New cheap portable player in the market

[pmp4]

I'm starting with Rockbox arm toolchain, to build something that it can runs in the portable player.

I though start compiling a fdl. The code of the fdl that works seems to be in the zip 6531.zip, in the folder: /fdl_bootloader/nor_fdl/src
(at least, the strings in 6531A_Write_Full_Flash_1.bin and in that code seems to be pretty the same).

One tip if someone get stuck like me: When you run rockboxdev.sh and select build toolchain for arm, it fails with no reason. But if you select arm-linux, the scripts warns that you must install the libraries dependences "mpc" "gmp" and "mpfr".
So I installed it, and run again the script with arm choice (not arm-linux), and it works sucessfully.
I tried to build a rockbox firmware for Sansa Connect (it has the same arm processor than this player) and it works.

The processor is ARM926EJ-S.

I think it's better doing tests first with fdl, because you can run it without write anything to NOR memory.

[pmp4]

By the other side I found there are at least 4 portable players with similar firmware/gui/manufacturer.

All with a black and red box with a image of a skull, speakers, guitar with wings and "RockStar" text. With the text "Audio Player" in the bottom ("Audio Play" in big letters, and "er" in small letters).

Maybe I'm wrong, because I got just one player and the information of another players is from internet sellers and they sometimes contradict themselves.

But I think there are at least 4 kind of these portable players:

1) The first that I posted when I opened the thread, most sellers got in black color and without nand, but it seems that it exists in several colors (black, red, white, blue) and several internal nands.
Round button and 1.77" LCD 160x128 262k colors.
Cheapest price in Aliexpress: Around 11$ shipment included, without NAND memory. (I bought for 12.5 EUR).

2) The second that I posted and I ordered (but I didnt received yet), I think it's the same but with a cross-shape button under the lcd.
I only I saw it in black color, and with several internal NAND memories options.
Cheapest price in Aliexpress: Around 11$ shipment included, without NAND memory. (I bought for 12.19 EUR).

3) The third that I posted, a touchscreen version with a larger screen and without buttons in front view. Maybe it has another SoC or maybe it's the same, I dont know yet. The LCD seems to be different, I think it's 220x176 pixels (same aspect ratio than 160x128) 262k colors and ¿ 2.0 " ?, It has buttons in the lateral. In the videos that I've seen the GUI seems to be the same than in previous players.
It exists with several internal nand memories and without nand.
Cheapest price in Aliexpress: Around 24$ shipment included without nand memory.

4) One like the 3) but without touchscreen, it can only work with lateral buttons.
Cheapest price in Aliexpress: Around 17$ shipment included without nand memory.

There are available too in Amazon, eBay... with a faster shipment but higher price.

About the SoC, the only information about it is that the chip is "QA 2100" (¿Quality Audio?). And it seems a light version of Spreadtrum SC6531E but without GSM functions, and with Bluetooth 5.0 (instead Bluetooth 2.1 like the original SC6531E SoC). Processor ARM926EJ-S 208 MHz, 4 MB RAM. And 4 MB of NOR memory to store the firmware. It supports MPEG4 (AAC and H264) decoding, compliant with ISO/IEC 14496-simple profile, and 320x240 max size.

The DAC of the SoC seems to be a little crappy, it just dont play well music, specially electronic music (when it sounds beats, and it changes amplitude fastly, it sounds like fade out and in strangely). It's not related to a audio codec, it happens in mp3, aac, and wav.
But when you play the same song in bluetooth headphones, it plays fine.

[llnx1]

Last year I bought some of these chineses devices from Aliexpress and I decided to disassemble some to see the hardware, ... and I found it curious that some are using a Rockchip (I don't remember version), also had one from the Ruizu brand who was using a atj2127 (same Sansa Sport)

I don't know if any of these models can support Rockbox or some cfw in the future

[pmp4]

Last year I bought some of these chineses devices from Aliexpress and I decided to disassemble some to see the hardware, ... and I found it curious that some are using a Rockchip (I don't remember version), also had one from the Ruizu brand who was using a atj2127 (same Sansa Sport)

I don't know if any of these models can support Rockbox or some cfw in the future

Pics, links and prices are welcome!

