Hercules MIDI with 6300

W4WHL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ5uBavH5nc

W4WHL

easier is:

if (pitch == 20) {;} // Any channel

but this is not my issue.  My issue is;  I wish I could set the channel number via software and not just the DECK button.

I would like the controller to sync with the smartsdr, so if I changed active slice in smartsdr, it would switch the deck auto-magically.

I would Also like the deck switch to skip 3 & 4, just cycle 1 & 2.  But this is forced in hardware and can't be software controlled.

Not a super show stopper, it just means I have to tap the button 3 times to get from slice b back to slice A.

I could ignore all channel numbers and just use a Boolean toggle to swap slices.  But then I have a useless button and display.  I guess a few extra clicks is not a super big deal.

William

Ken - NM9P

OK, I didn't know you could just ignore channel number and just read pitch. That is good to know when I start programming mine. It should arrive in a few days.

W4WHL

Ken,

The slider on the right side is neither a controller event nor a note event, I was lost on this and had to dig into the midi library.  I ended up having to read the raw data to read this value.  Here is how I did it:

void rawMidi(byte[] data) {

  int command = (int)(data[0] & 0xFF);
  int value = (int)(data[2] & 0xFF);

  if (command == 224) { //do someting here}

Channel 1 slider = 224
Channel 2 slider = 225
Channel 3 slider = 226
Channel 4 slider = 227

This had me almost sending the controller back to amazon.  Took me many hours to get this working LOL

William

MH_Flexer

Hi William,

Looks like a really good start, the shape and orientation of the PL1 is such that I can see it easily setting along side my trackball with easy access. 

I downloaded the Processing program, once I get my CMD installed and start using it I'll be getting into the code myself.

I am on a notebook computer, I just ordered a USB 16" monitor for more screen real estate.  My dinette table is getting crowded.

Happy Easter,

Duane

Steve W6SDM

William,

Thank you for the absolutely outstanding work.  You developed this entire thing in about a week - that's amazing.  I think Behringer ought to send you a commission on all of the CMD Controllers they sold as a result of your programming.  I see Amazon is running out of these, so anyone interested should get theirs now.

You know, I used the Hurcules board and PowerSDR/UI that Toby Wellnitz, DH1TW, put together for years with my Flex 5000.  I really missed it when I upgraded to a 6300.  Now there's something to take its place.  I have found that having two direct control wheels, one for each slice, is a big help in contests and working DX pileups.

One more thing;  I think this type of project really shows the Flex advantage.  Users developing new ideas and sharing them with the user community is something you don't see with the other radio brands.  With the API, we will see even more advanced and useful developments.  Even outside of API programming, things like the Behringer CMD interface are a big plus for Flex users.

Thanks again, William.

Steve, W6SDM

Ken - NM9P

Steve, if you still have your Herc, I have modified One of the versions of William's program for my DJController LE and it is working well. I have a lot of customization to finish, but it works as well or better than it did with PowerSDR-UI. Now that I am past Holy Week and Easter Services, I hope to get back to the programming! I will post here when I get something I can feel good about. Ken - NM9P

Steve W6SDM

Sounds good.  Yes, I still have it.  From what I can see and have read about the Behringer controller, it's much more "solid" than the Hurcules and it looks like it's a lot prettier.  It also looks like it would fit the desk real estate better.

If there's anyone out there looking for a Hurcules, I can make them a really good deal on mine.

W4WHL

I plan to at some point (after I finish playing with the PL-1) will make major updates to the micro code.  One thing I want to do is add in a shift feature so many more functions can be added.  This would also eliminate the need for the toggles in the app window.

I still like the Micro the best so far.  It's size is great and the dual Jog wheels work great.  It also looks very radio like.

The PL-1 is HUGE, but it has much more dials and switches.  It will take me a good bit of time to get a version of code released for this.  Tons more work to complete, and not enough time to work on it.

William

W4WHL

All,

Here is a new version of the CMD Micro that has a longer timeout value.  For all having discovery issues, please try this version and let me know.  If 1.9e is working fine for you, no need to update, as no new features have been added.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gf5wg8trwv9u0zu/CMDMicroFlex6k_v1_9f.zip?dl=0

William

Bob W7KWS

Regarding fitting the shack, I rearranged things today.  Here's what I've ended up with.  The Flex is quickly taking over as my default rig.

Bob

W4WHL

Tmate2 and the CMD Micro.  You have more knobs than a "Knobbed Radio)...LOL

How did you get it to stand up like that?

Bob W7KWS

Two of these from Amazon, one at each end. Two sided tape holds them really well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N1VDCGO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bob

Bob - W7KWS -

I'm right handed. The TMate2 to the right allows me to tune Slice A without covering controls on the Micro with my arm.  Left hand can then be on AGC, PTT, Etc.

