With the original MPU-401, most of the electronics were "housed" inside the large breakout box and the MIF-IPC (later MIF-IPC-A) for IBM PC's was basically an interface card (there were different variants for different types of computer architectures).
With the MPU-IPC (and MPU-IPC-T), most of the electronics were "moved" onto the MIDI interface card, resulting in the breakout box shrinking in size.

With the MPU-IPC-T, you need both the interface card and the breakout box (it is not compatible with the older MPU-401 and its related MIF-IPC card).

However, the MPU-IPC and MPU-IPC-T are interchangeable between their breakout boxes and interface cards (they look very similar).

Refer here for further info: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPU-401

exactly, you will need the MPU-IPC-T interface card - no other simple interface will work with your breakout box

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roland_mpu-ipc-t.jpg

ok. Thank you for the answers.

Regards
Dimitris from Greece

One question more. The roland mpu-ipc-t breakout box is compatible with the roland mpu-ipc card or it has to be only the mpu-ipc-t card?

Dimitris1980 wrote:

One question more. The roland mpu-ipc-t breakout box is compatible with the roland mpu-ipc card or it has to be only the mpu-ipc-t card?

The MPU-IPC-T breakout box will work with the MPU-IPC interface card. Similarly, an MPU-IPC breakout box will also work with an MPU-IPT-T interface card.
As a matter of fact, the two breakout boxes (from what I could gather) are basically the same. The difference lies in the two interface cards, where the MPU-IPC-T's IRQ's & MPU addresses can be configured via jumpers, while the MPU-IPC cannot. However, for compatibility reasons, I wouldn't bother changing it from the default setting anyway.

I've seen a couple of eBay auctions where only the MPU-IPC (or MPU-IPC-T) breakout box is being offered, but without the interface card (which then basically makes it useless, since you require both).

This is good. Thank you jesolo.

Sorry for necroing such an old thread but I thought I should let others know the the MPU-IPC and the MPU-IPC-T boxes are not compatible. I have both breakout boxes and the MPU-IPC has a Hex Inverter in the box where as the -T version does not. The MCB-1 is almost identical to the MPU-IPC but with different pinouts, the MCB-1 has a 15 pin connector and the MPU-IPC has a 25 pin.

Dellamorte wrote on 2022-04-03, 00:40:

Sorry for necroing such an old thread but I thought I should let others know the the MPU-IPC and the MPU-IPC-T boxes are not compatible. I have both breakout boxes and the MPU-IPC has a Hex Inverter in the box where as the -T version does not. The MCB-1 is almost identical to the MPU-IPC but with different pinouts, the MCB-1 has a 15 pin connector and the MPU-IPC has a 25 pin.

This info is very important. Thank you for sharing.