e3-hacking

e3-hacking@earth.li

395 discussions

Knowledge of bootloader
by Mark Underwood 24 Jan '06

24 Jan '06

Hi Guys, Could someone let me know if there are any docs describing how I can use the boot-loader to upload my own kernel into RAM and ideally also re-flash it? Thanks, Mark ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

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Hello! (and cheap E3s)
by Chris Tingley 24 Jan '06

24 Jan '06

Hi All, Thought id quickly introduce myself as a new member! Im a Masters student at Reading University UK studying Computer Science and Cybernetics so the thought of getting all this funky hardware for such a silly price seemed like a fantastic idea! I know that on Sunday, Tesco were selling the E3 for £30. Today when I went in there to pick one up, they had gone up to £50! After a small amount of googling i found that Currys, Dixons, Argos and Toys r Us are all still doing it for £30 - I will go and get one tomorrow morning. I am interested in the software side - being able to run own custom software on it [ip video phone, skype, home automation controller, maybe even a normal phone and networked answer machine!] - the possibilities are quite interesting to what you can do with quite a cool bit of IO hardware in a convenient form factor. But the other great use is just for components - even the screen and camera are pretty good items to get for 30 quid! Thats all for now - but if anyone has any suggestions on what i should start to investigate first with this beast as there is no point us all working on exactly the same thing. My low-level firmware is not great (willing to improve), but i'm ok(ish) with the hardware side and pretty hot on the higher-level software. Chris

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Boot log of new E3
by Mark Underwood 22 Jan '06

22 Jan '06

I now have my new E3 and here is the boot log! Reboot at 115200 ================ Amstrad Delta - PBL V4.9 Build:1311 Assert Debug ICE PBL 32MB NAND 0MB.-->MEMv01.00.002,CopyLim=00220000h,CodeEnd=01400000h-->PBL......1MB.......2MB* System module loader - LDR V1.5 Build:0008 Assert Mod scan 10010100 to 10230100 MEM - 10024000 (flash 00404000) PARMS - 10024400 (flash 00404400) LDR - 10024800 (flash 00404800) PARMS - 10034400 (flash 00414400) LINUX - 10044000 (flash 00424000) LINUX - 10144000 (flash 00524000) num modules: 6 checking LDR V1 at 10024800, alive=0, load=10002000 checking LINUX V1 at 10044000, alive=0, load=11800000 checking LINUX V4 at 10144000, alive=0, load=11800000 two modules called LINUX checking MEM V1 at 10024000, alive=0, load=11F00000 checking PARMS V1 at 10024400, alive=0, load=11900000 checking PARMS V2 at 10034400, alive=0, load=11900000 two modules called PARMS 6 Modules processed, 6 are valid LDR thinks global number for them is 4 Found mod <LINUX> V=4 at 10144000 Found mod <PARMS> V=2 at 10034400 Linux command line module (PARMS) found at 10034400 INITRD Not found Linux start-up params (Any key to edit) Found mod <LINUX> V=4 at 10144000 Uncompressing Linux........................................................ done, booting the kernel. Reboot at 9600 ============== Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/net/unix/unix.o Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/fs/ramfs/ramfs.o extracting links.tar.gz removing mnt removing proc removing var removing dev removing etc removing delta/aec_config.txt Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/drivers/char/ams_keyb_mod.o Warning: loading ams_keyb_mod will taint the kernel: no license See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/drivers/char/ams_beep_mod.o Warning: loading ams_beep_mod will taint the kernel: no license See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/drivers/media/video/videodev.o Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/drivers/media/video/omap/v4l2-omap.o Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/drivers/usb/printer.o Using dfd.o Warning: loading dfd will taint the kernel: no license See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules insmod: init_module: dfd: Device or resource busy Using ams-delta-sys.o Warning: loading ams-delta-sys will taint the kernel: no license See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules Using smartcard.o Warning: loading smartcard will taint the kernel: no license See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules Using hdwdock.o Warning: loading hdwdock will taint the kernel: no license See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules Using dsplinkk.o Warning: loading dsplinkk will taint the kernel: non-GPL license - DSP/BIOS(TM) LINK See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules Using shmemModule.o Warning: loading shmemModule will taint the kernel: non-GPL license - (c) Texas Instruments See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/drivers/char/omap_wdt.o Using /lib/modules/2.4.18_mvl30-ams-delta/kernel/net/unix/unix.o Warning: loading unix will taint the kernel: no license See http://www.tux.org/lkml/#export-tainted for information about tainted modules insmod: A module named unix already exists == WATCHMAN STARTING ===== Watchdog default timeout = 19 Watchdog timeout set to = 18 Watchdog Ticking Away! create_server_socket() - Creating AF_UNIX socket CHILD: Forked - child &watchman_ws 0x8080a8, watchman_ws 0x123456 CHILD: msg.type = 1 CHILD: msg.pid = 98 CHILD: msg.psys_watchman_ws = 0x8080a8 Sending message WATCHMAN: rxd PROCESS_PROFILE_TYPE msg psys_watchman_ws0x8080a8 Recombined IMPORT_LIBC ver 4 Recombined M_LNG ver 1 Recombined sasken1 ver 1 Global Build Number = 4 Process id is 98 Skipped 448 Skipped 448 Skipped 448 Skipped 452 Skipped 452 Skipped 452 Skipped 463 Skipped 463 Skipped 463 Skipped 502 Skipped 502 Skipped 502 Skipped 2124 Skipped 2124 Skipped 2124 Hello World printf ordinal now being mapped to dummy function. 008115BC being set to 010DD4F8 puts ordinal now being mapped to dummy funcsys: writing AGKA4032844D and 2004/10 /08 11:40:32 to /dev/urandom It looks like they have cleared up some of the debug messages that were in earlier versions of the E3 (http://www.earth.li/~noodles/files/delta.boot). Mark ___________________________________________________________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com

