SymNet Designer Version 4.02 Release Notes
Copyright
2004, Symetrix, Inc.
I) Changes from previous versions
III) Upgrading Firmware for V4.0
IV) Issues with Site files from previous versions of SymNet Designer
This document is intended for those users upgrading from Version 1.1x though 3.x. If you are upgrading from Version 1.0x, you should first read the upgrade instructions for version 1.1x. This file is located on the installation CD in the "Help" folder. It is also installed to the SymNet Designer folder, C:\Program Files\Symetrix\SymNet Designer 4.0\Release 1_1x Notes.txt and is available on the symetrixaudio.com web site.
SymNet Designer V4.02 is a maintenance release for version 4.0. It is recommended that all users of V4.0x upgrade to V4.02.
Two bugs were fixed that related to the "Go on-line without downloading" feature. Some system experienced temporary loss of audio when downloading following this operation. Also, sometimes the "On-line, Needs downloading" state was erroneously shown immediately after going on-line.
A crash that occurred when assigning the DSP of a module inside a super-module was repaired.
A problem that caused the meter bar to not work after loading an entire unit's settings was fixed.
New firmware is not required for any of these fixes.
SymNet Designer V4.01 is a maintenance release for version 4.0. It is recommended that all users of V4.0 upgrade to V4.01.
A bug was fixed that caused DSP modules to revert to default parameters after a Connect Only operation followed by a Download. New firmware is not required for this fix.
SymNet Designer V4.0 is a major release and has many enhancements over V3.5x.
1) Configurations
and Presets have been significantly changed. In previous versions, there were 8
configurations in a design with 16 presets. Now in 4.0, there is only 1
configuration, but the number of presets has been expanded to 1000. When you
open an older site file that contains 8 configurations in version 4.0, you are
prompted to choose the individual configuration you wish to open. See Issues with Site files from previous versions of SymNet
Designer below for more information. As part of this change, an F4 download is now
required for presets to function.
2) A new module
type Feedback Fighter has been added. These modules detect feedback
automatically and deploy notch filters to suppress it. Mono and stereo versions
of 24-band, 16-band, 8-band Feedback Fighters are provided. In addition, new
notch filter modules of the same sizes have been added. These allow copying the
filter settings from a Feedback Fighter to a fixed filter module to save DSP
resources.
3) Security has
been revamped and improved. The hardware-based security available in previous
versions has been streamlined and simplified. Site file-based security has been
added.
4) A new user mode
has been added which hides the toolkit and browser and allows automatic
“connect only” on opening a site file. The new User Manager dialog provides
access to this and other new security features.
5) Support for the
new SymNet hardware device DigIO has been added.
6) There is a new
option to load the last recalled preset in the Triggers and Power On Default
dialog.
7) Individual
units and rings can be disabled during download. This allows downloading a
design to hardware even if some units are not connected, malfunctioning, or
otherwise unavailable. This feature was added to facilitate development and
trouble-shooting and can be accessed by right-clicking a unit, choosing
properties and using the Enable for Download checkbox.
8) Several new
larger matrix modules have been added: 8x24, 16x24, 24x24, 32x24, 48x4, 48x8,
48x16, 64x4, and 64x8.
9) Matrix modules
now have Disconnect All and Connect All buttons.
10) As an
alternative to using the scroll bars, pressing the space bar and dragging
allows for quick panning of the design both horizontally and vertically.
11) The input and
output labels for units are now editable to allow for improved
self-documentation. For example, in a BreakIn12, you can label each of the 12
inputs. The labels are accessed through the I/O module views and appear both on
the I/O blocks and on the design-level view. The unit icons have been widened
to allow displaying more text in the design view.
12) Paste is now
available as a right-click option. Pasting using this method places the objects
at the point the mouse was clicked rather than using the options set in the
preferences. This can be used to solve the problem of pasted objects going
off-screen or overlapping with existing modules.
13) New momentary
button control modules have been added. To differentiate them from the new
modules, the existing button modules are now referred to as “latched” (e.g. 1
Button Latched).
14) A “Go on-line
without downloading” button has been added to the toolbar.
15) Channel
controls (e.g. from mixers) that are copied to control screens can now be
“ungrouped,” allowing the controls to be edited or removed individually.
16) The error
reporting has been improved when hardware communication is lost. The specific
unit that failed is now reported.
17) Accessory
serial port settings can be changed from SymNet Designer. Previously, an ASCII
terminal program was required. These settings can be accessed by opening the
Upgrade Firmware dialog and clicking the Accessory Port Settings button.
18) The VCA
modules now have diagnostic information indicating the current gain they are
applying.
19) SymLink bus
properties can now be quickly accessed by right clicking a bus send or return
module and choosing Properties.
