Mini Untztrument Software

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MIDIMan
 
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Mini Untztrument Software

Post by MIDIMan »

Hello,

I'm having trouble getting my custom Mini Untztrument MIDI controller working properly. I was running Arduino IDE 1.8.13 and had it pretty close to what I expected, only a few of the pads were not responding with the Hello World Trellis example. The controller is recognized as a Leonardo MIDI controller. Recently I tried reverting to IDE 1.6.7 with a different copy of TeeOnArdu that was said to be compatible with 1.6.7 and 1.6.8 after reading some other forums and guides, but the results were much worse. Can someone please point me in the right direction of what softwares are needed? After uploading a few sketches with 1.6.7 my Leonardo is no longer being recognized under Tools>Ports in IDE and I'm not sure how to restore functionality so I can keep troubleshooting.

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Mini Untztrument Software

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

The USB code may have crashed.

The ATmega32u4 handles USB internally, which creates a bit of an 'open crate with enclosed crowbar' problem. The Arduino IDE uses one of the flow-control signals to automatically reset the microcntroller and launch the bootloader, but the 32u4 can't see that signal unless its USB firmware is running. When the firmware crashes, the microcontroller can't hear the signal that tells it to reboot.

You can usually fix that by forcing a manual reboot when the Arduino IDE sends the appropriate signal: Enable verbose messages during upload in the Arduino IDE's preferences, upload a simple sketch like Blink, and when you see the lines that begin with 'PORTS' start scrolling past in the debug pane, click the board's reset button. That will force the microcontroller to open a new USB connection while the IDE is waiting for a new connection to appear, and usually gets things back in sync.

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MIDIMan
 
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Re: Mini Untztrument Software

Post by MIDIMan »

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your response. I tried those instructions several times and couldn't get it to work for me, but it did help me solve the problem. I found this post on Arduino's forums (see link) and used the provided code (I had to add #include <Keyboard.h> at the beginning of the code). Didn't work for me until I selected selected Serial Port 1 (my Leonardo typically shows up as 3, 4, or 5) but now the Leonardo port shows up and can be selected instead of just Port 1. I should mention I tried several versions of IDE: 1.6.7, 1.5.8 BETA, and finally went back to 1.8.13 and got it working again.

https://arduino.stackexchange.com/quest ... recognized.

So now I'm back to the exact state I was at before downgrading IDE software in an attempt to fix issues. Please see my February 25th post on the previous thread:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=174403

The controller is working and recognized as a Leonardo MIDI device but the programs don't work as expected. The Hello_World mini Untztrument example uploads fine but has issues as described in the previous Adafruit thread. When I try uploading Adafruit's mini_untztrument_sketch (which I think is a bit more complex) I get the error 'usbMIDI' was not declared in this scope. I have installed all the usb-MIDI libraries and I feel like this might be a simple problem like the #include <keyboard.h> example above, I'm just an IDE newbie and don't really know how to "declare" usbMIDI. I tried including its library in the code but that didn't seem to help out.

Any thoughts/ideas about these issues are much appreciated. Thank you for your help!

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MIDIMan
 
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Re: Mini Untztrument Software

Post by MIDIMan »

I just want to say I'm very disappointed that I haven't been able to get this working after sinking A LOT of time and a reasonable amount of money into the Mini Untztrument project. I am very grateful for the advice and pointers from Adafruit's admin Mike so far, but no one else seems able or willing to chime in to help troubleshoot what could be wrong. I'm acutely aware this project is not very complex, even with the additional switches that I've built into my Mini Untztrument design. My build is VERY CLOSE to a complete, working build, but without the proper technical support I probably will not be able to finish it. In its current state it is totally useless, since the same midi note is triggered constantly (all by itself) and some Trellis buttons are unresponsive even though they all light up just fine during the "Trellis test".

This is the 2nd forum thread I started after it was clear no one was responding to my first thread. I have tried a number of versions of Arduino IDE software to no avail (advice I found on other forums/websites from other customers who also could not get the programming to work), and I have described the unexpected behavior in this thread and in my last thread in detail with no responses on how to troubleshoot this problem. Even a quick message telling me to buy a solder sucker and start over would've been acceptable. Instead it's been 6 months since my order and I don't even know if the Trellis is working properly or if it is defective because I can't get any information on how to troubleshoot the issue or proceed.

This project is absolutely within my skill level to complete with the proper support and technical documentation from Adafruit (I'm an engineer by trade). However since I haven't been able to get answers to my questions it has become a very fancy and expensive light-up paperweight for my studio. Technical documentation on the Adafruit Trellis is lacking. There are basic how-to's that I followed, but I did not find a circuit diagram for the Adafruit Trellis PCB and there is no FAQ for common issues. I do not know how the Trellis pads are wired or why certain pads would seemingly affect each other, because I'm not the manufacturer. Since the components have been assembled it is very difficult to troubleshoot the issue myself without a working knowledge of the Trellis circuitry. Therefore I cannot recommend this project to anyone.

There are far more reliable and cost effective options for MIDI controllers and sequencers with greater functionality with no building or programming required, and there is no shortage of options in this crowded and competitive market. I thought this would be a neat and fun project to do, but so far it has been a waste of money and a large waste of time.

My experience with customer service and technical support is the most important aspect for me when it comes to repeat purchases. If I feel like customer service/support was unable to resolve my issue or provide the information I need in a timely manner, then it makes me very likely to find a different option in the future. I understand that components can fail or have issues, but the technical support should not. This was my first Adafruit purchase and it has not been a satisfactory experience. It seems that Adafruit is more committed to pushing science fair trinkets than it is to providing legitimate technical support and documentation to its customers.

thinkican
 
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Re: Mini Untztrument Software

Post by thinkican »

I am having the same issues with this project. I am also disappointed there appers to be no solution to this issue. We are directed to the forums for help. Can someone please provide some guidance on this issue?

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