Sansa Clip Zip always freezes at start music playing

[lights]

Hello, I have installed Rockbox 3.14 with Rockbox Utility without problem. Dual boot work correctly and apparently Rockbox works. The database was created correctly and I can seen all the music I have transferred on the device.
But when I play a music file, immediately the player freezes on the playback screen. I used mp3, flac and alac files with the same results, any on the sd card or in the internal memory.
Sometimes at the play command instead of freeze I receive one of these errors:

*PANIC*
Incorrect CPU mode in mrsw_read_acquire
pc: 3006C14C sp:3
 
or

Undefined instruction pc301A1BCC sp:300A22 bt end

The stock firmware plays correctly all the music files.
Both the internal memory and sd card are formatted FAT32.

I have tried several times to reinstall both Sansa firmware and Rockbox but without results.
1- From stock firmware menu I formatted the internal memory.
2- I copied the Sansa Firmware in the root directory and restart for install.
3- Verified the Sansa work fine.
4- Installed Rockbox with Rockbox Utility.
5- Verified the dual boot works fine.
6- Copied music connecting Sansa running stock firmware, in MSC mode, both in internal memory and SD.
7- Test in stock firmware: database created correctly and play music ok.
8- Test in Rockbox: database created correctly but at play immediately the player crashes or freezes.

thanks for any suggestion on how to solve my problem

[saratoga]

That is a really surprising error.  I'll ask other developers about it, but first two quick questions:

1)  Does that still happen if the database is never enabled/built?
2)  Does the current development build still do that?

[lights]

Thanks Saratoga for yours fast reply.

1)  Does that still happen if the database is never enabled/built?
2)  Does the current development build still do that?

1) I uninstalled and reinstalled the v.3.14 stable via Rockbox Utility, without inizialize the database. Still the player freezes at starting play the song (only one mp3 album in internal memory, without sd card).
2) Unistalled stable version and installed development build.
At first switch on the player freezed at the Rockbox logo.
At second switch on the player crashed with error: SWI at 3885DFI0 pc3805DF10 sp:300A23.
At third switch on finally the player started with usual menu. I didn't inizialize the database, only go to files menu to start the album but, again, the player freezes to second 0.01 of the song.

[jhMikeS]

It looks like the player is jumping to random locations. It's probably corruption (stack?) from something else since it shouldn't be in that CPU mode (hence the panic). I got similar errors from a bug in buffering and they can happen for other reasons. Maybe it has something in common with https://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/13108 .

Edit: So, why are some players flaking out at times when others with the same model have no issue?

[Bilgus]

my guess is voltage levels, either the regulator output is lower than it should be or the ram or cpu just needs more voltage
you might try 3.13 and see if the issue still happens

[lights]

Hello Bilgus,

you might try 3.13 and see if the issue still happens

I tried to install the v.3.13 and finally the problem vanished!
Obvoiusly I used the manual installation. I tried then to manually install the v.3.14 but the zip file dowloaded from the releases archive, http://download.rockbox.org/release/3.14/sansaclipzip-3.14-english.zip, strangely contains only a 'lang' directory, no other. Have you some idea?

[Bilgus]

huh good question I'd say there is a problem with our download try a dev version instead http://build.rockbox.org/
oh It was pointed out to me you downloaded the voice pack not Firmware for the clipzip http://download.rockbox.org/release/3.14/rockbox-sansaclipzip-3.14.zip

[lights]

huh good question I'd say there is a problem with our download try a dev version instead http://build.rockbox.org/

No, with dev version, both manual install or auto install, the player freezes on playback.
I like to try the manual installation with v.3.14 but I don't know where to download

[Bilgus]

click the link that says FIRMWARE its in the link above but I seriously doubt any of the versions 3.14 or dev are going to be any different since the code that changes the cpu speed and voltage hasn't changed since 3.14 you can try though going into the debug menu system>debug>cpu frequency and press the up button a few times then try playing music and see if it works

[lights]

Ok, I reinstalled the v.3.14 with Rockbox Utility and then I modified CPU frquency and voltage.
Default value was: frequency 38.4 - voltage 0.8. I pressed the up button once and now the values are: frequency 192.0 - voltage 1.1.

With these values the music playback now work. But the changes I thing are only for debug, it's correct? Indeed when I reboot the player, frequency and voltage return to default value and player freezes.
There is a way to store the new values? Do you think it is expected a fix on future versions ?

And, why only I have had this problem? Clip zip and rockbox 3.14 is a common configuration, I think.

Many thanks anyway for your support

[saratoga]

Here is a build with frequency scaling disabled, you can use it for now:

web.mit.edu/mgg6/www/rockbox-fef736be4ab1c2df33d15715badd6b5ff04c2285.7z

We should try to figure out what voltages exactly are required for your player to work correctly.

[Bilgus]

0.8 - 1.1 that is a pretty small margin I wonder what kind of effect not decreasing the voltage has on runtime

[lights]

Uhm, I installed the new build, ma at start the player says: "Loading firmware ...... (various parameter)...bad checksum" and then "Plug usb cable".

[Bilgus]

next time safely eject your device before you unplug
just need to try again

[lights]

I disinstalled and reinstalled the new build paying attention to the correct procedure to eject before unplug. I tried several times, then I reinstalled the v.3.14 without problem (but obviously with the nice company of freezed plays  ).