Author Topic: [UPDATED][RELEASE] 64MB Dingux for A330 (Read 48826 times)

achimp · « **Reply #20 on:** May 30, 2010, 05:13:26 pm »

Hi,

I think that the windows dual-boot loader has some probs with specific USB chip sets.

I had the same prolem than rikku2000:
The flash-loader starts but immediately (under 1 second) the screen turns white and the loader was finished.
I tried all varintants (linux, native or default loader).
I tried it on two PCs, both with VIA USB chip set.
One PC runs under WIN XP Home, the other under Win 7 32 Bit, not difference in the behaviour.
I seems that not all bytes were written and after all it was not possibe to boot any Dingux-SD (hangs in the DINGUX startup screen).

I could intstall the boot-loader under Linux (Ubuntu) without probs and now my Dingux-SDs run fine...

I had the same issues with the dual-boot loader under my A320, it needs 4-5 attempts to flash the loader correctly. But then it works. With the new loader I had no chance (tried more than 10 times...)

Looking into the USBBoot.cfg results in non understandable values (EXTCLK 12 MHz, CPUSPEED 228 Mhz !?).
Maybe these values do not run with all USB chipsets.

Regards,
Achim

Stephanie · « **Reply #21 on:** May 30, 2010, 05:20:11 pm »

The EXTCLK is the speed of the crystal in the dingoo, which is 12MHz. The CPUSPEED is the speed that the dingoo runs at during the installation. I'd used faster values eg. 336MHz but found some problems with usbboot at that speed; sometimes it wouldn't run at all, so I set the speed lower for the install.

You can experiment with CPUSPEED but the EXTCLK should not be changed.

SiENcE · « **Reply #22 on:** May 30, 2010, 05:32:29 pm »

@Stephanie: The hardware isn't upgraded. Its the same cpu. I think its better to run with 336mhz and only clock higher if needed. Its really not needed for boot or menu and this also saves the batteries a lot.

NeHe · « **Reply #23 on:** May 31, 2010, 01:19:25 am »

Hi Stephanie,

Sent you an email, but I am also having the same issue... I've tried native and dingux as the default boot methods, I've tried multiple times, and each time I'm left with a dingoo that either shows a blank screen (when booting native) or the dingux logo when booting dingux mode. It wont go any further.

SD card is formatted FAT32 (8 gigs, class 2), also tried a 2 gig and 4 gig.
Windows is XP (updated service packs), and the driver installed properly (manually selected it).

I'm not sure I agree that it's failing during the writing of the loader though... because I am able to redo the flash and select spl (no boot loader) and my dingoo is back to original form... so the flash must be working to a point. Then again the default is only 8k vs 100k for the other two choices?

Anything you can recommend or suggest? would love to get this working.

qbertaddict · « **Reply #24 on:** May 31, 2010, 03:16:25 am »

Stephanie,

I am able to get into the native firmware and the native firmware sees the sd card and the files on it. I have tried it with linux priority and native priority. I tried formatting my working a320 card(i have an original with a different lcd) and I still get the problem so its not a card or adaptor problem. I will stop by IRC tonight and maybe we can troubleshoot further.

NeHe · « **Reply #25 on:** May 31, 2010, 04:05:10 am »

Did some more testing... took the time to install ubuntu on a laptop...

flash takes longer, looks as if more is happening, but same result... system boots with blank screen and backlight for native boot, dingux logo and nothing more for native dingux and no boot loader (original firmware) works fine every time.

Even tested dropping 228 and baud rate.

Friendly Neighborhood Dingoonity Troll · « **Reply #26 on:** May 31, 2010, 04:19:15 am »

Hmmm. I think I'll hold off on trying this just yet. $:-\$

z_man3007 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 31, 2010, 04:48:28 am »

Ok. I have no problem at all and I am running smoothly. Let me tell you guys how I have done my dual boot installation. First, when I got my dingoo A330 I have used the GUI daul boot installer to install the dual boot. Here is the tool that I have used to install dual boot.

http://dingoo-scene.blogspot.com/2010/03/gui-dualboot-installation-for-dingux.html

After Stephanie released her dual boot installer and the new kernal, I have used her dual boot installation tool to install dual boot on top of my pre-installed dual boot. I didn't flash my dingoo A330 to install her dual boot. So far I had no issues at all and everything seems working fine. So, my advice to you all is that if you have already installed dual boot using the old procedure DO NOT flash your dingoo A330 to install Stephanie's dual boot. Just simply run her dual boot installation tool on top of your prior installed dual boot. I just wanted to share with you guys about my ideas and hope it will help.

qbertaddict · « **Reply #28 on:** May 31, 2010, 06:48:10 am »

I think I figured out the problem. The install script is missing the command nerase 0 1 0 0 and the usbboot.cfg was different from the one I used when i tested a a earlier version.

