tchavei
rrProfessor
Location: Portugal
| This topic has gone a litte off. There is no point for you guys to go all over because of a gyro 
Anyway, here are my two cents:
1) Hacking a chip to obtain the machine code isn't an easy task. Its a VERY specialized and EXPENSIVE job.
2) Even if you have the compiled machine code in your hands, decompiling it doesn't give you an exact copy of the source assembly code so most companies that go that route don't bother decompiling it. They use the hacked image and copy it on new chips assuring that the chip is an exact workable copy of the original.
3) each DS760 is individually tested in a hot/cold enviroment and the outputting data is used to calibrate the sensor of that unit. This is the most time consuming and expensive task. I bet whatever you want that the PG-800 and G-lock 760 have an exact copy of ONE of the spartan units. Thats the only way that the DS760 firmware works with them. The drawback is that ALL of the copies are running on the same calibration data. This might be ok for maybe 30% of the sensor chips but what about the other 70%? I'll tell you, the chances of tail drift during flight are very high since the calibration data is off.
4) Align's gyro is facing the same problem. They wanted to mass produce a cheap gyro but didn't want to spend the money on a SS sensor (which makes sense... the current sensor is just too big) so they went the AD sensor route (just like the 760, Solid-G and CSM720) however they thought they could get away without going through the process of calibrating each and every gyro... what has been the result? People complaining about increased tail drift after a flight mostly due to temperature changes. If you don't calibrate an AD sensor, the performance is going to be poor no matter what.
5) About the DS760 availability... if you're thinking that you can just walk into a LHS and buy a hand full of them, think again. Its like buying a Ferrari (the german ferrari waiting list for one is 13 months, the portuguese waiting list is 7 months btw). I had to go through hell to get my hands on a Ds760. Nowadays its easier to get one but they still sell before the batch even arrives. I pre-ordered mine 3 weeks before the ETA at the US distributor and, if I recall correctly, Mark only had 3 unspoken units left at that time. If you really want one, you can get them right now at several european stores (I just checked) but like I said, don't expect them to be for sale at the local supermarket.
6) About the new g-lock. My bet is that SJGD is trying to dump their stock as fast as possible. Spartan has already taken legal actions and my bet is that they want to dump everything fast to cut their losses. Like mentioned on #1, hacking a chip is extremely expensive and isn't easy to do. You need special tools and the only way to pay for this is to sell XXXX units or you're in trouble.
7) If you want to go another route, thats your choice but don't bash something just because its "hard to get". I don't see anyone NOT buying a ferrari because he has to be on a waiting list.
Tony
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"Perfection and patience usually walk side by side..." |
So any time frame when the ds650 will be released? Just so us Spartanatics can sleep.
