I2C Settings with F8R, CVM8, Just Friends?

[kriskeyman]

Hello,

I've had Nerdseq working great with F8R & Just Friends over I2C, and just added a CVM8 to the mix.

However, I've think I've come to the realization that I cannot use all together in I2C settings?... or can I?

I have the following combos working great with F8R (I2CB) & CVM8 (I2CA) connected to Multi-IO + Nerdseq in same skiff.
Just Friends is in external case, connected to Multi-IO via I2CA 3.5MM TRS > XOXO MIDI+I2C Breakout.

F8R + Just Friends w/ I2C settings as follows:
I2C A Mode: Out
I2C A In Address: Hex: 70 Dec: 112 (but Just Friends continues to work even if this is not set to 70, but set as 70 in the I2C/Multi track)
I2C B Mode: 16N -> NS 1-16
I2C B In Address: Hex: 31 Dec: 49
Works great!

F8R + CVM8 w/ I2C settings as follows:
I2C A Mode: 16N -> NS 17-32
I2C A In Address: Hex: 31 Dec: 49
I2C B Mode: 16N -> NS 1-16
I2C B In Address: Hex: 31 Dec: 49
Works great!

... but attempting to make them all work together makes Just Friends stop playing in sound mode (but rebooting only Nerdseq fixes it), and CVM8 behave wonky when CV input is inserted into CVM8. I attempted setting the following to make them all work together, as 'I2C A Mode: Out' seemed to be required to make Just Friends respond to I2C at all.

So I've tried...

I2C A Mode: Out
I2C A In Address: Hex: 31 Dec: 49
I2C B Mode: 16N -> NS 1-16
I2C B In Address: Hex: 31 Dec: 49

I2C A Mode: Out
I2C A In Address: Hex: Hex: 70 Dec: 112
I2C B Mode: 16N -> NS 1-16
I2C B In Address: Hex: 31 Dec: 49

I2C A Mode: Out
I2C A In Address: Hex: 72 Dec: 114 (thinking having it set to anything other than 70 or 31 may resolve the issue, in case that is somehow causing a collision)
I2C B Mode: 16N -> NS 1-16
I2C B In Address: Hex: 31 Dec: 49

... but all 3 seem to have the same result of Just Friends stops generating sound as soon as I plug CV into the CVM8. I'd think that because I have them all connected via hardware that I should be able to get them to work in software... so something I'm doing wrong?



TIA!

P.S. After reviewing again in manual, saw bit about 'The Address is not in use if the I2C Port is in Leader Mode'... so that makes sense why changing I2C A In Address seemed to not make a difference.

So maybe I'm expecting I2C A to support separate Modes because it has two hardware connections... but maybe not within spec or something the software does not currently support?

[kriskeyman]

... and I assume the 2x16n 1-32 is not an option because each of my 16N's are on separate I2C ports. And I understand now that setting I2C A Mode to Out is simply setting that I2C channel A to Leader mode.

So I guess I'm looking for...

I2C A TRS Mode: Leader
I2C A rear Mode: Follower
I2C B rear Mode: Follower

[XORadmin]

Per I2C port you can have only one leader but multiple followers. Connecting a leader and follower to port A is not possible (well it is possible but it doesn’t make sense)
And if a port is in follower mode it can’t be ‘leader’ to anything else also connected to the port.
I don’t know which settings the CVM8 needs right now but basically I assume it to interfere with the F8R if they are both connected to one port.
If you are able to change the address of the F8R then they are possibilities. The same for the CVM8.
But it is in the end tricky and doesn’t work out of the box.

[kriskeyman]

Interesting, so in theory should I be able to create a female to female DuPont Y-splitter for each I2C pin, connect to I2C B in this case, update the address for either F8R or CVM8 firmware’s to be +1, and just dedicate I2C A to Leader mode?

[XORadmin]

Interesting, so in theory should I be able to create a female to female DuPont Y-splitter for each I2C pin, connect to I2C B in this case, update the address for either F8R or CVM8 firmware’s to be +1, and just dedicate I2C A to Leader mode?

Yes that. But both F8R and CVM8 would need to work as followers then. Ports should be 1-8 and 16-24 then I think. All theory but i think that should work.

[kriskeyman]

Okay, so finally getting some time to try this out. I made three Y-splitter Dupont cables and connected Multi-IO I2C-B to both F8R & CVM-8. I initially thought it didn't work, but forgot that both F8R & CVM-8 were still set to Leader mode. F8R & CVM-8 work in leader mode if only one is connected, otherwise I receive an error (expected).

So I'm trying to set both F8R & CVM-8 to follower mode.