I downloaded the tools from igenics and used the commands that were in stephanie's script and it worked. I also had to replace her usbboot.cfg file.

NeHe · « **Reply #29 on:** May 31, 2010, 06:56:05 am »

qbertaddict care to elaborate...?

I added nerase 0 1 0 0 to each option, I see it show when running the script, and still I'm left with a non working device until I flash back to "no boot loader"

qbertaddict · « **Reply #30 on:** May 31, 2010, 07:28:52 am »

Here is a link to my package that seems to have fixed my issue hope it fixes it for you as well I was only able to test on mine and my friends A330. I only changed the windows flashing part not the linux side. We were both having the same issue

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IJ3CT0QG

I noticed that her usbboot.cfg was different as well so copied it over and edited the 0 1 and 2 scripts to include the nerase command. Tried selecting linux as default and native as default both worked.

Just follow her instuctions and everything should work now. Make sure to copy the zImage file over. You may have to reformat your card but thats normal when changing the zImage or rootfs.

Use this at your own risk.....Its not really a risk though since you can use the unbrick tool to fix it if anything goes wrong.

Note: You will know it was succesful when you see the penguin and dingux with a 64mb under it

NeHe · « **Reply #31 on:** May 31, 2010, 09:53:26 am »

Appreciate the replies, updated pack, etc... but I'm still completely at a loss... I've done everything from reformatting my SD in all kinds of ways to making sure the order of copying rootfs and zImage is correct to turning off uboot protection... I've attempted the same changes you made for windows in Ubuntu, ran your changes in windows, ran the original installer, and even tried making changes myself to usbboot (slower speed, slower baud, etc)... different USB cables, different ports, different machines.

The flash in windows seems to go way too fast, but it does appear to work as you can see below. The device even appears to reset and at times shows the DINGUX splash after the flash is done... but once I reset (with reset button), I get nothing... black screen (can see light) with normal os and dingux splash screen if I hold select and boot into Dingux. No errors, no attempt to boot. I would think at the very least the original system would boot, and dingux would be the os that fails. Really don't know what else to try tonight... wasted most my day trying to get this working

This is what I get...

When you see the prompt "USBBoot :>" please enter the following command
exactly as it appears below:

run install

Press any key to continue . . .

Welcome!
USB Boot Host Software!
USB Boot Software current version: 1.4b
Handling user command.
USBBoot :> run install

======================================================================
Execute command: boot 0

Checking state of No.0 device: Unboot
Now booting No.0 device:
Download stage one program and execute at 0x80002000: Pass
Download stage two program and execute at 0x80c00000: Pass
Boot success!
Now configure No.0 device:
Now checking whether all configure args valid:
Current device information: CPU is Jz4740
Crystal work at 12MHz, the CCLK up to 336MHz and PMH_CLK up to 112MHz
Total SDRAM size is 16 MB, work in 4 bank and 16 bit mode
Nand page size 2048, ECC offset 6, bad block ID 127, use 1 plane mode
Configure success!
======================================================================
Execute command: nerase 0 1 0 0

Erasing No.0 device No.0 flash...... Finish!
Operation end position : 1
Force erase ,no bad block infomation !
======================================================================
Execute command: nprog 0 a330-native-spl.bin 0 0 -n

Programing No.0 device...
Erasing No.0 device No.0 flash...... Finish!
Operation end position : 1
Force erase ,no bad block infomation !
Total size to send in byte is :105184
Image type : without oob
It will cause 1 times buffer transfer.
No.1 Programming... Finish! Checking... pass! End at 52
======================================================================
Execute command: exit

Exiting USB Boot software

If all has worked correctly, your Dingoo may now be reset and you should see
the Dingux splash screen.

qbertaddict · « **Reply #32 on:** May 31, 2010, 10:35:54 am »

My changes were only applied to the windows side. I need more people to test...I will tell you what though the improvment is great. I am playing fba games using zipped files not cached and they all run great. Batsgun and xmen cota at full speed in a zip

SiENcE · « **Reply #33 on:** May 31, 2010, 01:11:26 pm »

You should remove the linux ones from your archive.

Stephanie · « **Reply #34 on:** May 31, 2010, 01:46:15 pm »

Hi folks,

I'm not sure why all the problems with the windows version, but I'm not a windows user myself. I did test the process on a windows xp netbook and it worked for me....

