DreamUp failing to flash DM600PVR via null modem after hung HTTP flash.

Hi all,
Having a bit of a problem with a DM600C. I was flashing the box via the web UI but it stopped at 15% of the upload. I left it for a while (30 mins) but it didn't progress so I unplugged the box. On reboot I got a blank screen.

So I grabbed a null modem cable and fired up DreamUp 1.3.2. When connecting via COM1 it initially reported the "box type: DM600PVR" log message but then immediately threw an error dialog saying '" is not an integer'. (I left the "Use Network" box unticked btw). I retried a couple of times (cycling DreamUp, the laptop and the box) with the same result so in desperation I tried Hyperterminal'ing into the box. The boot sequence reported the following:

---------------------------------------
Dreambox DM600PVR

FIRST STAGE 1.6 {BO2345}

2ND STAGE OK, rev 2924 (20070628)



0.000 - fp init

0.001 - ca init

0.758 - load config

0.816 - config loaded.

* press to enter setup

no CF card detected!

BOOT #59 (20070628)

detected jffs2 blocksize: 16kb

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

dreamupd initialized

Scanning JFFS2 FS: . done.

find_inode failed for name=stop

load: Failed to find inode

/flash/bootlogo.elf

/flash/zImage.elf



loaded at: 00500000 00674244

board data at: 00672124 00672244

relocated to: 00505194 005052B4

zimage at: 00505A2D 00671809

avail ram: 00675000 04000000



Linux/PPC load: console=null root=/dev/mtdblock3 rootfstype=jffs2 rw

Uncompressing Linux...done.

Now booting the kernel
----------------------

And then it hung. Note the failed inode errors - that doesn't look good...

At this stage the box wasn't responding via the net interface (via telnet or http) so hit S to enter the advanced setup and manually configured it to listen on a fixed IP with the correct netmask and gateway for my router but still no luck.

In depseration I tried running DreamUp 1.0.2 but it didn't recognise the box at all when I turned it on (after hitting Connect). When I retried with 1.3.2 it got a bit further - it could upload the flash loader and the DreamUp status says "Box is in serial HTTP mode".

When I then hit Flash and choose my image file (the official dreambox-image-dm600pvr-20070827.nfi) it immediately opens an error dialog saying "Cannot wait for event if event thread is created"). The log text box reports "Calculating checksum..." but when I dismiss the error dialog it never progresses. Checking back with HyperTerminal (after a reboot) shows the exact same output as above so I'm not sure what is causing this (and the previous DreamUp error message)

I'm open to anyones suggestions as my box is effectively a brick at the moment and I'm beginning to suspect I might have to return to dealer. Is there any other way to get the box stable enough for DreamUp to be able to reflash it sucessfully via null modem? However, if anyone can provide any tips I'd be more delighted to give them a go before resorting to that.

Many thanks,

Anfar.

 

Try a other pc with a real comport and flash via nullmodem only.

 

Hey,
I just tried it again from a different machine but I'm getting the same result (actually now I can't even get past the '" is not an integer" error when connecting DreamUp to the box.

I did manage to get some more info from the Linux boot load sequence (by press space bar then entering 'console=ttyS0,115200 <ENTER>' when I saw 'Linux/PPC load' via Hyperterminal when the box is booting). I'm just wondering if there is any other tool I can use to flash the 600 via null modem (other than DreamUp)

...
using irq 26

NAND device: Manufacturer ID: 0xad, Chip ID: 0x75 (Unknown NAND 32MiB 3,3V 8-bit

)

Scanning device for bad blocks

Creating 4 MTD partitions on "NAND 32MiB 3,3V 8-bit":

0x00000000-0x02000000 : "complete"

0x00000000-0x00040000 : "loader"

0x00040000-0x003fc000 : "boot partition"

0x00400000-0x02000000 : "root partition"

mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice

i2c /dev entries driver

IBM IIC driver v2.1

ibm-iic0: using standard (100 kHz) mode

NET: Registered protocol family 2

IP: routing cache hash table of 512 buckets, 4Kbytes

TCP established hash table entries: 4096 (order: 3, 32768 bytes)

TCP bind hash table entries: 4096 (order: 2, 16384 bytes)

TCP: Hash tables configured (established 4096 bind 4096)

NET: Registered protocol family 1

NET: Registered protocol family 17

VFS: Mounted root (jffs2 filesystem).

Mounted devfs on /dev

Freeing unused kernel memory: 92k init

Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

<0>Rebooting in 180 seconds..

 

Flash erase is not needed for a 600pvr and there is no option.
If you flash via dreamup a software is transfered to the box and overtake the control.
The log from a failed start makes not much sense. You know already the image is corrupted at the box.
Use a pc with a real comport, go to hardwae manager and set baud to 115200 and flow control to hardware for the used comport and reboot the pc.
After that start dreamup. disable network and plugin the box if dreamup tell you to do so.

