EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 59, Issue 08 This issue's topics: MIDI driver for COM port (9 messages) Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1993 19:53:17 +0100 From: Martin Grecner Subject: MIDI driver for COM port I'm looking for MIDI driver for MS Windows and normal COM serial port, which I modified to MIDI's frequency. Any idea ? Thank you Martin Grecner ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 12:47:13 GMT From: "Steven D. Bramson" Subject: Re: MIDI driver for COM port Martin Grecner writes: I'm looking for MIDI driver for MS Windows and normal COM serial port, which I modified to MIDI's frequency. Any idea ? -------------- As far as I can see, you havn't a hope. 1. PC serial ports are designed to work at 9600 and 19200 baud, not 31 kbaud. 2. PC serial ports are RS 232 voltage signalling whereas MIDI uses 20mA current loop. Your routes would be to either a) buy a MIDI module such as Yamaha Hello Music package which has an RS-232 interface or b) buy either a soundcard or a dedicated MPU-401 card. I would recommend the latter. They are available for around 70 UK pounds. Steven D Bramson Data Management Group JET Joint Undertaking Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3EA United Kingdom E-mail sdb@jet.uk Voice 0235 465 013 Fax 0235 465 399 ------------------------------------------------------------------ JET is Europe's fusion research project Disclaimer: Any views expressed are mine and do not represent those of JET ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 16:16:35 +0100 From: Martin Grecner Subject: Re: MIDI driver for COM port > Martin Grecner writes: > > I'm looking for MIDI driver for MS Windows and normal COM serial port, > which I modified to MIDI's frequency. Any idea ? > > -------------- > > As far as I can see, you havn't a hope. > > 1. PC serial ports are designed to work at 9600 and 19200 baud, not 31 > kbaud. > > 2. PC serial ports are RS 232 voltage signalling whereas MIDI uses 20mA > current loop. > > Your routes would be to either > > a) buy a MIDI module such as Yamaha Hello Music package which has an RS-232 > interface > > or > > b) buy either a soundcard or a dedicated MPU-401 card. I would recommend > the latter. They are available for around 70 UK pounds. > > Steven D Bramson Data Management Group JET Joint Undertaking > Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3EA United Kingdom > E-mail sdb@jet.uk Voice 0235 465 013 Fax 0235 465 399 > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > JET is Europe's fusion research project > Disclaimer: Any views expressed are mine and do not represent those of JET > I'm sorry but you didn't read my mail correctly :-) I modified the COM port so that now it works fine at MIDI baud rate, and of course I made my (5mA - that is MIDI) current loop. Device is working, I'm able to use some DOS programs which I modified a bit to accept my interface, but now I need a driver for Windows and don't know how to write one. So I'm sorry if my question wasn't clear enough. P.S. If anyone is interested in what I actually did to my COM port, I'll send him some info. Still waiting for answer. Martin Grecner ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1993 13:54:12 +1030 From: David Peters Subject: Re: MIDI driver for COM port Martin Grecner writes: >I'm looking for MIDI driver for MS Windows and normal COM serial port, >which I modified to MIDI's frequency. Any idea ? > Thank you > Martin Grecner I am also looking for such a driver. I have a Sound Canvas SC55 MK II which has a serial interface. If anyone knows of such a driver, could you please let me know aswell. Thanks Dave. -- David Peters E-Mail: dpeters@eck.apana.org.au Adelaide, South Australia dpeters@apanix.apana.org.au dpeters@cleese.apana.org.au "Watch this space...." Fidonet: 3:800/805 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1993 17:54:56 CET From: Jacek Latanowicz Subject: Re: MIDI driver for COM port On Thu, 16 Dec 1993 12:47:13 GMT Steven D. Bramson said: >Martin Grecner writes: > >I'm looking for MIDI driver for MS Windows and normal COM serial port, >which I modified to MIDI's frequency. Any idea ? > >-------------- > >As far as I can see, you havn't a hope. > >1. PC serial ports are designed to work at 9600 and 19200 baud, not 31 >kbaud. > >2. PC serial ports are RS 232 voltage signalling whereas MIDI uses 20mA >current loop. > >Your routes would be to either > >a) buy a MIDI module such as Yamaha Hello Music package which has an RS-232 >interface > >or > >b) buy either a soundcard or a dedicated MPU-401 card. I would recommend >the latter. They are available for around 70 UK pounds. > > Steven D Bramson Data Management Group JET Joint Undertaking > Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3EA United Kingdom > E-mail sdb@jet.uk Voice 0235 465 013 Fax 0235 465 399 >------------------------------------------------------------------ > JET is Europe's fusion research project > Disclaimer: Any views expressed are mine and do not represent those of JET Hi ! I was stuuck with problem of having an Amiga's RS232 MIDI interface and 386DX with Cubase for Windows. I figured out that Amiga and PC had same RS232 ports so the only problem was how to change the speed of transmission.