Tests, tests, and more tests.

[ClockworkCoder]

I'd take a 2GB version sooner and pay for an additional upgrade, if it came to it. There's nothing else like the Pyra that I'm interested in so here as long as it takes. Worst case, I'd buy something else from the DragonBox shop instead.

Stress is a hard one to deal with, and I'm not exactly in a position to offer any useful technical advice or help, but along with many others here, am sending positive energy your way.

 

[TrashyMG]

Honestly playing with 2GB on the devboard for years I can say it's fine for just about anything I throw at it.

However the issue is ED has already purchased the 4GB memory, so it's not as easy as saying lets just do 2GB only...

There is a bit of action going on the mailing lists discussing a fix for this, hopefully that leads to a solution.

 

[levi]

I guess if ED did decide to send 2GB units to everyone who'd preordered a 4GB unit, he'd also have to refund the difference and maybe offer a discount to a new 4GB CPU board, assuming he's going to continue to work on that issue. That's unlikely to work out cheap over a 1000 users.

But there are still ideas being discussed on the mailing list, so hopefully they're getting to the bottom of all of the software permutations, and hopefully it can't be another hardware issue at this moment.

 

[Askarus]

I'm pretty sure half of the people who pre-ordered would be fine with 2GB RAM.
I consider it a good possibility to produce a 2GB batch and sell those.
A lot of people would be happy to do that and get a special thank you card or some little gift in exchange for the 4GB RAM.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I would certainly be willing to accept a 2GB Pyra.

Maybe ED could tell people they can have a 2GB Pyra early, or they can wait for a 4GB one. That way he'd get some money from people paying off their preorders.

 

[A2000]

For me it doesn't matter if my Pyra will ship with 2 or 4 GB. I've ordered the 4 GB. But if it's not stable I'll take what is available and pay the full 4 GB price. I am not the one to be responsible for ED's lack of restful sleep . If need be I am also in for a donation round to compensate the loss from the 4 GB ram components. If the first Pyras are out there probably will be more than enough time to look for the ram problem and improve the next batch.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

^This. I don't want a discount for accepting a 2GB unit. I already bought vouchers ages ago.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

In other, non-related, news, the Pyra had a brief mention in "Fusion Game Mag" #2. Actually it was a double-page spread with the Pandora on the left page too.

 

[fusion_power]

Who said 4GB RAM would be a good idea and why the heck did I agree to that?

Because nobody thought this could ever be a problem. Just blame TI for a crappy and not well documented SoC or something like that. If you build an SoC you have to guarantee certain specifications or warn to use XY specs like 4GB RAM. I would do so at least to prevent frustrated customers.

However the issue is ED has already purchased the 4GB memory, so it's not as easy as saying lets just do 2GB only...

We know all the long lead times, I doubt ED already has all RAM purchased. So it may be a good idea to cancel some 4GB module orders in advance.

 

[Grench]

The 4GB thing was always a scope creep item. Save it for the next SoC & board iteration.

By then we'll be arguing about 64bit SoCs with either 8 or 16GB RAM with 128GB or 256GB or 512GB eMMC and whether or not it will need a new main board to be able to convert the USB 2.0 / SATA port to a dedicated USB 3 host port.

In the meantime, there needs to be some concentration around shipping some working units - even if they are 'only' 2GB RAM.

 

[CommanderB]

Because nobody thought this could ever be a problem. Just blame TI for a crappy and not well documented SoC or something like that. If you build an SoC you have to guarantee certain specifications or warn to use XY specs like 4GB RAM. I would do so at least to prevent frustrated customers.


We know all the long lead times, I doubt ED already has all RAM purchased. So it may be a good idea to cancel some 4GB module orders in advance.

I think that canceling orders is a bad idea. ED should decide how to proceed.

Gesendet von meinem SM-N9005 mit Tapatalk

 

[Grench]

Because nobody thought this could ever be a problem. Just blame TI for a crappy and not well documented SoC or something like that. If you build an SoC you have to guarantee certain specifications or warn to use XY specs like 4GB RAM. I would do so at least to prevent frustrated customers.
...
We know all the long lead times, I doubt ED already has all RAM purchased. So it may be a good idea to cancel some 4GB module orders in advance.

(Large throat clearing sound...)
Yes, there were a few of us spoke up loudly against making changes to a known working setup to appease the spec chasing associated scope creep. There was rock solid proof that 2GB works reliably with the SoC in the form of development boards. Users of those boards had shown beyond doubt of anyone who was paying attention that 2GB of RAM was well matched the the capabilities of the SoC and 2GB was well suited to any task appropriate to the platform. More would not be much 'better' beyond a number to quote.

