Common Interface/Cam

Pullet_Surprise

When a receiver says it has two or one common interface slots what exactly are the use of these. Do they just take a card of sorts?

If a receiver has a CAM built in viacess, irdeto etc then does it just need a card with the right codes and it should work. When it says 'built in' is it removeable, thereby allowing another cam to be shoved in its place?

What really confusues me is how do you know that lets say a Conax cam will work in a particular receiver. There seem to be that many on the market is it just hit and miss/trial and error to get them to work?

Pete

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

rolfw

Hi Pete,

The Common Interface slots are there to take a Conditional Access Module and this is the unit that takes the card. If the CAM is integrated then it normally cannot be removed. It should work with original cards and educational cards provided the file is compatible with the CAM/Receiver.

Most CAMs work in most CI receivers.

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Pullet_Surprise

Thanks Rolf,

On some receivers as well as the CAM slots they have other slots used for a card like you see on digi boxes. Are these what they call the embedded slots?

Pete

rolfw

Yes,.

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Pullet_Surprise

So say for instance if I was to patch a receiver to accept the 5 big ones, Is this so it will take a CAM of the sort needed or is it so I could use an official card in the embedded slots?

Lets cut to the quick. The samsung 9500 can be patched (118) to get the 5 encryptions, but I read somewhere they you still need to use an Irdeto v2.0x cam for educational purposes?

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

2old4this

In such a case, you are talking about a patch on the firmware of the receiver. This affects the working of the embedded CAMs. It can turn a single-encryption embedded CAM into a multi-encryption device.

There do exist patches for some receivers that will improve their handling of CI CAMs but they will not fundamentally alter the CI CAMs' function. To turn a single-encryption CI CAM into a multi-encyption device, it is the firmware of the CI CAM that needs to be patched, not of the receiver. This is what you do when you turn an Irdeto series-1 CAM into a FreeCAM, for example.

2old

Pullet_Surprise

Hey thanks 2 old,

I think I follow

So if someone wants to patche the firmware on a cam, how is this done, take for instance the irdeto1 to freecam? Does it need a seperate piece of hardware or is it done through the receiver.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

2old4this

So far I know of four ways of patching/flashing/programming CI CAMs, but not all methods are supported by all CAMs.

- through the receiver (eg: flashing the Irdeto series1 while it is inserted into the CI slot of a Nokia 9600 pre-loaded with Dr. Overflow firmware and SCSI-connected to a PC running suitable software)

- via the PCMCIA slot of a PC (eg flashing series-1 Irdeto CAM using xloader or ird106 software running on the PC)

- by removing the flashable chip and programming it directly using a suitable zero-insertion-force TSOP socket and programming interface connected to a PC running programming software (eg when re-flashing a Euro CAM)

- via a special adaptor that is inserted into the CAM and connected to the serial port of a PC ruinning a suitable flashing utility (eg: programming the Magic CAM - although that also requires that the CAM be placed in a receiver too).

For more details, see the sites I referred to in the sticky post and also older postings on this board (whihc go into endless detail on flashing at least the Irdeto series1 CAMs)

2old

rolfw

Its done using the PCMCIA slot on a laptop Pete, all you need is a compatible laptop, WIN 98 or before and the right software.

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Pullet_Surprise

Thanks again 2old,

I am a tit, of course you need a special piece of hardware! Its called a PC...doh.

I'm about 6 months away from messing with cams i reckon. My dish comes next week so that should keep me entertained for a while. But your post is interesting anyway and a good pointer for the future.

Pete

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

Pullet_Surprise

Rolf,

Yeah. That's what kind of confused me, the PCMCIA interface. I didnt quite follow about how to connect the cam to...whatever... to program it. Is there a cable available usb or serial to PCMCIA (female?) that will do the same job via a pc?

P

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

rolfw

There's a PCI to PCMCIA adapter card to use with a PC, one of the guys on the forum has one I believe. There was a post with details of it, but i believe that it may be in the old archives.

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Pullet_Surprise

I'll do a bit of searching, bound to find something. Probably cheaper to borrow a laptop in the long run.

P.S Sorry to hear about your drill and van Rolf, thieving ponces.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

rolfw

Thanks Pete, I suppose one consolation is that it (the drill) had seen better days, I've used it constantly for 3 years and the chuck is close to knackered.

Rolf If you enjoy our site, you can help support it by wearing our unique branded merchandise, you can do this by clicking on my baseball cap, making a direct donation with Paypal by clicking on the Donation button below, or using our site supporting advertisers, to do this, click on the central image below. Follow us on Twitter, click on the twitter image.

2old4this

I think I'm rapidly becoming the only person left who calls a laptop a PC (aren't they all Personal Computers?).


Anyway - more importantly - I want to modify one of the statements I made above.
There are a small but growing number of receivers now for which a software patch alone (in the receiver) CAN alter the working of an inserted CI. These are the Samsung 9500 (patched) and the Echostar EchoNAV receivers (3600/5000/7000/etc.) running the very latest (official) beta software (eg 308 for the 7000). The CI in question is an Irdeto Euro CAM. The CAM itself does not need flashing (luckily, since it can't be without opening it up), but it will work with a 6-in-1 card when used with the mentioned receiver software.

Things are getting so complex now I can hardly keep up with it all...

2old