Call for discussion: Encoders via GPIO and/or via USB(Microcontroller)

[jofemodo]

Hi @all!

I’ve been quite busy the last weeks with the Maker Faires and moving “Made BCN” (where “Zynthian Labs” has its place) to a new and bigger space.

Now that the Maker Faires ended and “Zynthian Labs” is working again, i can concentrate in development and next steps. Great!

Of course, i’ve been following the dicussion about the UI Control and i really love some proposed ideas.

My vision is this:

1. Full Zynthian Boxes have 4 rotary encoders with switch. This is the “official” UI. To ease the building proccess, i’m designing a new All-In-One PCB, that uses the MCP23017 to manage the 4 rotary encoders + switches. Also, it includes a full MIDI interface (IN-OUT-THRU) with optocouplers in all ports, as proposed by @Imager:

MIDI In - Through - OUT

[image] [image] [image] [image] Testing: Always do a Visual check first this can prevent much misery. The test programs are meant to run on a standard Raspbian OS as pi, in a therminal ( window ) they are written in python2 (zynthian uses python3). The test is done at 38400 baud not on 31250 baud as in zynthian 31250 baud is not a selectable value on Debian-OS the settings are complex to stand 31250 baud the test can also be done at 38400 baud so we use for the convenience 38400 ba…

This PCB will be available very soon, along this summer. Of course, i will release the “source code” too. This time i’m using Kicad, a nice schematic and better design practices than before

2.) Full Zynthian Boxes also have a ScreenTouch interface, that allow to navigate and use the GUI. It adds some extra features, like X-Y controller and MIDI learning.

3.) Remote Control Protocols must be implemented. Both, MIDI & OSC.

Regarding MIDI, channel #16 will be “optionally” reserved as Master Control Channel and the next commands will be implemented:

• Loading Snaphots (program-change commands) => See this topic:
  Integration with Bandhelper app -> MIDI remote control for Zynthian UI
• Master Volume (probably MIDI-CC 7)
• GUI Navigation => note-on interface proposed by @wyleu is very interesting … jeje!
• More?

MIDI Master Control commands will be configurable from the Webconf tool and GM & Roland styles will be available too.

The OSC API have to be defined. I will make a proposal in the next days/weeks. It should include low-level commands that emulates rotary/switch events, and higher level commands, like loading snapshots, getting list of parameters, changing parametes value, etc.

Of course, a Zynthian Box could omit the rotaries, or the touch interface, or both!! and be controlled remotely using MIDI or OSC. In such a case a simple RBPi+soundcard is a basic Zynthian Box, as far as it runs the Zynthian software.

And that’s all by now …

Hot Regards from tropical BCN!