Is there a hardware to convert cv to osc that is connected via ethernet?

hi. does anyone have some hints for hardware that converts cv -5/+5 and 0/10v to osc and is connected via ethernet to the computer? can be ezrorack - but would prefere a standalone box. :slight_smile: i know, thet is not really td-internal … :slight_smile:

I doubt it. The Expert Sleepers CVM-8 is the common choice to go from CV to MIDI. It can also output I2C though. You could pretty easily strap together an I2C and an OSC library and run the code on an ESP32 or something.

1 Like

You could probably use Crow and Norns by monome.org to achieve this.

1 Like

Is there a touchdesigner computer involved at all in this setup?
One dirt-cheap option might be to run the CV directly to touchdesigner via an arduino running Firmata firmware, then get Touch to send the OSC to the thing that needs to receive OSC.

However, you mention wanting to send via ethernet, so I guess your CV source is far away from the computer and you can’t just run the CV directly?

If going the DIY/esp32 route, I find the M5Stack modules are good for cooking up a fairly robust one-off gizmos. They are a bit behind on english-language docs but getting better and there’s a good community for advice.

I’m imagining something like:
https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-controllers/products/m5stack-core2-esp32-iot-development-kit
with this bolted onto it:
https://shop.m5stack.com/products/lan-module-w5500-with-poe-v12

then, the CV could either be fed in to the esp32 box’s analog input pins (after some voltage-matching with op-amps), or for a more accurate plug’nplay thingy, you could add this volt-meter module…

That would sort the hardware without spilling a drop of solder - then it’s a ‘only’ a matter of writing the firmware to convert the CV to OSC.
It also depends how many CV inputs you need whether this particular approach will scale nicely but it’s one way to do it.

I forgot to mention that there is a Firmata example in the palette if you want to try hooking an arduino up to Touchdesigner …

hi. thank you a lot for your inputs :slight_smile:
and sorry for late response … but - here iam :slight_smile:

no. there is not always a touchdesigner OSC involved. i also would like tu use it with max2 udpreceive and with abletons OSC package. the reason for thinking about building such a thing is, that i would like to control lots of the stuff shaders, events and also modulation lanes in abletons live from my cv sources. ive a lots of them, and they are a kind of centerpiece here.

the reason for not doing the thing via DC coupled interfacing is, that i have a lot of hardwired inputs here. in my main machine ive an RME MADI FX and since i changed my whole studio from mac to wiindows 11 its not that easy with all that different audio interfaces. and in fact that i would like to bring in at least 16 CV (converted to OSC) channels (better 20 or more) doing that thing via audio is not really a solution here. i also have four different computers running in the same ethernet network. - so i would like to share that control-data via my HUB. i do the same with MIDI over IP - and its like working in heaven with midi. :slight_smile: all is everywhere … and very tight.

maybe that thing could work the same with CV to OSC over IP :slight_smile:

if i could choose i would also prefere 14 or 16 bit data - couse, maybe, if the system really would work, - ive a lot of NRPN Midi they run at 14 bit - maybe OSC to NRPN would also be an option for some stuff like controlling my moog one or the elektrons …

so main-thing first is to collect information about “what hardware would be best for building that thing”. optimum would be a little box with power in, an ethernet-output and 16 - 24 jacks as inputs for the cv’s :)))

Is it conceivable to implement your CV interface using the GPIO headers on something like an RPi?

I recently had to quickly bolt OSC support onto another app on Linux and I found LibLo to be a surprisingly easy option to work with. Polling the input voltage on GPIO pins and sending the result out via OSC seems like boilerplate that would be available with a lot of these open microcontroller platforms. It would, in all likelyhood, be about an order of magnitude cheaper and cleaner than many other options you have.

1 Like

Just thinking some more on this (from a build it yourself perspective).

how many CV inputs are -5v to +5v?
Most GPIOs on various devices will be 0-5v or 0-3v with few exceptions, and the bit-depth of the IO will determine how accurate the measurement will be. (also clock-speed will determine how snappy will be its response - as will network bottlenecks further down the line)
I assume you don’t want to sacrifice resolution by scaling down the voltage range.

@whiskeysaurus 's suggestion of the Expert Sleepers CVM-8 is a good idea for something you can re-use in different ways, and would come with a warranty. :slight_smile:

Two of them could access the I2C bus, each with their own address on something like this:
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/latest/esp32/hw-reference/esp32/get-started-ethernet-kit.html

There will be libraries to set up the ethernet and to translate your I2C data to OSC messages

You could get fancy and add a screen etc. or just configure it via the network and/or a config file.

Alternatively, to avoid any coding, it might be easier to just run a MIDI cable from each CVM8 to something that can convert MIDI to OSC, such as a Raspberry Pi computer running PureData with a USB/MIDI dongle attached.
I stumbled on this forum discussion that might give some clues (lots of red herrings and rabbit-holes too, I bet) Need help with building a CV to OSC Raspberry Pi gadget! - MOD WIGGLER

So far, I have not seen a box that just does it all, but there might be two boxes you can put together and get what you want.

MIDIMonster software might be worth a look. Unfortunately, the debian version is for AMD64 CPU not what you’d need for RPi.
https://midimonster.net/download.html

Another rabbit-hole might be to look at the various DMX converter boxes out there in the show-control market?

1 Like

thank you for that hint - ill take of course a closer look to that :slight_smile:

it depends on the possibilities … i could live with all -5+5, 'couse, it’s not a must to bring in my 10V 4U buchla cv’s too … but it would be fine, but, i also can convert them in the analog domain to -5 +5 …

and expert sleepers tools ive a lot here … so maybe thats really a good starting point …

avoiding code is not really a must (i would prefere the best and fastest solution)