RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion
LM-2S not enough memory
KPack:
--- Quote from: TwinStar on November 01, 2018, 01:57:03 PM ---
--- Quote from: G8B4Life on November 01, 2018, 01:31:16 AM ---
I can confirm that the -2 has 32 Mbits (4 Megabytes) of flash memory and the -3 has 64 Mbits (8 Megabytes) of flash memory. Amazingly, the -3 could have 128 Mbits (16 Megabytes) of flash memory in the same package for very little more component cost.
- Tim
--- End quote ---
Is this something that could be upgraded on an existing LM? Or is there more than just soldering involved?
--- End quote ---
I was wondering the same thing. If it's just a matter of soldering, then I could quickly turn my LM-2S fleet into an unstoppable force.
The problem I foresee is that if you put in a blank memory chip, how in the world would you get it to "become" a Locomotive Module? We don't have anything to flash the memory with the basic stuff...such as the basic Railpro firmware, how to get the controller to recognize it, the unique ID for each locomotive module, etc.
As nice as it would be it doesn't seem like it's a possibility. I'm not worried about it because the LM-2S is plenty for my needs and I have not experienced a major issue with storage space just yet.
-Kevin
G8B4Life:
--- Quote from: TwinStar on November 01, 2018, 01:57:03 PM ---Is this something that could be upgraded on an existing LM? Or is there more than just soldering involved?
--- End quote ---
It's an interesting idea, though you'd need very good soldering skills to do it, the flash memory chip is tiny. An SMD re-work station would likely be needed.
While even if you had the skills to do it and did do it whether or not it'd work is the question, and Kevin touched on that, I don't believe it'd be quite as an insurmountable task as it looks though.
Without knowing exactly what is stored in the flash memory and what isn't this is just a best educational guess for the "hard parts".
- The unique ID is likely stored in the PIC, not the flash memory. There is memory sections in the PIC for just that type of purpose. Another candidate is the unique ID is programmed as part of the transmitter in the LM but I think that's much less likely the case.
- The program that controls the device (an LM in this case) there are two possibilities: 1: The program is written to the PIC in it's entirety or 2: Some or all of the program is written to the flash memory and pulled in into the PIC as needed. I have no idea which of these it is. If it's all in the PIC then changing out the flash memory wouldn't require pre-flashing the flash memory with the product program.
- Could, as they stand now, the -2 access more than 4 Megabytes and the -3 access more than 8 Megabytes of memory? Possibly not without a change to the product program so that they could use the extra memory available.
So definitely not insurmountable but I'd say probably beyond the realm of 99.9% of people here. Changing out the flash memory is the easy part (with the right tools of course, not an everyday soldering iron), figuring out the rest is the hard part.
- Tim
TwinStar:
At this point my concern is purely speculative as we don't yet have an ULT EMD 567 sound file. My fleet of LM-2S equipped locomotive models were almost entirely powered by 567's. I guess the size of this hopefully forthcoming file will be the make or break item for me. It would really suck having to replace so many.
Perhaps a RAM upgrade could be offered by Ring?
KPack:
It all depends on how complicated the sound file is. The ULT EMD 710 ACe (710-G3C-T2) and the GE 7FDL-16 Modern are very large files most likely due to the complexity of the sound mixing. Longer transitions between notches and such.
The ULT EMD 16-645E3 (645 Turbo) is an truly exceptional sound file, but it's not so large that it causes any problems. On my SD40-2's (all LM-2S's) I have the ULT prime mover, custom horn, custom bell, handbrake set, handbrake release, couple, uncouple, dynamic brake, and brake release sounds. Plus lighting and picture, and all updated to 2.09. Never had any space issues at all.
My guess is that a 567 ULT file will be the same.
-Kevin
TwinStar:
--- Quote from: KPack on November 02, 2018, 08:11:36 PM ---It all depends on how complicated the sound file is. The ULT EMD 710 ACe (710-G3C-T2) and the GE 7FDL-16 Modern are very large files most likely due to the complexity of the sound mixing. Longer transitions between notches and such.
The ULT EMD 16-645E3 (645 Turbo) is an truly exceptional sound file, but it's not so large that it causes any problems. On my SD40-2's (all LM-2S's) I have the ULT prime mover, custom horn, custom bell, handbrake set, handbrake release, couple, uncouple, dynamic brake, and brake release sounds. Plus lighting and picture, and all updated to 2.09. Never had any space issues at all.
My guess is that a 567 ULT file will be the same.
-Kevin
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Thanks Kevin, that's good to know. Once all my 567's are running I'll leap forward in time to 'modern' GP40's. Nice to know the 645 Turbo will fit on my old timey equipment.
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