Bootrom - Restore Firmware?

[double7]

Hi, ohh i hope it was not topic before, but all my keywords failed a search.

The firmware is in the flashrom. I read the firmware upgrade faq and found that a failed firmware upgrade is restorable.
The failures were not mentioned in detail, my question is:

Is the Firmware reloadable in any case?

Does the GP2x have a bootrom, uneraseable by bugs or enemy software?

Thanks in advance

double7 - double luck

 

[chris_r]

Im not sure but I think u-boot is installed and not touched by the firmware upgrader. U-boot will boot from the firmware in the sd if its there so the firmware can be reinstalled or off the nand if it isnt. Ill need someone to confirm this though because im not sure about it.

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, depends on what you did screw up.

If only the FIRMWARE IMAGE is defective (i.e. disturbing while updating), it can be restored by restarting the upgrade procedure.

If you screwed your NAND by deleting some Linux system files, for example, the firmware upgrade won't help you.

 

[Robster]

Just to answer the question about the bootrom, the answer is no - bugs or "enemy software" could erase the bootloader and make your GP2X unusable.

To recover from that sort of problem, you would have to get someone with JTAG to fix your unit. Currently there are 0 (zero) people with JTAG, so it's not a good thing. However I'm sure that, in time, someone will figure out how the JTAG works and make an adapter so we can fix bricked units.

In the meantime, be careful!

 

[woogal]

And when someone builds that JTAG I have a unit with a knackered bootloader for them to practice on.

 

[dmg1968]

I got my GP2X today, first time I switched it on it was ok, but when I inserted my SD card with MP3's on it and restarted the system it said it was upgrading, even though I didn't have an upgrade file on my SD card,after that it did not do anything just sat there saying LOADING. I switched it off and when I switched it on again all I get is a lot of colored lines running up and down the screen. Does this mean I have now got a brick or is there any way to get it working again?

 

[EvilDragon]

I got my GP2X today, first time I switched it on it was ok, but when I inserted my SD card with MP3's on it and restarted the system it said it was upgrading, even though I didn't have an upgrade file on my SD card,after that it did not do anything just sat there saying LOADING. I switched it off and when I switched it on again all I get is a lot of colored lines running up and down the screen. Does this mean I have now got a brick or is there any way to get it working again?

​

Ouch! Never heard about that!
You might try installing the latest firmware (get it here).
Copy these files onto your SD-Card Root directory, turn on and boot.

If you are lucky, it will upgrade and restore the firmware... though what worries me is that not even the black gp2x Screen is being showed...

 

[k1d]

i got the coloured lines once on boot when the batteries were low. try with a new set or power supply. shouldn't be a permanent problem. if it stays... you might have produced a brick (not very likely though).

 

[Squidge]

uboot on the retail gp2x's disables the lcd first, then upload's the "loading" picture, followed by enabling the lcd.

if uboot isn't running, or crashing on startup, then all you'll see is colored lines.

So if all you get is colored lines on every startup, you have a brick.

It can be fixed, but not with an sd card, so just return under warranty.

 

[Eolair]

I got my GP2X today, first time I switched it on it was ok, but when I inserted my SD card with MP3's on it and restarted the system it said it was upgrading, even though I didn't have an upgrade file on my SD card,after that it did not do anything just sat there saying LOADING. I switched it off and when I switched it on again all I get is a lot of colored lines running up and down the screen. Does this mean I have now got a brick or is there any way to get it working again?

​

Could be a brick but what you're describing is also the typical sign of low batteries. If you're using alkaline batteries you should try with some NiMH 2500+mAh rechargable batteries ASAP (don't forget to charge them first).

 

[double7]

Just to answer the question about the bootrom, the answer is no - bugs or "enemy software" could erase the bootloader and make your GP2X unusable.
[...]
In the meantime, be careful!

​

Thanks for the statement.

I surfed the web for that JTAG thing. It's a kind of developer hardware which can be used for a lot of things, including loading code. I didn't search for the price, but i think it will be not cheap or easy to use.

There may be reasons for this type of GP2x design, but i'm sure i do not like it.

I've seen acceptable small fees for restoring a bricked GP, that is not the problem. But it requires sending the GP away, having a problem i could not solve by my own, like e.g. restoring a broken PC BIOS flashrom on another motherboard.

There should be a hardcoded restore function, easy enough to be done by everyone.

Just my wish for christmas, or the next generation of gp2x.
Please forward to GPH if you agree.

77 - double luck

(and that is why i am afraid of bricking a gp2x, i always have that kind of luck )

 

[SiN]

gp32 JTAG isn't compatible with gp2x?

Hopefully it won't be too complicated to build my own JTAG.

 

[DJWillis]

gp32 JTAG isn't compatible with gp2x?

No, why should it be .

Hopefully it won't be too complicated to build my own JTAG.

I am playing with just that idea myself. Having a jTAG lead is only half the issue, you also need software that can restore the boot loader .

 

[lucoxade]

gp32 JTAG isn't compatible with gp2x?

No, why should it be .

Hopefully it won't be too complicated to build my own JTAG.

I am playing with just that idea myself. Having a jTAG lead is only half the issue, you also need software that can restore the boot loader .

​

Will Kermit not do the job?

 

[Jarska333]

gp32 JTAG isn't compatible with gp2x?

No, why should it be .

Because it would be usefull?

 

[Squidge]

I am playing with just that idea myself. Having a jTAG lead is only half the issue, you also need software that can restore the boot loader .

​

Will Kermit not do the job?

​

Kermit is part of u-boot, and if u-boot is killed, you can't use it. The only method when u-boot is killed is jtag.

 

[double7]

I surfed the web for that JTAG thing. It's a kind of developer hardware which can be used for a lot of things, including loading code. I didn't search for the price, but i think it will be not cheap or easy to use.

​

I must correct my information and point of view. Above i found a professional JTAG enviroment suite, designed for universal use.

Now i found the GP32 JTAG hardware by asking google for "gp32 jtag" and the first hit leads me to http://www.cobbleware.com. Follow the JTAG Link and you will see that the hardware will cost within xx $.

Reading the GP2x EXT port description on http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/EXT_Port give us the idea that it will the same style for the GP2x JTAG hardware.

So far with the correction and now my point of view: I think i like it.

77 - double luck

 

[judge0]

I surfed the web for that JTAG thing. It's a kind of developer hardware which can be used for a lot of things, including loading code. I didn't search for the price, but i think it will be not cheap or easy to use.

​

I must correct my information and point of view. Above i found a professional JTAG enviroment suite, designed for universal use.

Now i found the GP32 JTAG hardware by asking google for "gp32 jtag" and the first hit leads me to http://www.cobbleware.com. Follow the JTAG Link and you will see that the hardware will cost within xx $.

Reading the GP2x EXT port description on http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/EXT_Port give us the idea that it will the same style for the GP2x JTAG hardware.

So far with the correction and now my point of view: I think i like it.

77 - double luck

​

Read post # 4 carefully, poster is owner of that particular website. Still no real info on JTAG for GP2X . . .