RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion

LM-2S not enough memory

<< < (2/3) > >>

nodcc4me:
The LM-1 has become obsolete. Now that there are new files, the LM-2s is slowly becoming obsolete. Will it be just a matter of time before the LM-3s goes the same way? I'm not into replacing 28 LM-1/LM-2s modules after spending thousands on the ones I have. I'm still waiting for Tim to implement the LM-1 trade-up offer he was considering a couple of years ago.

KPack:
I'm all for pushing the LM-1 trade-in/upgrade that had been pitched before.  It is now unsupported with updates and can no longer keep up with the new features.

The LM-2S will be limited by the new sound file sizes.  Besides that, it is fully capable of everything the LM-3S is capable of doing.  One solution to extend the life of the LM-2S is to create LM-2 versions of the new ULT files (like he has done with the GEVO-12).  They are basically the same file, but some parts are trimmed like the start and stop sequence.  What really matters is sound while it runs, not while it starts and shuts down.  The new ULT horns are pretty large, which will really stretch the LM-2S, but making your own horn sounds is certainly doable and will allow you to have many more sounds on the older module.  They just won't sound quite as nice as the ULT horns.

-Kevin

TwinStar:
I know tech becomes obsolete but this really sounds like poor planning. Was sufficient flash memory capable of supporting future upgrades really that expensive when the -2 was built? Surely the state of Ring's crappy sound files were no surprise to Tim and he knew something better, and bigger, had to be produced to compete with DCC offerings.

G8B4Life:
I can't find any historical price data for the flash memory in the -2, or the -3 for that matter (believe it or not it's also "obsolete") but the price of the suggested direct replacement from the same chip manufacturer is about $1.14 retail in tube packaging. Per unit price by the reel is cheaper of course.

So, my guess is that no, the flash memory in the -2 was not expensive when it was first built, probably not more than a couple of dollars each back then (the flash memory in the -2 and -3 have been around for a long time. The datasheets for them were first created in 2011).

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.

TR will have to do something like create -2 versions of all the ULT sounds else he will end up with a lot of unhappy customers who can't use their existing stock for sounds, especially when those sounds weren't available pre ULT. I have to agree with Jacob's sentiments, the world has been speaking volumes about RE's sound quality since before the -2 and there's no way TR could not have known what was being said and it appears that no forward vision was applied to the sound capability of the -2.

- Tim

TwinStar:

--- 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?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page