For F8R, I have set "i2cSlaveAddress": "0x34" in json file, but I do not have the option to specify I2C controller #. It is fixed to transmit on #0-7.

For CVM-8, I have more options in the configurator... I can specify I2C controller #, I2C address for each input, and Address (as I2C follower) in Decimal.

In CVM-8 manual, it states when referring to each input:

• The I2C section begins with 'Enable', to enable I2C messages from this input. 'Address' sets the I2C address of the follower device. 'Controller' sets the controller number (I have all inputs enabled, and controller # is set to use #16-23)
  
• There is also a Settings section for CVM-8 which states the following in the manual: The first setting is the module's I2C address when operating as a follower. The default value for this is 50 (0x32). I have this currently set to 53 (0x35).
  

In NerdSeq under I2C Settings, I2C B Mode is set to 'NS->2x 16N 1-32'; I2C B In Address Hex: 34 Dec: 52.
Is this correct for the setup I'm trying to achieve?

Mappings does not seem to be registering live input for I2C SCCV #16 as source.

Or do I need a special firmware to get this working as stated in the manual? I'm not sure how to proceed. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[XORadmin]

Okay, so finally getting some time to try this out. I made three Y-splitter Dupont cables and connected Multi-IO I2C-B to both F8R & CVM-8. I initially thought it didn't work, but forgot that both F8R & CVM-8 were still set to Leader mode. F8R & CVM-8 work in leader mode if only one is connected, otherwise I receive an error (expected).

So I'm trying to set both F8R & CVM-8 to follower mode.

For F8R, I have set "i2cSlaveAddress": "0x34" in json file, but I do not have the option to specify I2C controller #. It is fixed to transmit on #0-7.

For CVM-8, I have more options in the configurator... I can specify I2C controller #, I2C address for each input, and Address (as I2C follower) in Decimal.

In CVM-8 manual, it states when referring to each input:

• The I2C section begins with 'Enable', to enable I2C messages from this input. 'Address' sets the I2C address of the follower device. 'Controller' sets the controller number (I have all inputs enabled, and controller # is set to use #16-23)
  
• There is also a Settings section for CVM-8 which states the following in the manual: The first setting is the module's I2C address when operating as a follower. The default value for this is 50 (0x32). I have this currently set to 53 (0x35).
  

In NerdSeq under I2C Settings, I2C B Mode is set to 'NS->2x 16N 1-32'; I2C B In Address Hex: 34 Dec: 52.
Is this correct for the setup I'm trying to achieve?

Mappings does not seem to be registering live input for I2C SCCV #16 as source.

Or do I need a special firmware to get this working as stated in the manual? I'm not sure how to proceed. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

It should be fine if one is set to 34 and another one to 35. Both should be set to controllers 0-7 because the nerdseq will translate these.
In general, the first 16 ports of 34 are polled first, then the first 16 ports of 35.
There is no extra firmware needed.

I would say, start first trying out if both are doing their work well on 34. (16n ->Nerdseq) If they do, then set the CVM8 to 35.

I never tested with FR8 or CVM8. But I expect for the FR8 to be very much the same as general 16N as they are all only clones of it with slight changes.
The CVM8 might be a bit different but the protocol stays the same. Also it is reported to work generally.

What I don't know is how they react on polling the ports 9-16. I would normally assume they return a zero value but I don't really know.

[kriskeyman]

Hmm, for some reason I can't even get the F8R to work by itself in follower mode. CVM-8 is not connected. I set in F8R json "i2cSlaveAddress": "0x34".

In NerdSeq, I2C Settings shows...
I2C B Mode: 16n -> NS 1-16
I2C B In Address: Hex:34 Dec:52

In Mappings, I2C LRN nor I2C SCCV #0 do not detect slider movements from F8R.
At top Hex & Dec remain 0000.

[XORadmin]

Hmm, for some reason I can't even get the F8R to work by itself in follower mode. CVM-8 is not connected. I set in F8R json "i2cSlaveAddress": "0x34".

In NerdSeq, I2C Settings shows...
I2C B Mode: 16n -> NS 1-16
I2C B In Address: Hex:34 Dec:52

In Mappings, I2C LRN nor I2C SCCV #0 do not detect slider movements from F8R.
At top Hex & Dec remain 0000.

16n->NS means the fr8 should be in leader mode.

[kriskeyman]

Ah, I thought that was the case but was a bit confused by what you had stated here…

I would say, start first trying out if both are doing their work well on 34. (16n ->Nerdseq) If they do, then set the CVM8 to 35.

Which I2C mode in Nerdseq should I be using with the F8R and CVM-8 in follower mode?