Not enough DSP memory

spoimala · Post by **spoimala** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 3:05 am

"A capacity limit of your DSP cards has been reached. The specific cause is:
Not enough DSP memory: cannot connect
PC master 32k Delay.Tap3 and Mix8.In3"

Is this why VIA chipsets suck? Or something more serious?

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 7:55 am

This has got nothing to do with your computer. There's small amounts of memory on your DSP card. It's used for ie. Optimaster's look ahead function and other stuff. I think also short delay effects use this DSP memory. It's way faster, but to expensive to put loads on a board. Also some of the program/devices will be stored in that RAM for processing I think.

So you could try to disable or shorten look-ahead function, load Delay L(ong) modules instead of the short versions etc. to free up that onboard RAM.

spoimala · Post by **spoimala** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 8:16 am

Jesus christ... I only had a few (well, 8. I was testing how many I can put) masterverbs and then something.. maybe Plasma and I got that error.
So few devices and Scope will get unusable? Weird.

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 8:20 am

If it's for a test -let's hope real-life performances don't tax DSP RAM that much.
Ie. you'll never use 8 Masterverbs. But I got great news for you: AFAIK no-one else on VIA could get that much

valis · Post by **valis** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 6:36 pm

Yea no kidding atomic. I'm amazed he's on VIA and comes here complaining about being able to load 8 masterverbs...and it's not even a PCI overflow complaint

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 7:42 pm

His problem is not PCI overflow, but shortage on onboard DSP memory. I encounter it too once in a while and it is a limit to your system, just like DSP capacity, system RAM, etc.

It's an annoying error, but can usually be solved by reloading DSP or lowering used DSP memory. Freeing up DSP memory can be done by turning of look-ahead functions, using delays of long type,... More examples are always welcome.

visilia · Post by **visilia** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 4:13 am

Filters are short delays too, but you'll have to load LOTS of them to overload the DSP memory, as a normal IIR filter (I think most filters in SFP) won't use more than a few samples

cheers,
vincent

spoimala · Post by **spoimala** » Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:08 pm

How much a card actually has memory? Does it depend on card (luna, pulsar, scope)?

Would it help, if I had two cards in my system?

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Thu Jan 23, 2003 6:51 pm

a single 21065L Sharc has 544 kbits of on-chip cache memory, according to AD-DSP-sel_guide.pdf by Analog Devices.
You might find this (downloadable) paper interesting if you're into hardware

cheers, Tom

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 8:49 am

I believe, that the scope boards have 32MB memory on them.

darkrezin · Post by **darkrezin** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 9:10 am

On 2003-01-24 08:49, Immanuel wrote:
I believe, that the scope boards have 32MB memory on them.

This 32mb RAM is not the same as on-chip DSP RAM. In fact, all the knowledgable Pulsar people I've spoken to so far either do not know what this RAM is for, or do not think it is used at all.

Anyone know for sure?

peace

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 10:54 am

We've done some tests, during a previous quest for the 32MB Scope RAM, but PCI Geiger didn't show any difference on PCI loads. So back then, we concluded it was not used... I'd be glad to hear I'm wrong.

spoimala · Post by **spoimala** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 4:59 am

Nobody said, if I buy -let's say- Luna2, would I have more DSP memory?

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:47 pm

I realy do not believe, that will be a solution.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:50 pm

the DSP ram is used for the task running on the chip, so a different distribution of tasks might indeed have an influence - but I wouldn't hold my breath on it.
Like at0mic wrote above, 8 different masterverbs are far from practical use, but of course you're free to design whatever sound you like

cheers, Tom

blazesboylan · Post by **blazesboylan** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:45 pm

Has anyone uncovered more info on DSP memory?

I've got a huge project. No look-aheads. Only one delay effect. No reverbs. 1 sampler and 1 EDS16. Mostly it's mixers and lots of audio interconnections.

I get the 'Not enough DSP memory' message when making a MIDI connection. (Midi Merger to a mixer, for automation.) It doesn't seem to matter what I attach though, every possible connection seems to be a straw that breaks the camel's back.

Is it possible that all interactions between DSPs go into an on-chip memory buffer? It would make sense from a programming standpoint...

Am I likely to improve things by increasing # of DSPs? I.e. upgrading again? Spoimala, is this the approach you ended up taking?

Any other suggestions?

My project is obscenely large. I ran out of DSP so ordered another card. Ran out of bus width so ordered another S/TDM cable. (Thanks Shawn and Ali! Ali helped me out on this one during a statutory holiday. Infinite Vortex sent me a free cable. Cool.

)

Now I'm out of DSP memory but I've already removed as much functionality as I can afford to.

Has there been any new thinking on this problem since the last post (over a year ago)?

Thanks and cheers,

Johann

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:12 pm

My current project's been recycled many times, and now I can't make any connections in the Project Window anymore, as if the second click never takes place. I can still make the connections from the Livebar, luckily. I'm afraid this workaround won't do when you get that error. I'm not getting any of the DSP memory problems. Adding a card could spread the load, and you could make some more connections. Have you tried reloading/reorganising the DSP by cycling samplerate to slave and back to master?

blazesboylan · Post by **blazesboylan** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:20 am

Haven't tried that particular approach, but I have optimized and re-optimized etc ad nauseam.

Will try it out though...

Thanks at0m|c!

Johann

blazesboylan · Post by **blazesboylan** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:34 am

*Sigh*. No go.

I did manage to squeeze out some breathing room by getting rid of a bunch of unused ASIO channels and removing 2 effects plugins... *Sigh*...

Any other ideas or tricks I might be able to try would be most welcome! (Apart from "make your project smaller!"

)

Thanks,

Johann

Post by **garyb** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 3:06 am