New to MegaDrum - beginner questions

[gastric]

You can seriously use any jacks and wiring you want. ANY.... 2 wire telephone, 4 wire telephone, CAT5, S-Video, RCA, whatever you want. It's just a physical connection for the wires.

The most interesting I've seen was on the Roland forums where someone made a custom rack, then internal custom wiring done using CAT5 from the triggers to a common DSUB connector at the drum set. Then a DSUB type wire from the drum kit to the module. Then a custom wiring loom from the DSUB into whatever jacks are on the module (stereo 6.35mm jacks as it was a Roland module in this particular case). But since you're building your own module you could just as easily use a DSUB right on the MegaDrum if you were so inclined.

So as far as wiring and jacks you can literally use whatever you want. You just need to make sure to wire the MegaDrum end per the schematics. So if you use CAT5 you could theoretically run 7 inputs on that one jack using a common ground then the other individual wires for each input. A 2 line telephone would only support a single input. A 4 wire telephone 3 inputs. And so on and so forth.

Like they say in The Matrix.... FREE YOUR MIND. It's just wires and a physical jack to connect them. Stereo 6.35mm jacks are simply the current "standard" used in the music world these days.

So if you buy a Yamaha cymbal it's going to have a stereo 6.35mm jack. If you use telephone jacks on your MegaDrum you'll then need some custom adapter/cable to connect the two. But if you're building all of your own triggers then you could just use telephone jacks on the triggers and telephone wire to connect the two.

I personally have the 6.35mm stereo jacks on all of my triggers. Then bought a super cheap 20' 16 channel stereo snake off eBay for around $45 shipped to run a single clean line to my equipment rack from the drums into my current Trigger IO which is to be replaced with the MegaDrum.

[jamalpiper]

The most interesting I've seen was on the Roland forums where someone made a custom rack, then internal custom wiring done using CAT5 from the triggers to a common DSUB connector at the drum set. Then a DSUB type wire from the drum kit to the module. Then a custom wiring loom from the DSUB into whatever jacks are on the module (stereo 6.35mm jacks as it was a Roland module in this particular case). But since you're building your own module you could just as easily use a DSUB right on the MegaDrum if you were so inclined.

Alot like what I'm doing, my megadrum will only have a 37pos dsub out on it with a CAt5 snake coming out of it, then the rack I'll eventually build will have two breakout panels on either side of the rack with 16 RCA connectors each.

[gastric]

The only issue with non-standard connectors is that it makes the module somewhat less usable in the future as you're bound to the jack choices you implemented. That's really the only reason the standard stereo 6.35mm jacks are the superior choice as any off-the-shelf trigger will be able to plug in directly without an adapter or special cable. Obviously you can make adapters or just replace the jacks in the future if needed. Just sharing my thoughts.

[jamalpiper]

Ja thats true, but I'm planning on making all my own drums myself so there won't be any compatiblity issues there, and I already have a whole box of RCA cables sitting around, saves me from having to buy ~$100 in TRS cabling or a $50 snake (or two) to pull apart.

[jamdat]

I'm about to order the final, harder to get components. Two quick questions first though:
The only difference between the Atmega324-20PU-ND (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=ATMEGA324P-20PU-ND) and the Atmega644-20PU-ND (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=ATMEGA644-20PU-ND) is the amount of memory that they have? The 644 is out of stock at the moment and I don't want to wait while they're backordered. I'd just like to know if I can use the 324. I'm 99% sure, I can.

Also, I don't plan on attaching a screen (or buttons really) since I'm always going to be controlling it via computer. I don't need the 6N138N optocoupler then correct?

Once I get all this stuff, I'll be launching into construction!

[elrules]

You will need buttons to be able to enter the bootloader to update firmware. If you won't be using the bootloader you don't need buttons, but you will have to update with the .hex file with a programming tool

[dmitri]

Atmega324-20PU is just fine.

[jamdat]

Atmega324-20PU is just fine.

Execllent. Thank you.

You will need buttons to be able to enter the bootloader to update firmware. If you won't be using the bootloader you don't need buttons, but you will have to update with the .hex file with a programming tool

And this programming tool will be? If I use the bootloader, is it mandatory to use buttons? What about that update via USB thing?

[dmitri]

Atmega324-20PU is just fine.

Execllent. Thank you.

You will need buttons to be able to enter the bootloader to update firmware. If you won't be using the bootloader you don't need buttons, but you will have to update with the .hex file with a programming tool

And this programming tool will be? If I use the bootloader, is it mandatory to use buttons? What about that update via USB thing?

There are several programming tools, e.g. PonyProg2000, avrdude and etc. You will need an ISP cable to program Atmega with them.
With the bootloader you need buttons no mater if you're updating over USB or MIDI ports. See viewtopic.php?f=3&t=111

[jamdat]

There are several programming tools, e.g. PonyProg2000, avrdude and etc. You will need an ISP cable to program Atmega with them.
With the bootloader you need buttons no mater if you're updating over USB or MIDI ports. See viewtopic.php?f=3&t=111

From the thread on the bootloader it seems as though in addition to mandatory buttons, an LCD screen is mandatory as well. I just don't want a screen so I may have to go the ISP route.