VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Visor & Deluxe (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)
-- DRAM Problem - Handspring has a Test (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=1450)

Palm has posted a software patch on their site already...why does it take 2 weeks for HS to do the same?

Also I wonder if all the units with a DRAM made by the manufacturer are faulty. It sounds like Palm's test program is acutally chekcing the DRAM since it takes about 30 min to run. I suspect Visor Test is merely checking the serial number.

For a detailed explanation of the problem & how the patch supposed to work, go to TRGPro's FAQ site.


[This message has been edited by Taki (edited 06-29-2000).]

Before reading this thread, I called Handspring this morning and a very kind lady said, "We'll send you a new one since the download won't be out until mid-July." This didn't make sense to me since I didn't know this issue was patchable, but I'm happy to have a replacement as my contrast has to be slid to the extreme left in order to have a light enough background for legibility. Bottom line, my Visor flunked the test and a replacement is on the way.

tyler

I'll have a new Visor on the way, as soon as I get my dad's credit card when he gets home. Now, would it be bad if I asked for a different color?

quote:

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Originally posted by ragamuffinn:
...In the cases where a hard reset was required, my VDx would, upon a soft reset, go into an endless loop, flashing the PalmOS screen. Has anyone else had this problem?...

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I wonder if the palm patch would work on the Visor? Since Palm already has a fix and there both the same operating system for the most part!!

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Originally posted by xstitcher:
On Replacements - wonder what the odds are that they will ship replacement units with the defect but will have loaded the patch?

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quote:

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Originally posted by eodman:
I wonder if the palm patch would work on the Visor? Since Palm already has a fix and there both the same operating system for the most part!!

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Will the patch Visor produces fix the problem since it's a hardware issue and not a OS issue?

Just called Handspring to give them my credit card info and the lady told me that by the time I receive a new Visor (which I was told previously was 3 to 5 days) that the patch would be available. She also said it would be available in a few weeks and that they were testing for bugs and glitches in the patch. It's wierd that their going back on what they told me. Maybe too many people have asked for replacements and so they're starting to say no to them. I guess I'll just have to call tommorow and see if I get luckier with another rep.

Hmmmm. Phoned HS today after discovering that my VDX flunked, and they offered to replace it without any questions. Will be my fourth!! (One stolen, one soft/scratched screen, now the memory glitch--still very happy, though)

I called again today--and was told again about that patch and that I had called the wrong number (a non toll free -- new york area code number--and pressed 3 for "repairs and returns") The lady was polite but basically was refusing to even "mention" a replacement. I really don't wanna bother calling again as the long distance plan I have is not optimal for their work hours. Oh well--I'm stuck with old blue for now.



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-Vinny

I'll pack my bags I swear I'll run, wish my friends were 21

HS said I could get a replacement unit, but they are are REFURBISHED units.

Here's a photo of the DRAM causing the problem!

How the patch might work:

According to TRG's in-depth explanation, it has to do with how the DRAM is refreshed.

For those of you who don't know about how DRAM works, it can only maintain its contents if it is refreshed (read and re-written) periodically.

Now, in the PalmOS devices, when the CPU is on (which is less often than you think), it is in charge of refreshing the DRAM. But, when the CPU is off (which they do to save battery power, etc.), the DRAM is supposed to go into self-refreshing mode.

It is this self-refreshing mode which is corrupted (and causes random data to be written). Depending on where the bad part is, it could corrupt unsed memory (no biggie), your data (hope you have a backup), or the running OS (better RESET!).

The patch is said to prevent the self-refreshing mode from running. Instead, it uses "burst CBR refresh" (whatever that is).

My question is, though, does that mean the device will consume more power? Does "burst CBR refresh" require the CPU to run?

(TRG's faq is at http://www.trgpro.com/support/faq_dram.html)

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--
Trinition ([email protected])

Yhea, mine has the bug. But I'll wait for the patch. I just got my Visor Deluxe 7 days ago and don't want to give it up. I haven't had one single problem yet with it, works perfectly so far. I love it.

Tom

quote:

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Originally posted by krue:
The DRAM problem that is being reported today all over the web is affecting Visor Deluxe as well. If you have a Visor Deluxe that shipped between January and March of 2000, you may want to go to the Handspring site and run the test to see if your unit is defective. Here is the link:http://www.handspring.com/support/ts_visor_test_download.asp

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Phew! Both my wife's and my Visors pass the test!

To try and answer Trinition's question: The patch might cause decreased battery life.

I'm a Electrical Engineer and I'm working on a project that uses the Dragonball EZ (no, it's not another Palm clone!). The "CBR burst refesh" refers to a way that the processor can refresh the DRAM. "CBR" means "CAS before RAS" refresh. CAS and RAS are two signals on the DRAM chip that the DRAM memory controller of the Dragonball EZ uses to address the memory. In self refresh mode, the DRAM is refreshing itself and the DRAM controller in the Dragonball EZ is off.

Now according to a datasheet that I have for a Samsung 8M DRAM chip, the CBR refresh mode does not consume any more current than the self refresh mode. BUT in CBR refresh, the DRAM controller in the Dragonball must be running. This will likely draw more power than having the DRAM refresh itself while the Dragonball's DRAM controller is off.

The increased power draw is likely to be very small, so I would not worry too much over decreased battery life.

[fixed typos]

[This message has been edited by MPM (edited 07-02-2000).]

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Originally posted by ragamuffinn:
I tested positive.

I wonder if the memory problem has anything to do with a nasty series of hard reset problems I had last month. I more or less eliminated any hacks as the problem. (In the cases where a hard reset was required, my VDx would, upon a soft reset, go into an endless loop, flashing the PalmOS screen. Has anyone else had this problem?) Thank goodness for my backup springboard.

For peace of mind I asked for a replacement.

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I received my Visor Deluxe in November 1999. According to the info that Handspring is putting out, it's not supposed to have this 8MB DRAM problem.

Unfortunately, when I run the test, I get the "... potential component issue may exist ..." message. This means that I have the 8MB DRAM problem.

I have let Handspring support know about this. I sure hope that they have a handle on the problem. It would be great if my number of "Fatal Errors" decreased after I install this patch that they've yet to release.

I contacted Handspring via email concerning this issue and they replied saying that the patch is complete and there working out the bugs. They hope to have it available by mid July. Also stated that the patch would not affect battery life.

[This message has been edited by eodman (edited 07-03-2000).]

BTW, if anybody else has had their 2 meg upgraded to 8 meg by STNEcorp.com, I was informed by them they do not have this problem. I do get an error during the Visor test but that must come from the serial number being entered.