SLIMP3 Frequently Asked Questions

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What are the minimum system reqirements for the server computer?

We have users with single SLIMP3 players using Pentium 166 systems as servers with 64M of memory. We generally recommend a 300Mhz Pentium II with 128M of memory. You'll need more memory if your music library is large, approximately 32MB for each 15,000 songs. You also may need a faster CPU if you wish to use multiple SLIMP3 players with a single server computer.

How do I use multiple folders or disks with my Music Library?

You can create links or shortcuts to other folders and place them in your specified Music Library Folder. The contents of the linked folders will then be part of your Music Library.

How do I control the SLIMP3 from another computer?

In any web browser, type in this URL: http://slimp3server:9000/. Replace "slimp3server" with the IP address for the computer running the SLIMP3 Server software.

How do I synchronize two SLIMP3 players so they play the same audio?

Navigate into the "Player Settings" area with the remote control. Choose "Synchronize", then select the other player you want to synchronize with and press the RIGHT button. Both will play the same thing and you can control their "synchronized" playback from either remote. Go back to the same place and press RIGHT again to unsync.

What ID3 tags and versions does the SLIMP3 support?

The SLIMP3 server scans MP3 files for ID3 tag versions 1.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4. The tags it pays attention to are title, artist, album, comment, year, track number, disc set numbers and genre.

Does the SLIMP3 support MP3Pro?

The SLIMP3 player can play back MP3Pro files using the backwards compatibility feature of MP3Pro, unfortunately, the audio quality in this mode has significantly reduced quality. We recommend encoding your music using standard MP3 format.

Does the SLIMP3 support Windows Media or Real Player formats?

The SLIMP3 player's hardware decoder only supports MP3 format for decoding. Unfortunately, the licensing issues surrounding these formats make it impossible for us to convert these formats to MP3 on the fly.

Does the SLIMP3 support Ogg Vorbis?

If you have a Linux, BSD or OS X system with both LAME and ogg123 installed, the SLIMP3 server will automatically convert Ogg files to MP3 on the fly for playback. There may be some reduction of quality due to the conversion, but it generally sounds pretty good. Note that this conversion will use a substantial amount of CPU power and may put a substantial load on your server computer. This feature is still under development for Windows users.

The IR remote is not responding, or is functioning erratically.

  1. Make sure the remote is in the correct mode—press the DVD button.
  2. Make sure is it programmed correctly. Press: S, DVD, 0, 0, 7, ENT
  3. To control the SLIMP3 volume via the remote, press: S, TV, 0, 2, 8, ENT, DVD, S, TV, VOL+, ENT
  4. Make sure the SLIMP3 is not located near another source of IR light, such as an optical mouse.
  5. Take the batteries out, wait a few minutes, and then install fresh batteries and then reprogram the remote.

The volume is too high or too low.

SLIMP3 is capable of slightly higher volume levels than most consumer audio gear and may cause “clipping” with some receivers. If you notice clipping, you may wish to reduce the SLIMP3's volume level. If the volume is too low even at the maximum setting or if it varies between tracks, try using your encoder's “normalize” setting to ensure that all your tracks use the full range.

The player doesn’t get past “Looking for DHCP server...”.

Check all your network connections, and make sure that the DHCP server is running. Try a different Ethernet cable, even if the hub indicates a good link.

The player doesn’t get past “Looking for SLIMP3 server...”.

Ensure that the SLIMP3 server software is running, and that you can access it using a web browser.

How do I get back to the player’s IP address configuration menu?

Reset the player by removing and then reinserting the power cable.

On Windows, when I run the "SLIMP3 Server.exe" program the splash screen appears but never goes away and the SLIMP3 displays "Looking for
SLIMP3 Server".

Some un-zip utilities put all of the files in a single folder when you unzip and this confuses the SLIMP3 server application. Make sure that the folder "server" exists in the folder containing the "SLIMP3 Server.exe" application, and that the application "slimp3.exe" is in the "server" folder.

I’m seeing messages in the SLIMP3 server’s console or debug window, but the server seems to be running fine.

Any such messages may be safely ignored–they’re for troubleshooting in case you have problems later.

Some parts of the web interface are not showing up correctly.

The SLIMP3's web interface is available in several different "skins”. Some skins use JavaScript, Java, CSS, or other elements that may not be available in all browsers. The “SLIMP3 Default” skin is very simple, and should render correctly in all web browsers. To change the skin, open the web interface and go to the “Additional Server Settings” area.

How do I set up my firewall to allow the SLIMP3 to communicate with the server?

