Practical Usage

Category: PU-2

  • VC-1: Digital/Midi Volume Control

    —

    by

    rt
    in , , , ,

    A user asked if I could design an FCB1010/PU-2 volume control. I love challenges… It took me weeks to get one working properly. The are two main parts to this: the analog side and the digital side. The analog side A potentiometer will generally be connected between ground and signal as: In this case, the…

  • PU-2: SD card capacity

    —

    by

    rt
    in , , ,

    I have just written a new version of the software that is used to convert a .CSV file into a Sysex file that the PU-2 can process. This version uses the SD card. Preleminary tests show that 2000 midi commands require about 16KB of storage. So, my (very) old 16Meg SD card can store approximately…

  • SD Card reader: No Voltage required!

    —

    by

    rt
    in , , ,

    While testing a slight modification on the PU-2 prototype, I decided to test the current draw of the SD Card reader described in the previous post. I placed my multimeter in series with the 3.3 volt pin and measured 11 milli-Ampères. Even while reading data, the current draw was constant. I then decided to measure…

  • PU-2: Data on SD card

    —

    by

    rt
    in , , ,

    Just in time! I received the SD card readers the day that I had planned to ship the first PU-2 Beta. I re-opened the boxes and fitted the card reader in each prototype. This is the SD card reader that I chose: It’s a generic card holder, that has the advantage of working with both…

  • FCB1010 vs PU-2: Why do it?

    —

    by

    rt
    in , , ,

    While waiting for parts (I do have to get a better inventory “system”) to complete the Betas for the PU-2, I went through a short period of discouragement. It’s hard to stay fully motivated when the project is bogged down by unforeseeable delays (or is it bad management?). But yesterday, I read an entry on…

  • PU-2: Last delay

    —

    by

    rt
    in , ,

    As I’m completing assembly of the first of five prototypes, I decided to test the unit before putting it all into a box. Since I want the PU-2 to include a USB-Midi interface, I use the technology that I documented here. I ordered a few more Midi interfaces from a local (North-American) EBay supplier. The…

  • PU-2: A batch of Beta

    —

    by

    rt
    in , ,

    I’m getting comfortable making the PCBs for the PU-2. This is what a batch of 5 boards looks like, fresh out of the etching tank. I still have to drill the 800-plus holes and solder everything… patience… This is what 10 Arduino Mega boards look like: The main components for the Beta. I now use…

  • PU-2: Meet Beta!

    —

    by

    rt
    in , , ,

    The PU-2 made it to Beta. As you can see in the picture above, the PU-2 is an external module, linked to a connecting board inside the Behringer FCB1010 with a flat cable. The reason for the external module  is that I wanted Beta testers to feel totally safe about their FCB1010. Since the current…

  • Making my own PCB: An exercise in frustration

    —

    by

    rt
    in , , ,

    I decided a few weeks ago that I would make my own circuit boards (PCB) for a while. At least for the first Beta. I succeeded, but the time and money invested make it a very “not profitable” adventure. I had to deal with nasty chemicals, capricious sensitized copper coated boards, unfriendly software and a…

  • PU-2: Additional functions

    —

    by

    rt
    in , ,

    I’m getting a lot of feedback from musicians who follow the development of the PU-2 pedal board. A lot has to do with demands for more details on existing functions, but some people ask for functions that the PU-2 doesn’t offer… yet! So far, two new functions have been prompted by public demand. The first…