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Devices memory limits. Simulator

Aleks
over 4 years ago

I know there were alot of questions about the limits, but again. 

For example 2 devices: Forerunner 945 and Fenix 6 

The first has 

<app id="watch-app" memory_limit="1310720" />

Meanwhile the second only

<app id="watch-app" memory_limit="131072" />

So it's 10 times less. Is this true? or it's just a missprint/bug?

I'm just wondering how it's possible to work with maps with these limits.

Thanks.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    The devices with maps will have more memory..  Is the device with less memory an f6 (non pro) by any chance?  It has no onboard maps..

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

    I select Fenix 6 / Solar / Dual Power in Sim. 

    IDK if it should support maps or not. But looks like F6 Sapphire does support. Is it the same?  

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

    Hm. Fr745 doesn't support maps, but it still has much more memory in sim :)

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Aleks

    The "pro" devices have maps. the non-pro devices don't.

    The sapphire devices are pro devices.

    Now to really confusing things, when you use native view like MapView or MapTrackView, it doen't really impact the memory for your app as they are native views.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Aleks

    The other variable is music, So you'll see something similar on music devices without maps.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

    Thanks. Looks like it works like this. Fr245 has the 128k limit as well.

    But 10 times less. So weird. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Aleks

    no music, no maps on the fr245

    But look at the fr245m.  It's got music, but no maps 1019k limit.

    Another thing, is unless you have a device with on board maps, be very, very carful, as the way things work with maps in the sim is different than real watch.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Aleks

    It does seem weird if you retroactively compare music devices to non-music devices, or if you compare to "normal" embedded platforms or full platforms.

    But if you look at the evolution of CIQ memory limits, 16 KB - 128 KB has always been the "standard" for full apps and data fields. It's only when music and maps were added that the memory has been anywhere near 1024 KB.

    Try building a data field that works on old devices like FR230 which has only 16 KB for data fields.

    So IMO, basically Garmin is gonna try to save money on parts, which is why they give you the least amount of memory possible (especially since RAM isn't a marketing bullet point.)

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to FlowState

    It's not that.  The memory used on non music/non map devices is different.  On music devices, it has to work with MTP for example, and for music and/or maps, you need a much bigger file system to hold the music and maps.

    And remember with Garmin, #1 is "it's all about the battery"  The fenix5x was interesting in that when you were just using the watch face, it ran on a different core with limited memory (to save battery), but when you moved to an activity, back to the main core and all the memory needed for maps.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to jim_m_58
    jim_m_58 said:
    It's not that.  The memory used on non music/non map devices is different.  On music devices, it has to work with MTP for example, and for music and/or maps, you need a much bigger file system to hold the music and maps.

    Yes, I understand that. My point is that Aleks is looking at it from the POV of "music devices have 1024 KB", so "it's crazy that non music devices have 10X less".

    But if you look at from the opposite POV, it makes sense. Non-music devices have always had small amounts of available CIQ memory (such as 16-128KB), and the only reason music and map-enabled devices have so much more is because they *need that memory* for music and maps.

    Non-music and non-map devices don't need that extra memory (from Garmin's POV), and Garmin isn't going to spend the money to add all that memory to non-music devices just to make devs happy, especially because the end user doesn't know or care how much RAM is on the device.

    IOW, the question isn't "why do non-music devices have so little memory?", the real question is "why do music devices have so much memory?". My point is that if you think of the non-music devices as "normal" or "baseline" instead of the other way around, it makes a lot more sense.

    Also, great point about battery life.