 

mgb17,
Thanks for the tips. Just tried setting the baud rate and flow control via device manager but I'm hitting the same problem. (Also tried setting the flow control to XOn/XOff as that's what I use when Hyperterminal'ing in but no luck there either)

When you say 'real comport' what do you mean? I've tried this with a couple of laptops that have built-in serial ports running Windows XP & 2000. Someone on another forum was suggesting that DreamUp has worked on Win 98 when it previously failed on Windows 2000 on the same machine - I might try switching.

Anfar.

 

Some blokes are using usb to serial adapter at notebooks and that can give problems.
Next try. Disable "use FIFo buffers" for the comport and try again.

 

mgb17,
No luck, disabled the FIFO buffers and rebooted but I'm getting the same result...

Anfar.

 

There is a communication problem between box and pc via the nullmodem cable.
Did you set flow control to hardware?

 

Yep:
Bits per second: 115200
Data bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop bits: 1
Flow Control: Hardware
Advanced -> Use FIFO Buffers: Disabled

One question - my null modem cable is 3m long (http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=97740&doy=12m10). I've heard recommendations that they should be only around 1m long - could that be the cause? (is it safe to just cut out a section and reattach the strands?)

 

Try this dreamup version:
http://www.4shared.com/file/26272245/326ce047/DreamUp_v1310.html

 

No...no luck there either. On connect, Dream Up logs

"Boxtype: DM600PVR"
"Found injectable DCA at pos 219845"

and then a german version of the error message I was getting ('"ist kein gultiger integerwert').

I agree with you, it must have something to do with the serial link between the two boxes.

Seems very similar to http://forums.digitalworldz.co.uk/showthread.php?t=123543

I've also tried changing the com port number, disabling other devices (in the laptop BIOS etc) but it had no effect.

I'm going to try Win98 on the same machine, maybe that'll work.

 

Is the button "Box flashen" clickable after that message?

 

Ohhh, I think you've hit something here. The old laptop I was flashing from didn't have a configured network interface (hence the Use Network box was actually disabled). I stuck an 802.11b card into it, configured it and plugged the dreambox into my hub and...some success! The error dialog never appeared and I could select my image. However, the first few attempts to flash lead to "404 Bad Request" errors but I restarted everything. It is uploading the official dreambox flash at the moment, very slowly so I assume via the null modem.

Very strange, DreamUp obviously doesn't completely ignore the PCs network settings even if the Use Network box is unticked (or disabled).

Hopefully I'll have some serious big thanks for you in a short while!!! Many thanks for your patience!!!

 

MGB17
Thanks a million! The box flashed successfully after enabling and disabling the Use Network tick box before starting the flash. It is no longer a brick!

To others out there who are using DreamUP to flash a 600PVR (and possibly others?) that was bricked like mine (no web or telnet interface) make sure your host PC has a configured network interface *even if* you have the "Use Network" box unticked* (thinking that it would then only use the null modem serial cable). There seems to be something in DreamUP that causes it to fail with the errors I was getting if you have the Use Network box unticked if the PC doesn't have a valid network interface configured...

 

Hi! I have a very similar problem, only the solutin is not to tick and untick the "use network". I bought 2 boxes which I intend to set ut to share one card. One shall be in the bedroom, a dm500, and one in the livingroom, a dm600 (no hd yet). The first i noticed was that the dm600 was unable to connect to the internet. I have searched many forums to figure out what might be the problem without luck. Dm500 connects just fine to the router. I have used the same cables and connected one at a time. dm600 dispays ip 10.0.0.97 and states itself offline. I read somewhere that this could be due to a flash gone bad so i bought a null modem cable and managed to flash the box with gemini 4.00. Still offline though. I wanted to flash again, but now i get the same error as stated in this thread. DreamUP hangs while calculating and displays the cannot create new event due to existing event thread or something very similar. I have tested on two different home computers and made changes as suggested in this thread also. Can it be that the box is broken somehow? I flashed the dm500 using flashwizard, no problems at all. This is beyond my understanding, please help...

 

You shouldn't have running several dreamup instances at the the same time.
Use a crossover network cable and a nullmodem cable, use dreamup 1.3.1.0.
Give your pc network card a fixed IP for instance 192.168.0.1
Start dreamup, enable network, select the right IP for the pc, type a IP for the box from the same range for instance 192.168.0.23
The box ip is only temporary used for flashing.
If flashing via network fails dremaup automatically fall back to nullmodem only flashing but the pc ip must be valid.

 

Hi thanks for the reply. There has only been one active Dreamup session at the time, and only one dreambox connected to the network. I bought a crossover cable just now and did as you said, but still no luck... Now Dreamup tells me that ping fails and that it will only use com. The event error comes during calculating. Is there any way I can remove everything on the dreambox? some sort of formatting?

 

Which exact error message do you get and do you use 1.3.1.0

 

The message I get with dreamup 1.3.1.0 is "WaitForEvent method failed (win error code: 6)". This happens during calculating checksum. I am also completly unable to get the network to funktion. I now tried the dreamup 1.3.2.0 which gives me this message at the same place: "Cannot wait for event if event thread is created."

 

Set the comport settings in the device manager section to the settings mentioned above.
The Lan problem could be a problem with firewall or av soft.