[Xastir] New code testing

[Chris Bell]

> 
> On Wed, 23 Jul 2003, Stephen West-Fisher wrote:
> 
> > HSP all the time into a DJ580, magmount antenna on the roof.
> > Yes, the laptop is reliable, but slow.
> >
> > I'll be testing again in my truck later this week on the same routes.
> 
> If you could try it with just the GPS plugged in instead of the
> radio, perhaps creating a Serial GPS interface for the task, that
> might tell us whether the HSP code is at fault.
> 

I am using gpsd and a tnc mobile, and not seeing any crashes.

> 
> > I still think it is the combination of slow laptop/map redraw/low zoom
> > level since a longer trip at higher zoom had no faults. My thoughts are
> > that the map needs redrawn, so a redraw is started. By the time the map
> > redraw is finished, I'm off the edge again. Due to screen aspect ratio
> > this happens more on north/south routes. This really only happens at
> > higher speeds, when I'm on streets at less than about 50mph, it doesn't
> > seem to happen.
> 
> Ok.  It's possible that the TrackMe code needs to initiate a map
> interrupt in this case, so that Xastir can try to keep up.  In that
> case you might not get a complete redraw before you get a map
> interrupt (depending on speed/zoom level/number & type of maps
> selected), so the maps drawn into memory won't even show up on the
> display.  Xastir might appear to be doing nothing, but in fact would
> be frantically drawing maps into a pixmap, then getting interrupted
> before you get to the copy-to-the-display stage, then starting the
> process all over again.  It might alleviate the segfaults you're
> seeing though, so it's probably a step in the right direction.

I think it would help, especially if you have a lot of maps loading.
My laptop was getting bogged down with a lot of redraws, and it seems
to even interfere with the smartbeacon transmits... 

> 
> There's not a lot we can do about that except suggest running on a
> laptop capable of redrawing in the time allotted.  It seems to me
> that we should do the map draw interrupt in this case though, so
> that Xastir doesn't get bogged down trying to draw maps that you're
> already past, queuing up more maps to load as it goes.
> 
> Another thing we _could_ do is to copy the maps up to the display as
> each map is loaded into memory.  This would slow things down
> slightly overall, but would at least give you partial maps as you
> were going along.  Problem is, if we interrupt the map drawing when
> you get to the edge, you'd never get the weather alerts/ symbols/
> tracks drawn on top of the maps either, so you wouldn't even get to
> see where you were on the map.
> 

I think it actually does, I was watching my system at home with a ton
of maps loading, and it would show the display periodically while
drawing different layers.  Kind cool to watch, but a little confusing
(what happened to the roads... oh there they are!)  Hm. Now it doesn't
do it... maybe I was doing something weird, like covering/uncovering
the window causing an X refresh.

I will be testing some more today, but I think gps tracks are broken
again.  My own trail was only showing points where I was digi'd, not
moving my icon or logging a point when the gps updates (set for 5
seconds).  Even that was delayed by the map redraws, kind fun to watch
your icon be drawn, with a DR circle, then pop to the next point, then
jump again causing a redraw... hmmmm

Chris.
[back from vacation #1, leaving friday for another week... any APRS in
Hawaii near Kona? (big island)]
KD6ZWR
cbell at junknet.com