20) On SymNet DSP
units, relay #1 is now set-up by default to indicate power failure. The relay
is energized on power-up and by default in new site files. As before, relay #1
can still be used for other purposes if the user wishes to override this new
default functionality.
21) Hotkeys have
been added for several menu items.
22) The compressor
module views have been fine-tuned. Output gain (i.e. makeup gain) can now be
entered numerically. Several limits and scales have been tweaked for improved
usability.
23) A Verify
option for the FPGA firmware as been added.
24) Firmware filenames
have been expanded to be more descriptive, and now, by default, only files
appropriate for the selected hardware type are shown.
In SymNet Designer V4.0, we have changed some terminology and menu items names to reflect new functionality and to increase clarity.
1) The Configuration menu has been removed. Many of the items are no longer necessary now that there is only one configuration in a site file. The remaining items have been moved to the Hardware menu.
2) The status bar no longer displays “Downloaded”. The new term is “On-line”. Similarly, “Needs Downloading” has been changed to “On-line Needs Downloading”.
3) The “Connect only” menu item has been changed to “Go on-line without downloading”.
4) The “Download Configuration #x” menu item is has been changed to “Download Configuration to SymNet”.
If you are
upgrading at an existing installation that loads a configuration automatically
on start-up, the following procedure is recommended:
1. Turn off the
automatic configuration load by going to Upgrade Firmware, clicking on Erase
Memory, selecting only “Triggers and Power on Default” and
hitting Erase.
2. Upgrade the
firmware as described below.
3. Re-download your
entire site file to the hardware. If you still have the original site file
(.sym file), open it in SymNet Designer 4.0 and choose Hardware->Download
Entire Site File to SymNet (or press F4).
If you no longer have this file, first choose Hardware->Upload Entire Site
File to SymNet, then Hardware->Download Entire Site File to SymNet (or press
F4).
Following the
re-download procedure listed above guarantees that the DSP code running in your
hardware is the correct version to work with the new firmware and SymNet
Designer application code.
Version 4.0
installs to a separate location than from previous versions on your hard drive.
Version 4.0 will not interfere with your Version 1.x, 2.0, or 3.x settings.
Version 4.0 can cohabitate with previous versions on your PC. It is important
to note, however, that the firmware on the hardware must match the version of
SymNet Designer that communicates with it. Version 4.0x will only communicate
with hardware that is running the firmware released with Version 4.0x, etc.. If
you intend to switch between versions of SymNet Designer with the same hardware
units, you must remember to change the firmware each time. SymNet Designer
checks this on download and warns you if a mismatch is detected.
IMPORTANT: In order to run SymNet Designer version
4.0, the firmware in your hardware devices must be upgraded to the latest
level. If you are receiving this software with a new SymNet device from the
factory, then the firmware versions should already be correct. However, if you
are using it with an existing SymNet device, then the firmware must be
upgraded. (Information about the latest release versions is always available on
the symetrixaudio.com web site.) When you try to download a design to SymNet
hardware, the firmware versions will be automatically checked and you will be
told if an upgrade is required.
Note that there are
a "Verify" buttons in the Upgrade Firmware dialog for the
Microprocessor and FPGA files. These allow verifying that the Microprocessor
and FPGA firmware file in your hardware exactly match the files on your hard
disk.
As of this writing,
the current versions of the SymNet firmware are as follows:
SymNet
Microprocessor file: Version 4.000 (applies to SymNet DSP, CobraLink, and
BreakIn/Out devices.)
SymNet DigIO
Microprocessor file: Version 4.000 (applies only to SymNet DigIO devices.)
SymNet FPGA file
for SymNet DSP Devices: Version 4.000
SymNet FPGA file
for CobraLink Devices: Version 4.000
SymNet FPGA file
for BreakIn/Out Devices: Version 4.000
SymNet FPGA file
for DigIO Devices: Version 4.001
(See "Why are there two different
files?" below for more information.)
1. Install
SymNet Designer 4.0 using the provided Setup utility. This will copy the
necessary firmware files to your hard drive.
2. Launch
SymNet Designer 4.0.
3. Connect
your hardware devices as they would be for normal operation. It is recommended
you disconnect or power down all audio devices, especially power amps and
speakers, connected to SymNet during the upgrade.
4. In
SymNet Designer 4.0, choose Hardware -> Upgrade Firmware. The dialog that
appears will tell you the current version of the firmware in your hardware
devices.
5. Click
the Upgrade button under SymNet Microprocessor file. An open file dialog will
appear allowing you to navigate for firmware files. By default it should take
you into the C:\Program Files\Symetrix\SymNet Designer 4.0\Upgrade folder.
Select the file SymNet_MicroProc_V4000.bin and click Open. (If you are using a
DigIO, select that file instead.)
