Edision MIO RS232 Connection

[ArloG]

EB. Of course the data rides on a positive/negative voltage. A flat line could contain no bitstream information. The same as if you look at the DISEqC protocol.
The original RS232 specs called for -3 to 15 volts/ +3 to 15 volts. Now usually the modulated square wave rides at either +/- 3 or 5 VDC peak to peak. That I know.
To flash routers, HDD firmware, and on occasion Nvidia GPU's to tweak them for Mac repairs. Yup. Apple takes a standard, every day video card and mods the firmware to work in their pc's.
And if on a Saturday evening your Mac blows the video card, the genius store closes, and you hit the computer store for a new card. It won't work right. Things like power management, overheating happens. Once you dig out the correct firmware and burn it in the card. It plays nice. I hate Apple anything.
Anyway. To do most of that I've used the serial console and an Arduino for serial flashing.

I don't think the bootloader is gone now since I get data stream bursts on the TX line.
But If the boot screen image binary is in fact corrupted for some reason, I could pull that image file and run a binary compare to what is in the flash image and, remember. When Openatv wrote it's own, running the USB Edision boot screen flash did work in the past.
FYI. If you dig up that flash file and change the .bin file to .bmp. It opens right up on your pc and there you have it. The Edision logo I was looking for.

And yeah. I have a Dreamlink and Linkbox with DB9 ports and have actually serial flashed them in the past. I think I used TFTP for that.

Don't really know how you sweet-talked Edision for the tuner drivers you worked on for the Mio. But when I contacted them they were eager to give me some to try and report on.
Maybe you have the ability to get in touch and have a little influence.

I'll let this set idle until it;s time for a bottle of Advil. But one thing for sure. You see little pokey-hole ports on lots of things. In the book it says for future expansion or not used.
But when someone says for recovery explicitly in the user manual and provides no info on how to use it. Thats effed up.

[el bandido]

Keep things simple. It's easier that way. Forget about voltages. Forget about what happened to some router somewhere. Just remember RX, TX, and GND. Connect the three wires in the correct order from the computer's serial port to the Edision's RS232 port and post the data output. Then we can see what needs to be done.

[MikeB]

Most of the Mio4k failures reported is the box has power and front display lights up but just wont start enigma2 or has an hdmi problem. I don't think any were boot loader related. That is what happened to mine. The one I have with the hdmi problem displays no video at all where others have reported the splash screen shows but no video after boot so that tells me different failures with different chips. I am no expert.

My original one had a bootloader problem that just came out of nowhere. EB and I couldn't fix it after trying quite a few things, and luckily, it still had two months warranty to go. So, Brian of Titanium sent me a new one. Haven't had any issues with the replacement so far.

[el bandido]

My original one had a bootloader problem that just came out of nowhere.r.

If you are referring to the problem in the thread shown below, Then you Did Not have a bootloader problem.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Some of this stuff probably needs probably needs clarifying.
The bootloader in most enigma2 receivers will be right at the front of the start process. If the Bootloader doesn't start, Nothing Happens. No putty for Windows users, No RS232 data, no nuthin'. I posted an example file a while back so you could see how things load. The bootloader version is referenced on line#3, and is described in detail starting with line#78. So RS232 is not going to show much of anything if the bootloader is Not Working.

Enigma2 receivers are not setup the same way ALI receivers and Closed Source appliance type fta receivers are setup. The bootloader in the enigma2 receiver is separate and does not get corrupted in the same way Linkbox and Ali receivers do. You don't drag out a loader and flash a bin file like you do on Linkbox and Ali receivers either. Usually when the bootloader dies in an enigma2 receiver, there was a hardware issue that caused it OR some idiot loaded the wrong bootloader for the receiver in the hopes of changing something. We are all idiots at some point as that is how you learn.

[MikeB]

If you are referring to the problem in the thread shown below, Then you Did Not have a bootloader problem.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Some of this stuff probably needs probably needs clarifying.
The bootloader in most enigma2 receivers will be right at the front of the start process. If the Bootloader doesn't start, Nothing Happens. No putty for Windows users, No RS232 data, no nuthin'. I posted an example file a while back so you could see how things load. The bootloader version is referenced on line#3, and is described in detail starting with line#78. So RS232 is not going to show much of anything if the bootloader is Not Working.