The command "nerase 0 1 0 0" forces an erase of the first eraseblock of the nand. I didn't include this as usbboot automatically erases an eraseblock when you write to it, but on the other hand, it's like chicken soup - it can't hurt.

qbertaddict thank you for putting together that update. I'll re-review my scripts and incorporate your changes tonight.

NeHe There's nothing in the installation process to cause the device to reset by itself. If it is appearing to reset on its own after the installation, that suggests something is not quite right. If after doing this, both native and dingux fail to work then that does suggest that the flashing was unsuccessful.

Looking at the log you posted, I can see the SDRAM settings are not correct, but if usbboot did not report any errors then it means it was able to work with those settings, so that's probably a red herring. I'll have to double check the usbboot.cfg file to see if there's any other clues in there - if that file isn't just right then it's possible that the SPL is being written successfully, but being written in a format that the Dingoo's cpu can't read properly. I know when I was putting this together it took a lot of trial and error to figure out the correct settings for the A330.

Stephanie · « **Reply #35 on:** May 31, 2010, 02:41:11 pm »

Hi again. I've downloaded qbertaddict's file and compared it to mine and found a big dumb stupid mistake in the usbboot.cfg file that I included in my windows settings. I don't know how I did it but somewhere between my testing and then zipping and uploading, I got the wrong file in there.

I am very sorry for the inconvenience that it's caused.

I will have a fixed installer posted soon today.

Stephanie · « **Reply #36 on:** May 31, 2010, 02:48:48 pm »

And apologies for the triple-post but I wanted to get this done asap. I've fixed the files on my server, called it version 1.01 and corrected my big dumb mistake on the windows installer.

It should work ok now.

Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience.

NeHe · « **Reply #37 on:** May 31, 2010, 04:37:47 pm »

Guess I got a dud A330... tried with the 1.01 release... no difference. One thing I did notice that was interesting, is if I flash in ubuntu I see an SDRAM size of 64MB... It also takes a little longer to write to the device (not instant like windows)... but still fails in the end.

I can always restore the device to the native SPL file... which I find odd. I'm not an expert, but to me it almost seems as if the software is feeding the data and the device isn't handshaking with it... So a blast of data is sent, and the device can't tell the computer to wait up... which results in the failed flash. The native spl works because it's only 8k... probably small enough that it's all streamed?

Mood went from optimistic to frustrated

Appreciate the feedback Stephanie... awesome work either way... just not working for me for some unknown reason

Any other thoughts guys?

* about the resetting... the device isn't really resetting, but after a flash, the screen goes from black to either black with light on or dingux logo with light on... still have to reset, but of course no go after the reset.

** Testing today was done on work machine, with original cable and yet another usb cable... so I don't think it's machine related (tested on 3 machines now) or cable related.

Stephanie · « **Reply #38 on:** May 31, 2010, 04:47:19 pm »

I'm sure it's not a dud A330 but i'm at a loss at the moment to figure out why it's not working.

Your additional information re. the reset makes sense, if the device is never powered off then between resets the slcd buffer isn't really cleared. The flashing on and off is the backlight so the screen would just show whatever was being displayed when it was previously reset.

The RAM you see displayed during the flashing process is based on the settings in the CFG file. The linux cfg and the windows cfg should both have the same settings (in v1.01) but I couldn't use the same file as they have syntax differences.

The amount of data being sent is quite small, so it shouldn't take a lot of time in any case - only about 105kB, which should take a few seconds to write. The whole process is 5 or 10 seconds; the hw init sends over two files, then the nerase clears block 0 then the write also clears block 0 then writes out the 105kB to it. In the case of the original SPL it's only 8kB.

If writing the original spl is working but the two dualboot ones is failing, then that at least gives me something to go on, to further try diagnosing it. It's too bad that putting a serial port in is such a huge hassle... there's debugging info in the serial port that would indicate where the failure is happening.

Anyhow, when I get home from work tonight I'll see if I can find any more info on why it's failing.

NeHe · « **Reply #39 on:** May 31, 2010, 04:57:27 pm »

Thx for the quick response... not sure what else to tell you, I'm not sure my soldering skills are on par with yours or i'd try the serial port install from your site (grin). Does anyone know if the existing a330 firmware is floating around anywhere on the net? and if there is a flashing app known to work on the a330? Could always try reflashing the machine to see if that also fails...?

Author Topic: [UPDATED][RELEASE] 64MB Dingux for A330 (Read 48826 times)

achimp

Stephanie

z_man3007

Stephanie

Stephanie

Stephanie

Stephanie