A little comment on CTX software suggestions.

[harryhh]

I've read some of the posts in the software suggestions, and made a couple myself. But, I wonder if they have very much extra memory in the CTX to be able to make many updates to the software.

I suppose if they rewrote their entire code to make it more condensed, they might have more room for some of the suggestions. But, I don't know enough about the hardware architecture to say how these things are done.

 

[Altamaha]

I've read some of the posts in the software suggestions, and made a couple myself. But, I wonder if they have very much extra memory in the CTX to be able to make many updates to the software.

I suppose if they rewrote their entire code to make it more condensed, they might have more room for some of the suggestions. But, I don't know enough about the hardware architecture to say how these things are done.

I can't imagine that they would have designed the CTX 3030 as a software upgradeable machine and advertise it as such if there wasn't enough memory/control storage to do so. As a computer engineer/programmer and having designed, programmed and implemented devices/function using microprocessors it should be a no brainer to provide in the design, the extra memory capacity to make future updates/changes. Plus with the new/amazing advancements in memory speeds, size/density (ie 256 GB in an SD card the size of a postage stamp) I can't imagine that this should be a problem in a forward looking design. However even with tons of memory we must still consider the processor speed/memory access time and the overhead that would be required to implement some of the requested updates. I've been trying to find some specs and the micro-processor that Minelab uses in the CTX 3030, but it doesn't seem easy to come by. Seems as though Minelab is not very keen on publishing this sort of information. I've been told (but haven't been able to verify) that they are using the ARM II microprocessor which is very powerful. If this is the case then I feel that they should definitely have the capacity to handle extra work overhead without appreciably degrading CTX 3030 performance.

 

[harryhh]

Sounds good to me.

 

[chadwick]

Yeah what he said lol

 

[harryhh]

But, they try to save money in any way they can, and products lose a lot of their potential capability. Many times I have come across a product where if they had just added literally a penny or two the product could have been much better.

Some 35 years ago I bought a small boom box radio that could be plugged in or use regular batteries. I added one resistor to a circuit and the radio was then capable of using and charging rechargeable batteries also. The cost of a resistor to a manufacturer would probably have been less that one cent. But they cut costs everywhere.

 

[wvrick]

Component don't cost a lot, I build flight controllers for drones as a hobby but am a project manager for a global hobby community. The prototypes I hand solder(SMD) are for development and not the final production that are sold. The parts are not as high as most would think, for example: MPU-6000/MPU-6050 6-Axis gyro $6.00
All the rest are less cost than that, most are pennies if bought by the reel. But you are right, most companies squeeze every cent out of production into profit as they can.

 

[harryhh]

While I talk about adding a resistor that would of cost less than one penny, that's not really the whole story.

The component may cost less than one penny, but adding it will cost some also. Adding it might cost less than one penny, but depending on various things, it may cost 100 times that. With modern manufacturing, I think it would be rare for the addition of any component to cost very much at all. Probably only if something has to be added with manual labor.

It makes me angry through how they decrease the quality, functionality, or usefulness of products to such a degree, all for one penny.

 

[wvrick]

I don't think there would ever be a hardware change, only software unless its built in already. The flight controllers we have well do a lot more in the future on the current model, we just need the code to do it. A lot is experimental right now and in the future. It would be nice if the detector had those option but I would guess not as far as hardware, it would only be software manipulated.

 

[harryhh]

Many so called 'upgrades' are planned before the first model of some product ever comes out. The circuit boards for the new components of the upgrade are already designed and put into the first model. They already have all the holes and circuit traces made onto the boards. They just don't have all the 'upgrade' components on the board. The new components of the upgrade simply fill in the unused space of the already designed board.

But no, we can't expect actual hardware upgrades. Only if the product was designed for that right from the start. Like being able to add a new, larger memory card that you can plug in yourself. Then download new and larger software. Or being able to add some plug-in module where the plug-in port was already on the product.

 

[wvrick]

Yes you're right, the last production (700 PCBs) run we did on our board already have the components installed and some components can do more than they are already doing, kind of like having a cell phone and only using the calculator. Those other features are there just waiting to be used, also like you said a plug-in module or piggy back board. Our controllers have 4 plugs, 1 usb, radio connector, and a strip of headers for a receiver and a GPS header. I always hope the same thing has been done for the detector, everyone likes upgrades.

 

[harryhh]

It's like someone had posted, 'I just hope they don't call it the CTX 4040 and we have to pay for it. But we will. That's the way things go.

 

[kanaka2]

Time will tell as to how many upgrades we will enjoy with the CTX 3030 before the advent of the CTX 4040... Great machine as is but updatable was an advertising kicker.

 

[harryhh]

I don't recall seeing much about 'promised upgrades' as I've read here and there. Minelab might have mentioned that the CTX was upgradeable. But, for the most part that would be reserved for problems in software that appeared after roll-out. And for some possibility of and added feature or function. The CTX was a finished machine when it came out and no-one should expect it to be a different machine because of upgrades. The Saltwater feature was a little bit of a surprise. They apparently found a little room in the memory for it.

I think what Minelab will do is look at our suggestions for wanted features, if there is enough call for it, if it is do-able, if it is sell-able, they'll put that into the CTX 4040.

 

[Altamaha]

I don't recall seeing much about 'promised upgrades' as I've read here and there. Minelab might have mentioned that the CTX was upgradeable. But, for the most part that would be reserved for problems in software that appeared after roll-out. And for some possibility of and added feature or function. The CTX was a finished machine when it came out and no-one should expect it to be a different machine because of upgrades. The Saltwater feature was a little bit of a surprise. They apparently found a little room in the memory for it.

I think what Minelab will do is look at our suggestions for wanted features, if there is enough call for it, if it is do-able, if it is sell-able, they'll put that into the CTX 4040.

If you look at the section in the advertising brochure where they talk about the CtX 3030 being upgradeable, they completed it by saying, look foward to exciting new developments (so vague it could mean many things), from Minelab. But I wouldn't think that fixing bugs would be considered exciting new developments! In any case unless you work for Minelab I say Respectfully, you just don't know what their future plans are, how much spare memory there is in the machine, etc. So to say that the CTX 3030 was a finished machine and not to expect it to be upgraded to a different level etc, is just pure speculation!

These thread on upgrades continue to cause nothing but speculation and ongoing back and forth on this forum. So like some others have decided, this is the last time that I will even bother to look at a post concerning upgrades. I'm done, have fun with the speculation as to what Minelab will do, will not do, what they will name their next machine (ie CTX 4040), what it will look like etc. If that's what makes some happy have fun. In the meantime I will just appreciate and enjoy my CTX 3030 as is until/if there is something official from Minelab!

One of the best things that has happened on this forum was the removal of that pinned, out of control suggested updates thread. Thanks.

My two cents, done with it!