Make sure that UDP ports 1069 and 3483 are open for communication between the SLIMP3 player and the SLIMP3 server computer. Make sure that TCP port 9000 is open for access to the SLIMP3 web interface.

A while after the SLIMP3 Server starts, it locks up or starts using a huge amount of memory and CPU, even without playing any music.What's up?

Check to make sure that any playlists in your music library contain valid paths to music files in your library. Playlists that refer to themselves or other folders in your library, or playlist entries that refer to disks that aren't available can cause the SLIMP3 server to get confused.

If this isn't the problem, try moving all of your music files out of the library and then move them back in groups and restarting the server. Try to find, by process of elimination, which files are confusing the SLIMP3 server.

I've set up the SLIMP3 server as a Windows service but the performance isn't good. The music sometimes is choppy and the menus aren't very responsive, especially when it's scanning my music library. What can I do?

By default, Windows doesn't give high priority to services and the SLIMP3 server sometimes needs a fair amount of CPU. To work around this, open your "Control Panels", and then open the "System" control panel. On the "Advanced" tab, find the "Performance" section and click on "Settings". On the "Advanced" tab, choose "Backround Services" under "Processor Scheduling". Click "OK" and the SLIMP3 server will now get more CPU cycles and perform better.

Some of the songs in my iTunes library don't show up on the SLIMP3. What's up?

If you've moved your iTunes music files around, iTunes can export incorrect information about the songs in its library. You'll need to find and throw away the "iTunes 3 Music Library" and "iTunes Music Library.xml" files.Then relaunch iTunes and drag your music files to the Library icon again to re-import them. The SLIMP3 server should now be able to import your iTunes music library correctly.

On my Macintosh, I tried creating an alias to another folder with music, but the SLIMP3 Server won't recognize it. What am I doing wrong?

Mac OS X aliases are not supported by the SLIMP3 server yet. Symbolic links, however, are but they require a little more work to create. Here's a brief tutorial on doing so.

I was ripping a CD with iTunes while the SLIMP3 server was running and the songs didn't appear in my music library. What happened?

iTunes can get confused if it's trying to update its music library while the SLIMP3 server is importing it. If this happens frequently, we recommend you stop the SLIMP3 server when you are ripping music.

When my SLIMP3 plays a song, it sounds like the song is being fast-forwarded and skips. What could cause this?

There is probably a problem with the MTU setting for your network interface. VPN clients such as the Cisco VPN client utility may change your machine's MTU setting from the default. This causes the fast-stuttering on the SLiMP3. If you have the Cisco client installed, run the included Set MTU utility and change the MTU setting to "default" for your network adapter. Reboot your machine to implement the change. If you aren't using the Cisco VPN client, then check the settings for your network interface and make sure that the MTU is set to 1500. This will correct the sound problem and the SLiMP3 should work normally.

How do I remove a song from my "Now Playing" playlist using the remote control? How do I clear the whole playlist?

To remove a song from the "Now Playing" playlist, navigate to the "Now Playing" menu and scroll to that song in the playlist and press the REC button. To clear the whole playlist, navigate to the "SLIMP3 Home" menu and scroll down until it says "Now Playing" on the second line. Press the REC button and your playlist will be emptied.

The web interface won’t come up, even though the SLIMP3 player is working.

Try using the following URL: http://127.0.0.1:9000/. (Be sure to type the “http://” part, as some versions of Internet Explorer require it when accessing a URL by IP address.)

The web interface is working, but the player isn’t able to communicate with the server.

Make sure that your ethernet hub or switch supports 10Mbps connections (most do). Also try a different cable.

The SLIMP3 server and the player can’t find each other.

Make sure your network settings are entered correctly. If you have any proxy or firewall software installed, configure it to allow communications between your server computer and your player.

I'm having trouble upgrading the firmware on my SLIMP3 Player. Do you have any hints?

Try following these steps:

