Please note that the EmpegLink file attached to the post I am replying to, only half solved the problem. (could not edit that post) The EmpegLink file attached to the previous message (dated and timed just a few minutes before this one) hopefully does the trick for those running siftfid.sh.

Oliver,

I wonder whether the 3.0 software uses a fidsift.sh scheme by default. Could you please give it a try with the newest EmpegLink I have posted (on a reply to Rtundo in this thread). Please make sure to erase the "empeg.xxx.yyy.zzz.ttt.PlayerDB" file that was previously created before running with the newest EmpegLink Thanks.

P.S. I might try the 3.0 software later on

Great Program! One thing I did notice... I could not get the app to play files on the Empeg. The interface acted as if it were playing, except the counter was not counting and no sound. I could scroll through songs, playlists, but the unit was permanently paused. The streaming did work however. What I found was that my player was set to the "Aux" input instead of the player. You may want to automatically switch back to player mode when the app boots. Just a suggestion...

JeffreyB

JeffreyB, Thank you for the comment and the suggestion! I have done as you suggested. When EMSC starts up in control mode it will switch the source to Player in case it was in aux or tuner. The attached EmpegLink will do this, and it has been incorporated into the distribution files.

Jules,

I'm running 2.0 final, with Mark Lord's fidsift , so all my fids are in subdirectories of /drive0/fids and consequently EMSC can’t find my fids.

Jules, looks like that did the job. Great program, can't wait to install it in the car. I've been playing around with it and think its very intuitive. I noticed one thing, after I select a few letters in search if I decide to stop the search and exit, I can't find a way to go back out of search (you have to finish the selection). All in all I'm very impressed. I'll give more input as I use it more. Thanks.

Joe,

Rtundo had that same problem and we were able to update the Empeg side of things to work with fidsift. You probably downloaded EMSC before we fixed that. The version you can download now will look for the fids in /empeg/fids0/ and /empeg/fids1, and even if they are in subdirectories of /drive?/fids they should be found. Thanks for trying it out.

Rtundo,

Well, thanks to your testing we took care of coexistence with fidsift.sh.

To get out of a search, use a longpress of the UP button (if the focus is on the group of letters). If you are in the bottom pane (where the matches are listed and you can select one), the LEFT button will put the focus on one of the letters and then you can longpress UP to exit.

Edit: The original post incorrectly indicated that pressing the RIGHT button will put the focus on the top part of the search window, when in fact it would execute the selected match.

Ok, i just updated my copy of empegLink on my player, deleted the local database on my pc, and tried to sync the database again. Exact same issue.

I got a bunch of these errors in hyperterm, what is really weird is i only have a 1 drive empeg, so everything should be /drive0 i would think?
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/50c1
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/5dd1
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/5de1
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/5df1
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/69e1
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/69f1
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/6a01
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/6a11
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/6a21
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/6a31
Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/7701

With the final error on track 2400,
r7 : 0200006e r6 : 00000000 r5 : 00000000 r4 : 0200006e
r3 : 00000000 r2 : b7340200 r1 : 00010000 r0 : 0200006e
Flags: NzCv IRQs on FIQs on Mode USER_32 Segment user
Control: C0CB517D Table: C0CB517D DAC: 00000015
Function entered at [<4006ac24>] from [<4006adf4>]
Function entered at [<4006add8>] from [<4006b060>]
r10 = 400FF128 r8 = 00000000 r7 = 0200006E r6 = 00000000
r5 = 00000000 r4 = 0200006E
Function entered at [<4006afe8>] from [<4006456c>]
r4 = BFFFF8C8
Function entered at [<40060d78>] from [<40064e1c>]
r10 = 400FF128 r9 = 02001AC4 r8 = 02003104 r7 = 0200083C
r6 = 00000001 r5 = 00000004 r4 = 00000000
Function entered at [<40064e08>] from [<40064e3c>]
Function entered at [<40064e24>] from [<020015a8>]
Function entered at [<020013ac>] from [<020024c0>]
r4 = 00000000
Function entered at [<02002084>] from [<02001eac>]
r6 = 4000C2A8 r5 = 00000001 r4 = BFFFFE74
Function entered at [<02001ac4>] from [<40037040>]
Function entered at [<40036ee4>] from [<02000ac8>]
r10 = 4001D858 r9 = 00000000 r8 = 00000000 r7 = 00000000
r6 = 02000AA4 r5 = 00000000 r4 = 4001E5EC

That did it, thanks. Two requests to make. If you someday would add "mark track" as a menu function that would be great. Also, a pause sign of some sort would be nice. Your program rocks. The people on this BBS never cease to amaze me.

