test board so you can test the program, and you need some external devices you will connect to it. You can build the programmer yourself (sent you few links) but with Junebug (or some similar dev tool) you can immediately test your work (junebug have extension port where you can connect your keypad, it has few led's where you can look at the "output" ... they sell few other boards (with LCD/7Seg display's too)) .. and the guy who makes it is here on forum so he can give you additional info if you need any. Junebug uses PICkit2 firmware that is pretty much the standard and also allow hardware debugging of your application, connects to USB and is fast as possible ... As I mentioned, I prefer mikroE boards because mikroE company is few blocks from me so it is easy for me to drive there and get "additional expansion cards", and I'm lazy .. on the other hand, junebug/PICkit2 are established standard


glad to be of help...