Enigma2 receivers are not setup the same way ALI receivers and Closed Source appliance type fta receivers are setup. The bootloader in the enigma2 receiver is separate and does not get corrupted in the same way Linkbox and Ali receivers do. You don't drag out a loader and flash a bin file like you do on Linkbox and Ali receivers either. Usually when the bootloader dies in an enigma2 receiver, there was a hardware issue that caused it OR some idiot loaded the wrong bootloader for the receiver in the hopes of changing something. We are all idiots at some point as that is how you learn.

Right from Brian, who got permission from Edision themselves for warranty replacement after he sent them some data he pulled from my old receiver:

Quote from his email:

"Hello Michael,

Edision has approved for warranty replacement. This is likely a boot loader failure.

Will ship out a replacement STB tomorrow. Sorry for the delay."

--
Best Regards!
Titanium Satellite Support - Brian Gohl - AI6US
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Telephone: +1 (530) 652-4405

[Megatron817]

Right from Brian, who got permission from Edision themselves for warranty replacement after he sent them some data he pulled from my old receiver:

Quote from his email:

"Hello Michael,

Edision has approved for warranty replacement. This is likely a boot loader failure.

Will ship out a replacement STB tomorrow. Sorry for the delay."

--
Best Regards!
Titanium Satellite Support - Brian Gohl - AI6US
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Telephone: +1 (530) 652-4405

Remember the telnet log showed no frame buffer. So the Mio4k did boot up, just wouldn't start enigma2. My first Mio4k did the same thing and I was thinking it was probably a Video memory problem but I really don't know.

[el bandido]

I operate under the policy that anything is possible. Would like someone to explain how the bootloader is dead and the receiver boots. You had a hardware failure of some type, but your bootloader was alive.

If you can get files out of the receiver or read files that are in the receiver, the bootloader has to be doing something. This would be similar to someone saying "The BIOS is dead in my Windows computer, but it still boots and I can read files". If the bootloader is dead in an enigma2 fta receiver, you are not going to get the word "Boot" or anything else displayed on the screen. The bootloader is the first thing to start. Look at the log that is in this thread.

[ArloG]

Oh. Don't get all uppity now. lol.
I didn't have a hardware failure. All happened while attempting to get the stinkin' factory boot screen back.
Instead of the openatv logo that precluded every image splash screen in every slot. Including your incantation. Which is pretty by the way.
But yours doesn't write the boot screen.
A man familiar more with programming than fixing the stuff that you program software for would more likely think.....
"Hmmm....openatv....cold booting the receiver.....and what used to be the factory boot logo.....is now their branded one. WTF??"
Yeah? Right? I mean. There's a file here to fix it. And it works.
Maybe I have a glitchy bit or 6 on my USB?? Maybe I need to either do the equivalent of scandisc? And identify bad bits and mark them
Or (and I hesitate these things in forums) put on the heaviest boots with the hardest heels I got and stomp the muddafukka' !!!

Nope. No "Boot". Zip, zilch, zingo. After the flash process of restoring the boot logo sailed thru.

Dude. I'm doing a crash course here. I ain't no programmer. And what do they do? Write "perfect code" every time, all the time. And anything that happens is the user's fault.
I got an issue. Nobody has a clue. Not one iota here. How to use the serial interface to do nuttin'.
But I axed. And together maybe we will learn something.
Did you get curious and slap your cable in a box hanging around the lab there and see what boot text you get in a terminal? I will when my cable comes in.
Did I learn anything today? I learned that Microsoft itself is writing code to disable FTDI chips in firmware. And in an attempt to bork chinaclone, fake chips. Are killing legitimate FTDI cables, dongles.
And the good guys are circumventing it by providing firmware to burn to make them work again.
Yeah.

