AMX Duet - whats the point?
mkleynhans
Posts: 78
What is going on with Duet nowadays?
I suggest an Arcam T32 tuner to a customer as I read that it is fully AMX Duet compatible and that when connecting a DDDP device via serial / ip it will automatically download the correct duet module blah blah blah but cannot find any support for it.
I speakt o AMX UK tech support get told that they dont really use device discovery anymore and as far as they are aware, there is no duet or netlinx module for this tuner.
It seems like every other system out there has more assisted development of current product modules but AMX seems to be getting left behind. I am not saying I expect everything delivered on a platter but looking through the 3rd party product list and modpedia etc. everything is so out dated. I have written support for it now but wish I had done more homework before suggesting it.... Am I missing something?
I suggest an Arcam T32 tuner to a customer as I read that it is fully AMX Duet compatible and that when connecting a DDDP device via serial / ip it will automatically download the correct duet module blah blah blah but cannot find any support for it.
I speakt o AMX UK tech support get told that they dont really use device discovery anymore and as far as they are aware, there is no duet or netlinx module for this tuner.
It seems like every other system out there has more assisted development of current product modules but AMX seems to be getting left behind. I am not saying I expect everything delivered on a platter but looking through the 3rd party product list and modpedia etc. everything is so out dated. I have written support for it now but wish I had done more homework before suggesting it.... Am I missing something?
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Still there, still faster than Netlinx, still easier to write complex things in than Netlinx (and the converse it is still easier to do easy things in Netlinx). With the new G5 architecture (and I'm _hoping_ and overflow of that into our masters) you are going to have a lot more flexibility in what you can do with your java programming.
Then main issue of slow down is when you have to pass the stuff back and forward through the SNAPI router between java and Netlinx. That being said, I have heard bandied around (and in personal experience it certainly is) the figure that Duet is about 10x faster than Netlinx in processing large amounts of strings.
Using Java especially with the Knoplerfish OSGi container gives you the ability to your the enormous library of java classes that are out in the world (as well as duet modules from amx et al) and dynamically load and unload those into your program as it is running. Not to forget things like encryption, a properly object oriented language, and an IDE that just makes you realise how half assed NLS really is.
In your particular case the "fully AMX Duet compatible" probably just means that the device is sending out the appropriate device discovery beacon, which the NI will pickup and attempt to search and load a module that matches what it has been told within that beacon from the unit.
Unfortunately this doesn't guarantee that there is actually a module there. I'm not privy to the details involved in saying that you are a DDDP partner or what ever, but I'm surprised they don't require you to have a module written in house by your own java programmers (ie ARCAM's programmers) as I thought this was the idea behind it all, get access to that enormous pool of JAVA programmers out there.
In my own experience, I haven't really used device discovery either, mainly due to the reason you have just stated, there is no guarantee there is a module available, which is a shame as in theory it's a wonderful idea (I'd like to go and live in theory one day... it sounds like a magical kingdom full of unicorns, and rainbows)
There has always been a certain lag in AMX modules, especially in different countries with different devices, although most of the time the command set is common across a lot of the same devices from a particular manufacturer.
I have just started to convert all my companies modules over to JAVA primarily for the ease of RMS Enterprise integration, as it basically talks natively to the DUET modules to expose all of your SNAPI implementations to RMS.
As to you missing something, not really, I've always found that a little bit of extra due diligence when it comes to the specification of devices and working out their control methods prior to sale saves me a lot of heartache in the long run. It is a sad but true state
I guess this has turned into a bit of a diatribe about duet in general, but I hope I've answered some of your points.
I really love AMX, its the most awesome control system we have ever had the pleasure of using but cannot help feel that the obvious competitors seem to be putting in a lot of effort into making sure modules are available and if not, user groups seem to be there. I absolutely hate searching for info on integrating something only to see that the 'others' have it all sorted but AMX dont.
Time to go on Java classes and invest in Cafe Duet me thinks...
One of my guys here is an ex Java developer so it might have been a match made in heaven but to invest in a £1300 piece of software without being sure... its going to be tight...
I'm pretty sure the license cost is actually to cover AMX for the additional support required for new players and shield themselves from the tidal wave of support requests they would cop if they released it everyone for free.
AMX actually gives you a free license when you sit the Cafe Duet course so I think the price is fair when bundled in with 3 days of tutoring.
I don't see them dropping the charge because that creates a very awkward situation with the people who had actually payed for it.