ESU micro v5-- can't write new sound data

[reinhardtjh]

Something else you may want to try is a different version of the programmer software.  I seem to remember that when 5.0.11 came out there were a few messages on the Facebook page about problems.  There haven't been any recently, so it may have just been user error, but 5.0.10 was a fix for some problems in 5.08 and 5.0.9.  You could try backdating to it (5.0.10) and see if that helps at all. I wouldn't go earlier than that though due to the other known problems in 5.0.8 and 5.0.9

[u18b]

Something else you may want to try is a different version of the programmer software.  I seem to remember that when 5.0.11 came out there were a few messages on the Facebook page about problems.  There haven't been any recently, so it may have just been user error, but 5.0.10 was a fix for some problems in 5.08 and 5.0.9.  You could try backdating to it (5.0.10) and see if that helps at all. I wouldn't go earlier than that though due to the other known problems in 5.0.8 and 5.0.9

That's a good suggestion too.
I've got nothing to lose.

[jdcolombo]

One last suggestion.

Since the decoder is installed in the Shay, if none of the other suggestions work, try running wires directly from the programmer to the decoder instead of going through the track/wheels/etc.  I and others occasionally have had strange problems with the LokProgrammer's latest software versions doing full sound file downloads to a decoder inside an engine, but the download works fine with a direct connection.

John

[u18b]

Something else you may want to try is a different version of the programmer software.  I seem to remember that when 5.0.11 came out there were a few messages on the Facebook page about problems.  There haven't been any recently, so it may have just been user error, but 5.0.10 was a fix for some problems in 5.08 and 5.0.9.  You could try backdating to it (5.0.10) and see if that helps at all. I wouldn't go earlier than that though due to the other known problems in 5.0.8 and 5.0.9

THIS!

John, you're a lifesaver.   I was very discouraged.
But I am now currently re-writing the entire decoder with the same file where I had crashes before.

The solution was to un-install 5.0.11 (and the Template pack- just in case.).
And then install 5.0.10.
Re-install Template pack.
Burn same file as before to decoder.


Working as advertised now.

Thank you again-  and to all for their insights and suggestions.
I sadly received no help from the ESU forum.   The Railwire is THE place to go.
Thanks guys.
Ron

[peteski]

Good to hear that your problem got resolved Ron.
Since you have become an ESU decoder user I recommend that you also join https://groups.io/g/Loksound . Itis over 2000 members strong, and the group is quite active (unlike the "official" ESU online forum, which seems to be useless).  If you join, you will see most of the ESU guys from here also participate in the groups.io group.

While the groups.io is an email-type group, you don't have to sign up to receive emails - you can read the group using web browser (similar to what you do here).  That is how my groups.io membership is configured.

[u18b]

OK.
I'm compulsive.   It's what made me a beta tester for some software years ago.

Not content with this working, I installed the original file as stated above.
I then successfully installed a new whistle with the Template pack.

But I didn't care for the way it sounded.

So then I tried to go back and install the original file.
And now it's back to error messages.

So now I'm trying to figure out why it worked before, but not now.

I'll keep working on this.

[reinhardtjh]

Ron,

  If you continue to have trouble I would definitely joining the IO (Formerly Yahoo) group.  Phil Dunlop is a member and he wrote an instruction manual for the LokSound Programmer. It's V4 based but it's also good for V5 and covers a lot about sound editing and replacement.  So going over that once may help and if no, then he's there to ask for more possibilities of where it might be going wrong.  If not, then maybe one of the others there will have had the experience and an idea of how to fix it.

Again, that's https://groups.io/g/Loksound   

[jdcolombo]

OK.
I'm compulsive.   It's what made me a beta tester for some software years ago.

Not content with this working, I installed the original file as stated above.
I then successfully installed a new whistle with the Template pack.

But I didn't care for the way it sounded.

So then I tried to go back and install the original file.
And now it's back to error messages.

So now I'm trying to figure out why it worked before, but not now.

I'll keep working on this.

So this makes me wonder if your computer is having issues with the LS software.  Suppose, for example, that you delete the "old" software version you are using now, and reinstall 5.0.11.  Would it work once and then quit?  If that happens, that tells me something in the rest of your computer setup is not happy with the LS software, and is creating some kind of memory glitch that doesn't clear after using the software once.

My son is a software engineer for Microsoft; I've heard him comment about things like this - Software A works great, except on machines that have Software B installed.  Or maybe except on machines that have Software B and C installed.  These kinds of weird interactions are VERY difficult to track down since you can't test every combination of installed software in the world. 

John C.

[u18b]

Yeah.
Part of my problem is that I'm a Linux guy and hate Windows.
Tried to use Windows in a virtual machine on Linux, but the interesting ESU cable was not recognized- so I can't use my computer.

So I had to use a regular Windows machine and I'm using my wife's old laptop with Win 7.

So I may need to borrow someone else's computer to do more testing.

[peteski]

Ron, if your email address is thebigheap then I see you posted about your problem on  the Loksound group on groups.io.
But I wonder why you skipped mentioned few other things you mentioned here.

Like the "unhandled exception…. System out of memory" error, or the fact that you can successfully upload the unmodified sound project to the decoder (especially that one seems important)?

[u18b]

Yes, Pete, I did skip that because at present it may not matter.
I no longer get that error at all.
At present I only get the same error over and over again- File too large.

As for another change, I fixed my Virtual Box that I use in Linux and got the USB pass-through to work.
So I can now work from my i7 laptop running Win 7 virtual and 12 gig of RAM.   Thus it's possible that the memory error might have been connected to my wife's old computer (which is what you had suggested originally).

From all I have read and think I know, the File Too large should not be happening.
We should be able to take any ESU stock file that works, and over-write whatever is on the decoder.
But mine won't let me for some reason.

If I had to make a wild guess at this point, it would be that the memory error somehow corrupted something in the decoder.  And that corrption is something I'm not able to recover from at this point.

What I REALLY wish is that ESU would institute a new feature.  Since the CVs and the sounds are two entirely different parts of the decoder.... I wish you could "erase" a decoder by erasing any and all sound off of it.   But I currently see no way of doing that.

Maybe one of the guys at ESU will answer me this week.

A search through the groups.io showed that someone else had the exact same problem I had in 2013.   That's long time ago.  So since others have not posted about this, it must be a rare event.   Unless I missed it, I never saw how his situation was resolved (though I suspect he had to send his decoder back to ESU.).

If you search:  "file too large replace"
you'll see a guy named Harold had the same problem.  His title was "replacing horn"
Matthew, ESU CEO tried to help him, but there is no record of resolution that I can see.

[peteski]

Fair enough.

[u18b]

Does anyone from ESU ever read any boards?

I've been very disappointed with customer service.

I posted on their support forum- no response.

I sent an email to their Facebook page- no response.

At least on the groups.io site, someone responded to me, but I don't think it was anyone from ESU.   He said it sounded like I have a corrupted firmware- but how do I know?

And I can't find a phone number or email address on their website.   I guess I'm missing it.

Very discouraging.

Though I do appreciate everyone's attempt to help me here.

Ron

[u18b]

I found a number for Sales... but not Support 

I'll try that tomorrow.

[peteski]

 I sent you a private email about the comment you made on the groups.io (and which I see you also posted here). Ron, may I suggest for you to be more patient?

The indicated flash size of negative 16384 MBit does in fact look strange.  I have a  LokProgrammer, but no V5 decoders to check.  I wonder if someone else here who owns a V5 decoder could read it on their LokProgrammer, and report what they see for the Flash size.