software?

[jame4091]

Im lookin to buy an emag and want to know what is the best software, and what i should stay away from.

[Evil Bob]

New Emags from pretty much any of the dealers here on AO come with AGD 3.2 installed, which is the best you can get right now.

-Evil Bob

[gortman44]

i hear the 1.blah are pretty slow.

[Evil Bob]

The 1.xx (Emag) and 2.x (Xmag) software had a unique limitation built into it (a programming logic flow mistake) where it actually wouldn't count every single trigger pull. Using a testing machine like Tyger does, it became evident that 30 trigger pulls would in reality yield only 24-25 shots fired, basicly 1 shot in 4 or 5 would get ignored by the software.

This was due to the fact that the logic flaw would ignore a trigger event during the solenoid firing cycle. Since you're hammering on the trigger and the solenoid is popping in a similar rythym, you're going to hit this "null" spot pretty often, especially if you have outside skills like guitar or bass (trumpet/tuba/sax/etc.) where you can pull at steady stupid fast rythym. With 1.37, if you wanted to hit the software cap of 16bps, you had to pull a perfect 16pbs, if you pulled any faster, you'd end up with 12-14bps due to logic flow error.

3.2 addressed this by creating a "shot buffer" in which a single trigger event was stored during the solenoid firing process, which meant that each and every trigger event would be counted. Some people confuse "shot buffering" for "ramping" or "turbo" mode, it is not, shot buffering does not add additional shots onto a single trigger pull, it fires only a single ball per trigger event by storing the single trigger event in memory and processing it once the solenoid firing process has completed.

Probably one of the best innovations to the electro mag to date as it brought the mag up to par with most of the markers out there, at least until "ramping" became recently accepted in various tourny series, the electro mag is now lacking in that area of competition. Sadly, AGD dont appear to have any desire to update their electro mag software to include such features to make it competitive. That being said, RRFireblade is currently producing new software that will include those types of features, so watch those threads here on AO closely.

-Evil Bob

[slade]

The 1.xx (Emag) and 2.x (Xmag) software had a unique limitation built into it (a programming logic flow mistake) where it actually wouldn't count every single trigger pull. Using a testing machine like Tyger does, it became evident that 30 trigger pulls would in reality yield only 24-25 shots fired, basicly 1 shot in 4 or 5 would get ignored by the software.

This was due to the fact that the logic flaw would ignore a trigger event during the solenoid firing cycle. Since you're hammering on the trigger and the solenoid is popping in a similar rythym, you're going to hit this "null" spot pretty often, especially if you have outside skills like guitar or bass (trumpet/tuba/sax/etc.) where you can pull at steady stupid fast rythym. With 1.37, if you wanted to hit the software cap of 16bps, you had to pull a perfect 16pbs, if you pulled any faster, you'd end up with 12-14bps due to logic flow error.

3.2 addressed this by creating a "shot buffer" in which a single trigger event was stored during the solenoid firing process, which meant that each and every trigger event would be counted. Some people confuse "shot buffering" for "ramping" or "turbo" mode, it is not, shot buffering does not add additional shots onto a single trigger pull, it fires only a single ball per trigger event by storing the single trigger event in memory and processing it once the solenoid firing process has completed.

Probably one of the best innovations to the electro mag to date as it brought the mag up to par with most of the markers out there, at least until "ramping" became recently accepted in various tourny series, the electro mag is now lacking in that area of competition. Sadly, AGD dont appear to have any desire to update their electro mag software to include such features to make it competitive. That being said, RRFireblade is currently producing new software that will include those types of features, so watch those threads here on AO closely.

-Evil Bob

thats what i thought, but thanks for clarifying it, great post.

one thing i was wondering though, do lower end electros like spyders have the same flaw? so that if you pull 14 bps on a board capped at 13 then the marker will actually shoot only 8-10 bps?

[Evil Bob]

Possibly, but I doubt it. The flaw I'm referenceing here is unique to the software that AGD wrote for the Emag board when they were first released back in 2001 and perpetuated to the Xmag series with the 2.1 software.

Alot of the manufacturers specifically limit the RoF on their low end products to add longevity to the product and to cut down on the wear and tear. Nothing drives off customers then products that dont last.

-Evil Bob

[jame4091]

Thanks, that will help alot

[Tyger]

The 1.xx (Emag) and 2.x (Xmag) software had a unique limitation built into it (a programming logic flow mistake) where it actually wouldn't count every single trigger pull. Using a testing machine like Tyger does, it became evident that 30 trigger pulls would in reality yield only 24-25 shots fired, basicly 1 shot in 4 or 5 would get ignored by the
software.

I have a testing machine? You mean the NPPL or something?

-Tyger

[athomas]

thats what i thought, but thanks for clarifying it, great post.

one thing i was wondering though, do lower end electros like spyders have the same flaw? so that if you pull 14 bps on a board capped at 13 then the marker will actually shoot only 8-10 bps?

Any marker that does not remember the trigger pull during the firing cycle will have this flaw. I suspect there are a few out there.

[hitech]

It's not really a flaw. A shot buffer is a feature that most people want. The lack of a shot buffer is not a flaw.

[Evil Bob]

I have a testing machine? You mean the NPPL or something?

-Tyger

Sorry Tyger, I was thinking Bill Mills over at Warpig.com, no clue how I ended up stringing your name in there, must be my ADD kicking in big time again.

-Evil Bob

[RRfireblade]

Pretty much all low end electros, spyders etc, don't have any shot buffering in the software.

They will only shoot to the capped ROF if you pull perfectly,evenly spaced shots in the precise time specified by the cap.Otherwise you will see skipped shots.

[Tyger]

Sorry Tyger, I was thinking Bill Mills over at Warpig.com, no clue how I ended up stringing your name in there, must be my ADD kicking in big time again.

-Evil Bob

Just making sure. If I had a machine, I'd rent it out for money. :) :headbang:

-Tyger

[onedude36]

I noticed that, I was playing arround with a rental electro spyder with 25g/50g or whatever switch. It was bouncing like mad, but would only shoot like 8 :tard:

[warbeak2099]

Yea, I have an esp frame lying around (upcoming mag project muwahahaha) and when I walk it really hard, it clicks pretty slow. I took out the spring and everything too so it's not that hard. I know I'm doing about 12-13 on it, but it's going way slower. The tboard will be much better...