PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

hello all, i have a problem, which appears quite randomly (to me anyways).

just started really pushing my new system, and i get an stdm connection error (board0 to board1) when i try to load dsp past the capacity of my first board. why?

setup:
cusl2-c
pIII 933
384mb pc100
win98

pulsar 2.4a
p I
luna II

http://faq.infinitevortex.com

as your FAQ suggests, i did a full reinstall of 2.04a. i would not quite call this a solution to the problem though, but more an elimination of the problem.

to draw an analogy - it is like going to a the linkage between your driveshaft and engine and the mechanic replaces your car

but seriously, it works now. if only there were a less severe, 'under-the-hood' solution.

Whatever works, just realize when you add a card after you install the software, not all the settings get updated that need to be updated. Reapplying the patch fixes that. Or just install all the cards before you install the software the FIRST time...

never mind - I still get the error, but ONLY when I try to load a saved project which uses the dsp of both boards; that is, i can load the dsp's to max, but if i then save the project, i get an stdm error and pulsar crashes when i try to load that project again later.

i bet a full Windows reistall would help

subhuman - i now have a REAL solution courtesy of a private correspondence with "Matchette."
SupaDankThanks to him/her.

the solution, and i quote:
"My fix, which is shorter
than reinstall is as follows.
First, you will need a fresh copy of dsp.idx which resides in the dsp
folder. By fresh, i mean either extract the file from the original Pulsar CD
if you can or make a copy of the file after an install and store it
somewhere.

My procedure to fix communication error.

1. Once the communication error between pulsar II and pulsar I happens this
is what i do. Close pulsar and the backqround pulsar which starts after
closing pulsar.

2. Find the original file dsp.idx, copy it and overwrite the current one in
the dsp folder. It will ask if you want to do so b/c there is a more
current version but click OK

3. Start Pulsar, but DO NOT load any projects. Only let the default project
load. Once fully loaded close Pulsar down as well as the background
version. (for me trying to load any dsp intensive project caused the same
error at this point but by closing and restarting pulsar before laoding
projects worked)

4. Restart Pulsar and proceed to load project that created the communication
failure. It should load without error.

This has worked for me everytime it happens. Since i had a copy of dsp.idx
from a norton ghost image i didn't have to spend alot of time finding a good
copy of dsp.idx--I can't say that this is the same problem your facing b/c
you use Pulsar and Luna. But none the less, if you start getting alot of
communication errors, try it. beats loading and reloading pulsar soft and
windows soft."

algorhythm again:
I followed these steps, and now I can load my "dead projects" again.

should this go over to the tips and tricks or what? it sure beats the hell out of reinstalling Pulsar and/or Windows. . .

Actually you can get away with applying the 2.04a patch alone I think - and that only takes a few seconds.

I have another theory, perhaps you can test it on your side. I think this also happens when you load a saved-project that contains samplerate/master/slave settings which are different than your current hardware samplerate/master/slave settings. Once I changed my hardware settings back to the way I had them when I saved the project, I was able to load it without problems.

Now, is this reproduceable on your end, luck on my end, or perhaps related to DSP.idx?

subhuman: per your request, i performed the tests you asked. again, pulsar I, luna II, pulsar os 2.04a

i fiddled with various sync settings: combinations of master - slave using pulsar ADAT and SPDIF and luna SPDIF as sources, with fully loaded 7 dsps and saving, loading, closing pulsar, opening projects, switching projects from certain sync settings to others, etc.

i was unable to get pulsar to provide errors or crash. it does seem to take longer to load a project with different sync settings, but that is besides the point. that does not totally kill yer theory, it just provides no support for it. plus, i was getting the STDM no connection error message, and i *never* change my sync settings.

i therefore think that the most plausible theory is that "something bad happens in the file dsp.idx that causes the connection errors. my supports: replacing the file has led me to have absolutely none of these errors while my dsp-addict-self has been shooting up 7 dsps at least twice daily for at least a week now. also - i stated that i had the problem shortly after a full 2.01 install followed by the 2.04a update. one important thing i did not think to mention: i copied over my device, project, and dsp folders to avoid much of the annoyances of reinstalling all of my devices. The problem, obviously enough, is that I replaced the virgin dsp.idx file from update 2.04a in the process with the older dsp.idx which was in the folder i copied over.

as to whether or not your sync problems are related to dsp.idx, i haven't any clue, cuz i do not know what the file does. . .
thoughts?