Even Bob Won't Unbrick :(

[diegor]

I was in the same situation, and thanks to this thread got a bit unstuck: I needed to adjust the PC's BIOS settings for the parallel port.

At that point the GP2XRecover.exe ran through to completion with a success message at the end.

But my GP2x still boots with the vertical lines, no matter what key combinations I hold-down as I turn it on.

I tried FAT, FAT 32, recopying the firmware upgrades, all to no avail.

Ideas of what to try next, anyone?

In my experience, there are 2 possible error:

- SD is not formatted correctly
- after flashing, powered off gp2x, you forgot to wait 20 second, and then powered on.

If u make the second mistake, just try to power on gp2x without reflashing it

 

[dylan]

I was in the same situation, and thanks to this thread got a bit unstuck: I needed to adjust the PC's BIOS settings for the parallel port.

At that point the GP2XRecover.exe ran through to completion with a success message at the end.

But my GP2x still boots with the vertical lines, no matter what key combinations I hold-down as I turn it on.

I tried FAT, FAT 32, recopying the firmware upgrades, all to no avail.

Ideas of what to try next, anyone?

In my experience, there are 2 possible error:

- SD is not formatted correctly
- after flashing, powered off gp2x, you forgot to wait 20 second, and then powered on.

If u make the second mistake, just try to power on gp2x without reflashing it

Thanks for these ideas -- I've tried them both (I think). I believe I have found a third possible error:

1) it seems that if I try to boot the gp2x with no SD card in it, it should give me something besides the vertical lines (after a successful reflashing).

2) I just reflashed and waited over night, and turned on my gp2x with no SDcard in it, and still get the vertical lines.

So it would seem that even though the GP2xRecovery.exe is saying it succeeded, it hasn't actually succeeded. Either that, or my "reboot without an SDCard" experiment is a bad one, so it isn't actually telling me anything -- and I need to do more SD format experiments.

Hmmm.

dylan

 

[oneandoneis2]

GP2XRecovery always gives a "Success" message at the end, even if it fails. Run it again, and post the full output here.

 

[BradN]

It's always possible the NAND chip is defective too.

 

[dylan]

GP2XRecovery always gives a "Success" message at the end, even if it fails. Run it again, and post the full output here.

Here's what it says:

C:\tmp>instdrv.exe giveio c:\tmp\GIVEIO.SYS
CreateService SUCCESS
StartService SUCCESS
CreateFile SUCCESS

C:\tmp>GP2XRecovery.exe
JTAGProbe - JTAG interface to the ARM9TDMI/ARM7TDMI
DIGNSYS Inc. (www.dignsys.com)
Modified by Kane. September 2004

Jtag - Using port 0x378
jtag_reset();
JTAG interface reset.
jtag_idcode();
Device ID..0x10920F0F
MMSP2 Detected!
>> Start Flash update <<
1) Initialize...
JTAG interface reset.
2) Halt Device...
Requesting HALT..
System HALTED in 32bit State
R0 is 0x03EA21BC
PC is 0x000016CC
3) ID Code Check...
Device ID..0x10920F0F
4) Watch-Dog Disable...
registers read
Poke 0xC0000A14, 0x00000000, 0x00000001
5) Disable Interrupt...
Poke 0xC0000808, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0x00000001
6) Downloading Recovery Image...(SDRAM default base address: 0x3F00000)
Write Block 0x03F00000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F01000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F02000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F03000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F04000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F05000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F06000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F07000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F08000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F09000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F0A000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F0B000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F0C000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F0D000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F0E000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F0F000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F10000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F11000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F12000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F13000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F14000, length 0x00000400
Write Block 0x03F15000, length 0x0000013E
7) Please Wait...
Pausing for 0x00000003 seconds
8) Run Image...
registers written
Restarting at 0x03F00000
Done
9) Halt Device...
Requesting HALT..
System HALTED in 32bit State
R0 is 0x03EA2DF4
PC is 0x0000129C
10) Rerun Image...
Restarting at 0x03F00000
Done
11) Terminate...
ControlService SUCCESS
DeleteService SUCCESS
Could Not Find C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\giveio.sys


I've tried this with- and without- the instdrv, and sometimes get issues either not finding or "service already running" - in all cases, after a 20 second wait, I reboot my Gp2x without a SD card in it, and get the vertical lines. In parallel, I'll work on formatting my SD card using different machines, and try different SD cards... so many variables!

Thanks for checking this out...