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Universal E2/E3 serial interface design
by Andy 21 Jan '06

21 Jan '06

Hiya, As per my earlier posting I've now designed and built a universal E2/E3 interface board that should convert to/from legal RS232 levels. A jumper is used to select E2 or E3 mode. I've also produced a circuit diagram from my prototype and put this here: http://www.cambridgewargames.org.uk/members/andy/emailer/ I would welcome any feedback on the design and would also appreciate people sanity check I've not put any stupid mistakes in the circuit diagram when copying from my stipboard prototype. Have a good weekend, Andy M

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RE: [E3-hacking] Another hello
by jasmine＠electronpusher.org 19 Jan '06

19 Jan '06

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006, andy(a)entropy.demon.co.uk wrote: > On the E3 (home hacking) I'm scared to shove more than 3.3V in as I > believe the OMAP is a 3.3V part on a 0.18ish micron process. I suspect > it would die if connected directly to an RS232 level signal if there > isn't some protection. The OMAP5910 can run on core voltages around 2v (1.45 to 2.2v according to who we made them for) and has 3.3v IOs. It is on a 120nm process, and the UART pins have internal pad driver logic containing a hevty anti-ESD diode designed to protect the chip up to 2kV. It can't cope with much actual power, though, so it would probably die if you fed it 9v at a source impedance of less than 10kohms or so. -J., former OMAP architect

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RE: [E3-hacking] Another hello
by Cliff Lawson 19 Jan '06

19 Jan '06

I'd have thought the protection was vital. It's not so much whether the PC can detect the "weedy" 0V..5V swing coming out of an E2/E3 but whether the UART input buffers on the OMAP/Sharp can stand getting -12V shoved up them coming from the PC (I'm assuming that PCs still transmits true RS232 even if they're a bit more lenient about what they can detect?) (Or maybe my h/w designing colleague did splash for sufficient inbound protection on the board - I can't remember off hand) Cliff > -----Original Message----- > From: Ian Stirling [mailto:ian.stirling@mauve.plus.com] > Sent: 19 January 2006 16:44 > To: Discussion of the Amstrad E3 emailer hardware/software > Subject: Re: [E3-hacking] Another hello > > Back in the dim and distant past, this may have been true. > However, with the growth of low-power devices on the 232 bus, > more and > more stuff has quietly lowered the level at which 0 becomes 1 > from 7(?) > of the MC1488/1489, down to 5V, or even lower. > 5V signalling will work just fine with many of todays PCs, > even 3.3V on > quite a lot of them. This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and intended exclusively for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. This message is attributed to the sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of Amstrad Plc or its subsidiaries. For further information on Amstrad Plc please visit our website: www.amstrad.com Amstrad Plc. Brentwood House 169 Kings Road Brentwood Essex CM14 4EF Registered in England : No. 955321