Oliver, I doesn't seem like you updated the EmpegLink.

Your messages like:

Could not open Fid datafile, probably bad FID:
/drive1/fids/50c1

are from the old EmpegLink. The new EmpegLink I mentioned would have said that it couldn't open Fid datafile " /empeg/fids1/50c1" and not the one with "/drive1/fids/50c1".

You see bad attempts at opening FIDS in drive1 because opening the same FIDS in drive0 failed. EmpegLink simply tries drive0 (actually fids0) and if it is not found there, it tries drive1 (fids1).

Before updating EmpegLink, you need to make sure that the EmpegLink that is currently on your player is unloaded, so it that it can be replaced. To Unload it, you execute EMSC from you computer with the "-t" option (this is in the EMSC web page). For example: "EMSC your.empeg.ip.address -t" from the Windows command line, or through a shortcut. This unloads EmpegLink from your Empeg's memory, and allows you to be able to replace it with the new one. If you replaced EmpegLink by running the provided LoadEmpegLink.cmd, you would have seen some FAILED responses when FTP tried to PUT the new EmpegLink.

All that said, I have read many of the posts regarding the version 3.0 alphas. And many users experience all sorts of problems, even just using the official software (e.g., Emplode). So, although I guess that replacing the EmpegLink may solve the problem, I don't know that it actually will, and if the problems are not solved, I can't tell whether they are due to the instability of Version 3.0 alpha, or to a redesign of empeg_state and hda3 with the new v 3.0 alpha.

I have three empegs, but I am hesitant to install v3 alpha due to the issues about it that have been posted...

Do you have fidsift.sh in addition to V 3.0 alpha x?

Rtundo, great that everything is working and that you like EMSC. The search method gets a little "getting used to", but it should be quite effective once you get the hang of it.

Regarding your requests, I've been lazy about the Pause indicator (which I have experienced the need for as well), but I'll try to put it in soon. I never mark tracks, but it is obviously a useful thing and I'll try to add that feature as well. Thank you for the suggestions.

Awesome

Two new features are included in the EMSC package I have just uploaded to the website (http://strobos.cee.vt.edu/EMSC).

1) Visual indication of Pause/Play status.
2) Easier upgrade of empegLink. The new LoadEmpegLink.cmd will edit config.ini for you (new installations) eliminating a re-sync via emplode. The new LoadEmpegLink.cmd will also automatically unload a currently loaded empegLink (upgrade installations) before trying to install the updated version.

I've received a lot of feedback and corrected some issues. I'm still waiting for further feedback from a coule of people before changing status from "alpha" to "released" (no apparent need for betas). The latest delivery (1:50 am EST 4/20/04) now includes Scaled Window Content when in Full Screen. So if you have a 1024x768 display (common for a car), the full-screen mode will look nice and scaled rather than occupying only the top left 640x480 with info.

Featurewise, the first release of EMSC will consist of what is now available and described at http://strobos.cee.vt.edu/EMSC . I will really like to correct any errors that may still remain, but do not want to get into issues related to version 3.0 alpha of the car player software. So please let me know of any issues that have not already been addressed with the latest available version.

The following are the target features for the next version:

1) User-configurable named screen layouts, which can be activated dynamically. Right now there is only one layout to choose from, and it is permanently shown.

2) Support for the equivalent of Flags & Filters, except that these will be dynamically changeable from EMS&C.. "Marked" will work by simply creating a "Marked" Flag, and setting this flag on/off for tracks when you are listening to them.

3) Ability to refine the current running order by using criteria similar to those of searches (in addition to Empeg-Like flags and filters).

4) Ability to see detailed track info (VBR rate, codec, etc)

5) Maybe: supoort for mouse operation for compatibility with touch-screen displays. (I don't have a touchscreen so motivation is low.....)

This whole project should in time (not too long) result in something that will make any Empeger using a car computer very very happy.... Suggestions for the next version in addition to those listed above are very welcome....

excellent!! just downloaded and installed. it crashed towards the end of the cataloguing process but seems fine now. Being a shallow and superficial person I am very much looking forwards to custom skins ;-)

I've had no problems with it so far. I'm waiting for for an IR interface I ordered before putting it in my car. Using it with my steering wheel controls will be the ultimate test for me. Oh, by the way, thanks for the pause indicator update

What IR interface are you getting? With what remote will you use it?

The step i missed the first time was the -t option to upload empegLink.

