Looking mighty fine. Very clean all in all.

Hello,
Is there a method to soft-reset McCake on DOS prompt, instead of cold boot a computer?

copymaker wrote on 2021-10-17, 15:24:

Hello,
Is there a method to soft-reset McCake on DOS prompt, instead of cold boot a computer?

This will depend on where you have the McCake connected. For instance, with Orpheus, the daughterboard receives a reset every time the card is re-initialised with ORPHINIT (when attached to the header on Orpheus itself). This causes McCake to restart, and any selected modes or sound banks will have to be selected again, and custom instruments for MT-32 mode are discarded.

640K!enough wrote on 2021-10-19, 02:12:

copymaker wrote on 2021-10-17, 15:24:

Hello,
Is there a method to soft-reset McCake on DOS prompt, instead of cold boot a computer?

This will depend on where you have the McCake connected. For instance, with Orpheus, the daughterboard receives a reset every time the card is re-initialised with ORPHINIT (when attached to the header on Orpheus itself). This causes McCake to restart, and any selected modes or sound banks will have to be selected again, and custom instruments for MT-32 mode are discarded.

Thank you for the explanation. A Orpheus with McCake is exactly my current setting and initializing Orpheus will work for reset McCake. Further, my another possible setting is to use a PCMIDI card+McCake, Can I still soft-reset McCake with that setting?

copymaker wrote on 2021-10-19, 06:48:

Thank you for the explanation. A Orpheus with McCake is exactly my current setting and initializing Orpheus will work for reset McCake. Further, my another possible setting is to use a PCMIDI card+McCake, Can I still soft-reset McCake with that setting?

I'm not sufficiently familiar with the stand-alone PCMIDI design, or its software, to make a comment about that. There are some designs that don't allow control of the reset line, and only a re-boot of the system or even power-cycle will do the job.

Maybe its possible to wire up a Reset Button ?

matze79 wrote on 2021-10-19, 22:35:

Maybe its possible to wire up a Reset Button ?

I think a better design would be to add a custom SysEx message that initiates a reset of the module. This way, it will be easily possible, regardless of the host device, whether mounted internally or in an external enclosure. Of course, I am entirely unfamiliar with the software, and have no idea whether this is reasonably feasible. For external enclosures, a physical reset switch would definitely be a welcome addition.

Well maybe it has already something like this ? not famillar with the MT32 Pi Software

https://github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi

copymaker wrote on 2021-10-17, 15:24:

Hello,
Is there a method to soft-reset McCake on DOS prompt, instead of cold boot a computer?

640K!enough wrote on 2021-10-20, 19:29:

matze79 wrote on 2021-10-19, 22:35:

Maybe its possible to wire up a Reset Button ?

I think a better design would be to add a custom SysEx message that initiates a reset of the module. This way, it will be easily possible, regardless of the host device, whether mounted internally or in an external enclosure. Of course, I am entirely unfamiliar with the software, and have no idea whether this is reasonably feasible. For external enclosures, a physical reset switch would definitely be a welcome addition.

There is a DOS utility that will allow you to do this, I can’t post links yet but if you Google search for gmcn42 mt32picontrol, you will find the GitHub page. You can even send text and bitmaps to the screen if you wish to!

https://github.com/gmcn42/mt32-pi-control

If you want to reset the synths without a full reboot of the Raspberry Pi, you can just use a standard MT-32 reset or a GM/GS reset SysEx message, but only when in the respective synth modes.

MT-32: F0 41 10 16 12 7F 01 F7
GM: F0 7E 7F 09 01 F7
GS: F0 41 10 42 12 40 00 7F 00 41 F7

mt32-pi-control has shortcuts for all of these.