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RE: [E3-hacking] Another hello
by jchadd＠amserve.net 19 Jan '06

19 Jan '06

The E3 and E2 have clamping diodes on the serial port's input and output pins. As such anything above 5V or below 0V is effectively shorted out. This is meant for ESD protection but I suppose the diodes will effectively clamp +/-12V RS232 to 0- 5V TTL. So long as the PC doesn't supply too much current and warm the diodes up too much! John Chadd Cliff Lawson wrote: > I'd have thought the protection was vital. It's not so much whether the PC > can detect the "weedy" 0V..5V swing coming out of an E2/E3 but whether the > UART input buffers on the OMAP/Sharp can stand getting -12V shoved up them > coming from the PC (I'm assuming that PCs still transmits true RS232 even if > they're a bit more lenient about what they can detect?) > > (Or maybe my h/w designing colleague did splash for sufficient inbound > protection on the board - I can't remember off hand) >

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RE: [E3-hacking] Another hello
by Cliff Lawson 19 Jan '06

19 Jan '06

Yup, I have to say I was surprised when folks were saying they could connect an E3 to a PC without a MAX232?! Both E2 and E3 signals are at TTL levels so, by rights, you shouldn't be able to just connect direct and have it work as the 16550 in the PC is supposed to be expecting RS232 -/+12 but maybe some of them are a bit more "lenient" ? Also, as Andy says, the E3 signals are inverted (saved the cost of an inverter on the board!) so we use MAX232 boxes with a switched 74 series inverter in there too and use it non inverted for E2 and inverted for E3. Your mileage may vary. Cliff > -----Original Message----- > From: Andy [mailto:andy@entropy.demon.co.uk] > Sent: 18 January 2006 20:21 > To: Discussion of the Amstrad E3 emailer hardware/software > Subject: Re: [E3-hacking] Another hello > > The short answer is what comes out is inverted, like RS232, > but is not > at valid RS232 voltage levels as it never swings negative. Some PCs > might let you get away with this, many wont. Being already inverted > connecting this to typical RS232 line driver chip then re-inverts the > signal and that wont work either. This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and intended exclusively for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. This message is attributed to the sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of Amstrad Plc or its subsidiaries. For further information on Amstrad Plc please visit our website: www.amstrad.com Amstrad Plc. Brentwood House 169 Kings Road Brentwood Essex CM14 4EF Registered in England : No. 955321

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Another hello
by mark 18 Jan '06

18 Jan '06

Hi, I just bought one of these too, although I only have little hardware experience I figured it was a cheap way to learn something. My first problem is I can't seem to send anything to the phone. I have the serial console working and using pblq or kermit with a standard serial port on linux I can view kernel output, but thats as far as it goes. I checked the serial port wiring, and thats Ok. Could it be because I've not registered the phone yet? I've not seen this documented anywhere else but if you press 1 (one)in the setup information page you get a list of all the driver versions and some other stuff email num/reg num/config http etc .... Pressing 0 (zero) in the setup menu brings up something like phone numbers and hex? at the top of the screen also from within the second menu (telephone line) pressing nine three times activates a toggle of some sort high/low beep. All this done on an unregistered phone. Mark.

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communications problem - solved
by mark 18 Jan '06

18 Jan '06

Hi, I managed to determine the write problem and I can now write to the E3, bitbox:~$ ./pbltool meminfo Talking to PBL v4.9 Build 1311 0 0x00000000 0x00020000 0x00000000 0x00020000 0x001F 0x0087 1 0x00400000 0x01B40000 0x00000000 0x00000000 0x007F 0x9875 Its a bit scary when the lights stop flashing and the phone appears dead, there should be a warning about that somewhere, lol. Advice to others with the same problem ... check your wiring ;) Mark.

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e3-hacking