E-trac emulator software questions ???

[wjpjr]

Well I got it downloaded got the zips installed . Then noticed no one seems to have trash zips ?
anybody know of any ?
It kinda sucks that you can't play with the emulator then import to your unit !! ??
I would have still bought my unit but I wish I would have found this article first !
Now that Bites !!

http://www.thebeepgoeson.com/display.asp?page=E-Trac_Files

There's so much this unit could do if the makers would open up and let the world in .....
Anyway enough with my rant .. Anybody made any trash zips for the emulator ??
Thanks in advance .
Bill

 

[The Beep Goes On]

There is a workaround as has recently been discovered. Some things are happening, but not in this country (program with editor that exports directly to E-Trac).

 

[wjpjr]

There is a workaround as has recently been discovered. Some things are happening, but not in this country (program with editor that exports directly to E-Trac).

??? Can you elaborate a bit more ? Sounds promising !

 

[The Beep Goes On]

It's an awesome program. Modelled on the spreadsheet design, it is an executable that allows storage, design and direct import/export to/from the E-Trac. It's very well done...like a sophisticated version of Xchange on steroids with more and better functionality, including all the functionality that is in the spreadsheet. The pattern editor works in a manner similar to the spreadsheet version and it has a documentation panel like the spreadsheet for each pattern. It's very close to what I would have done if I were a bit smarter ;-)

It may be illegal, though. At least in terms of the act of figuring it out. And, although I don't believe this would happen, it could mess with your E-Trac's internals, or mess with the warranty. Now, if someone can debug a program and get it to work, obviously sending bad data to the E-Trac during development, and the machine still functions perfectly, then I don't see a problem. As I said, another country. I need to look at the Xchange license agreement before I decide whether to promote it, design my own, or whatever. If everything's kosher, then I'll definitely let you know. My only hand in this was providing the code used to read the files (ptrn, mode, glb) and allowing the spreadsheet to be used as a loose template.

If you think about it, besides the potential security issues, releasing a program like this would probably boost Minelab's sales because you can now do what everyone thought you should be able to do to begin with.

 

[wjpjr]

The technology is there and it would be quite simple to do in the right hands if coding's where known .
The work I do is mount defencive lasers in US military aircraft TKI (Test kit installs) .
These sensors (Not unlike metal detectors ) detect the missiles plume (engine heat) and when it's happy it's got a missile it shoots a laser beam at it to melt the guidance system in the rocket.
Sounds simple right ! Well these things have to be trained ( Like our e-trac's) to over look hot spots that look like plumes like city's ,smoke stacks train engines ect ect.
The technology's there to build the ""perfect"" metal detector ! Will they ? Who knows But, I will bet ya it won't be coming out this fall !
I have to admit I truly thought the e-trac was trainable via computer when I bought it . !!

Good posts and web sight Beep goes on !!
Thanks Bill

 

[The Beep Goes On]

No prob. As to trash target zip files, there are files with trash targets in them, but none that consist of all trash targets. The zip files are easy to make.

 

[coolhandluke]

How accurate is the US Coins file for the E-Trac emulator? I was using the emulator and many of the silver coins are reading 1 or 2 FE and 24 through 30 CO.

When I got to the 1944 Washington Silver Quarter is reads 1 or 2 FE and 28 through 30 CO.

I have, however, a 1943 Washington Silver Quater in my possesion. I just took it outside and ran it under my E-Trac. It reads a solid 11-47

Why the big difference in the emulator and reality? Were the coins different in 1943 vs.1944 or is my E-Trac out of calibration; do I have the wrong file? Maybe one for the SE? What?

If you have a clue as to why, I'd love to know.

Thanks,
CHL

 

[coolhandluke]

I may have answered my own question. The zip file has SE in the name. Does the E-Trac and SE have the same FECO numbers?

Further research is required....

 

[coolhandluke]

Mystery solved. I was in such a hurry to get the new files I grabbed the wrong ones. I went back and downloaded the Etrac Files and loaded the US Coins zip into the E-Trac Emulator.

It matches. The 1944 Washington Silver quarter in the emulator and my silver quarter both read 11-47 when flat.

Very nice to see and a good test on reality. I would hate to have memorized the wrong FECO numbers. That would have sucked.

 

[wvrick]

I did that the other day, I got one of the files from a french site for the Explorer II and SE and put them in the E-Trac Emulator... it worked but I was wondering if the FE's and CO's were correct. The file common_us_items_210.zip has a few trash items, I played with it for a few minutes but that was about all.

 

[coolhandluke]

Yeah, I was kind of wondering why they didn't throw a common trash item in between each coin or every few coins. That would make it a well rounded exercise. So far the lesson I've learned just from the emulator is that if a target hits in a certain good range I have to dig it. Period.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

The numbers and files are not compatible between the SE and the E-Trac. These graphs of silver jewelry targets show the difference in screen and coordinate layout. The zip files have the coordinates reversed in the infos.txt files, and the scale is different, so you do need the correct file.