There was also another encampment with louder drums, a mob, and pitchforks claiming that anything less than 4GB was a fail. At one point there was even an ask for 8GB RAM from the same contingent.

I think at one point ED said that there were some 512MB modules (4=2GB) and a lot of 1GB modules (4=4GB). That is likely where the 80K EUR is sitting. I don't think everyone realizes how much of the Pyra production parts are already on-site at the board population company. It is likely a fairly substantial fortune. Nubs, eMMC, RAM, SoC modules - I'm pretty sure all of those expensive parts have been purchased and staged. So, changing to another part or nixing a part is a substantial expense.

4GB RAM was declared a go, ED took pre-orders for it, here we are. I hope that the current 4GB issue is another O vs 0 or 8 vs B setting issue that is easily solved once found. I would encourage the team to continue trying to find it. But, in the meantime, please build & ship working 2GB units. Pyras need to exist in the wild soon or the ecosystem will slowly die.

 

[Haraldur]

But, in the meantime, please build & ship working 2GB units. Pyras need to exist in the wild soon or the ecosystem will slowly die.

So far, I have been rather unconcerned about the problems with getting 4GiB RAM to work, partly because I could easily cope with 2GiB (though I expect 4GiB to be significantly better given my user behaviour) but mostly because it has seemed that the main delaying component, the main critical but slow-to-resolve issue is the cases. I shall continue to regard the 4GiB RAM issue as minor until I consider the cases to be basically done. Is there any news about the cases? I hate to be a pest, @EvilDragon, but have the moulds been moved to the new company, have the transparent cases been produced yet, etc.?

 

[ingoreis]

@EvilDragon

Not good to hear that 4 GB Issue ..and i would be fine with a 2GB Pyra too.

Maybe it is an Idea to Trim the Ram on the 4GB Units by Softwareside/Kernel to a working 2GB Unit?

Then you can use the 4GB Ram Chips in your Stock when that work..
..and hopefully in a few Month comes an Kernel Update which can activate the 4GB Ram then.

I agree with mostly others here and say:
With a 2GB Pyra... i will be fine too.

 

[ghostpatch]

@EvilDragon

I'm one of those who preordered and I'm still happy with the project! I trust that you act in the best interest of the idea/project and that is all I need to continue to support you and your team!

I don't really care about 2GB or 4GB. Either is fine for me and if you decide to abandon a 4GB unit for now I'll make sure to donate the difference in cost or more depending on my financail situation at that point.

I know that people can get ugly when it comes to money and I'm sorry for that. In my opinion people should just not invest money they need in a project like this at an early stage! But then again poeple do all kinds of stupid things (including me of course). Anyway I think its amazing what the Pyra team has accomplished! *thumbs up* : )

And smoke some weed. The medical application in this case is definitely given!

 

[Zwerg01]

Why do devs still use a 2GB pyra while more than thousand people ordered a 4GB version? There where 2 years in time to equip them with proper hardware...

By the way. I strongly recommend source code pro to prevent errors like 8 mixing B or 0 and O.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I'm pretty sure devs ARE using 4GB ones. That's how they know it's not working. Multiple people have and are testing 4GB Pyrae, I'm pretty sure.

 

[Wally]

I'm happy to write off the additional 2GB as a loss if need be, no refund required.

Time for some expensive RAM keychains?

 

[fusion_power]

There was also another encampment with louder drums, a mob, and pitchforks claiming that anything less than 4GB was a fail. At one point there was even an ask for 8GB RAM from the same contingent.

I was always under the impression that 640K...uhm 2GB RAM is enough (for my taste). Simply because it is cheaper than 4GB. I don't know the "official" specs of the OMAP5 and it's limitations or "safe-to-work-within" conditions. But as long as 2GB work, well fine. And as long as ED don't buy 4GB single modules it may be possible to just use one 2GB Module or 2 1GB or 4x 512MB or whatever.

 

[Splintercat]

If it'd help with testing, I'd buy a eval board.
Though it looks like the 5432 from svtronics is the only thing available anymore, and a quick search didn't show how different it was form the igepv5....

I have some hope that the issue is solvable in software, perhaps something like the Linux kernel or some module misbehaving. Memtest working would seem to point to that.
Though I am curious about the question of if the heat sinks could be contributing to some of the issues.

For the record I would gladly get a 2GB for the price of a 4GB unit. I bought my voucher with the understanding that things could change.