tttapa
commented
3 years ago
- I wanted to use an Arduino Pro Micro, because I can use a USB-C port that way. Would this work?
For the MIDI-Controller code, yes.
The Motor-Controller is written for the ATmega328P specifically so it won't work on the Pro Micro without changes.
- I believe that there are some connections that are not explained since they come as obvious
Indeed, I only documented the connections specific to the Arduino code, for the non-Arduino specific connections, it's best to look at the typical application diagrams in the datasheet.
Am I missing something else that is not explained in the hardware section?
Bypass capacitors, maybe? See section 10 of the datasheet.
- Do I have to make my Arduino Uno or Nano Midi Class Compliant after I upload the code to them?
I'm not sure what you mean, the Uno and Nano do not support MIDI over USB, they only run the motor controller code. A second Arduino (e.g. Pro Micro) will run the MIDI code and communicates with the motor controller Arduino over I²C. You don't need to do anything beyond uploading the code to make the Pro Micro act as a MIDI USB device.
- Do I have to modify some of the code (comment lines, change values, etc.) to make the project work? Or should it work just uploading it as it is?
It should work as is, but you might want to change some settings in the Config struct, e.g. enable the test reference to test the motor controller stand-alone:
Or change the pin assignments if you're using an Arduino Uno, or change the number of faders:
You'll also have to tune the PID controllers:
Use the Python script to do the tuning.
- I'm not really sure what to do with de Motor-Controller and MIDI-Controller sections though.
The Motor-Controller code should be uploaded to an Arduino Nano or Uno, and the MIDI-Controller code should be uploaded to a separate MIDI-capable microcontroller, (e.g. Pro Micro). Both microcontrollers should be connected to the same I²C bus so they can communicate the fader positions, target positions etc.
For tuning the controllers, you only need the Nano or Uno and connect it to the computer running the Python script over USB.
- Are the circuit and code basically the same?
The code is the same, but check the datasheet and Sparkfun hookup guide for the circuit. The connections to the Arduino should be similar, though.
- Is it a good idea to include a diode or transistor as protection? (just in case someone decides to plug a different power supply)
I usually don't, but that might not be a bad idea, that's up to you.
Nothing is really happening when I upload the code
The Motor-Controller code doesn't do much unless you send commands to it over I²C or Serial, or unless you enable the test_reference option. Otherwise, it just uses zero as the target position, so it should turn on the motor when you move the fader away from zero, but it won't do much else. If it doesn't even turn on the motor, there might be something wrong with the wiring. Another reason could be that it constantly thinks that the fader knob is being touched, you might want to play with the RC time threshold. You can enable the print_controller_signals and open the Serial Monitor of the Uno/Nano to debug, see if the position measurement of the fader works correctly, etc.
PJordan2820
Hello Pieter. I hope you are doing well!
I'm really new in the world of Arduino and programming. I want to connect 2 motorized faders with Logic Pro X and I've been investigating a lot on how to do it. I tried following the documentation in this repository, but I'm not sure how proceed. I have several questions and I hope that you could point me in the right direction.
Nothing is really happening when I upload the code,and I'm getting frustrated. I didn't expect motorized faders such a different project from non-motorized ones... There isn't that much documentation on the subject and I don't know where to keep digging.