After removing and upgrading to the latest release of EMSC. Then connecting with the -p switch. It got past 2400 tracks this time, didn't give me any can't find fid errors. But then at 2487 it bombed again.

empegLink(11): memory violation at pc=0x4006ac44, lr=0x4006adf4 (bad address=0xb
r6 = 00000001 r5 = 00000004 r4 = 00000000
r7 : 0200006e r6 : 00000000 r5 : 00000000 r4 : 0200006e
r3 : 00000000 r2 : b7440200 r1 : 00010000 r0 : 0200006e
Flags: NzCv IRQs on FIQs on Mode USER_32 Segment user
Control: C0CB517D Table: C0CB517D DAC: 00000015
Function entered at [<4006ac24>] from [<4006adf4>]
Function entered at [<4006add8>] from [<4006b060>]
r10 = 400FF128 r8 = 00000000 r7 = 0200006E r6 = 00000000
r5 = 00000000 r4 = 0200006E
Function entered at [<4006afe8>] from [<4006456c>]
r4 = BFFFF8C8
Function entered at [<40060d78>] from [<40064e1c>]
r10 = 400FF128 r9 = 02001AC4 r8 = 02003110 r7 = 0200083C
r6 = 00000001 r5 = 00000004 r4 = 00000000
Function entered at [<40064e08>] from [<40064e3c>]
Function entered at [<40064e24>] from [<020015a8>]
Function entered at [<020013ac>] from [<020024c0>]
r4 = 00000000
Function entered at [<02002084>] from [<02001eac>]
r6 = 4000C2A8 r5 = 00000001 r4 = BFFFFE74
Function entered at [<02001ac4>] from [<40037040>]
Function entered at [<40036ee4>] from [<02000ac8>]
r10 = 4001D858 r9 = 00000000 r8 = 00000000 r7 = 00000000
r6 = 02000AA4 r5 = 00000000 r4 = 4001E5

any other ideas?

I have no clue. Suggestions? User player version 2.0 final developer with Hijack 380. That works flawlessly.

The condition of Player version 3.0 alpha is such that it would make it futile to go beyond what we already have tried. It may very well be that empegLink has nothing to do with the behaviour you are observing. If even the Emplode versions designed for Player 2.0 bomb when using Player software 3.0, then I wouldn't expect more from EMSC-empegLink.

The IR receiver is from zapway (link on winlirc site). The transmitter will be PAC's SWI-X (described in faq section I think). With your program it should be easy to navigate using four steering wheel buttons leaving 2 buttons for other things.

Great app Jules,

A request; an option when terminating program to put empeg in standby instead of pause.

And if you decide to let more of the board try it, (non-XP users) a Java version.

Thanks,

Thank you Joe.

Your suggestion is a good one (about stand-by). Will try to see if I can do that programatically. Regarding non-XP version, it is something I would like to do but unfortunately do not have the knowledge to implement. I wonder if WINE for Linux and the equivalent for Macs will run EMSC.

Jules,

I've yet to Linux myself, however it is my understanding that Wine emulates 98's environment.

Thanks,

Apparently the new phatbox/keg interfaces with video screens and is capable of displaying album cover graphics. Not really a "request", just a "thought" to put in the back of your mind maybe for some future rainy day .

Jules, do you know of anyway to setup a Winlirc mapped button to reload EMSC in case the quit command is selected during car use and no keyboard is available? I guess the next best thing would be to have a computer reset button somewhere up front.

Hey, sounds like you got this thing up and running in your car!

Obviously, EMSC can only interpret stuff from WinLirc if it is running..., so you need additional sofware independent from EMSC, such as Girder and some others listed in the WinLirc site) that allow you to perform certain actions (start program x, shutdown the machine, etc.) when you press certain buttons. You can use those no problem in coexistence with EMSC. Perhaps Quit, when chosen from the menu instead of pressing the q in the keyboard, should ask for confirmation...

It will be in the car tomorrow. Can't wait. Have it hooked to my TV in the meantime. I'll take a look at one of those programs to set up basic Windows macros. Thanks. Oh yea, I think confirmation before exiting would be a great idea.

It looks like IRAssistant can be deactivated when EMSC launches allowing the same buttons to be used for both programs.

I have it installed in my Saab. Still ironing out problems with my SWI-X remote adapter though. One bug I've run across:
When the program first comes up, the pause indicator is on but the song is playing. Hit the up button once and the play indicator comes up, hit the up button again and the player pauses and the song pauses and things stay in synch.

One future request would be to have a way to lock the volume at a level in the EMSC program. Other than that, things are working great.