Current draw?

What's the current draw at startup, running and during sleep modes? I'm trying to figure out whether I want to change the sleep timer to leave the unit in stand-by so I can access it through the wireless network or not.

=-C

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Queue 351, Now Mk II #60000022 18gb, Blue

As a related question, I'm going on a 6*2=12 hour trip next week in a rented van, and was wondering if the empeg draws to much current to be run from a cigarette/power plug. Yes or no, what's the best way to do a quick empeg hookup in a car thats not yours? Thanks,

John

When I changed cars last year I couldn't cope with the thought of going without my Empeg for a couple of weeks, so I tried running it off the cigarette lighter, using one of those tape-adapter things to get the music into the existing stereo.

I found that in my old car it ran fine, but in the new one it kept dropping out whenever the current draw in the car increased (like when I braked or indicated, for instance), which got rather annoying! Sometimes it just displayed the battery symbol, and sometimes the music stopped for a second or two.

So I'd say it depends on the car. You'll not find out until you try it.

I have noticed that since I added a second drive it draws more power - I use a different power pack at work, and it's not quite enough at times. So it probably also depends on whether yours is a one- or two-drive unit.

Hope this helps,
Bryan.

Mark 2 #080000515
Was 12GB Blue, now 42GB Green!

Some cars have some Auxillary outputs, they're
fused with larger fuses, and should be able to run the Empeg.

T.

Cigarette lighters supply at least 10A, the empeg takes <1A. No problems at all running it like this, I do it with rental cars in the USA (cassette adaptor & cigarette lighter adaptor).

Hugo

Startup can peak at just under 1A. Normal running is about 500mA IIRC (might be 600?). Standby is ~250mA (display off) and sleep is <5mA.

There is a feature which allows it to power up at specified intervals from sleep to standby (eg, to check network link) but the software isn't written for it. The power control PIC will do it though.

Hugo

Run's great that way. That's the way I've used it in my Hummer for the past six months....

=-C

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Queue 351, Now Mk II #60000022 18gb, Blue

In reply to:

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Startup can peak at just under 1A. Normal running is about 500mA IIRC (might be 600?). Standby is ~250mA (display off) and sleep is <5mA.

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Hugo, thanks for the response. When I turn the ignition off, the unit goes into standby for x number of minutes - based on the value set in emplode right (light flashing - starts right back up again in seconds)? Is it accessable through the network at this point? When does it go to sleep? It seems to me that after that timer expires I get a whole new boot when I turn the ignition on again.

I assume that wake-up through the LAN wouldn't work in sleep mode?

=-C



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Queue 351, Now Mk II #60000022 18gb, Blue

What's the current draw at startup, running and during sleep modes?

Take a look here for a reply to a similar question I asked last month...

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Yes, as long as the display is on or the LED is pulsing it's on the network.

It goes to sleep after the x minute standby timer expires. Not sure what happens if you're doing a sync at the time - I suspect it still turns off. Maybe there should be a backoff timer for this!

WOL won't work in sleep, no. Even the ethernet controller is off to minimise power consumption (eg, it might be left in a long-term airport carpark)

Hugo

Sleep implies to me that the OS is still loaded and that the processor is at zero mhz and everything is basically shut off.

But that's not the case here is it? When I start the car back up after the timer has expired and the units in "sleep" mode it does a full boot before it starts playing again. Is that correct behavior?

=-C

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Queue 351, Now Mk II #60000022 18gb, Blue

Heh. I think we're getting confused by semantics here.

The empeg/Rio car has three modes:

On: Display is on, amp remote line is high, drives spin up as needed to serve music. CPU is fully active. Ethernet is active.

Standby: Display is off, standby light pulses. Amp remote line is low. Drives are spun down. CPU is fully active. Ethernet is active. Unit can be awakened from standby through various means.

Off: Display is off, standby light is off. Amp remote line is low. Drives are spun down and turned off. CPU is off. Ethernet is off.

There is currently no software to wake the empeg up from "Off" mode. However, it could theoretically be programed to wake up at intervals to check for ethernet activity. Such programming does not exist yet.

Hugo was using the term "Sleep" to mean synonymous with "Off". Personally, I use "Sleep" and "Standby" interchangeably, which is a different way of looking at it.

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Tony Fabris

No, that's not what sleep in this case means. Sleep means the PSU is off and all that is running is a little 8-bit CPU, which can wake the main CPU after an interval has elapsed. The main CPU can then choose to sleep again or boot fully.

Standby is just running mode, but with the display (and hence the car amps) off.

