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The
Palm series of PDAs was very popular in its heyday, and lots of specialised
software became available to run all sorts of functions on the devices. One of these enabled MIDI files to be stored, and played back through the serial interface
connector. This interface is part of the
cradle system that is used to charge the Vx, and to enable it to connect to a
PC for up/down-loading the normal PDA data to an office computer. The software that I use is called ‘ittyMIDI
Player’, and is available – for download - here at a cost of
$29.99.
It is possible to connect to a
USB port on the PC in place of the serial port, using a USB to serial cable
adaptor - available on the Internet.
However, as the files are so small, I eventually went back to using the
serial port even though it is slower than USB.
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The
ittyMIDI software is actually in two parts.
One is the ‘Loader’ which is installed on the PC where you
manage/compose/edit your MIDI files, and the
other is the ‘Player’. The Loader program
enables MIDI files to be selected and put into
groups – or Books - for sending to the Vx when it is sitting in its cradle,
and the button on the cradle is pressed to perform the ‘sync’ function. Sending the data is automatically managed by
HotSync Manager which controls how the PC communicates with the Vx cradle. Hotsync Manager is part of ‘Palm Desktop
4.1.4’, a free download from Palm,
if you don’t get the software CD with your Vx. After installing Palm Desktop 4.1.4 on your PC, it can be ignored - only the Hotsync Manager is needed.
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Loader Screen
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Prior
to sending the MIDI files to the Vx, the
Player program is also sent from the PC to the Vx sitting in its cradle. This is done automatically by the ittyMIDI
software the first time a ‘sync’ is initiated after the software is loaded onto
the PC. The Player program remains
permanently on the Vx, and is quite comprehensive, enabling the touch–screen on
the Vx to be used to select MIDI tunes by name
from the Books of stored files that have been sent from the PC. It can make changes to Pitch, Tempo, etc.,
and can be set to play a tune repeatedly, play a sequence of tunes, or even a
selection of ‘measures’ within a tune. You
can also generate Playlists from the tunes stored in one or more Books, so that
particular programs of music can be stored, and played as desired. (Books cannot be edited on the Vx, but Playlists
can)
Some of the Player Screens
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Song Selection
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Play Screen
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Change Pitch/tempo
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To
enable the Vx to communicate with the MIDI Interface Board in Topsy, a Serial/MIDI
interface is required. This is a very
simple circuit, with just a few components and a serial connector on one side and
a DIN connector on the other. It can be
made from the diagram at Elby Designs. A pcb to make up the circuit may be had
from Ian Jeffreries: e-mail to: greatwestern99 - at - aol.com (replace ' - at - ' with '@'). There are also Serial/MIDI converter cables
available if you search the Internet.
What is needed
A
Palm Vx, the ittyMIDI software, the Palm Desktop/Hotsync Manager software, the Serial/MIDI
interface, and the Vx mounting cradle. I
actually have one Vx cradle permanently connected to the serial port on my PC,
and another permanently mounted in Topsy.
I could have purchased the second cradle as a separate item, but the
Vx’s are so cheap, I purchased TWO complete packages. I got not only two cradles, but also a spare
Vx in case one failed - or its battery ran out during a performance.
I
removed the base and its metal stabilising weight from one of the cradles,
before mounting it inside Topsy, in a position where it is accessible through a
window in the back of the organ. The
serial connector lead from the cradle is connected to the serial/MIDI interface
- with its DIN connector connected in turn to the input of the MIDI Interface Board.
After
tunes have been loaded onto the Vx from the PC, the Vx is transferred to the
cradle mounted in Topsy. I try to
remember to put it position before I switch on the 12V power in
Topsy – but I don’t always remember (nothing nasty has happened as yet!) Tunes can be picked using the Vx’s
stylus. I actually made the organ back
from clear plastic sheet, as sold in B&Q, so people can see some of the
inside working parts. The window on
the accompaniment windchest is also transparent for the same reason, so the
pallets inside can be seen operating.
