Support
Looper's Delight
|
Support |
|
|
At 02:57 PM 8/30/2001, Damon Langlois (Electrix) wrote: >SimpleTech are still our highest recommended card. > >It has become apparent that there are certain sets of cards currently in >circulation that may not be compatible with Repeater. We are working with >SimpleTech to isolate exactly which cards may have problems. We will have >more information available in the next few days. hmm...in my professional engineering life, I've dealt with a lot of these same companies. In my case it is usually with memory modules for dram, but the same companies make the flash cards, so I assume their operations are similar in all of their products. In my last job, I designed next-gen chipsets and motherboards for PC's. It was a constant nightmare to get all dram memory modules out there working with our chips. Not only do they vary all over the map in performance against their own specs, they change regularly! At least with the dram modules, they all have a little non-volatile memory on them describing their configurations, drive strength requirements, etc. With enough trial and error we were able to mostly read the data and configure our memory controller appropriately. Still, there was always something that didn't work. In my current job, I design high-end networking equipment. I deal with the same companies for the memory modules we want to design in. Of course, this application requires high performance parts with high reliability, and we can afford to pay for it. Now, all of a sudden these same companies let on that with their consumer grade parts they can't really guarantee the specs for a given part number! Only on the industrial grades can they do that. They strongly advise me not to use the consumer parts. These module companies don't really have much to do with the performance really, they just make a little pcb and stick some IC's on it. There are a lot of companies that make the IC chips. (it's the same for flash cards or dram modules). The module makers try to squeeze some slim profits in the face of intense competition. Their products, as well as the IC's they use on them, are basically commodity items. They are sold in spot markets where the prices fluctuate hourly. In order to make any money, they have to change their products all the time according to whichever chips they got cheapest that day. They don't change the part number, they just put different IC's on it and sell it as the same thing. If testing a particular lot of parts is going to cost too much, well they don't even bother to test them. The result is, the consumer grade part number you buy today may not be anything at all like the same part last week, or the same part next week! What I've learned is, if you want consistent performance in memory modules, you have to get the industrial grades of these parts. That's what we do now for the things we design. Those parts are guaranteed to make the specs, they will always use the same IC's on them, and they are tested. They cost more, but avoiding the whole headache of the consumer parts is worth it. Again, my experience is with dram, but it's the same companies making the modules and the same companies making the chips as with flash cards. I imagine the story is the same. So if Repeater can't work with the whole range of possible card specs out there, I would seriously advise Electrix to forget about these consumer grade parts. Either qualify industrial grade parts and have your dealers sell them to customers as approved memory, or test consumer parts yourself and sell them direct. You'll save yourselves and your customers a lot of trouble. Of course there will be some people who bitch about the extra cost. Let 'em go buy it at their computer superstore and take their chances. the people who are going to care about getting something they know will work won't mind paying a bit more. kim ______________________________________________________________________ Kim Flint | Looper's Delight kflint@loopers-delight.com | http://www.loopers-delight.com