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Solenoid drawstop configuration

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Jean

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Solenoid drawstop configuration

PostTue Aug 03, 2021 3:43 am

Hi everyone,
i am new to the forum and to hauptwer. I'm building a Virtual Pipe Organ which also includes 63 solenoid drawstops. I am testing the system: it seems that the autodetect recognizes the devices, but these only work manually, in fact if I try to activate them from the virtual console they do not move (the component works correctly since it has been tested separately). I tried to configure it manually with the function "adjust MIDI / trigger settings manually for stop" and I entered the same channel and the same note in the "Primary Input" and "Primary Output" tab, the default autodetect assigns channel 5. I tried to insert channel 1 (both in input and in output) and so I can only activate 1 event, for example ON, but not the opposite one (OFF) or vice versa. Furthermore, when I activate a stop from the virtual console, the coils always remain powered, so if I try to close the stop manually, it returns to the ON position: is this normal? Shouldn't they just provide an impulse? I use Syndyne's solenoid drawstops with positive common and Midi Gadget Boutique's mddp128uP card to control them.
Thank you in advance for your help.
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engrssc

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Re: Solenoid drawstop configuration

PostTue Aug 03, 2021 4:30 am

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mdyde

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Re: Solenoid drawstop configuration

PostTue Aug 03, 2021 4:34 am

Hello Jean,

Welcome to the forum.

Jean wrote:Furthermore, when I activate a stop from the virtual console, the coils always remain powered, so if I try to close the stop manually, it returns to the ON position: is this normal?


No -- if that's happening then your MIDI decoder hardware unit definitely isn't configured/wired correctly. You might even risk the coils burning out if they're staying powered. Hauptwerk intentionally doesn't send pulsed MIDI-on/off messages, in case the 'off' message were ever to get lost en-route, or in case the computer were to crash, potentially leaving a solenoid stuck 'on' which could risk hardware damage or even a fire.

The decoder unit needs to be configured so that it receives the 'on' message from Hauptwerk and translates that into a pulse of the appropriate length for the appropriate 'on' coil in the solenoid stop unit, and likewise for 'off'' messages to the 'on' solenoid coil.

These paragraphs from the 'MIDI implementation' section in the main Hauptwerk user guide (page 280 in the current v6.0.2 version) cover recommendations for configuring MIDI channels and event types in your MIDI encoder/decoder circuits, so that everything can then be configured solely via auto-detection, for convenience:

If you are building a new MIDI organ console or new MIDI hardware for Hauptwerk then we recommend that MIDI switches and pistons use MIDI NRPN-on/off messages (on value=127, off value=0) and that if a MIDI switch supports MIDI output (for example, if it is solenoid-actuated or illuminated) then we recommend that it should receive identical MIDI messages to those it sends (thus making it possible for Hauptwerk to configure MIDI output to it automatically during auto-detection).

If you are building a new MIDI organ console for Hauptwerk using MIDI encoder circuitry that doesn't support NRPNs, then we recommend instead using MIDI note-on/off messages for switches and pistons, again ensuring that each MIDI switch receives identical MIDI messages to those it sends (if the MIDI switch supports MIDI output).


For example, if a given hardware stop sends a MIDI note-on message with MIDI note number 34 on MIDI channel 3 as it turns on, and a note-off message for that note number and channel as it turns off, then we'd recommend that the decoder be configured so that when it receives a MIDI note-on message for that same note number and channel it should turn the hardware stop on (by pulsing its 'on' solenoid briefly), and likewise for a note-off to turn the hardware stop off.

I have no experience myself with Midi Gadget Boutique's encoders/decoders ( https://www.midiboutique.com/mddp128u ), but they're popular with Hauptwerk users and I'd expect they'd be able to be configured appropriately in general. If in doubt from its documentation, you could try contacting MGB for advice.

[Edit: P.S. I see Ed and I replied at the same time.]
Best regards, Martin.
Hauptwerk software designer/developer, Milan Digital Audio.
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Jean

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Re: Solenoid drawstop configuration

PostTue Aug 03, 2021 8:32 am

Thank you very much, I was able to solve the problem by changing the mode of the MIDI decoder (mddp128uP). Now the coils don't always stay powered and I can control it entirely from the virtual console. Thanks again for your invaluable help.
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mdyde

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Re: Solenoid drawstop configuration

PostTue Aug 03, 2021 8:45 am

Thanks, Jean. Excellent. You're very welcome.
Best regards, Martin.
Hauptwerk software designer/developer, Milan Digital Audio.

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