6. After
this finishes, click the Upgrade button under SymNet FPGA file. Select the
SymNet_FPGA_V4000.bit file and click Open. (If you are upgrading a CobraLink,
BreakIn/Out, or DigIO device, select the CobraLink, BreakIO, or DigIO file
instead.)
7. If you have more than one SymNet device, select each device using the address dropdown at the top of the dialog box and repeat steps 5-6.
8. If
you are using CobraLink and have more than one ring, also repeat for all
devices on all rings using the Ring dropdown at the top of the dialog box.
9. When
finished, click Close.
SymNet firmware has
two components, the microprocessor file and the FPGA file. They are generally
independent and both may need upgrading.
The microprocessor
file contains the code that SymNet's embedded microprocessor runs. This
microprocessor is responsible for communicating with the host, managing the
DSPs, external control, and many other tasks. The microprocessor file is common
to all SymNet devices other than the DigIO, i.e. SymNet DSP, CobraLink,
and Break In/Out devices. A different microprocessor file is required for DigIO
devices. The microprocessor file for the DigIO is prefixed with
DigIO_MicroProc. The file for all other devices is prefixed with
SymNet_MicroProc. In both cases, the version number is contained in the file
name.
The FPGA (Field
Programmable Gate Array) file controls the programmable logic devices used in
SymNet. These devices manage the SymLink bus, facilitate DSP communication, and
perform several other tasks. The FPGA file is common to all SymNet DSP devices.
However, a different file is required for each of the CobraLink, BreakIn/Out,
and DigIO devices. The file intended for SymNet DSP devices is prefixed with
SymNet_DSP_FPGA. The file intended for CobraLink devices is prefixed with
CobraLink_FPGA. The file intended for BreakIn/Out devices is prefixed with
BreakIO_FPGA. The file intended for DigIO devices is prefixed with DigIO_FPGA.
In all cases, the version number is contained in the file name. By default,
SymNet Designer only shows you files valid for your particular unit and
additionally checks the file contents to prevent you from using the wrong type
of FPGA file.
In version 4.0, the site file (.sym file) format has changed significantly from V3.5x. You will be able to open all previous version site files in V4.0 or later. However, files saved with version 4.0 will not be readable by previous versions. In addition, since version 4.0 site files support only one configuration instead of eight, you must choose the configuration to load when opening site files from previous versions.
When you first open an older site file in V4.0, the Select Configuration dialog box appears asking you which configuration you wish to load. (If a particular configuration was not used in that site file, “empty” is displayed after the configuration name.) After you select a configuration, the file is opened with the filename changed to indicate the selected configuration. For example, if the original site file was named My Site.sym and you selected Configuration 1, the new filename would be My Site-Configuration1.sym. If your older site files use only one configuration, opening and re-saving once is all that is required to convert them to V4.0 format. If they use more than one configuration, you must repeat the process for all configurations. For example, if a previous-version site file used 3 configurations, you would need to open it 3 times, once for each used configuration. The result would be 3 new V4.0 site files. Note that the Select Configuration dialog box displays “empty” after any configuration that was unused in the older site file to aid in determining how may configurations your file used.
If you intend to maintain both V3.5x and V4.0 on your computer, we recommend the following guidelines to minimize difficulties with file formats:
A) Backup Version 1.x/2.x/3.x design files.
B) Don't use the same file names for Version 4.0 design
files.
C) Choose the default locations when installing
software.
D) Do not use version 4.0 software with version
1.x/2.x/3.x firmware or version 1.x/2.x/3.x software with version 4.0 firmware.
It is recommended
that you backup your version 3.x or earlier design files to a secure location
before using or installing Version 4.0. Even if all else goes completely wrong,
as long as you have those files, there is a way to recreate your old setup.
Note that once you save a file with SymNet Designer 4.0 and overwrite a file
from a previous version, it will no longer be readable in the previous version
of SymNet Designer.
If you are going to
maintain both versions of the software on your PC, it is highly recommended
that you include something in the file name of all Version 3.x and earlier
files you save to indicate their version. This way you will be able to tell the
files apart if they become co-mingled. This is made easier by the fact that
V4.0 site files have the configuration name appended to them automatically.
Even if you are not
going to maintain both versions, it is a good idea to use this practice at
least until all your design files have been converted and you have fully
embraced Version 4.0.
When you install
any version of SymNet Designer software, allow the installation to go to the
default folder. This will ensure that different versions do not interfere with
each other.
The versions of
software and firmware must match. The only operation that accesses hardware you
should do with mismatched software and firmware is upgrade to the correct
firmware. Upgrading is generally possible regardless of the firmware mismatch.
If this is not the case, the release notes will make a point of mentioning
this.