Firmware - quo vadis?

[scubatinoo]

Hi all

Right now we have official firmware version 2.50. But in the background is work in progress for a version 2.52 or even later.

I'm just wondering if there's a plan about the development of future firmwares for the OSTC 2N? For example: Is there a plan to release a version 3.0 with completely new features, for example an improved logbook or a more graphical display layout or whatever...

[scubatinoo]

An example for a feature-request for the Firmware 3.0

* Grouping the CF's - we have quite a lot of CF's for OC and CC mixed up. Because i don't need any CC-related CF's or Settings, it would be much easier for me if all CC-related CF's are grouped together in one menu. Same for general settings like color for text, symbols on/off and so on...

Now we just have CF I, CF II and CF III...

[Bardass]

in my manual (read.php?2,10466)

i propose 6 groups :
• Decompression
• Display
• Alarms
• User interface
• Logbook
• Closed ciruit

i don't know if its usable

[scubatinoo]

et voila! (tu)

[swissdiving]

Maybe we could reactivate solodivers wish list again:
My wish list

[heinrichsweikamp]

Grouping the Cf into different lists is quite easy. In the end you'll need the description manual anyway (Which needs to be updated, too). Trick is to make this very flexible so new CF won't mess up the lists again...

Regards,
Matthias

[Vassilis]

CF grouping is worth considering.
Maybe, one way to address this issue, while maintaining some flexibility is to use Bardass grouping and reserve some empty CFs per group for future use, e.g. :

Group / Current CFs / Total CFs (Current + reserve)
--------------------------------
Deco....: 10 / 15
Display : 26 / 30
Alarms : 10 / 15
UI........: 11 / 15
Logbook : 7 / 10
CC........: 5 / 15

i.e. 100 items (0-99 in order to maintain 2 digits numbering - if necessary)


Alternatively, CFs could be coded, e.g [Letter][xx].

Deco....: Dxx
Display : Sxx ("S" for screen)
Alarms : Axx
UI........: Uxx
Logbook : Lxx
CC........: Cxx

[Iglooz]

Before renaming all CF, a first step could be to just regroup them in dedicated menus.

1. Remove CF_I, CF_II and CF_III menus
2. Create new menus as proposed by Bardass for example
3. Spread the CFxx (without renaming) into the menus

Honnestly, I don't care to jump from CF12 to CF32 when I browse parameters as long as they remain in the Deco menu.

Avantages :
* "Easy" to implemente : each menu is just a list of CF to parse
* Easy evolutions : when a new CF appears, just give it a new number and add it to one of the lists
* No change in the current deco part of the code
* A param can belong to several lists (if relevant)
* Compatibility with 3rd party sofwares that already regroup CF in an other way but keep the number in comment (OSTC Planner, OSTC Tools, etc ...)
* Compatibility with all the previous discussion of this Forum. (It would be a shame to loose the track of discutions on CF65 :)o)
* Compatibility of OSTC with old and new FW in the same diving team : CF32 remains CF32 even if the way to change its value is through different menus. It is already not always easy to cope with several OTSC langages in the same team, I can't imagine if all praram are renamed ...

[scubatinoo]

I like (tu)

[Stephane]

I also vote for Iglooz' proposition. (tu)

[Clownfish]

Also agree with Iglooz proposal.

[Vassilis]

Yes, lglooz proposal is well elaborated. We should really consider this option.

[Rob]

You can do this grouping already with OSTCTools.

Why don't you sort the CF's with OSTCTools, check the usability of the grouping and than come with a grouping solution?

You will see that some CFs will fit in more than one group.
But check it out.

And don't stat messing around with the CF numbers not all the users have already the latest firmware version on their OSTC, for different reasons.

Regards
Rob

[scubatinoo]

BUT.... the grouping of the CF's is just a "short time solution". The idea behind this thread is to ask about "long time solutions" aka major releases with fundamental changes in the firmware. And if this ever happens with OSTC 2N...?

Back to the CF's. Maybe we need both: Grouping and renaming. But in an "Frondend / Backend System" where Frontend is what i see as an user and Backend is what goes on behind the screen... Avantages are
- the current system with CF1...99 will work in the "Backend". No changes therefore in the deco code.
- in the "Frontend" the settings and functions can be arranged and grouped in several menues like proposed. And Renamed! Because the "Frontend" then is just a link to the "Backend". In this way maybe it is possible to "link" a single CF into several menues, if needed.

It is some kind of a translation:

CF29 (Backend) --> D01 (Frontend: Menue Deco, Setting 01)

What do you think about this idea?

[Iglooz]

I agree with your analyse on the backend but my vision is that the frontend does not only "connect" to the owner of the OSTC that has moved to the new FW.

What about the connexion with :
- other OSTC owners with old FW
- 3rd party softwares
- all documentations, forum and blogs that already explain how to configure such a CF or an other ...

Honnesty, it would have be nice to have dedicated group but I find it is a bit too late => Next OSTC ???

In the meantime, the frontend can be improved but the compatibility with the current naming should remain.

[scubatinoo]

I understand your concerns - but...


Iglooz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What about the connexion with :
> - other OSTC owners with old FW

They still have the booklet provided with the purchase

> - 3rd party softwares

Must be updated or rewritten. Anyway...

> - all documentations, forum and blogs that already
> explain how to configure such a CF or an other

Honestly - what do you know about the topics on page 2 of this forum? Forums are good for asking, but not for storing and finding informations...

And don't forget - i was not asking for this change in the next beta! I'm still talking about a potential future firmware major release with other and more improvements like a more detailed logbook and so on.

[Iglooz]

scubatinoo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honestly - what do you know about the topics on
> page 2 of this forum? Forums are good for asking,
> but not for storing and finding informations...

I agree that I never jump on page 2 but before asking a new question a do try a search to see if the subject has not been treated before.
As long as no dedicated Wiki is available, I do consider this forum (and some others) as a knowledge database and not only a toilet wall of complains ....