More Memory/Expension modules

Request new hardware or ideas for the controller
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astralmind
Posts: 99
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:53 am

More Memory/Expension modules

Post by astralmind »

It might just be my absolute newbiness that is causing this but I have been struggling with the memory size limitation when thinkering around with my PDE.

Without any addtionnal relays, not PWM code to manage and stripped down interface, I still reach close to the limit.

I was wondering if there would be ways to expand the memory in order to add more features in the near future.

For example is I do get LEDs and want to implement the PWM functionnality, add future Moonlights, add future Salinity probe and keep the wifi, how could this be done ?

Thanks
binder
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Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:20 pm
Location: Illinois
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Re: More Memory/Expension modules

Post by binder »

astralmind wrote:It might just be my absolute newbiness that is causing this but I have been struggling with the memory size limitation when thinkering around with my PDE.

Without any addtionnal relays, not PWM code to manage and stripped down interface, I still reach close to the limit.

I was wondering if there would be ways to expand the memory in order to add more features in the near future.

For example is I do get LEDs and want to implement the PWM functionnality, add future Moonlights, add future Salinity probe and keep the wifi, how could this be done ?

Thanks
You are not alone. I'm working on a way to strip down the menu system to give a simpler system and free up more memory for people to use. Even though the menu system on the controller is nice and very handy, it does use precious memory.

I'm not sure what Roberto has to say about memory expansion and such. He will have to comment on that one.

curt
astralmind
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Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:53 am

Re: More Memory/Expension modules

Post by astralmind »

I'll be very honest, the Reef Angel is the most fun I've had with a gadget in a long time. It is a great product backed by an even greater community.

What makes it even more interesting though is the limitless potential it has. Right now it is the best value on the market, offers the best support and it also wins in the customisation department.

What the "others" have on it are more options and a more concise structure. Now we know that option wise, the Reef Angel will quickly catch up with the addition of Moonlights and ORP/Salinity probes once they get released. The only element that would need to be worked on from there is the user experience. That being said I think the steps required to make the RA a true user friendly device are fairly easy to accomplish. In fact it has the potential to even win in that category, making it THE ultimate all around controller .

IMHO, and being a brand new user, I would suggest a few things:

- The RA website is very neat with a Tutorial and Download section with plenty of detailed manuals. However, it is clear that RAgen and Client Suite are now integral components to the overall RA experience and I believe they should be described and incorporated in the overall Tutorial/basic How to. Having read the tutorials I was somewhat confused when I first generated code with RAgen and dealt with the "Memory" portion vs the core sketch. It's not complicated but for a typical user without any programming skills it can be confusing, expecting a structure that is based on a single PDE file with the functions and their parameters all in one place, like in the tutorial. The recent youtube short videos are great. They should be easier to find on the reefangel website.

- I think that RaGen is THE element that will bring average folks to use the RA without worries. So Curt, we believe in you :) There aren't that many items missing from RAgen as it is though. The delay timer, more lighting options (multiple day light) and redesigned ATO functions are pretty much all I can think off as being missing. Seemless integration of addtionnal relays is also a must. If doable, it would also be great to have some alert options built in RAgen for different components based on typical criterias. All that in a more "visual" interface ? Nitpicking here but it would be incredible to have a visual representation of your relay box that would let you click an outlet, have a pop up menu come up asking you to pick which component you'd like to assign to it and from there give you a sub menu with the appropriate options to fill in.

For example I click on Port 1 (clearly labled as #1), choose heater from the possible component menu. I click on the edit button next to it to enter temp ranges that would trigger the outlet (could be a slider with a start and stop point), assign a Min and Max temp alert and choose wether or not it should be turned off on Water change, feed mode, over heating etc.. Each component would bring up its appropriate menu with the options to fill in.

The ATO menu could include a simple animated gif showing the different states and when the port is on or off based on the switches state. As it was brought up by a few users in different threads, the current StandardATO function isn't very standard. I would highly recommend that the default way ATOs are handled would be reviewed. A classic low switch not floating -> activate port, low switch floating -> stop port with a redundant high switch mimicking the same behavior is what happens on most controllers and ATO systems. Moreover, give the option to have intervals and timeouts with that setup as addtionnal safety measures. A lot of people end up buying a controller because stand alone ATO setups almost costs half the price of a controller so the ATO function is critical.

- The overall idea should be to offer presets that are easy to modify through a simple GUI and scripts. When I configured the Wifi module I thought it was really nice to have a piece of code that would "do it for me" but having to modify the code itself might be scary to average users. A simple GUI asking you to pick your network settings that would generate the config PDE file would be a welcomed addition, it could be included in the basic Arduino download package. I would also add an other bullet to the procedure in the manual, highlighting the fact that you have to updload your PDE code once you are done with the config, ie the config PDE overwrittes the democode. Probably obvious to most but I was stupid enough to be stuck for a few minutes before realising that all previous code had been "removed". Ultimately, this could also be a part of the "New and Improved" RaGen.

- Memory! I'm sure Roberto has a lot of ideas on this one but right now I think it's the only hardware limitation that has the potential to be very problematic going forward.

It might not be the RA's goal to be ultra user friendly and attain critical commercial success on a large scale but I think it really does have the potential to so.. why not ? :)

All this to say, I am impressed with this project and wish it all the best going forward !
rimai
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Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: More Memory/Expension modules

Post by rimai »

Very well said :)
I love the comments.
I think you have very good points.
More memory is in the works. I have a basic prototype board that was tested for functionality and has plenty of space that fits everything you can think of and still have a whole lot more left.
The best part is that it is a drop replacement head unit board and you won't need to change anything else. I had the intention of having built-in wifi, but that was scratched just because the wifi attachment is much easier to be handled in case there is any troubleshooting needed.
It'll come... :)
Roberto.
binder
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Re: More Memory/Expension modules

Post by binder »

Excellent feedback and points.

This type of information is exactly the feedback that I know I want and need for RAGen. I've been working on design layouts for RAGen and some of your ideas were in my original design scheme but never made it due to complexity and me just flat out wanting to get something out and working for people. I look forward to your continued feedback with the usage of RAGen. Keep your eyes on the forum for some potential screenshots, program flow and release candidates for the new RAGen in the future.

curt
bmhair03
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Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:22 pm

Re: More Memory/Expension modules

Post by bmhair03 »

Just a question from someone who knows nothing ,but what about using a memery stick for addded memory in one of the expanaion ports .Vista has something that does it. Just a thought out loud.
rimai
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Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: More Memory/Expension modules

Post by rimai »

Does not work that way.
Besides, that type of memory is already available inside RA. We have about 32K of read/write where we store the graph data and 32K of read only with write optional by using jumper that we use to store images.
Roberto.
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