No Serial Download Request, Simpad refusing to startup, gets stuck Options

[ronaldw]

Dear all,
I´ve been trying to upgrade my Simpdad SL4 but now it got stuck... I first wanted to try to upgrade to a newer windows verson, although in the end I would prefer using linux

What I´ve done so far:

loaded loader_bl using serload. That went, as far as I could tell, as it should.

then I tried loading wince image on the simpad using serload. Ever since it gets stuk.
When I boot, it doesn´t get past the multicolored checkered screen. Using hyperterminal, I get the following message:

CODE

PBL V2.4 20.07.2001
Booting...
================================================
Siemens Switzerland Bootloader V2.5.3 10.06.2003
Running @206Mhz Processor ID 0x6901b118
Press ESC for monitor
Occupied Memory: [0x00004000-0x00008000],[0x01f00014-0x01f6d00c]
Flash Id 0x00000018 at virt adr 0x05000000 Size 0x01000000
No 32Bit Flash detected 0x00000000
FlashImage Checksum 0x05040014-0x05059f11=0xa6a4ca93 Bootloader Image OK
Fabdata Flash @0x05059f18 Ram @0x01f19f18 FABDATA: S842-CZTZC
MQ200 - Revision ID=2 ...
Initialise PCMCIA Interface... done.
Codec UCB1200 ID:0x1005 Ver.5 Dev.0 Suppl.1 IO 0x00000000
No PCMCIA Card Attached
NO PCMCIA CARD!  -- Use serial IO
Sysinit done
No serial download request
Boothdr at 0x05080000 -> 0xffffffff
Calling Monitor

=====================
Monitor:
=====================
Boot from Flash   'f'
Boot from Net     'n'
Power Off         'o'
Erase PSM+Registry'p'
Exit              'q'
Erase Registry    'r'
Erase Flash       'y'
Soft  Reset       's'
Print Fab-String  'w'
->

Now, whatever I try from there, nothing works. all option do work, btw, except for exit. But for example 'w' results in the fab-string being printed.

Is there a way to get back to some working version of my simpad or progress straight away to a linux version?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards, Ronald

[Digi]

ronaldw,

type the serload command and then hit ENTER and reset the Simpad at the same time, not ENTER first and then reset. Sometimes helps.

Digi

[ronaldw]

ronaldw,

type the serload command and then hit ENTER and reset the Simpad at the same time, not ENTER first and then reset. Sometimes helps.

Digi

Thanks, I will try it. I'm afraid I bricked my simpad, but I guess there's still hope...

Ronald

[fladda]

Keep trying, and hit the Simpad's reset key at different times relative to typing the serload request. Eventually the flash image will start to load (as long as you don't then get the memory 'overlap' message). Often takes 10-20 attempts to get the flash load started.

Start with hitting the reset on the Simpad about 0.1 seconds before hitting <enter> for the serload request. Each subsequent attempt hit the Simpad reset about 0.05 seconds later each time... Keep trying.

However, even when I manage to load the flash image onto one my Simpads, the screen says flash completed OK etc. but the Simpad just keeps displaying the 'tartan' screen forever:-( WinCE 4.1 never seems to start up. I tried Wince 3.0 and 4.0 and these are just the same. I am wondering if there is some area of the 2nd flash IC that needs to be cleared (I completely erased the first flash IC using JTAG). I cleared everything I could find first using the 2.5.3 bootlader options 'r', 'y' and 'p', and the extended options e0 and e1.

Ralph

ronaldw,

type the serload command and then hit ENTER and reset the Simpad at the same time, not ENTER first and then reset. Sometimes helps.

Digi

Thanks, I will try it. I'm afraid I bricked my simpad, but I guess there's still hope...

Ronald

[ronaldw]

Well...
I found the solution on the opensimpad.org forum:
I´m using Windows. I disabled the FIFO of the COM port in the device manager.

That did the trick. Unfortunately, the image that´s loaded is not very stable so I guess I´ll have to find somehting better...

Ronald

[fladda]

Thanks for that. Just tried this on my (broken) Simpad. Disabled the FiFo buffer on the serial port. Now the 2.5.3 boot-loader will load every time:-)

Before that it used to take 20-30 attempts, and only worked if the timing between pressing the reset on the Simpad and typing the serload command was perfect.

Ralph

Well...
I found the solution on the opensimpad.org forum:
I´m using Windows. I disabled the FIFO of the COM port in the device manager.

That did the trick. Unfortunately, the image that´s loaded is not very stable so I guess I´ll have to find somehting better...

Ronald