(And get proper driver) I believe that there MUST be a way of connecting and using that interface...if not as output it must work at least as input... Jack L. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Latanowicz tel/fax Pl-(0-61) 798-202 Ul.Porzeczkowa 27 Jack@plpuam11.bitnet 61-306 Poznan P O L A N D "exploring life is the sense of living..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1993 09:08:53 -0500 From: Philip Nelson Subject: Re: MIDI driver for COM port > > I was stuuck with problem of having an Amiga's RS232 MIDI interface > and 386DX with Cubase for Windows. I figured out that Amiga and PC > had same RS232 ports so the only problem was how to change the speed > of transmission.(And get proper driver) > I believe that there MUST be a way of connecting and using that > interface...if not as output it must work at least as input... The problem here is that a standard RS232 MIDI box will not work with the "tweaked" serial port described earlier because they must be at the same rate. If in fact your port is at MIDI speed get a copy of a schematic for a Mac MIDI interface and try that. I made mine for about $10 using the power supply and case of an old light pen and have been using it on my Mac for 3+ yrs. Not usable on a PC because of the fixed baud rates, but if you did tweak that.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Philip Nelson (414)465-2309 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Internet: nelsonp@uwgb.edu Computing and Information Technology AOL: PhilipN3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 24 Dec 1993 09:42:39 +1030 From: David Peters Subject: Re: MIDI driver for COM port Martin Grecner writes: >> Martin Grecner writes: >> >> I'm looking for MIDI driver for MS Windows and normal COM serial port, >> which I modified to MIDI's frequency. Any idea ? >> >I modified the COM port so that now it works fine at MIDI baud rate, >and of course I made my (5mA - that is MIDI) current loop. Device is >working, I'm able to use some DOS programs which I modified a bit to >accept my interface, but now I need a driver for Windows and don't know how >to write one. So I'm sorry if my question wasn't clear enough. YES! I need such a driver aswell. I have a Roland Sound Canvas SC%% MK II which has a serial interface on it. If I could get such a driver for windows, my life would be that little bit better. (ie I wouldn't have to buy a midi interface.) >P.S. If anyone is interested in what I actually did to my COM port, I'll send >him some info. Very Interested. > Still waiting for answer. > Martin Grecner Dave. -- David Peters E-Mail: dpeters@eck.apana.org.au Adelaide, South Australia dpeters@apanix.apana.org.au dpeters@cleese.apana.org.au "Watch this space...." Fidonet: 3:800/842 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1993 15:45:04 GMT From: Marcel Bernards Subject: Re: MIDI driver for COM port I'm busy doing this too. It seems that the IBM 8250 ACE has a programmable divisor register If you could be able to put the divisor into 59, your baud rate will be 31.24 Kbaud. Probably accessing the com port trough the BIOS call's will be too slow on XT types. (sigh, I have one) In 1986 there was an article in Byte magazine about a cheapo interface board. Dave Tutelman wrote a midibios TSR for it using INT 79H I don't remember where I picked up the stuff, but I guess it should be possible to tweak the ASM sources using the IBM 8250 ACE instead of the Z80-B UART of the Byte MIDI board. Also there was a file on ucsd.com called sysport-bbs.dir in which a file IBM-MIDI.TXT was mentioned. It must be on a bbs called sysport [area #18] If someone should be able to post this file on this newsgroup or mail me a copy, I'd be very pleased. I don't know the number and I dont want to call to that US BBS from NL. Thanx in advance -- Marcel Bernards, UNIX & Net sysadm ECN - Netherlands Energy Research Foundation Facilities Dept. - Group Computer & Network Management: E-Mail: Bernards@ECN.NL SnailMail: P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten Phone: (+31 /0)2246 4579 Fax: (+31 /0)2246 1864 SCREAMNet : AAAAAARGHH!HUH?? : Disclaimer: "The AntiChrist is the Computer !" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 16:17:53 +0100 From: Martin Grecner Subject: MIDI for COM port For all those who asked me for info about my serial card modification: I'll send it to the list in january. Now I'm on holiday :-) Martin Grecner ------------------------------ End of the EMUSIC-L Digest ******************************