Problems with with sysex timeouts with MD-Lite

[Jorns Bergenson]

EDIT:
All of the issues detailed in this thread seem to be related to the older computer models with the Intel Series 4 or Series 5 chipsets. While these controllers have been reported as having problems with USB audio interfaces and isochronous data transferes, I do not these can be related to the sysex timeout issues seen with MegaDrum.

These problems seem to be reduced when a usb 3.0 hub is placed MegaDrum and the computer's USB port. I've tried a couple of USB hubs: one model helps does not seem to help at all, another based on the Genesys Logic GL3522 chip works much better at reducing sysex timeouts.

As it currently stands, MegaDrum is not usable with computers with this chipset. Receiving sysex works without problems but sending any type of sysex data often results in sysex timeout errors.
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I have been trying to update my MegaDrum Lite to the latest firmware. When I use mdfwupdate.exe there are long delays where it states there are CRC errors. After a couple of minutes the transfer seems to continue successfully. I've done the update a number of times from different PC's with different USB cables with the same results. In the end. MegaDrum seems to be functional. If I try to update from MDM, it will show 1% transferred, then MDM locks up and I have to kill it with task manager.

During the time that the timeout/CRC errors are being displayed by mdfwupdate, the display on MegaDrum displays the following:

Code: Select all

2>SUpdaterSTM32e
StartUpdateonPC

Here's the output from mdfwupdate:

Code: Select all

MegaDrum firmware update utility

There are 3 MIDI output ports available.
  Output Port #1: Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth
  Output Port #2: MegaDrum USB MIDI
  Output Port #3: MIDIOUT2 (MegaDrum USB MIDI)

Select an output port number for the firmware update (between 1 and 3):2

Opened MIDI Out port 2 .

There are 2 MIDI input ports available.
  Output Port #1: MegaDrum USB MIDI
  Output Port #2: MIDIIN2 (MegaDrum USB MIDI)

Select an input port number for the firmware update (between 1 and 2):1

Opened MIDI In port 1 .
Firmware file is loaded
Firmware size is 127744 bytes
Transferring.. / 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. - 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. - 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. \ 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. \ 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. | 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. | 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. / 0% done.Read 0 bytes (error?)
Retrying on CRC error
Transferring.. / 23% done.


It does finally reach 100% done before mdfwupdate exits. As the transfer proceeds the MD display fills with 8's. I assume that's some sort of flash block count.

So, is this okay, since the update does finally complete, or did some of the flash ROM not get updated properly? Is this a sign that something is wrong with my MegaDrum board?
Thanks for help in advance.
- Jorns

[dmitri]

If it reaches 100% then it was flashed successfully. Are you having sysex timeouts when configuring MegaDrum from MDM? If not, then everything is ok.

[Jorns Bergenson]

I do get occasional sysex timeouts from MDM when I have Live Updates turned. I get a sysex error something like one out of 20 times that I change a parameter. I've tried different computers and USB cables and get the same results. It is annoying but workable.

I was getting a sysex timeout error every time I loaded a config file and sent the config to MDM. The progress bar would reach 90%, sit there for a few seconds and then I'd get a sysex error every time. The way I got around that was to delete all my config files (.mdf), reflash MegaDrum so that it was completely "fresh", then I uploaded all of MegaDrums's settings into MDM and saved that config into file. Now I do not get the sysex error after loading a config file and sending it to MegaDrum.

[dmitri]

Getting Sysex timeouts every time is not normal. Can you try MDM on another PC? Can you try it with a hub?

[Jorns Bergenson]

Resurrecting my own thread from a year ago. It's true: I've had my MegaDrum from a full year and have not been able to get it working despite many, many hours of trying. I now suspsect the MegaDrum Manager will not run on older PC's even though they are capable of performing CPU intensive tasks like acting as a VST host.

So, can anyone tell me what the minimum CPU requirements are for Megadrum Manager running on a PC with Windows 7?

I ask because I have 3 electronic drum setups all running Superior Drummer 2 with either a Roland TD-10 or a Alesis DM-Pro drum module as the trigger module. They run flawlessly with low latency on notebook computers with Intel Core Duo CPUs at 1.2GHz and 4GB of RAM with 256GB SSD drives. Although these computers have no trouble keeping up with live drumming (or brousing, streaming video, or playing DVDs), I get frequent sysex timeout errors with MegaDrum Manager. This occurs even when I set the sysex delay to 100ms.

When I installed MDM on a system with a faster CPU (Intel i5 at 2.3GHz) , I had no trouble with my MegaDrum module and MegaDrum Manager. That's going to be a real pain if MDM can't handle these older CPU's because I bought 4 computers knowing that Superior Drummer had no trouble running on them.

[Edit] I just installed MegaDrum Manager on 3 more computers. I proved to myself that it will not run successfully on the older but very capable machines.However it runs fine on two notebooks with Intel i7 processors. There's no way that MegaDrum Manager should require a more capable CPU than that is required to run Super Drummer. Right?

Thanks for your help in advance.
Jorns

[airflamesred]

MDM runs on Java, CPU usage will be just north of zero I should imagine.

[Jorns Bergenson]

After trying many experiments I found that the sysex timout issues go away when I use a USB-powered Targus USB hub between my computers and MegaDrum.

So, now the question is why does adding a USB help and why does only MegaDrum Manger have trouble when there is no hub?

Hopefully this isn't the only solution since I'd prefer not to have to use a hub on each MegaDrum system that I am building.

Thanks,
Jorns

[Jorns Bergenson]

The investigation continues...

I hooked up the MegaDrum module to a 2009 Netbook with any incredibly slow Atom processor - it has much less processing power than the dual-core Core 2 CPU on my notebook computers. Again, I got sysex errors when sending individual trigger parameters but much more infrequent than with the other computers. The UI was much more sluggish on this netbook running Win 10 with only 1GB of memory.

Again, the passive USB hub fixed the sysex timeout issues. I turned on "Live Update" and repeatedly clicked on the "High Level" increase button as fast as I possibly could and got no sysex errors. Without the passive hub, I would get sysex timeouts 1 out of 10 times changed the "High Level".

Next, I'll try using an external 5V power supply to see if this is a power issue or a data issue. If this doesn't help, I may ask getting a buddy at work hook up a USB data analyzer to help diagnose the problem. It would be nice to know what conditions will cause MegaDrum Manager to display the sysex timeout error.

Considering how many computers I am able to duplicate this issue on, I am surprised that there aren't more reports of sysex issues. At this point I can't imagine that it has anything to do with my particular MD board.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions any has to offer.

[Jorns Bergenson]

Using an external 5V power supply did not help. Only putting a passive hub between the MegaDrum-Lite and the computer allows sysex to work successfully.

Dmitri,
I'd sure like to hear your opinion on how to further debug this issue.

Thanks,
Jon

[dmitri]

I've already suggested to send the board back to me for testing.