[Clip+, Clip Zip, ClipV2, FuzeV2] Improve battery life, part 2

[asymsucon]

No, I can't access any of internal flash memory. It simply won't display under My Computer.
I have now tried with SD card inserted and SD is accessible, but not internal storage.

Is it possible to revert to original firmware directly from player?

[Mihail Zenkov]

No. You need usb drive for updating firmware.
You have old rockbox bootloader or new (from this topic http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,51304.0.html) which able boot from sd?

[asymsucon]

I suppose the old one, which was downloaded automatically through Rockbox Utility for Win.

[johnb]

asymsucon
What if you boot into the OF (LEFT + PowerON), set it to MSC mode and then copy .rockbox of current dev build  over?

[asymsucon]

johnb
Good suggestion, but OF isn't loading as well:

It's stuck on this screen

After unplugging with SD card in it, it shows garbled text:


It's still under warranty, so I can attempt return. Just need a confirmation that it failed not because of our experiments, but on its own.

[johnb]

My notorious clip+ variant 1 (the one you provided the SDonly for):
Played fine @ 85, I stopped after 8hs.
Tried 84, but got a dc_write_callback error after 2.5h.

This means we should at least run for 3h without problems before reporting success.

[Mihail Zenkov]

It's still under warranty, so I can attempt return.

In warranty can be denied since you have replaced original firmware to rockbox.

Just need a confirmation that it failed not because of our experiments, but on its own.

I do not think that these experimentation or rockbox can kill internal flash. We set lower voltages than in original - it can not burn anything.

We have many reports about porblems with internal flash memory with or without rockbox.

I have two clip zip (both 3 years old).
First used 3-6 hours everyday, internal flash often used. I do all test on it - few hundred experimental rockbox updates. It still alive without any problems.

Second player - used not so often - 1 hour per day, internal flash mostly not used at all. I rarely update rockbox on it - 10-15 times for all time. It also still work, but few month before it switch internal flash to read only mode. I just write latest rockbox on sd card and loading rockbox from sd card (as I have new bootloader on it). 

[Mihail Zenkov]

This means we should at least run for 3h without problems before reporting success.

You right, but we can rise this value later if someone report about problem.
Can you check what you have on fuze v2?

[johnb]

Yes, I am at it for a while now:
my fuze variant 0 is not stable (stats increasing) at 95, so the current test uses 97.

fuze variant 1 is fine so far @ 90, but less than 2h atm.

Regarding the bootloader, do you have a version which always starts RB from the SDcard?

The mount_SDonly patch you gave me still loads the firmware from internal memory AFAIK.

[saratoga]

If you have the normal bootloader installed I think bootloader USB mode should work. If you plug into USB while the player is off and the select button is held down, USB should work.

[johnb]

@Saratoga, were you replying to me? Then I don't get your point 

I have installed the bootloader that you and Mihail provided a while ago: This only boots from SD, if the internal memory cannot be mounted. But what if - like Mihail described it- internal is not longer writable, i.e. you cannot update RB anymore?

The SDonly I was referring to above, loads RB from internal, but the leaves only SD mounted, but requires the .rockbox directory to be on SD. Later on, all settings will be written to the directory on SD.

[Mihail Zenkov]

Regarding the bootloader, do you have a version which always starts RB from the SDcard?

The mount_SDonly patch you gave me still loads the firmware from internal memory AFAIK.

You right, I add patches to bootloader topic.

[asymsucon]

If you have the normal bootloader installed I think bootloader USB mode should work. If you plug into USB while the player is off and the select button is held down, USB should work.

OK, this seem possible as USB Input device is recognized that way.
My question is though, how can I load in the bootloader from Win7 if the internal flash is no longer recognized?

[asymsucon]

In warranty can be denied since you have replaced original firmware to rockbox.

Sansa firmware is still present on the device. The vendor didn't specify warranty conditions, and in fact offered the player as "rockbox ready". I'd be surprised if he refused exchange.

The bootloader patch should be applied according to this guide? https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/WorkingWithPatches#Applying_A_Patch

As for performance, v12 takes at least 15 seconds to load Opus files of any bitrate.

[johnb]

v12 on a fuze var1:
No re-inits @ 83, but already @ 84 the shade of the color screen changes sometimes (no flickering) and sometimes loading a song can take several seconds.