Dm500S flashing disaster

[Esprit]

This morning I was all fired up to mess around with my DM500S box and I wish I hadn't!

I used telnet to start a session and started replacing the firmware image by issuing the eraseall command followed by a copy to /dev/mnt/3

What happened was it erased everything up to 100% and then I lost my telnet connection. Apparently, quite stupidly might I add, I was running a transponder search at the same time, that I hadn't bothered to cancel out of. The machine hung after the erase completed and no firmware was copied in place of the one that was removed!

Now I am not sure how the box is designed but I've read in many posts that you could still recover from a bad image by using a null cable. I fail to understand how, if there is no firmware present to take you through the replacement process. Anyhow I went out and bought a serial to serial female cable from radio shack and placed a null adapter at one end. ( I tested a pc to pc conncetion to make sure it works by starting hyperterminal on both machines and connecting them, it was pretty nifty anything I typed in one terminal showed up on the other pc's terminal).

I went through the Dreamup instructions:
- Make sure Dbox is off
- Connect the cable
- startup dreamup and press connect with the appropriate COM port and network unchecked
- start the dbox
......thats it. At this point nothing happens for me, the Dbox just stares at me through its lonely green LED inflicting such pain in my heart as would drive me up the wall had I not a forum to turn to in my time of need.

I've tried lots of suggestions. I repeated the above instructions but used Hyperterminal to see what everyone is talking about (there being a menu and stuff) but nope I get nothing. Blank screen, woes me.

I was replacing a GEMINI 4.2 image with an older back-up I had if that is of any use to know...

Well, any help would be much appreciated. I asked an engineer friend of mine who said that we would have to replace the ROM chip because the software was wiped out (pretty much what I thought but I just wanna make sure I'm not missing anything).

Thanks a mil, appreciate any feedback
cheers
Esprit

 

[firestorm]

are you using a usb to serial or has your pc got a serial port?Some usb adapters dont work so try an old pc with a serial port on it.Some time vista wont work with some adapters ie the one at maplins.I know win98 works very well with dreamup i have saved a few peoples dreamboxs with that method when all else as failed.

 

[rolfw]

He is probably right, if you have used the erase all command, then you will probably have erased the boot loader and you will probably need to use a jtag interface to load a new one. Does it make any effort to boot when you switch it on?

I can't quite understand why you would be using that method of uploading an image, as using something like Flashwizard Pro over ethernet is fast and easy, with a very low failure rate.

 

[Esprit]

I believe Flashwizard pretty much does the same thing I did but automatically; telnetting and sending the needed commands. Either way I should not have been flashing while the machine was burdened by the service search, that's probably what did it. I should have also waited for it when it hung...patience, a thing I lack greatly... I just unplugged and replugged the machine when it wouldn't accept telnet connections...it was probably too overloaded.

I get no signal on the TV when I switch it on and the LED is a solid green no matter what I do with the remote control. I will update you once I've replaced the chip.
Thanks for your reply

 

[firestorm]

Is it not possible to use a cas3 programer to jtag it,i ve never done it on a dreambox but i have jtag cable boxs that have died.You could try google and see what it comes up with.

 

[rolfw]

No, flashwizard does not delete the boot loader as far as I know and that would appear to be what you have done. As I said in my post above, using a jtag (if you can identify the connections) would mean not having to remove the chip.

 

[SAM21842]

I had the exact same problem last night, I used the FLASHWIZARDPRO 6.3 and I stopped it halfway the result of that was as you but it “the Dbox just stares at me through its lonely green LED inflicting such pain in my heart” anyways I started looking for answers and someone suggested to backup from another DB, (Gemini_400_DM500.img - sorry Sorry couldn’t attach it ) and flashed it back to my DB (Universal DreamUp V1.3..21 for backing up and flashing).
You know what its up and running however it started me from scratch (TV system wizared, I don’t know if I can load every thing required to get my DB up and running again)
Anyways if you flash Gemini_400_DM500.img to your DB I am sure you would have a smile one your face once you finish. And perhaps you could help me in the steps which I should take after that.

 

[srei]

Remember bro Shekespeare said "what is done,cannot be undone."

 

[dig deep]

Try to do it again, using a null modem cable.

Let the box be free from the net (pull the plug) for a 10-20 minutes then start the show from the beginning. and flashwizard of course

 

[aelayyan]

i had the same problem last night ,, then i solve it
check your router to see if the box has new ip address if yes cope it to your browser and then flash is using the web interface built in dm500 plus

hope this will help u

 

[jbesclapez75]

To be more precise: You need to unplug the electricity from the dreambox before doing anything. Then you plug the serial port and click on send on the PC. Only THEN you plug the electricity back... it should work

 

[digidude]

does anybody have the software needed to jtag a 500s?