Still unbricking GP2X

[Todespreis]

Hello! I'm still having my bricked GP2X. I tried Orkie's nand blanker
here is the readme txt:

NAND repair tool by Orkie
-------------------------

*Copy the contents of the ON_SD directory to the root of your SD card.
*Flash gp2xkernel.img (hold start+select on GPH bootloader).
*Wait until the 'Done' screen appears.
*Remove all the files from SD, copy a real firmware on. Flash it.

That's all!

so i copied the content:

Post automatically merged: Oct 16, 2021

Here is the folder

 

[Todespreis]

So i press select and start and it does not work

Post automatically merged: Oct 16, 2021

Screen is still black. What do i wrong?

Post automatically merged: Oct 16, 2021

Here is the pic

 

[Todespreis]

There is another nandblanker, but i can't figure out to use it. I mean, how do i write some stuff on a specific place in ram???

 

[b_o_b]

You might add (see previous thread ) that you have a breakout board.

OpenHandhelds gp2x File Archive - File Info - Home:Misc Stuff

Unbricking thread:

GP2X black screen only + JTAG advice

I bought a second hand GP2X which was in pretty average condition. It booted into Fireware 3.0 but it didn't actually do anything. ie. get into the gp2xmenu. The SD card was difficult to insert, so I disassembled it and found a piece of rubber in the SD card holder. During this the SD card hold...

pyra-handheld.com

Maybe @Orkie is around to assist.

 

[Todespreis]

thx for reply! i have the device and tried already some stuff with it, but without any success

 

[Orkie]

I doubt the nand blanker is going to help you, it is for repairing a very specific problem. You appear to have no bootloader at all if you get nothing on the screen.

Do you definitely have a working JTAG setup? If so, you could try following DJWillis' old unbricking guide which should still work: https://web.archive.org/web/2016031...2005/11/howto-unbrick-most-bricked-gp2xs.html

Remember that you'll need to flash an F200 bootloader, and the elf format bootloader floating around on the archives may not display anything on the screen as it was designed for the F100, but it should work, and will have serial output.

Alternatively, you could try running the open2x bootloader elf using openocd: https://github.com/devkitPro/orcus/wiki/Getting-Started#running-via-jtagdebugging / https://github.com/Orkie/open2x-bootloader/releases/tag/v1.0

You'd then need to have a patched GPH uboot on your SD card, which you could then launch from the open2x filer, and flash a new bootloader that way: https://github.com/Orkie/patched-gph-uboot/releases/

 

[Todespreis]

Thx for fast reply. I have openocd, but i have no idea how to use it. I have a breakout board, but i'm not sure if it's working correctly. The problem is,y pc is pretty old, it could have a broken parallel port. I used the breakout board with wrong power supply, so maybe i roasted it already. Maybe the gp2x itself is broken and not bricked. And i'm using a 32 GB SD card, so it could be a problem, too. I ordered an old 2 GB SD card, so i will try that out. And i bought a new (kind of - it was original packed and smelled like new device) gp2x from Singapure, so i will see, if the BOB is broken. But there is still an 20 years old pc, that i'm working with, so there is no garanty, everything is working well. :-/

 

[Todespreis]

Okay, now everything is dead. I bought a new gp2x, tried to flash it with open2x. Maybe the batteries were dead, maybe the sd card did something wrong, but now it's fucking bricked, too! And my BOB is'nt working anymore. What a sad day

 

[Orkie]

How good are you at soldering? The board I designed is quite easy to put together and I think I have a spare PCB and probably an EXT connector you could have and you should be able to source the rest of the parts very easily. The connectors are a bit fiddly due to the small pins in close proximity to one another. https://gp2x.dev/devboard/

You could then buy any off the shelf FTDI USB-JTAG dongle which are now very cheap, which would probably be your best bet long-term if you're planning to keep using it (they are not only good for resurrecting bricked machines, but you can also debug low-level code with them).

I think @EvilDragon used to offer a repair service, but that was in the distant past 10-15 years ago and he probably hasn't had a request for it in the last decade so may not be interested in doing it anymore! He does advertise various repair/mod services though, so you could contact him through his dragonbox shop and ask.

I don't really want to get into the business of fixing everybody's old GP2Xs, but if you can get it to me with minimal bother (i.e. I don't want to have to mess around with import taxes etc. if you aren't in the UK), I don't mind having a look as a one off - with the caveat that not all GP2Xs work that well with JTAG so success is not guaranteed so the cost of getting it here may outweigh any gain.

