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Optical type expression pedals in line 6 fbv boards

Open jimhiggs opened this issue 3 years ago • 6 comments

I recently picked up a Line 6 fbv longboard and a shortboard mk11 for not a lot of money on kijiji here in Canada. I am contemplating the options open to me for converting one of these to pedalinomini to control my Helix Stomp. I currently have a little black pedalinomini box with sockets for external pedals and it all works great, thinking it would be nice to have it all in one pedal box. I thought the shortboard mk11 would be able to drive my Stomp over USB midi but have discovered it needs a host in between. Also thinking the original shortboard may be a better candidate for conversion as it has better switches.

My issue, all the fbv pedalboards use Optical (shark fin) style expression pedals. Is there a way these could be used into one of the pedalinomini inputs?

jimhiggs avatar Mar 24 '21 01:03 jimhiggs

Optical encoder should be configured as jog wheel. Correct schematic to be determined.

alf45tar avatar Mar 24 '21 10:03 alf45tar

But does the Jog wheel input just detect the movement and direction of the jog wheel? For an expression pedal it would need to detect the current position. I think they work by reducing/increasing the light falling on the optical sensor but you probably already know that.

jimhiggs avatar Mar 24 '21 20:03 jimhiggs

@jimhiggs Most optical encoders use a gearbox and a slot in a disc creates impulses. They can have some kind of mechanism which creates a reset signal when the min or max position is reached.

The first question would be if your slider uses a real optical distance sensor (quite rare) or just a slot creating impulses.

renne avatar Dec 18 '21 16:12 renne

@renne Both the ones I have taken apart have a strip of plastic attached to the foot pedal that is shaded by the look of it, gradually darkening along its length and that is passed between what I assumed was an optical sender and receiver.

jimhiggs avatar Dec 18 '21 16:12 jimhiggs

@jimhiggs Are there any part numbers on the optical sender/receiver? Is there a additional circuit?

renne avatar Dec 19 '21 23:12 renne

@renne I had given up on it and have put it back together. Will have to dig it out and take a look.

jimhiggs avatar Dec 20 '21 23:12 jimhiggs