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Program Store FDS-355

Kip ConnerKip Conner Posts: 5
in Omnidrive/Minidrive
It's been many years since i started using the 355 as an FOH insert in my touring rack and I have lots of venue EQ's stored in there. I need to back this stuff up to a memory card and need some help with choosing the correct memory card.

Anything out there that works better than others? What criteria do I need to follow when choosing a RAM card.

Happy New Year...

kip

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    Dan LynchDan Lynch Posts: 472
    edited January 2011
    The PC Card socket on the front of the unit is designed to use memory cards of between 128kbyte and 2Mbyte storage capacity. Files are stored on the card in a ‘Pseudo-floppy’ format using standard DOS structures.

    The Smart Card interface requires 68pin compatible SRAM memory cards. Attribute memory is not required and is not used. The most appropriate card size for the FDS-355 is the 256k byte card which can hold approximately 14 complete setup (CAL) files. Battery life varies with manufacturer and memory size and should be checked with the card supplier. Rechargeable cards are also now available. These cards should periodically be left in the card slot of an FDS-355 for a few hours to recharge. Expected battery life for rechargeable cards when not plugged into a unit is about one year, but should always be checked with the card supplier.

    The PC Card filing system on the FDS-355 uses a ‘pseudo-floppy’ format. Formatting a Card on the FDS-355 writes a standard PC DOS format to the card beginning at byte 0 as if it were the first byte on a disc. The format writes a DOS boot sector with basic format data but does not write boot software. This is followed by a single File Allocation Table (FAT) starting at byte 200H. The root directory is written with one entry, a sub-directory called BSSDATA. All data files used by the unit are stored in the BSSDATA sub-directory as there are limits to the number of files that can be stored in the root directory.

    The different file types used by the unit have different file extensions as follows. The file sizes are variable, and change with the number of EQs used, and number of programs.
    Program = *.CPG
    All data = *.CAL

    The ‘pseudo-floppy’ filing system as used on the unit conforms to the PC CARD standard although it does not format Card Information Structure (CIS) information. BSS has tested and developed the Card filing system using an IBM compatible PC card reader and a range of palm-top computers, but cannot guarantee that the cards can be read by any particular piece of computer equipment. To be able to transfer files to and from an external computer note the following:
    • Always format the card on the external computer.
    • Always write a sub-directory called BSSDATA into the root directory immediately after formatting the card. All files used by the FDS-355, FDS-388 and FPC-900 remote are stored in the BSSDATA sub directory.

    http://www.amtron.com/sram.htm
    http://www.synchrotech.com/support/faq-sram-pcmcia-pc_cards.html
    http://www.vikant.com/products.asp?cat=17

    You're not going to like the prices.

    Dan
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    Kip ConnerKip Conner Posts: 5
    Thanks dan, as usual you're a wealth of info.

    Since I don't use an IBM platform machine (I'm a Mac), would it be better to take another approach.

    I have an old PC desktop with a serial connection. Would it be easier to store the files there and then load them as needed for tours? I have about 40 venues saved and another 10 templates that I use from time to time on venues that I think will be one-offs and then clear.

    Using the BSS software, can you save config files that way?

    As I move more towards a systems tech engineer and less of a mix engineer I see the reality that I need to get a PC based laptop, but it's troublesome finding something with a Serial Port that was built in this millennia :)
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    Dan LynchDan Lynch Posts: 472
    That's pretty funny, actually. Since you're talking about a 355, you won't have any trouble finding a laptop with a serial connection because you don't want a new one. The only way to control a 355 from a laptop is to run Soundbench (info here - download here) which will only work on Windows 3.11, 95, or 98! Since you're a mac user, you can probably find a Win98 emulator somewhere. PC users can download Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 for free and install Win98 on that. Configuring the network settings on 98 can be a pain in the neck, so I just keep my old Toshiba Satellite sitting here with Win98 on it.

    Dan

    Note: Before everyone emails me about it; yes, I am aware that you can run Soundbench under Windows NT, 2000, XP, etc. If all you care about is launching it and admiring the sexy GUI, go for it. On the other hand, if you want to actually communicate with a 355, you're going to have to run 3.11, 95, or 98 so Soundbench can see the serial port.
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