Planning my Teensy 2++ Midi controller - need advise regarding components

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Teensy 2++ Midi controller - need advise regarding RGB Led and Serial LCD

Hi,

I'm in the process of designing a midi controller, using Teensy 2++, and need advice regarding components and compatibility.

1. RGB leds - I plan on using 8 x 30mm Sanwa buttons + RGB led rings (I've found these).
Assuming I want separate control over each ring (both of its power and color), :
- Do I need to allocate 3 pins for each ring?
- Is there any Teensy 2 compatible led controller that can control these RGB rings?

2. It would be nice to be able to receive some feedback on the controller (regarding its status, configuration, etc.).
- Is SparkFun Serial LCD (serlcd.h) fully compatible with Teensy 2++? Anyone had any experience with this?
It seems much easier to use (using only one pin) than the standard HD44780 LCD.

Thank you!
 
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Yes, the serial LCD should be compatible. The Adafruit serial LCD at the same size and price point has an RGB backlight, so you might want to check that out.

I think the silence about the RGB rings is either awe that such a product exists AND/OR peevishness that it is really poorly documented at the link you provide. How are the LEDs wired? What currents are typically used? What is the pinout? What do they mean by "This give you the option of voltage or current control for your RGB needs."

That said...
1) Driving RGB LEDs is not rocket science. You either make it work with the number of pins and available currents you have native to the Teensy, or you outsource the LED driving to another chip or chips. There are no less than 10000 examples of how to illuminate this particular cat skin. You can make it work(™) one way or another. Buy the LED rings (unless you can ascertain that the rumored WS2811-based ones are coming), and include a spare button LED set to cover your learning curve oopses.

2) The "Spark Jr." product that is shown driving these boards is based on an Arduino clone and appears to not have additional driver transistors, so Atmel micros and these rings seem compatible. Looking at videos, it lights all the depressed buttons at the same color. I don't know whether you want this effect (3 pins total, simple wiring) or individual button colors (3 pins per button, many more wires and resistors). The 2++ has 46 pins, so 8 x 3 + 1 for LCD means you are not going to be pin starved even with dedicated RGB, even omitting the 8 in the middle island, and can throw in some sliders or pots or a "shift" button.

3) Though their website is not helpful, the folks running it are.
 
You might consider editing the thread title to include "RGB LED" in the description. That way, people who know about that will see the thread; currently its probably only read by people (such as myself) who know about MIDI, and there is nothing MIDI-specific in your question that I could help you with.

It looks as if the button illumination ring is designed to plug into existing circuitry; the wide compatibility with various arcade machines is helpful for people replacing or upgrading parts, not so much for people designing their own drive circuitry.
 
Teensy 2++ Midi controller - need advise regarding RGB Led and Serial LCD

Thanks you so much!

The 2++ has 46 pins, so 8 x 3 + 1 for LCD means you are not going to be pin starved
That indeed seems like a simple, yet effective mathod.

Though their website is not helpful, the folks running it are
I'll ask for more details.

You might consider editing the thread title to include "RGB LED" in the description
Done. Thanks!
 
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