Arduino and disassembled MIDI Footpedal

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Hardware Interfacing
1

Hello, I am a Computer Science major who is new to microcontrollers. I have a MIDI Pedalboard with a broken midi out port, I would like to interface my Arduino Duemilanove with the sensors inside the broken pedal.

One of the sensors is a light sensitivity sensor, I believe. One one side there is a light, and on the other the sensor, and in the middle is a clear piece of plastic with a dark gradient painted on it. This piece of plastic blocks the light with the gradient, allowing less light through as you press the foot down (moving the plastic piece).
http://colin-sullivan.com/public/images/Light_sensor.jpg.

The other sensors look like plain buttons. Would I be able to plug in to this board and use the lights and buttons that are there?
http://colin-sullivan.com/public/images/Buttons.jpg

Thanks.

2

The light sensor probably has a LED or other light source on one side of the gradient strip and on the other side there probably is either an LDR (light dependend resistor, or a phototransistor. It's hard to see fromthe pic exactly what the components are. But either way it can be interfaced to Arduino.

The switches or buttons are easy to interface with Arduino.

3

As a start I would connect the output of the light sensor into the analogue input pin. Then do a small sketch to print out the sensor values read to the serial monitor. That way you will see if you are getting the right range. If the range is not so good then there are things you can do with resistors to change it.

Make sure that as well as connecting the signal from the light sensor to the arduino you also connect the ground from your peddle to the arduino ground as well.

4

Thanks very much for your replies. I am excited to work on this, however, as I am new to the entire electrical side of things, I do not know how to get started actually plugging these things in. Are the connectors on the sensors shown some standard connector type that I can purchase?

Is this what i'm looking for, for the 3 pin connectors at least?

Then do I just use some standard wire?

This is the equipment I have right now:

5

Are the connectors on the sensors shown some standard connector type that I can purchase?

Probably not.

Then do I just use some standard wire?

Wires are good. :wink:

Have you any test equipment, voltmeter, ohm meter and oscilloscope are probably necessary for this sort of experimental hacking where you don't know want you have got.