Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!exodus!oobleck.Eng.Sun.COM!bender
From: bender@oobleck.Eng.Sun.COM (Michael Bender)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: MIDI Interface
Keywords: MIDI
Message-ID: <2693@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 13 Nov 90 21:25:27 GMT
References: <3757.658193903@lemsys.UUCP> <10268@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Sender: news@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
Lines: 41

In article <10268@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> whinery@hale.ifa.hawaii.edu (Alan Whinery) writes:
-->In article <3757.658193903@lemsys.UUCP> clemon@lemsys.UUCP (Craig Lemon) writes:
-->>In a message posted on Tue, 6 Nov 90 12:05:35 GMT,
-->>drfoam@watcsc.waterloo.edu (Dennis Henry) wrote:
-->>DH>A friend of mine has embarked on a project to interface his computer
-->>DH>to some MIDI instruments.  He wishes to build the hardware and to
-->>DH>write the software.
-->>
-->>	For the portion of MIDI that comes FROM the computer, all you need
-->>to do is invert SD pin of your serial port (ie. 74LS04) for every port you
-->>would like to run.  
-->>
-->>	This interface works on my Amiga and a general knowledge of your
-->>computer (ie port configurations) will be necessary.
-->>
-->>--
-->> Craig Lemon - Kitchener, Ontario. Amiga B2000/10--2400 bps--AmigaUUCP 1.03D
-->
-->Whoa! Although the serial port and serial device on the mighty Amiga can 
-->handle the 31,250 baud necessary for MIDI, most other machines (for 
-->instance, IBM & compatibles generally cannot. You will find that the 
-->serial handler in MS-DOS is not capable of higher than 19200 baud, not
-->necessarily because of speed, but because they don't build 'em for MIDI.
-->If you have an IBM type machine, you need to build the interface from
-->the ground up, and then you should stick close to the Roland MPU 401
-->de facto standard if you want to use store-bought software. Unless you
-->are supremely masochistic, or you just want to tinker, buy a compatible
-->MIDI interface, or and AMIGA! 8^). 
-->Alan Whinery 
-->(whinery@hale.ifa.hawaii.edu)

I've had very good sucess modifying a standard IBM-type serial port card
(based on the 8250 UART) for MIDI work; I believe there was an article
posted on the modification several days ago.  I used it on a 6MhZ PC/AT,
with my serial drivers written in optimized TurboC.

mike
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