Custom SysEx messages that control mt32-pi (including a full reboot) are also listed here if you want to integrate them into other software: https://github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Cust … lusive-messages.

d0pefish wrote on 2021-10-21, 09:47:

If you want to reset the synths without a full reboot of the Raspberry Pi, you can just use a standard MT-32 reset or a GM/GS re […]
Show full quote

If you want to reset the synths without a full reboot of the Raspberry Pi, you can just use a standard MT-32 reset or a GM/GS reset SysEx message, but only when in the respective synth modes.

MT-32: F0 41 10 16 12 7F 01 F7
GM: F0 7E 7F 09 01 F7
GS: F0 41 10 42 12 40 00 7F 00 41 F7

mt32-pi-control has shortcuts for all of these.

Custom SysEx messages that control mt32-pi (including a full reboot) are also listed here if you want to integrate them into other software: https://github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Cust … lusive-messages.

Solved!! What a valuable information! It at last made my McCake possible to be reset to its default using above SysEx messages. furthermore using the custom SysEx messages in the link, McCake can be now fully re-booted on the DOS prompt with DUMP.EXE & a SysEx file including "F0 7D 00 F7" hex string, without any cold booting. Fantastic! And It also enable to be easily possible to change synth type, ROM, font, too. I feel so convenient to use it with some batch files. Thank you so much. I just only tested my McCake with a PC MIDI card though, but I believe it will work on any host sound card (wavetable header). It should be.😊

appiah4 wrote on 2021-10-21, 06:09:

https://github.com/gmcn42/mt32-pi-control

Many Thanks the link, I've found MT32-pi.exe a DOS executable. I Hope that I adressed correctly. It properly functions to reset, reboot and others to McCake, too. I can say it is versatile and a super convenient DOS executable with those parameters defined in corresponding readme.file. Lastly it was funny to send message on tiny LCD screen. I will probably choose this for my use rather than using Dump.exe & multiple SysEx files. It does not my intention to diminish using dump.exe , custom SysEx message. Custom SysEx message is still so informative and valuable to user who dig MT32-pi. 😀

I need your help / feedback :
the current McCake front panel uses the front position floppy drive screwholes
these are well accessible in some cases, such as a 3.5" to 5.25" bracket i used for testing.
But apparently in many real life cases, the front position is not easily accessible or even not accessible.

Could you have a look at your pc and tell me if the front panel could be mounted this way or not ?
I may need to change the design to make it more universal

Here's my case, my chasis (Inwin C583) doesn't provide two screw holes corresponding front postion of floppy drive screw holes.
It has only one screw hole out there, No luck! and quite strange why they considered only one screw there. Anyway I need to something additonal to fix.
It'd be a good idea for the front panel to become more universal, including middle or/and rear position of floppy drive screw holes.

Relatively modern cases usually have just middle and back screw holes. My case is like this: https://pc-1.ru/pic/big/1491642.jpg

5.25" panel in development, this fits well on all my pc cases
color schemes :
- black + red for black pc cases ?
- cream white + grey or black for 'classic' cases ?

Nice! But but it would be better with button labels.

MadLynx wrote on 2021-11-05, 09:50:

Nice! But but it would be better with button labels.

Yes, will add that 😀

dreamblaster wrote on 2021-11-05, 09:51:

MadLynx wrote on 2021-11-05, 09:50:

Nice! But but it would be better with button labels.

Yes, will add that 😀

Wondering if you might consider building the McCake + Pi unit right into the 3.5" bay mounting bracket as a complete assembly, allowing for modular front panels to match different case colors but also solving the problem of standard mounting as it could be sized to utilize standard 3.5" device mounting holes? It might be a whole lot cleaner in terms of layout since the molex power connector would be in the same area as the other floppy/hard disks in the computer, and instead of running the control/OLED header cable plus a power connector to the sound card, you just run a single ribbon cable to the wavetable header. This would alleviate the issue of clearance for the PI+McCake on smaller sound cards (usually the later ESS and Yamaha ISA examples) with oddball wavetable header orientations and avoid consuming an adjacent expansion slot in the computer.