Hugo

Even the ethernet controller is off to minimise power consumption (eg, it might be left in a long-term airport carpark)

OK so right now my empeg is in a long term airport carpark - we'll find out next week how well this feature works

Rob

I hope you get the chance to find out!

The last time I left my car at an airport, I came back to find the rear hatch crowbar'ed and everything gone.

___________
Tony Fabris

I pull the unit from the dash at Airports and at least put it in the boot. Am thinking of getting one for my g-f, but I know she would not want to have to remove the unit overnight etc - has anyone had an Empeg stolen from a locked car, when its in the dash ?

- --
Rod, UK Mk2 64gig Red S/No.341 2xDell RioReceiver

has anyone had an Empeg stolen from a locked car, when its in the dash ?

Maybe here but don't know if the car was locked or not.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Hey, Rob. If your empeg gets stolen at the airport, make sure to e-mail Rob with the serial nu...

Wait a minute...

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Tony Fabris

Long-term carparks in the UK are generally pretty secure - 15 ft barbed-wire topped fences, no pedestrian access (you take the bus to the terminal), many security cameras, cameras on all barriers, etc. There are usually several ferraris in them.

They do cost a fortune to park in though, it's about $12-14/day IIRC. Not that you have a choice, anyway...

Hugo

Nah, it was OK. The security is pretty tight at Heathrow.

Rob

No choice? I thought you guys had lots of public transportation over there? I usually get someone to drop me off and pick me up, though we do have extremely convenient bus service to the airport here in Pittsburgh.

Fly me to the moon...

Well, yes and no. I meant no choice as there is generally only one long-term carpark on the airport. There are ones run as small businesses further out (sometimes up to about 15 miles away) but they're not very convenient.

As for public transport; getting to heathrow from here is an hour on the train to london then another hour (at least) on the tube. Changing train is a pain with luggage. There is a coach that goes direct, but that can take between 2-4 hours, depending on how the M25 (the dreaded london orbital) is feeling on the day. Not ideal for catching a flight, but fine for the way home!

Hugo

The other advantage to driving, I discovered, was the sheer relief of getting off a plane and taking the Supra up the A1(M) after driving a damn Mustang all week. Do the rental companies replace the engines with lawn mower motors, or are they all that bad? I particularly liked the ventilation ducts for the rear brakes, which form such a central feature of the styling, but turn out to be fake!

Rob

We get 95 or 97 RON fuel ( and pay top wack for it ), they get cheap ( read low octane stuff ), petrol, and their big engines are detuned to cope with it.

** flame suit on **

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Rod, UK Mk2 64gig Red S/No.341 2xDell RioReceiver

I know that is true for the diesel stuff for sure the stuff here in the usa is horrid

It's not as bad as it looks; ISTR we use a different octane rating system than they do - ours has bigger numbers for the same stuff. MON/RON or something.

Hugo

It was only the Mustang that was a dissapointment - I've driven much better rentals in the US. I had a Mazda 626 on the same trip and it was quite reasonable (maybe my expectation was lower).

Rob

As a note on the Mustang thing... you must have had a 6 cylinder. I had a chance to race one once and the poor guy couldn't get around me. No matter how hard he came up on me I was able to out accelerate him right up to the 190km/h mark which he couldn't even get to. Lucky for him that I was driving my 140 hp Honda CR-V! and not my much quicker 102 hp del Sol!

#170... I got SN: 080000101 12 gig Blue!

Pretty sure I had a 626 on last trip, was amazed when I noticed it was a 2.5 v6, as a) it was slow b) it hard DRUM brakes on the rear, my daily UK car is a v6 and felt speedy when I got back in it.

- --
Rod, UK Mk2 64gig Red S/No.341 2xDell RioReceiver

For the record - Europe only reports RON (research octane), which is always higher than MON (motor octane). The US reports [RON + MON]/2, the average of the two. For example, an octane rating of 96 in Europe is roughly equivalent to an octane rating of 92 in the US.

RON is a measure of octane under mild engine conditions, MON a measure under heavy load/high speed conditions.

Mardibloke, detuned engines? Hmm, doubt it, you have to remember that we Americans like our cars to burn as much gas as possible :). Also, if you feel cheated for power when driving in the US, try a 426 Hemi 'Cuda next time you're here (if you can find one). Just make sure you buy a neck brace before you drive it.

Not that any of that had anything to do with empeg stuff, but I'm at work and bored.

-Adam

Edited by omarkhayyam on 24/07/01 06:04 PM.