[TIP] FM Radio users one setting could cause drastic battery usage.

[shadowofdarkness]

First the tip: Don't use the "Show Station ID" option, it causes a massive battery usage.

Here are some numbers, with it turned on 4 hours of uninterrupted radio listening drains 36% of my battery. With it turned off the same 4 hours only drains 20% of my battery.

This is caused because with it turned on the phone never goes to sleep when the screen is off. When it is off the phone actually goes into deep sleep will still playing music which causes the drastic difference.


My numbers are based on 40 hours a week listening for 5 months of Station ID being turned on without thinking about it and getting a consistent 36%/4hr daily

Then I did my only factory reset when going to a ICS rom a couple weeks ago and not thinking to set it I started only losing 20%/4hr and noticed I was spending time in deep sleep.

It's great leaving work after a 8 hour day with a extra ~30% battery then I have been used to.

 

[bpivk]

Actually that's not an accurate comparison seeing that you've switched roms.
Try to compare it now on your new rom so that the comparison is done on same roms.

But thanks for the info anyway.

 

[mikereidis]

I think this may be due to the HUGE number of messages written to logs when RDS is enabled. I see this with my FM app using the RDS in my app's Samsung FM API mode, and there's not too much I can do about it in that mode.

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BTW, I very much need people with S2's to help me get my app working on stock or stock derived ROMs on which the stock FM app works. It works fine on Galaxy S for a while and probably just needs a tweak or 2. See my post here and respond via PM or on my thread, since it's Off Topic to this thread.

Except that... perhaps my app can use less power when in background or screen offm since it can turn the RDS off then.

 

[shadowofdarkness]

Actually that's not an accurate comparison seeing that you've switched roms.
Try to compare it now on your new rom so that the comparison is done on same roms.

But thanks for the info anyway.

I did a quick 1 hour test with it on and the numbers still match up. My phone lost 9/hr which does equal 36/4hr.

 

[mikereidis]

I did a quick 1 hour test with it on and the numbers still match up. My phone lost 9/hr which does equal 36/4hr.

I'll run a test on my Galaxy S and I'd bet the same thing happens. I think a dozen or more log messages every second can do the battery in faster.

For you or anyone else looking to test my app, there's not much to it:

Feb 26 release on the Market: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mikersmicros.fm

Possibly better Feb 28 release: http://www.mediafire.com/file/i5654nm9vzd9d9m/Spirit_FM_Radio_v120228.apk

Just ensure a wired headset is plugged in, install the app and run. If you are rooted you should deny SU when it starts. At the Intro screen, press "Disable".

Hopefully, it will "just work" at that point.

NOTE: I just realized now that if you give my app SU, it will not try the Samsung FM API, it will go straight to the low level mode which gives no audio on the GS2. So set Menu->Settings->Debug->FM API to "OEM Proprietary" to force use of the Samsung FM API. If this API fails, I think the app will fall back to the low level mode. That can be prevented by setting Debug->FM Chip to "TI" and if the OEM API fails, then power up will fail.

Working or not, please give SU to my app, restart the app and send me a debug log with Menu->Help->EM Logs. After a few seconds. enter "GS2" and/or any useful phone or ROM etc. information in the email text and press send.

Remember, this test request is for stock or stock derived ROMs that can run the stock FM app only.

My app has been running in a "low level device driver mode" for over 6 months now on rooted GS2s, but without audio, except I think on the MIUI ROM which supports the CyananogenMod audio method. I need no testing for this mode, unless you know how to enable the FM audio or want to try the different Audio Methods to see if any magically work.