MOTM

If the intent is for the PC side to be Java (which is smart as you can
get the same app running on PC and Mac) then Ethernet or MIDI is the
right choice for the target device.  Java has built in support for
UDP/TCP sockets (Ethernet) and also has built in MIDI capabilities. 
(However, I have no idea how good the Java MIDI class is so far as
"will it work with the specific MIDI interface hooked up to my PC"
issues.)

I know that talking to a regular old serial port from Java looks
painful.  (Sun provides an optional serial communication class but
they only provide a system level driver for Solaris.  For PC or Mac or
Linux you have to use this funky open source driver = confusing extra
stuff you have to figure out how to install and make work.)  I think
the same would be true of USB from Java *unless* the target USB device
was made to look like a MIDI interface.  (But again, I am not an
expert as to how well Java can see various MIDI devices.)

-seth

My vote is still for USB, but I have coded MIDI in java.  Got an Oxygen8 
controlling some software oscillators I was experimenting with. 
Obviously, we'll be sending data more than receiving, but it's not too 
tough.

There are open source (LGPL) libraries for talking USB on *nix systems 
and win32.  They're libusb and libusb-win32.  There is also a Java 
wrapper already written which is also LGPL so it would be no problem to 
use those libraries.

Dave


strohs56k wrote:

> 
> 
> 
> If the intent is for the PC side to be Java (which is smart as you can
> get the same app running on PC and Mac) then Ethernet or MIDI is the
> right choice for the target device. Java has built in support for
> UDP/TCP sockets (Ethernet) and also has built in MIDI capabilities.
> (However, I have no idea how good the Java MIDI class is so far as
> "will it work with the specific MIDI interface hooked up to my PC"
> issues.)
> 
> I know that talking to a regular old serial port from Java looks
> painful. (Sun provides an optional serial communication class but
> they only provide a system level driver for Solaris. For PC or Mac or
> Linux you have to use this funky open source driver = confusing extra
> stuff you have to figure out how to install and make work.) I think
> the same would be true of USB from Java *unless* the target USB device
> was made to look like a MIDI interface. (But again, I am not an
> expert as to how well Java can see various MIDI devices.)
> 
> -seth
> 
>