Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell)

Posted by: TomParker

Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 17/06/2005 08:04

Folks,

I've been playing with busybox on one of my rios. I used the busybox reboot to boot it, somehow or other that managed to zap the kernel in the flash so it is now dead.

All I get on the serial port is

Code:
 
empeg-net v1.01 20000710 ([email protected])
If there is anyone present who wants to upgrade the flash, let them speak now,
or forever hold their peace...it seems not. Let fly the Penguins of Linux!

Clearing 4Mb of RAM...
Copying kernel...
Calling linux kernel...
Uncompressing Linux.............................

                                                crc error

                                                          -- System halted


It looks like the flash bios is similar to the rio car, I'm hoping someone can help me out with a copy of the boot kernel and the details I need to reflash it........
Posted by: Roger

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 17/06/2005 10:03

Quote:
It looks like the flash bios is similar to the rio car


It's not.

Quote:
I'm hoping someone can help me out with a copy of the boot kernel


I doubt it -- it wasn't meant to be upgraded.

Quote:
and the details I need to reflash it........


If you're lucky, you'll be able to use the empeg's upgrader program, but you'll need to:

a) get hold of a serial port converter.
b) get hold of the correct kernel.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 17/06/2005 13:24

Quote:
a) get hold of a serial port converter.

Hm. Seems he's got at least something that's hooked up to the serial port. Since he could get that text message...
Posted by: Roger

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 17/06/2005 13:42

Quote:
Seems he's got at least something that's hooked up to the serial port.


Good point. Hangover.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 17/06/2005 13:52

Then again, the fact that there's a problem with the kernel image at all means there's probably bad flash in there in the first place, and re-flashing it might not help, even if he could.
Posted by: TomParker

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 17/06/2005 21:43

Quote:
Quote:
It looks like the flash bios is similar to the rio car

It's not.


Well the upgrade message is certainly the same so this is not such a silly statement.

Quote:
Quote:
I'm hoping someone can help me out with a copy of the boot kernel

I doubt it -- it wasn't meant to be upgraded.


Yeah, but from that message there is obviously a process.

Quote:
Quote:
and the details I need to reflash it........


If you're lucky, you'll be able to use the empeg's upgrader program, but you'll need to:

a) get hold of a serial port converter.
b) get hold of the correct kernel.


Yes, I need the kernel and the start address to flash at. I've got a few other players so if I get desparate I'll desolder a flash chip from each and use a programmer to rewrite the bad one. (yes it is fine pitch smd but I could handle this if I really had to).

I'm actually hoping one of the guys who designed the little gems is still around and has kept the stuff "just in case".

I'm not stupid, I don't know how this happened, but I certainly wasn't doing anything especially dumb at the time.
Posted by: tman

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 17/06/2005 23:51

Quote:
Yeah, but from that message there is obviously a process.

You're not supposed to ever use the bootloader reflash for multiple reasons. One of the main ones being that you can't actually get to the serial port without taking it apart and adding a RS232 level converter. Another is that there are multiple flash types with different programming algorithms. Hopefully you have a chip that is supported by the bootloader. If not then you'll have to desolder it and program it out of circuit.

Quote:
I'm actually hoping one of the guys who designed the little gems is still around and has kept the stuff "just in case".

Roger is actually one of the guys that designed it.
Posted by: Roger

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 18/06/2005 06:48

Quote:
Well the upgrade message is certainly the same so this is not such a silly statement.


No. Fair point. I was being a bit curt (I apologise). Let me clarify:

The Receiver does contain a flash programmer that is very similar to the one in the empeg.

However, it wasn't actually designed to be used for programming the flash, for the reasons that tman gives.

The kernel in flash was never meant to be upgraded -- it double-boots into another kernel that's downloaded from the server -- this one is meant to be upgradable.

Now, we did have to use it at one point -- when the Dell receivers were rebadged, we had to change the boot logo. Mike would know more about this, but he doesn't hang out here much any more.
Posted by: TomParker

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 23/06/2005 07:04

Is there any chance someone has a ROM image to save me desoldering and good one to read it out from?
Posted by: TomParker

Re: Need help debricking a Rio Receiver (Dell) - 27/06/2005 19:41

Quote:
Is there any chance someone has a ROM image to save me desoldering and good one to read it out from?


I'm attaching a picture of the chip.