There is one (slimy) way to get a PC to look at MIDI. Take one standard
serial port card with either 16550 or 8250 UARTS. Replace the crystal.
Most of these boards will go to 38400 baud, from memory. You want 31250
baud instead. If I remember correctly, the crystal is 2.4576MHz and
needs to be 2MHz (it was several years ago, unfortunately). Then I cut
the tracks to the 1488/1489 line drivers and ran the output through a
6N138 opto and the input directly out with a pullup to +5. I just ran
the lines to the RS232 connector (yuk).

Now when you're running at 38400 you're really running at 31250. I can't
remember if I needed an invertor for the output or input line to match
the inverting line driver - I think I did need one, which I glued upside
down to the board (74HC04).

If you have a spare serial board, this is a cheap way to get a midi
monitor.

> ----------
> From:         Joe Little[SMTP:Joe.Little@SCIATL.COM]
> Reply To:     pic microcontroller discussion list
> Sent:         Tuesday, December 09, 1997 10:38 AM
> To:   PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject:      More on MIDI
>
>      I also have a MIDI project going on now.
>
>      4 channel MIDI controlled light dimmer running on a PIC16C63.
>      I can receive characters from a keyboard (thru a RS-232 to
> current loop
>      adapter), read the AC zero crossings, read the dip switches, and
> dim the
>      lights.... All the pieces work.  Anyone is welcome to all code
> and
>      schematics with the understanding that it don't work yet.
>
>      I have a demo version of a MIDI controller program called
> Cakewalk.  I
>      can't see what's getting squrted out the MIDI output port because
> of the
>      odd baud rate.   I have a MIDI book that explains MIDI commands,
> but I'm
>      not sure that I'm getting across to Cakewalk, what I want it to
> do.
>
>      I can add some Debug code to the PIC to buffer the Cakewalk
> commands then
>      re-transmit them out at a standard BAUD rate to another
> terminal... But I
>      can think of more fun things to do.
>
>      Anyone know of a Windows terminal program that can work at 31250
> Baud?????
>
>
>
>      A few links to MIDI
>      http://www.mediatel.lu/workshop/audio/fileformat/h_midiprim.html
>      http://www.midiweb.com/hww/midi.htm
>      http://Prairie.Lakes.com/~map/
>      http://www.qns.net/paia/
>      http://www.tpz.com/
>