  1. Plug the SLIMP3 device and the computer with the updater into the same hub or switch. Power the hub or switch off and then back on.
  2. Remove the power connector from the back of the SLIMP3 device.
  3. Stop the SLIMP3 server.
  4. Run a browser and check that the SLIMP3 server has REALLY stopped.
  5. Point the remote at the right side of the SLIMP3, hold down a numeric key, and reconnect the power plug to the SLIMP3. You should see the SLIMP3 display its MAC address. If not then unplug the DC power connector from the device, wait 30 seconds and try this operation again. The SLIMP3 device MUST be displaying its MAC address before you can update the firmware. Write down the MAC address that the SLIMP3 is showing.
  6. Start the updater application (Mac users: Choose "Update Firmware") from the file menu. It will prompt you to enter the SLIMP3 MAC address in the form 00:04:20:xx:xx:xx - enter the exact same MAC address that the sliMP3 displayed in (5) at the updater prompt.
  7. The updater will then ask for an IP address so enter the IP address that you have assigned to the SLIMP3 device or, if you have a DHCP server, then enter an address in the DHCP pool.
  8. The updater may ask if you want to use "Kiosk" - you answer with "y" or "N". Use "N" if you are having problems getting the SLIMP3 running - use the Kiosk mode once everything is working.
  9. If you selected "kiosk" mode then you will now be prompted to select the mode - Automatic, DHCP, or Static but that's another story. Kill the updater and go back to (6) if you don't want to use kiosk mode.
  10. Assuming that you did not select kiosk mode the updater will immediately start trying to write to the SLIMP3 device at this point-this will take about 30 seconds.

If the update succeeds and you find that the remote control does not work then you may have de-programmed the remote when you where holding down a key to get the SLIMP3 into boot mode. Try resetting remote.

If the updater fails to write to the SLIMP3 device then there is some sort of communications error - check the following:

What are some of the URLs I can use to access special features on the SLIMP3?

Replace "slimp3server" in the following URLs with the IP address of your SLIMP3 Server computer.

To display text on the SLIMP3 display:
http://slimp3server:9000/status?p0=display&p1=Incoming%20Call%20From&p2=415-555-1212&p3=5
To get remote help:
http://slimp3server:9000/html/remote.html
To stream from the slimp server to a player like WinAmp or iTunes:
http://slimp3server:9000/stream.mp3
To get the song selection and config web page:
http://slimp3server:9000/home.html
To get the "Now Playing" and current playlist listing:
http://slimp3server:9000/status.html

The fluorescent display looks great, but aren't those pretty expensive? Have you considered using a cheaper LCD display?

We simply were not willing to compromise on the SLIMP3's interface. We evaluated several LCD displays from different manufacturers, but none came remotely close to the VFD in brightness and readability. Many were completely unreadable at a distance of just five feet. Fluorescent displays cost a bit more, and you get what you pay for!

Can I use multiple SliMP3s with a single server?

Yes, you can have any number of SLIMP3 players on your LAN, using a single instance of the SLIMP3 server software. Thanks to the efficient design of our software and streaming protocol, even a low-end PC can service more than a dozen SLIMP3 players. Each player operates completely independently of the others, so you can have different music playing in your garage, kitchen, bed room, living room... wherever!

Does the SLIMP3 support DHCP?

Yes, the SLIMP3 supports both DHCP and static IP addresses. It also has a feature called "Slim Discovery Protocol", which automatically locates the SLIMP3 server on your network. For LANs which already have a DHCP server, SLIMP3 is ready to run out-of-the-box, without having to do any configuration. If you don't have DHCP, you can enter the IP addresses manually.

What kind of network cable do I need?

Since the SLIMP3 network interface is 10 megabit ethernet, you can use either a CAT3 or CAT5 ethernet cable. If you are connecting directly to a computer you will need a crossover cable, otherwise a regular straight cable will work just fine.

Can I use the SLIMP3 as an alarm clock?

The SLIMP3 shows the current date and time when not in use. A more sophisticated alarm clock feature will soon be available, which will allow you to set up daily alarms with music of your choice.

How fast does my network need to be to use the SLIMP3?

An inexpensive 10Mbps hub has about 25 times the capacity needed to stream MP3 audio at the highest quality (320Kbps). Typically, MP3s are encoded at 128Kbps to 192Kbps. You do not need 10/100 Ethernet - SLIMP3 is compatible with fast Ethernet LANS, as long as your hub/switch also supports 10Mbps (most do).

Which operating systems are supported?

The SLIMP3 is officially supported under Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me/XP, Linux, and MacOSX. It is also known to work on a wide variety of other operating systems, so it's safe to say that just about any modern OS will be compatible. The SLIMP3 has been tested on all of the following platforms:

BeOS, FreeBSD, Linux (X86, PPC, and MIPS), Mac OSX, NetBSD (X86), OpenBSD, Solaris (X86, Sparc), Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, Me, XP

How is SLIMP3 different from its competitors?

Most companies would prefer that their customers not know about competing products. We have no such qualms - we think that the more you know about our competition, the more excited you'll be about owning a SLIMP3!

We've taken a completely different approach in designing the SLIMP3. We could have had our product on the market a year ago, if we'd decided to start with an off-the-shelf design. Instead we decided to do our own design - custom firmware, custom chips, custom protocols. As a result, our product is easy to use, small, wicked fast, versatile, and affordable.

