Steam punky, midi instruments

[Locke141]

Hi all,

It's been a while been a little busy with kids work in life.

I started working on some self plan instruments that use midi files to perform analog music. I'm having a little bit of a problem with my latest project and thought I should share here since many members know a lot more about electrical issues than I. Posted below are a few images below of my analog MIDI projects. The one with the 3 inch floppy drives was completely done and successfully played midi files. It's completely unwired incident in the basement of my built-in for future use.

The second set of photos is the project I'm having issues with. I have been using MOSFET to ping solenoids to hit a Glockenspiel, which is just a xylophone with steel bars instead of wood bars, that I'll just refer to you as a xylophone going forward.

I've been having an issue with the MOFFET, from a different vendor, but same model as the link above. And I have added a diet as a feedback loop to prevent the solenoid discharge from destroying other Electronics on the boards. As recommended from the manufacturer of the MTP-7 MIDI to Parallel Conversion  . The issue of having is that now some MOSFET Solenoids pears work at 3 V and others need between five and 12 v. I think I damaged my MOSFET am I effort to get this thing to play.

I think I need to move the diodes to just work across the solenoids and not loop back through the MOFFET. I just don't know why they all don't work on 3 V like they're designed to. Particularly since some that are not currently working did an earlier testing with 3 V.


 Really don't wanna wire it to the expensive board until I got every solenoid. The fire was simple 3 V touch to its input to close the 12 V line.


Any feedback welcome.

[danny_galaga]

Do you have the diode across the terminals of the solenoid? You are just trying to dampen back emf I assume? Also, a capacitor can do the same thing, also across the terminals.

[DaOld Man]

Why is that diode from one solenoid terminal to the sig term?
As danny_galaga said, shouldnt it be across the leads of the solenoid?
EDIT: I see it is to one power supply terminal not the SIG.
Try moving the diode lead from Vin to the other solenoid terminal. (V+)
I like that solenoid driver, where did you get it?

I insist on seeing a video when this project is ready. It looks like a real cool project.