I tried using Slice B as my default but many other items make that sub-optimum.

W4WHL

Made some good progress on the PL1 today.  So far here is what is working thus far.

2 slice tune
Step 1/10/50 + x10
tx select
ATU
main vol
slice vol
hp vol
panadapter zoom +-
mic level
PTT

All these function have associated leds working.  All encoder levels (vol, mic, bandwidth, etc) receive current value from radio , so adjustments are from correct starting point. 

Lots more to do, but all the hard hurdles are over.

I came up with a new VFO tuning routine to do snap tuning, its pretty slick.  snap tuning to 50/500 was a bit of work..  And float math is faulty.  So all values are converted to integers before math is applied, then converted back to floats.

All will come with time. I will add a couple of functions each day, and should have a alpha release in a week  I don to want to release anything till 90% functions are working.

William

Joe - KC2TN

OK, Finally home from all the Easter activities today.

You hit the naill on the head William. The CMD Micro driver did not load due to my Malwarebytes blocking it. Don't know why I didn't get a warning, i ususally do, but not this  time. In any case, I loaded the 1.9f version and ALL seems to be working now.

I havn't had time to review what's been done in the past few days, I noticed the VOL A slider works but does not move the slider on the FRS screen.

Also, Is there a way to turn OFF or Power Down the CMD Micro? At least without having to pull the plug!

Thanks for a GREAT product and the help!!

W4WHL

Joe,

The vol slider not updating in SmartSDR is a known bug in SmartSDR, not an issue with the Midi controller.

No there is no power off for the CMD Micro. 

William

W4WHL

Made some more progress on the PL1 today.  The following additional functions are working:

CWX 1-4
balance/wpm
agct/proc
xit/rit

Much more to go!

2 more dials and a bunch of buttons.  But the dual function dials are the hardest.  So I would say about half way.

William

W4WHL

All for the PL-1 do you think we need selection for canned filter sizes if we have filter hi and lo dials? 

Personally I do not see the need, but let me know what you think.

William

Ken - NM9P

William,
Here's the way I plan for format my software.  You might want to look into it.

I am going to begin with a list of "control mapping" variables, like:

//
//CONTROLLER MAPPING... replace the assigned number with the command
//you wish to use on your particular controller.
//
int CCVFO1 = 55; //VFO 1 Controller
int CCVFO2 = 56;  //VFO2 Controller
int CCRIT = 57;  //RIT Controller
int CCXIT = 58;  //XIT Controller
int CTVOXON = 22;  //VOX Toggle
int CTATU = 30;  //ATU Start Command

and define a variable for every command.
then when I do the command

if (channel == 1) && (Pitch = +CTVOXON+) {......

I won't need to go into the program to reconfigure it whenever I change anything.
All I will need to do is go to the beginning of the program and change the command variable ONCE in order to remap that function to a different button or control.

It may be that I can do all of that part with a file that could be imported.
Several different mapping files could be made for different controllers, each one including the proper controller name used in the program as well.

Then the program could ask for the filename, or have a filename selection routine.

We all could share program and our own personal mapping arrangements.

All we would need if someone came up with a great new control function would be to define it in the list.  

Unused functions would simply be ignored because they would never be called by the program.  But if someone wanted to use it, they would "map it" to the proper "Pitch" number in the mapping section of the program.

Anyway, that is the Idea I am working on.  Once I change all the current functions with the variable names, then it will be a cinch to rearrange my controller layout, or map it to a completely different controller without writing a new version of the software.   The only snag would be the picture and display numbers that are overlayed on them.

W4WHL

good idea

W4WHL

last 2 dials done, 15 buttons left.  Then some tweaking and I'll be ready to release a version


W4WHL

Ken did you see my new parsing code?  Its much better in the PL-1 code.  I posted a link a few days back

Ken - NM9P

Haven't had much time to look yet.
Is that the code near the top of the program to decypher the frequency, mode, etc.?

W4WHL

if you are looking at the flex_parse.pde than yes.  The first parts under void draw.

William

Ken - NM9P

For phone, I don't know that I would need buttons, but on CW & DIGI modes, cycling through three or four options with a single button would be handy.  Much handier than trying to quickly grab two different knobs and spin them to precise numbers.  On phone, it isn't as time critical (or concentration critical) to me as it would be when copying CW.

W4WHL

The new code for the PL1 is now almost 1000 lines and most of it from scratch.

W4WHL

didnt think of cw, also AM would be a pain.  I will figure out something.  I'm running out of buttons..LOL

W4WHL

maybe I will switch the nb and nr buttons to shift functions, and use those buttons to cycle filters


Ken - NM9P

AM might benefit from separate envelope control, too, given discussion in another thread.  It is possible to close one side almost all the way to zero and still get good demod, without phase distortion due to selective fading.