The bigggest advantages of the SLIMP3 over competing players are:

Here's a quick run down of a few specific features, although it's hard to do a tit-for-tat comparison. The best thing we can suggest is to read up on all the products, and decide for yourself!

  SLIMP3 Audiotron Rio
Architecture Our own custom hardware and open firmware. ARM system-on-chip, running Windows CE ARM system-on-chip, running Linux
Display Large vacuum fluorescent display Backlit LCD *tiny* Backlit LCD
Capacity UNLIMITED! Since the SLIMP3 stores its database on your PC instead of on the player, it can handle MP3 collections of absolutely any size. Max 30,000 songs Max 10,000 songs
Supported platforms Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, MacOSX, and more! Windows only Windows only
Protocol Custom, open protocol Windows file sharing Windows file sharing
Software Open source! Proprietary Proprietary
Power supply 110 and 240V compatible 110V only 110 and 240V
Synchronization Yes No No
Customizeable Yes No No
RCA volume control Yes Yes No
Web interface Yes Yes No

How do I connect the SLIMP3 directly to my computer (without a hub)?

Yes, you can connect the player directly to your computer using an Ethernet crossover cable. You can purchase a crossover cable at most retail computer stores.

220V power supply? Will you ship internationally?

SLIMP3 includes a switching power supply that supports both 110 and 220V mains, with interchangeable AC cords. The included AC cord has standard US 2-prong cable, overseas customers will simply need to substitute the correct AC cord.

Do I have to re-enter the IP address configuration when the SLIMP3 is power-cycled?

No, you only have to enter it once. The SLIMP3 stores its configuration internally, in flash.

How about digital S/PDIF output (Coax or TOSlink)? Or 802.11 wireless?

These are the most oft-requested features for the SLIMP3. We very much wanted to keep the SLIMP3 affordable (under $300) and small, so we were not able to include these features. There just isn't room for the digital connector in this form factor, and 802.11 would have been a very expensive feature to add.

You can use the SLIMP3 over 802.11, by first bridging to Ethernet. If you have a wired LAN with an access point, you can put your SLIMP3 on the wired LAN, and it can talk to a server on the wireless LAN. If you don't want to run Ethernet to the SLIMP3 at all, there are a number of ethernet to wireless LAN bridges that our customers use with SLIMP3 to connect to 802.11 networks, including:

Does the SLIMP3 have an integrated amplifier?

We figured most people would prefer to use their own choice of amplifier and speakers, so the SLIMP3 does not have either built-in.

Does the SLIMP3 support other codecs (Ogg vorbis, WMA, raw PCM)?

The SLIMP3 supports MPEG 1/2, layers 2/3, for both VBR and fixed data rates up to 320Kbps (the maximum for MP3). The SLIMP3 server software will soon support automatic encoding/transcoding from other formats, but the player will still speak MPEG.

Does the SLIMP3 support other streaming protocols such as Shoutcast or Live365?

Yes! SLIMP3 can proxy to all of the popular streaming protocols, including HTTP, Icecast/Shoutcast, and Live365.

Does SLIMP3 use file names or ID3 tags?

SLIMP3 let's you browse your collection by file name or by ID3 tags.

Does the SLIMP3 support playlists?

Yes, the SLIMP3 has a sophisticated, easy to use playlist management system. It lets you easily create playlists from the remote control or the web interface. In addition, the SLIMP3 can use .m3u and .pls files.

Does the SLIMP3 have a random mode?

Yes. The SLIMP3 lets you play mp3s in random order by artist, album, genre, from a playlist or from a single folder or folders of folders. You can reshuffle the list at any time, add new songs to the list of songs or un-shuffle to play them in order.

Can I control the SLIMP3 in other ways, besides using your SLIMP3 server and the remote control?

Yes. The SLIMP3 has an HTTP interface which can be used to control the player from your own scripts or from the command line. See the support section under "Developer's documentation, HTTP interface".

Can the signal from the remote control be used for other things?

Yes. The SLIMP3 sends the decoded IR signals directly to the server. So you can use them to control other things, if you like.

Are there any extra pins on the microcontroller, or ways to expand the SLIMP3?

The SLIMP3 has an i2c bus that you can control directly over the network. Dallas Semiconductor has a number of interesting i2c peripherals or you can roll your own i2c slave device using a microcontroller.

Where can I find more information?

Check out the Help area at the bottom of the SLIMP3 server home page or visit the support area of our web site at http://www.slimdevices.com/.

Whom may I contact for help?

We welcome email to support@slimdevices.com, or call us at +1 650 210 9400.