RockChip mp3/mp4 players

[Blitz]

hello

I'm new to this forum, and I am planing on developing a port of rock box for most rockchip devices, experimenting with this one in particular: http://www.uxcell.com/uxcell/retail/item/showItemLayout.php?action=showItem&id=mv0wht1024mp058 mp3/mp4 player. I like the price, button interface, and expandability through SD card. I doubt I will be done anytime soon, hardware pics may be up as soon as the summer (in the wiki of course). I'm a bit skeptical about this port myself, delete this post if you see fit.

[markun]

It looks a lot like some other players from China I've seen: the Ainol V1000 and the PMC-M600. The first uses a Blackfin CPU and I believe the 2nd one too.

Here's a look inside the V1000:

http://www.pconline.com.cn/digital/audio/mp4/mp4/0612/924573_2.html

I also have a firmware update for the V1000 which is not encrypted. It contains a lot of GPL and other open source licensed code and some stuff from Microsoft. I'm pretty sure they are not allowed to do that

I would also be interested in a port (but am still keeping my eyes open for a nicer Blackfin based DAP). The V1000 is not very expensive either (look on ebay).

Nice that the one you found uses a Nokia battery.

[Blitz]

hmmm i think mine and the one you're talking about may use the same or similar firmware as they have many of the same features. i bought mine from a sales-front for the factory that actually builds them! ive e-mailed them and they may be able to get a component manifest and just maybe the source code for the firmware. im waiting for them to get back to me, but this may turn out to be a fairly easy job.

[rosco_pc]

Mhhh, is the RockChip a blackfin based processor?
There is very little information avaialble on this processor (no datasheet) and is used in alot of Chinese DAP (either the 2606A or the 2608A).

[markun]

I didn't find exactly what is in the RockChip. This link suggests a ARM9 core:

http://www.itren.cn/news/shownew.asp?id=10189
(translated: http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.itren.cn%2Fnews%2Fshownew.asp%3Fid%3D10189&langpair=zh%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8)

[rosco_pc]

What I found is that it was ARM + some DSP core clocked at 100 MHz.
Getting the DSP core and the other integrated functions (like sound codec/USB)  to work without datasheet will be very difficult without.

[Blitz]

yeah its a rock chip. i found out when i connected it to my computer. does anyone know where i can find the games .rkp, ive googled it but cant find it. also whats the screen size in pixels? (if anyone can figure it out) the strange thing is it seems to be begging you to create an updated firmware for it, it has a firmware updating software ready  and everything even tho theres no upgrade.
PS: is 100mhz sufficient to run a gameboy color emulator?

[gnu]

Yes, 100 mhz is enough (it really depends on the screen size and on how much the emulator is optimized: rockboy runs on 75 mhz ipods). But I don't think that has much to do with a new port

[Blitz]

well by googling rockchip datasheet i managed to find two juicy tidbits on an mp3 player forum:
 this is a site holding just about all rock chip firmwares: http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdrivers.21tx.com%2Fdigi%2FTeclast%2F&langpair=zh%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

and this one is a download for a firmware creator for the rock chip.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/0yzzen

I'm at school right now so I'm having to minimize windows every five second to avoid getting caught (i'm in computer class) but i'll experiment with these when i get home.

[rockchipper]

Anyone found anymore on the Rockchip RK2606 or RK2608.

If the chip does have an ARM9 Core, then is there a way to create our own firmware to install Linux or WinCE onto the devices and start to craft our own UI and Apps, plus more importantly, since this chip seems heavy on video/audio, it should be able to handle emulators like NES and Atari 2600 fairly well - one would hope.


I found a copy of the datasheet if anyone is interested.


Rock On !!!

[rockchipper]

Been speaking behind the scene's a bit with Ker Nel and I gave him the Rockchip RK26xx datasheet's he's posted them up:


http://admin.gestogospel.sk/datasheets/Rock26XX-datasheet.pdf


I suggest we all start to look closely at this chip and lets start to see about how we could potentially get a Linux kernel onto it, remove its proprietary OS and look to get Rockbox onto it as well as other apps.

This chip based on the pair of RM100's I've taken apart and from the datasheet seems to be unbelievable powerful, so now lets see how far we can take it !


Rock On !!!

[gnu]

Rockbox does not depend on a linux kernel.
Quote: "Rockbox is a complete rewrite and uses no fragments of any original firmwares"

[markun]

Been speaking behind the scene's a bit with Ker Nel and I gave him the Rockchip RK26xx datasheet's he's posted them up:

http://admin.gestogospel.sk/datasheets/Rock26XX-datasheet.pdf

The datasheet doesn't say anything about a ARM core and the assembler instructions in the examples suggest it's MIPS based I think. I couldn't find anything on the "shll.e" instruction. Doesn't look good.

[Laserboy]

hey guys i found this form mympxplayer.org seems like a way (risky thought) how to edit the firmware off rockchip players... but like it says there seems to be no way of actaully extracting it for editing.... how this helps

http://www.mympxplayer.org/pafiledb/uploads/f283ed0a1b419979e2275d08b5084561.pdf

[andrew]

Here is a clue into the onboard Codec of some of the Rockchip processors:

http://www.dolphin.fr/corporate/announcements/publications/publications_overview.php
http://www.dolphin.fr/flip/analog/analog_overview.html
http://www.dolphin.fr/corporate/announcements/publications/pdf/rockchip.pdf

From both pages: "Our CODEC is embedded in Rockchip RK2606" someone might be able to glean some info from Dolphin Integration for programming information (like what happened with AustriaMicrosystems and their AS3514 chip).

Edit:
I just found a rar of the Rockchip USB driver and what seems to be the firmware update program:
http://www.pc210.com/download/downnow.asp?id=280

Edit (again):
I just found this also, its a page with a very large driver collection for all your cheap Chinese electronics (I even own a few of the listed devices )
http://www.pc210.com/download/