 

[Todespreis]

Hey there! Thank you very much for amswering on my problems. The thing is, i want to be able to repair it myself. It is very kind, that you offered a repair. But i feel pretty bad, that i'm not even able to flash a new device withoun any problem. And i had even more ambitions with a gp2x, like to port python 3.0 on it and solder a Bluetooth and WLAN chip on it. I ordered now a parallel port pci card for my pc, so i will the bob, i already have. Beside that, i ordered an older 2 GB SD card, if a newer SDHC card should'nt work. And finaly there is a guy from Norway, who sells the boards. I think, i will order a new breakout board and try it again. Because i used a 5V piwer supply with it. :-( I know, i'm dumb

Post automatically merged: Nov 2, 2021

So i think, i roasted it already. Can you tell me, if there is any console command, that searchs for a printer on parallel port? I'm not sure, if mine is working

 

[Orkie]

I don't think there is a command which can test a parallel port is working without having some hardware at the other end to test it with.

I really think your best bet would be to get a more up-to-date USB-JTAG setup. They used to cost a lot back in the 2000s which is why people used the parallel port "Wiggler" that the GPH BoB comes with, but now better alternatives are available on ebay for <$20. I use an OLIMEX ARM-JTAG and a Segger J-Link Edu, but obviously you can't use these without wiring them up yourself.

Debug Adapter Hardware (OpenOCD User’s Guide)

Debug Adapter Hardware (OpenOCD User’s Guide)

openocd.org

 

[Todespreis]

I ordered a new breakout board and will try it with a 3V power supply now. I have actually a solder iron at home, but my silderung skills are... average. So if that does'nt work, i will try something else.
I'm living in Germany, if i'm going to send you the GP2X, you have to pay taxes for it?

 

[Orkie]

Theoretically not if the value is less than £39 and it is marked as a "gift", however it isn't entirely unheard of for customs to just randomly invent values for packages they decide to open and then charge tax. There is also the possibility of being charged a customs clearance fee by the delivery company which is normally £10-15.

 

[levi]

In this country at least (which I guess you are if your quoting prices in GBP) it doesn't matter if it's a gift or not if it's below a certain value. I used to import t-shirts (albeit singularly) from the US using that approach. I think it used to be a little less than 20 squid, but it's conceivable that it's increased to just shy of 40 squid in the mean time.

 

[Todespreis]

Wow, that souns pretty bad. I get a new bob the next week. So i'm going to try it again, if that does'nt work, maybe it just should'nt be, then

 

[Todespreis]

Hello again! Now i have a working GP2X again. I couldn't unbrick mine, so i bought another one. Now i can actually test, if the breakout board is woking correctly. How do i do thta? I mean, without bricking the handheld again?

 

[Orkie]

The board does several things which are independent from each other. If you want to test the serial port, set up minicom or similar for 115200 8N1, you should be able to see the bootloader and Linux firmware logging (after booting, you can CTRL+C the menu and get a command line you can type into). For USB, the later firmwares have an option in the settings to enable mass storage and you can plug whatever you like in to test it. To test JTAG you'll need to set up openocd for using a Wiggler interface, and try to connect to the GP2X - it'll either give an error message, or it'll halt the CPU and open a port you can telnet into. You can't brick the machine by doing any of these.

 

[Todespreis]

Wow! Thanks! I'll try it out and make a video, that you can actually see my GP2X in action and laugh about my stupidness ^^
I got openocd, but the readme file says the whole time do not this, do not that... Is there anywhere a tutorial for dumb people?

 

[Orkie]

This is the config I use: https://gp2x.dev/devboard/files/openocd/gp2x-openocd.cfg

You'll need to replace the line "source [find interface/ftdi/olimex-jtag-tiny.cfg]" with whatever is needed for a Wiggler interface.

This will give you some very brief instructions on using JTAG for something useful: https://github.com/devkitPro/orcus/wiki/Getting-Started

Don't be too surprised if you can't get it to work reliably, it isn't a problem with your dev board - some GP2Xs (mostly F100s) are just like that unfortunately.

 

[Todespreis]

Hey there! I have no progress on repairing my GP2X's still. Would you have some time to do it with me live step by step? Like via Zoom or Skype or something like that