Sansa Clip+: bricked by rockbox

[johnnyz86]

Today, when going into the database view while playing an audiobock (selected from the database view), the Clip+ displayed one of the rockbox crash screens but instantly turned off before I could read it.  

It was being charged at the time through a USB car adapter (power pins only).  It was playing an AAC file that was 6 hours long (not sure if it's a known bug, but fast forwarding past the halfway point screws wraps the position back to the beginning).  All files were on the microSD card, with only rockbox files on the main hard drive.

Now, it does not respond to the power button, home+power held, and nothing is detected when I plug it in via USB to a computer.

Installed it yesterday with the following settings:
 - newest clip firmware 16A
 - automatic installer 1.2.12, installed RockBox v3.10
 - extras, some themes, doom wad
 - car adapter mode
 - Load database into RAM

I've used rockbox on the Clip+ for a year and recently the Clip+ died due to other reasons.  I had it replaced, so I threw the newest automatic installer v3.10 yesterday.  I put on all the extras, some themes, charged it, tested it out, etc.  

Please let me know if there is anything more I can provide to help make sure this doesn't happen again with a new Clip+.

[bluebrother]

- automatic installer v3.10

There is no such thing. There's a Rockbox release 3.10 and Rockbox Utility, which current version is 1.2.12.

[johnnyz86]

- automatic installer v3.10

There is no such thing. There's a Rockbox release 3.10 and Rockbox Utility, which current version is 1.2.12.

Fixed.  That's what I meant, I downloaded it yesterday.

[saratoga]

If it crashed and holding power doesn't work (and you've tried it a few times for up to a minute), you might have to wait for the battery to die.

[johnnyz86]

If it crashed and holding power doesn't work (and you've tried it a few times for up to a minute), you might have to wait for the battery to die.

Thanks, this was indeed the case.

Is there like a core file or anything that can help figuring out what happened?

[saratoga]

If it crashed and holding power doesn't work (and you've tried it a few times for up to a minute), you might have to wait for the battery to die.

Thanks, this was indeed the case.

Is there like a core file or anything that can help figuring out what happened?

Nope.  Once there is a crash the storage isn't even available, so nothing gets saved. 

[johnnyz86]

If it crashed and holding power doesn't work (and you've tried it a few times for up to a minute), you might have to wait for the battery to die.

Thanks, this was indeed the case.

Is there like a core file or anything that can help figuring out what happened?

Nope.  Once there is a crash the storage isn't even available, so nothing gets saved.  

How do you recommend getting started with debugging and fixing it? After I've set up a development environment and compiled? I've been looking at using some of my signal processing experience in embedded environments anyway.

[saratoga]

If it crashed and holding power doesn't work (and you've tried it a few times for up to a minute), you might have to wait for the battery to die.

Thanks, this was indeed the case.

Is there like a core file or anything that can help figuring out what happened?

Nope.  Once there is a crash the storage isn't even available, so nothing gets saved.  

How do you recommend getting started with debugging and fixing it? After I've set up a development environment and compiled? I've been looking at using some of my signal processing experience in embedded environments anyway.

My guess is that this bug is already fixed in newer builds by reenabling the ROM clock on power down, so the first thing I would do is update and then see if there anyway to make it happen again. 

[johnnyz86]

If it crashed and holding power doesn't work (and you've tried it a few times for up to a minute), you might have to wait for the battery to die.

Thanks, this was indeed the case.

Is there like a core file or anything that can help figuring out what happened?

Nope.  Once there is a crash the storage isn't even available, so nothing gets saved.  

How do you recommend getting started with debugging and fixing it? After I've set up a development environment and compiled? I've been looking at using some of my signal processing experience in embedded environments anyway.

My guess is that this bug is already fixed in newer builds by reenabling the ROM clock on power down, so the first thing I would do is update and then see if there anyway to make it happen again. 

Ah ok, I see that patch.  Is there any other use for the ROM clock?

[kholto]

My old clip+ did exactly this running stock firmware. So it could be completely unrelated to Rockbox.

In other news, I now have two functioning clip+'s. Thanks for mentioning the battery thing before i threw the old one out  
The old one has a broken power button though (turn it on with USB, off with timer) so not sure if I will have it other than as a backup perhaps.

I will probably be putting Rockbox on one or both now, my only concern is how well it handles audiobooks? I saw that you put in some resume feature a bit like the original sansa FW. Not sure I completely understand how it works though. I could just boot it in the normal firmware for audiobooks I guess.

EDIT: Now the new one wont start, this can only get better by going for Rockbox!
EDIT2: Sorry to be thread-ninjaing, but I might aswell write what happens next.
I played doom on the old clip+, then found out you need the power button to exit it. oops.
I managed to open up the old clip+ and I am now going to attempt soldering the power button back on the PCB, wish me luck.
EDIT3: SMD is so small! but the operation was a success anyway.
I have been fiddling with Rockbox for the last 2 hours and comparing it to the stock system (since I now sit with 2 fully functional clip+'s) It is awesome!
My only problem is how it handles audibooks, is there a way to have the database permanently ignore a set folder? It is a bit anoying that I can't just "play all"

[AlexP]

Please start a new thread in the appropriate forum for new questions, don't tack them on the end of an unrelated thread.