Voice problem after 8.3 on 720

taylorapuk · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 20, 2008 Posts: 9

OK.

Plan a route from the roundabout on the A14 J52 (N52 05.145, E1 06.861)
to "City Centre" of Stowmarket. Run the demo (on the unit not Home) at 100% speed.

It should take you over the roundabout on onto the A14 sliproad
as as you are about to come onto the A14 it says something like "Follow A1156 A14 J52 towards Stowmarket ...".

When my unit says its "Charging" it *always* seems to stutter when it tries to say that sentence. But when it doesn't say "Charging" it *always* seems to be OK.

plimo · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 12, 2006 Posts: 9

here is the latest reply I have recieved from TT support...

Thank you for contacting TomTom Customer Support
Your reference for your query is 090213-002871.

The emulator is now working with the application 8.301.

The computer voices on some GO x20 / x30 devices with a 8.300 application can be missing or faulty. Unfortunately on your device you told me you had the latest map 8.15 and the only application version we can send out is the 8.010, but with this application your device would show the message " No Map Found"

We are currently working on a solution to this challenge. This solution will be offered to you with the next application update on TomTom Home.

In the meantime, we advise you to use a standard voice.

To select a standard voice, please tap on Voice preferences, then Change voice.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

With Best Regards

The TomTom Customer Support Team

So according to that the next update should fix this problem... Rolling Eyes

layingback · Regular Visitor Joined: Feb 12, 2009 Posts: 124

Don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but I NEVER connected my charger in the car - at least not until the battery cried help - and I got stuttering on long sequences (eg large complex roundabouts) on 8.300 using 7.25 and later using 8.15.

Still think it's inefficient code that gets "behind" when there is a lot happening: in Demo mode there is less happening so it's surprising that it stutters (although I have seen mine do that too)! And it seems even more surprising that the charging process puts a load on any part of the SOFTWARE app.

All I can think of is that this is NOT a memory or garbage collection problem (as surfaced when others reported memory not freed when options turned back off, implying no real shortage of memory). I'd then assumed a memory loop taking too long. But the charging state wouldn't (couldn't?) cause that.

So it has to be a problem in the interrupt handling, as previously suggested by someone here. The software would have to monitor some sort of charging state interrupt: still charging, still need to charge, or similar. Interrupt handler must be too slow to deal with all the (new for 8.3x) interrupts.

This might make some sense. All the new software things (IG, lanes, etc.) were probably coded by different teams, and tested separately. So each would appear to be fine, and no programmer would look at the interrupt routine, 'cos his single addition wouldn't "break the camel's back" - on its own!

But the 8.320 version that doesn't stutter anywhere near as badly was written to support the new hardware that fleet uses (300 or something), so *that* programmer would have had to be concerned with the interrupt handler at some point to service the h/w.

If this theory has validity, I'd bet (based on a career of s/w & h/w testing) that TT test with the most complete set of kit, ie. they most rigorously test on 8.320 as that tests more stuff, then do a cursory test of 8.300 build 'cos it "all works on the fleet system" - forgetting entirely that it uses a different path/code for interrupt handling, so missed the stuttering on 8.300 on standard x20/x30. Possible???
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Froggy · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:56 am Post subject: Voice problem after 8.3 on 720

It may be that the problem is not serious when the battery is fully charged... I have been running 8.301 (with Kate V7) on a fast SD card on my 720 with no problems so far - but the battery is usually already fully charged when my 720 is plugged into the car charger.

jimbo_hippo · Frequent Visitor Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 444

Ironically I was going to report a finding related to battery and stutter too.

On a regular trip to London from North Yorks I set off as usual. All settings as normal and traffic active with PAYG phone on bluetooth. All fine albeit with the odd stutter on longer commands.

After about 40 miles I had increased stutter and did a reset. No change. Then I noticed the device began to dim drastically when voice commands were issued up to a point where I completely lost the voice. No commands at all and no sound. Several reboots later (how safe is it when you're on the M1!) I also noticed I could hardly see the screen at times and even if I went into the settings and deselected the auto-dim and set brightness to full it was still hard to see. It was as if my device had ground to a halt and run out of steam.

I just ignored it after that for fear of running into a barrier. About 50 miles from London I stopped off for a health food intake (KFC with Pepsi) and noticed that I had knocked the usually rock solid power supply out of the ciggie lighter enough to disconnect it but hadn't noticed that the charge light wasn't on.

On reconnection and a reboot it ran much more smoothly and only stuttered occasionally.

Is it possible that the recent Navcore releases lead the device to guzzle too much power for the device's PSU? I'm not sure of variances between internal components but it's possible that components differ between versions and batches of versions.

To add some weight to the theory, we have some inconsistencies between seemingly identical models. Perhaps this is because the 12V supplies vary between cars. To support this, my wifes beemer 525i seems to deliver somewhat weedy power from the ciggie socket and I've had issues with non charging PDAs, BlackBerries etc in her car when I can take the same setup immediatley to my Zafira and it powers with identical hardware. The ciggie lighter charge light is on in the BMW but for example my Orange M5000 PDA struggles to charge in her car but never did in mine.

All the above is speculation with a little latteral thinking but feel free to disprove me. I won't cry. Anything that might accelerate the process has to worth a shot in the dark methinks.

BTW how much do we get as unofficial testers for TT?
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taylorapuk · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 20, 2008 Posts: 9

Andy_P · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:11 pm Post subject:

Andy_P · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:18 pm Post subject:

[quote="taylorapuk"]

layingback · Regular Visitor Joined: Feb 12, 2009 Posts: 124

This theory could be tested with a powered USB hub?
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Andy_P · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:31 pm Post subject:

Not neccessarily...
The USB specification actually forces devices to only "ask" for power in 100mA steps, up to a maximum of 500mA.

Ironically the better designed your PC or hub is, the more likely it is to strictly adhere to the spec!

(Wikipaedia article HERE. See the two sections near the bottom, just below "USB Cables")

NAM-UK · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:01 pm Post subject:

i have a good idea Overclock the tomtom Very Happy

we could have a CPUZ tomtom style, or even a watercooled tomtom ..

Very Happy

Tom59 · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:59 pm Post subject:

TomTom have now issued App 8.302, I can't wait ttttoo sssee if it is cure.......d Laughing

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Passionpantz · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 13, 2006 Posts: 15

Think i will stick with what i got, until it gets the thumbs up on here

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