And a little story. For you.
Years ago in my previous career. A software update came out. Mandatory. For postal sorting equipment. As a mail presorting facility adhering to USPS rules and regulations. The software was date stamped.
No rolling back. After a certain date, older versions would not work.
Like a good guy. I did my duties. One machine refused to play nice. Hours, days, capturing logs, emailing, on the phone. Engineers and software engineers saying they 'never heard of that'. Referring to the thing that was happening.
And as you may have hinted. I was the idiot. I was crazy.
The oweer, CEO. The guy I answered to. The one who asked me once how everything was running. With the reply of.
I'm your Ex-Lax. With a twisted look back from him.
"I keep your shit running".
So he lividly called the company who vended the software and supported the machinery and had a senior engineer next flighted out from Houston.
Jeff. Cool dude. Had one of those English driving caps...what are they called? For every day of the week. Quiet but smarter than who knows.
And as he rolls in he heads to the machine and starts on it immediately. In a bit duplicated the glitch.
And was as puzzled as me. Looking at me once in awhile with that wtf look.
So, Jeff. Am I stupid? Am I crazy? Because that's what <insert name of the yaznook engineer here> said to me rudely.
....He got demoted because it was in a conference call and verboten. But I could take it!
Kind of apologetically responded. Nope, not at all.
And the Ex-Lax eventually kicked in and the damned software played nice after a few logs and .dll patches.

Have a beer. Fire that bird up and go for a blast. A quarter tank oughtta' do it. Damn. Spin one up if that's what it takes.

Brick or no brick? That is the question.
I gotta' go listen to my bangles tapes. lol.

[Megatron817]

Oh. Don't get all uppity now. lol.
I didn't have a hardware failure. All happened while attempting to get the stinkin' factory boot screen back.
Instead of the openatv logo that precluded every image splash screen in every slot. Including your incantation. Which is pretty by the way.
But yours doesn't write the boot screen.
A man familiar more with programming than fixing the stuff that you program software for would more likely think.....
"Hmmm....openatv....cold booting the receiver.....and what used to be the factory boot logo.....is now their branded one. WTF??"
Yeah? Right? I mean. There's a file here to fix it. And it works.
Maybe I have a glitchy bit or 6 on my USB?? Maybe I need to either do the equivalent of scandisc? And identify bad bits and mark them
Or (and I hesitate these things in forums) put on the heaviest boots with the hardest heels I got and stomp the muddafukka' !!!

Nope. No "Boot". Zip, zilch, zingo. After the flash process of restoring the boot logo sailed thru.

Dude. I'm doing a crash course here. I ain't no programmer. And what do they do? Write "perfect code" every time, all the time. And anything that happens is the user's fault.
I got an issue. Nobody has a clue. Not one iota here. How to use the serial interface to do nuttin'.
But I axed. And together maybe we will learn something.
Did you get curious and slap your cable in a box hanging around the lab there and see what boot text you get in a terminal? I will when my cable comes in.
Did I learn anything today? I learned that Microsoft itself is writing code to disable FTDI chips in firmware. And in an attempt to bork chinaclone, fake chips. Are killing legitimate FTDI cables, dongles.
And the good guys are circumventing it by providing firmware to burn to make them work again.
Yeah.

And a little story. For you.
Years ago in my previous career. A software update came out. Mandatory. For postal sorting equipment. As a mail presorting facility adhering to USPS rules and regulations. The software was date stamped.
No rolling back. After a certain date, older versions would not work.
Like a good guy. I did my duties. One machine refused to play nice. Hours, days, capturing logs, emailing, on the phone. Engineers and software engineers saying they 'never heard of that'. Referring to the thing that was happening.
And as you may have hinted. I was the idiot. I was crazy.
The oweer, CEO. The guy I answered to. The one who asked me once how everything was running. With the reply of.
I'm your Ex-Lax. With a twisted look back from him.
"I keep your shit running".
So he lividly called the company who vended the software and supported the machinery and had a senior engineer next flighted out from Houston.
Jeff. Cool dude. Had one of those English driving caps...what are they called? For every day of the week. Quiet but smarter than who knows.
And as he rolls in he heads to the machine and starts on it immediately. In a bit duplicated the glitch.
And was as puzzled as me. Looking at me once in awhile with that wtf look.
So, Jeff. Am I stupid? Am I crazy? Because that's what <insert name of the yaznook engineer here> said to me rudely.
....He got demoted because it was in a conference call and verboten. But I could take it!
Kind of apologetically responded. Nope, not at all.
And the Ex-Lax eventually kicked in and the damned software played nice after a few logs and .dll patches.

Have a beer. Fire that bird up and go for a blast. A quarter tank oughtta' do it. Damn. Spin one up if that's what it takes.

Brick or no brick? That is the question.
I gotta' go listen to my bangles tapes. lol.

It is also possible there was a hardware failure during that boot up after that splash screen flash. You said it started booting then hung at 50%. That tells me enigma 2 was starting but something happened.

[ArloG]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ][Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Nor flash or EMMC ? Destination?