 

[BradN]

It definitely looks like the JTAG connection is OK, so if you've exhausted different cards/settings, I think the NAND might be dead, or at least bad enough that UBoot can't fix it (fast enough?)

One thing I would try, is disconnecting the JTAG after this message

8) Run Image...
registers written
Restarting at 0x03F00000

*IF* it pauses there for any amount of time. It may be waiting some predefined delay for UBoot to write stuff, and perhaps UBoot is taking longer than expected. Disconnect it, wait a few minutes, then power it off and see if the GP2X will do anything.

 

[dylan]

It definitely looks like the JTAG connection is OK, so if you've exhausted different cards/settings, I think the NAND might be dead, or at least bad enough that UBoot can't fix it (fast enough?)

One thing I would try, is disconnecting the JTAG after this message

8) Run Image...
registers written
Restarting at 0x03F00000

*IF* it pauses there for any amount of time. It may be waiting some predefined delay for UBoot to write stuff, and perhaps UBoot is taking longer than expected. Disconnect it, wait a few minutes, then power it off and see if the GP2X will do anything.

Thanks for the idea -- unfortunately it doesn't pause there at all...after all of the "Write Block" messages go by at 2/second, everything else flies by quickly.

Hmmm -- did my firmware upgrade really brick my GP2X?

 

[BradN]

How long have you waited after the JTAG stuff finishes before powering off the GP2X?

 

[dylan]

How long have you waited after the JTAG stuff finishes before powering off the GP2X?

I have tried waiting anywhere from 5 seconds to many minutes. I've never done it "right away" -- that seemed like a bad idea.

 

[dylan]

Since even the BoB couldn't fix my Gp2x, and since GP32z is going out of business, it looks like my GP2x investment is heading south. :angry:

Advice anyone?

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, I have reflashed A LOT of gp2x.
You might still be lucky

I found out that a lot of gp2x that have been bricked seem to have some strange code in the NAND which crashes them when you turn them on - therefore, the updater doesn't run.

I'm doing my reflashing using Linux. Here's what I do:

1. Type jtagprobe at the prompt. Don't press enter.
2. Turn on the gp2x, press enter at the Linux prompt.
3. Immediately type HALT and press enter.

Then I start the update script. That worked fine on 99% of all the gp2x which behaved the same as yours.

Now, I don't know the windows software - is it possible entering any commands manually?

 

[BradN]

Maybe you could pack up the programs necessary to flash it on linux and host that somewhere, and have our unfortunate victim boot a knoppix cd and try it in there?

 

[oneandoneis2]

If you can let me have a copy of the Linux tool, I'll host it on my unbricking guide. . .

 

[dylan]

Well, I have reflashed A LOT of gp2x.
You might still be lucky
...

This sounds great! Where do I get these Linux tools?

 

[dylan]

The GamePark forums just suggested (again) to seek help here.

I've still got a brick, my Bob isn't helping...I can't even take advantage of this cool new 2.10 rom... waaah!

Has anyone got a "vertical-lines of doom" GP2x to come back to life?

cheers!
dylan

 

[oneandoneis2]

Well, I did, in the end - hence I wrote that unbricking guide. . .

 

[dylan]

Well at I did at in the end - hence I wrote that unbricking guide. . .

I must be the unluckiest brick-owner on the planet! Your most excellent (and thorough) unbricking guide left me with exactly the same vertical lines that I started out with. I paid particular attention to the "This is important" sections, and still when I boot my freshly reflashed machine, it never tries to "upgrade firmware".

My results remain exactly the same as those I posted on page 2 of this very thread (back in July).

thanks!
dylan

 

[evol]

couldnt we do a unbricking linux distro ? floppy.img or usb-stick.img so its setup to give info #man unbrick,gp2x,bob,usb,and so on
and a little more automated way of unbricking with scripts
#unbrick,format-nand,and so on ?

 

[oneandoneis2]

If I could get hold of the Linux unbricking software, I'd do it myself. But I can't seem to track the blasted thing down. . .

 

[DJWillis]

If I could get hold of the Linux unbricking software, I'd do it myself. But I can't seem to track the blasted thing down. . .

No idea about the DignSys stuff but if people are willing to give it a test I will finish off the stuff I modified for the GP2X (Linux, Windows and CygWin friendly code, based on JTAG-ARM9 with GP2X chip specific mods to make it work), I have been using it for a while to do my unbricks.

I need a few days to clean the code up to a decent state and host the source somewhere but if there is interest I will find some time sooner rather then later.

John