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Hello all at MIDI.ORG. 🙂
I am new here, but am currently working in the electronics development industry, and am interested in taking advantage of the many hardware MIDI controllers that can be had, such as the VS1053 from VLSI. I have just downloaded the spec, but some of the details are alluding me. Is MIDI standard serial @ 8N1 or something else? The spec talks about one stop bit, but also a start bit in front of the 8-bit data, so a 10-bit word. In other words, is MIDI a form of standard asynchronous serial like just about any other standard serial connection, or is it something else? The DETAILS on the comparison between async 8N1 serial and MIDI is the bit that currently confuses me. Any help to clarify this would be appreciated.
Posted : 06/01/2018 11:16 pm
I have a pretty old article regarding the construction 0f a midi interface (actually it's for the Commodore Vic 20, dated about March 1987) and this specifically refers to the serial parameters for MIDI being 8 bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. So your 8N1 may well be correct
Geoff.
Posted : 07/01/2018 3:06 pm
MIDI is an 8 asynchronus. Never heard of it using any parity so indeed it would be 10 bits if you take into account the start bit and end bit required for async operation. If I remember it uses current monitoring and a mechanism to ensue isoloation using opto isolation.
Some people have even created software so that you can send MIDI over serial communications lines but I don't think that is part of the MIDI standard. For instance, Bome MIDI translator has this capability.
Steve Caldwell
Posted : 07/01/2018 3:38 pm
Hm, YES.
I've looked right through the article, and while it says in one place what I noted above, much further thru it says '1 start bit, 8 data bits, one stop bit, total 10 bits'
My apologoes.
Geoff
Posted : 07/01/2018 3:54 pm
Topic starter
Lovely, thanks for your help. 🙂
Posted : 09/01/2018 5:19 pm