Using the Palm Vx is very easy, and tunes can be selected quickly and
played without fuss. I have not used
other systems, but they would have to be very good for me to swap from the
simplicity of use of the Vx.
Addenda
Palm Vx Digitizer problem
On
one of my Vx’s, I did have occasional problems with the touch screen digitizer
going out of alignment. To correct the
problem requires the ‘Digitizer’ function to be called from the drop-down menu
in ‘Prefs’. However, if the digitizer setting
is ‘off’ by a large amount, it is sometimes impossible to get to the ‘Digitizer’
function! Catch 22! Using
the Reset function can solve the problem, but the Player software then has to be
reloaded afterwards.
My
solution to this problem is to program one of the physical buttons on the Vx to
call the ‘Welcome’ function - which prompts the setting up of the
digitizer. Obviously this was set up
when the digitizer was working correctly, by selecting ‘Buttons’ from the
drop-down menu in ‘Prefs’. The top
right-hand button on the screen then shown is usually set to access ‘Notes’,
but I changed this by scrolling the selection box down to ‘Welcome’. Thus if I ever have digitizer problems, I
click the physical right-hand button at the bottom of the Vx, and the digitizer
set-up function runs as part of ‘Welcome’, and sanity is restored!
Vx Battery
Since
there is a possibility of the Vx battery running out, I added another item
later to prevent this happening during a performance. The Vx is normally charged when it is
sitting in its cradle, from a mains adaptor that plugs into the serial
connector connecting the cradle to the PC.
(It looks like a permanent connection on the serial connector, but is
actually a small plastic connector plug).
However, there is normally no mains supply available when performing - but
there is a 12V supply! Therefore, I
obtained a charger for L-ion batteries in digital cameras - a particular version
which can be supplied from 12 / 24V as well as 230V ac mains, and which is for
the same voltage battery as that fitted in the Vx.
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This
is the INOV8 LPE5 Charger, available from Picstop and having a nominal output of 4.2V - which
is suitable for the 3.7V battery in the Vx.
I chopped the Vx mains adaptor off the cable joined to the little
plastic plug on the Serial connector, and reconnected the cable to the innards
of the battery charger. (Red wire to OUTPUT +). Opening the charger case requires some force
to break internal glue joints - even after the case screw is removed! I left off the 13A mains connector plug
insert, and fitted the battery charger permanently inside Topsy. (Some of these chargers don’t have inserts,
they have a permanently-connected 13A plug on a mains lead – this lead should
be disconnected inside the unit, and removed).
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The small 12V input socket on the charger accepts a 3.25mm od/1.3mm id
connector plug, one of which was on the car lighter socket cable supplied with
the charger. I removed the big lighter
connector, and connected the cable to Topsy’s 12V supply. The LED that normally indicates charging
does NOT illuminate under these conditions, but the Vx battery is being
charged. The current drain for charging
the Vx is minimal, and will not affect Topsy’s 12V battery life. This charger is perhaps a luxury, and
probably not really required - so long as a Vx is fully charged before
use in Topsy, but it is a comfort to know that the Vx will not die unexpectedly!
Replacing a Vx battery
It
is true that some of the rechargeable L-ion batteries in Vx’s do not last for
ever, but replacements are available on the Internet – search for ‘Palm Vx
battery’. Fitting them, however, seems
to be impossible as there appears to be no way to open the case. Actually, it can be done, using the
instructions detailed at Directfix .
At first sight, it all appears quite
daunting, but only the back has to be removed to be able to swap the battery - removing the screen is not necessary. However, it was with some trepidation that I approached the task myself. However, by following the – very clear –
instructions, I managed to complete the battery change without any major
problems, apart from with my blood pressure.
Knowing I had the other Vx as a spare was my only comfort during the
process, but afterwards I realised that I should not have been so worried.
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