Footage volume control circuit

• US 4,244,260 A
• Filed: 12/28/1978
• Issued: 01/13/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Midi Music Center, Inc. (Kawai Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Norlin Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Moore, Douglas R., Kniepkamp, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feeney, William L.
• Application Number:
  US05/974,052
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01, 84/1.03, 84/1.11, 84/1.12, 84/1.19, 84/1.21, 84/1.22, 84/1.23, 84/1.27
• US Class Current: 84/633
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/22 for suppressing tones; Preference networks
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/46 Volume control

Abstract

This is an electronic organ drawbar circuit in which selection of the footage volumes is accomplished by means of a switch matrix; and sets of footage/volume correlations so chosen are stored in a memory. Another group of switches is used to select among several different memory fields, so that various sets of footage/volume data can be stored while another set of data is in use, and each stored set can be recalled for subsequent re-use.

Claims

1. A programmable source of analog information comprising:

a matrix having a plurality of switches distributed along a first axis and along a second axis;

the switches distributed along said second matrix axis corresponding to respective different pulse amplitudes;

scanning means for interrogating successive groups of said matrix switches, the switches of any one group all having the same position along said first matrix axis;

a read/write digital memory having a plurality of addresses;

switch means for selecting among different groups of said memory addresses;

means responsive to said scanning means to write data into and read data out of successive memory addresses in the currently selected group of memory addresses during write cycles and read-out cycles of said memory respectively;

means responsive to said scanning means for entering the successive pulse amplitude values obtained from said matrix into successive ones of the currently selected group of memory addresses in digital form during write cycles of said memory;

and digital-to-analog converter means responsive to read-out cycles of said memory to translate each of the pulse amplitudes specified in said successive memory addresses from digital to voltage analog form.

2. A programmable source as in claim 1 wherein:

said means responsive to said scanning means to write data into and read data out of the currently selected group of memory addresses comprises code detector means arranged to detect a switch closure within said matrix and to produce a write cycle instruction in response thereto;

said memory being normally in a read-out mode, and switching into a write mode in response to said write cycle instruction from said code detector means.

3. A pulse-amplitude-modulation data system employing the programmable source of claim 1 to control pulse amplitude;

said system comprising;

means for making the amplitude of successive data pulses produced by said pulse-amplitude-modulation data system proportional to the items of voltage analog information successively provided by said digital-to-analog converter means.

4. A pulse-amplitude-modulation system as in claim 3 wherein said means for proportioning the amplitude of successive data pulses comprises:

a plurality of voltage holding capacitors respectively corresponding to said successively interrogated groups of matrix switches;

an analog multiplexer responsive to said scanning means to receive the items of voltage analog information successively available from said digital-to-analog converter means, and distribute them to respective ones of said voltage holding capacitors in a sequence corresponding to successively interrogated groups of matrix switches;

pulse amplitude data output means;

and electronic switching means responsive to said scanning means to connect said voltage holding capacitors successively to said output means.

5. A pulse-amplitude-modulation system as in claim 4 wherein said electronic switching means comprises:

a pulse-position-modulation data source;

a shift register effective to shift data received from said PPM data source, and having a plurality of output lines emanating from respective shift stages corresponding to respective pulse time positions of said PPM data source;

and a plurality of electronic switches connected to couple respective voltage holding capacitors to, and decouple them from, said pulse amplitude data output means;

said electronic switches having respective control terminals connected to respective shift register output lines.

6. A pulse-amplitude-modulation system as in claim 3 wherein said means for proportioning the amplitude of successive data pulses comprises:

a plurality of latches each capable of storing a digital word received from said memory, said latches respectively corresponding to said successively interrogated groups of matrix switches;

means connecting said latches to said scanning means for enabling each of said latches in synchronism with the interrogation of the corresponding group of matrix switches;

means for loading the digital output of said memory into the currently enabled one of said latches;

said digital-to-analog converter means comprising a plurality of individual digital-to-analog converter circuits each responsive to the output of one of said latches to convert the digital information therein to voltage analog form;

pulse amplitude data output means;

and electronic switching means operative to connect said digital-to-analog converter circuits successively to said output means.

7. A pulse-amplitude-modulation system as in claim 6 wherein said electronic switching means comprises:

a pulse-position-modulation data source;

a shift register effective to shift data received from said PPM source, and having a plurality of output lines emanating from respective shift stages corresponding to respective pulse time positions of said PPM data source;

and a plurality of electronic switches connected to couple respective digital-to-analog converter circuits to, and decouple them from, said pulse amplitude data output means;

said electronic switches having respective control terminals connected to respective shift register output lines.

8. A pulse-amplitude-modulation system as in claim 6 wherein said digital-to-analog converter circuits comprise respective binary-weighted ladders.

9. An electronic musical instrument employing the programmable source of claim 1 to control sound volume, said instrument comprising:

a plurality of audio waveform channels each including a variable gain amplifier having a gain control port;

and means coupling the items of voltage analog information successively provided by said digital-to-analog converter to respective ones of said amplifier gain control parts.

10. An electronic musical instrument as in claim 9 wherein said voltage analog information coupling means comprises:

a plurality of voltage holding capacitors respectively corresponding to said successively interrogated groups of matrix switches;

an analog multiplexer responsive to said scanning means to receive the items of voltage analog information successively available from said digital-to-analog converter means, and distribute them to respective ones of said voltage holding capacitors in a sequence corresponding to successively interrogated groups of matrix switches.

11. A programmable source as in claim 1 further comprising:

a digital display;

drive means responsive to said scanning means to energize said display in synchronism therewith;

and decoding means responsive to the read output of said memory to cause said display to read out the data correlations currently in use.

12. A programmable source as in claim 1 wherein:

said scanning means comprises a clock source, a scan counter driven by said clock source, and a decoder responsive to the output of said counter to energize said successive groups of matrix switches.

13. A programmable source as in claim 12 wherein:

said memory is responsive to said counter output during both read and write cycles to enter data into and read data out of the currently selected group of memory addresses in an order corresponding to said successively interrogated groups of matrix switches.

14. A programmable source as in claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of voltage holding capacitors;

and an analog multiplexer responsive to said counter output to select said voltage holding capacitors for connection to said digital-to-analog converter in an order corresponding to said successively interrogated groups of matrix switches.

15. In an electronic musical instrument, a programmable source of footage volume information comprising:

a matrix having a plurality of switches distributed along a first axis and along a second axis;

the switches distributed along said second matrix axis corresponding to respective different sound volumes;

the switches distributed along said first matrix axis corresponding to respective different footages;

scanning means for interrogating successive groups of said matrix switches, the switches of any one group all representing the same footage;

a read/write digital memory having a plurality of addresses;

switch means for selecting among different groups of said memory addresses;

means responsive to said scanning means to write data into and read data out of successive memory addresses in the currently selected group of memory addresses during write cycles and read-out cycles of said memory respectively;

means responsive to said scanning means for entering the successive sound volume values obtained from said matrix into successive ones of the currently selected group of memory addresses in digital form during write cycles of said memory;

and digital-to-analog converter means responsive to read-out cycles of said memory to translate each of the sound volumes specified in said successive memory addresses from digital to voltage analog form.