Flashing LED on the faceplate

I just got my new (2nd hand) empeg. I´m a happy man!
But when I try to power it all I get is a "Flashing LED on the faceplate" (and another one at the back).

Straight I went to the FAQ and I saw and explanation for this very thing. But it is not my case. I get the following reading with HypeTerminal:

e000 v1.04
Copying kernel...
Calling linux kernel...
Uncompressing Linux...
empeg-car bootstrap v1.02 20001106 ([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!


Is it only a matter of upgrading the firmware?
BTW, there is also this situation that could go in the FAQ for a flashing LED (may be?).

Thanks for any help.

The boot log you posted indicates that it has no kernel in flash memory, or that the kernel has become corrupted. There should be a lot more stuff on the screen after that. Try applying a Hijack kernel and see if that works. If it does, check to see if the hard disks are working OK. If they are, apply version 2.0 final to the player.

I will add a note to that FAQ entry about what to do when all you get is a flashing LED.

Thanks for your help Tony.

I have uploaded Hijack kernel into empeg (kernel.v2final.mk2.zImage), but it didn´t make any difference. So I applied car2-consumer-v2.00.upgrade, but it couldn't finish. At the point where the upgrade process says Finding Pump (Preparing first hard disk), the upgrade wizard comes up with an Error "couldn't find pump" ocurred during stage 0x20, and finishes there. And, of course, I get the same boot log

What can I do?


Also, what's the difference between v363.hijack.mk2.zImage and kernel.v2final.mk2.zImage??

According to this old thread that could mean a problem with the hard drive cable.

Have you contacted the seller?

According to this old thread that could mean a problem with the hard drive cable.

I have checked for continuity the whole cable (44 lines), and it seems to be ok. I don´t know what else to check.

Have you contacted the seller?

I have just sent him an email. Waiting for him to answer now.

Hmmm... I wonder...

You said this was a brand new player, purchased from someone online? It is possible that they wiped it out for you in advance, using the disk builder software. If this is the case, it may not have a base software load on it at all! Try using the official upgrader and the 2.0 developer final (.upgrade file) to give a full load of the machine.

Edit: re-reading that you tried the consumer version. Please give the developer version a shot anyway, just in case...

I have checked for continuity the whole cable (44 lines), and it seems to be ok. I don´t know what else to check.

Everything else listed here. Continuity along the cable itself is never the problem. Cable problems are either the IDE header or the crimp between the cable and one of the connectors.

Make sure to check everything in that FAQ section, don't skip anything.

Yep, you were right, everything is there, and it was a simple problem.

I read in the empeg documentation that the power could be between 8 and 16Vdc. My power source was giving 10.5Vdc, but it seems that it wasn't enough. I tried the laptop's AC adapter (16Vdc) and it worked, or at least it booted up. Now, is giving me a "No disk..." problem, but I suppose it is because I fiddled about with the IDE cable and it might have gone loose.

I actually see now that one of the symptoms I had ("Pump error" when upgrading the firmware) is described in the FAQ.

I guess it was going into standby mode (flashing light, display off...) automatically because it couldn't boot up, it didn't have the power to spin the drive up.

That's all folks!! (for now...)
Thank you.