If Rockbox can run in a 10$ device, this open rockbox to use it beyond than as just music player.
e.g: RSA token generator, bluetooth secure remote control, and so on.

A strong point of rockbox is security and simplicity: you can analyze every line of code and hardware is simple.

You can't never do the same in a smartphone.

[llnx1]

Pics, links and prices are welcome!

If Rockbox can run in a 10$ device, this open rockbox to use it beyond than as just music player.
e.g: RSA token generator, bluetooth secure remote control, and so on.

A strong point of rockbox is security and simplicity: you can analyze every line of code and hardware is simple.

You can't never do the same in a smartphone.

I don't have any of these devices anymore, I ended up donating or breaking due low quality

I hope you find some devuce capable of running Rockbox 

[pmp4]

I've received the cross-button portable player and it seems to be another soc based different from the round-button spreadtrum based player.

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005004543172464.html

The menu icons are like the first one (the menu icons of aliexpress pics are not real), but the game is different (it hasn't snake game, but a panda game). GUI is lightly different than first player when you enter in every option. The LCD seems to be different than first player (more pixels?), but it has 1.77 inch too.

Box is like the first spreadtrum player, red and black, with "audio play-er" text.

It doesnt work firmware mode upload usb from spreadtrum.

I got the usb in two modes, masstorage and "RDA" (I dont know what is) mode, pressing left button when it starts with a usb cable connected.

usb mass storage mode:

ID 1e04:0924 
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               1.10
  bDeviceClass            0
  bDeviceSubClass         0
  bDeviceProtocol         0
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x1e04
  idProduct          0x0924
  bcdDevice           34.10
  iManufacturer           1 Coolsand Technologies
  iProduct                2 Coolsand
  iSerial                 3 USB Controller 1.0
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength       0x0020
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     2
    iConfiguration          0
    bmAttributes         0x00
      (Missing must-be-set bit!)
      (Bus Powered)
    MaxPower              100mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           2
      bInterfaceClass         8 Mass Storage
      bInterfaceSubClass      6 SCSI
      bInterfaceProtocol     80 Bulk-Only
      iInterface              0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x02  EP 2 OUT
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x82  EP 2 IN
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
Device Status:     0x0400
  (Bus Powered)


And RDA mode:


1e04:0904 
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               1.10
  bDeviceClass            0
  bDeviceSubClass         0
  bDeviceProtocol         0
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x1e04
  idProduct          0x0904
  bcdDevice           34.10
  iManufacturer           1 Coolsand Technologies
  iProduct                2 Coolsand
  iSerial                 3 USB Controller 1.0
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength       0x0020
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0
    bmAttributes         0x00
      (Missing must-be-set bit!)
      (Bus Powered)
    MaxPower              100mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           2
      bInterfaceClass       255 Vendor Specific Class
      bInterfaceSubClass    102
      bInterfaceProtocol    102
      iInterface              4 RDA Usb
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x81  EP 1 IN
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               1
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x01  EP 1 OUT
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               1
Device Status:     0x0400
  (Bus Powered)

Another thing: I can't play mp4, the player supports it, but it can't play the same mp4 files that the first device is able to play (and my mp4 files are very compatible with any device, 160x128 size and baseline h264 profile, maybe it will work rotating 90º the mp4 file, I didnt test it yet).

Bluetooth mode: it can not pair with bluetooth 5.0 headphones, but it can pair with bluetooth 2.0 headphones.
The another first device can pair with bluetooth 5.0 headphones, but it can't pair with bluetooth 2.0 headphones (because it ask for a code, which is 0000, but obviously I can't put because player has not keyboard  ).

SD card slot: I dont know if it's just my player or all players, but once you put a sd card is forever because you can't get out again  .

Searching in google for "coolsand rda" it appears some phones, so I guess this player is based in a light version of some feature phone soc too, but it's not spreadtrum based soc.

I pressed several times reset hole, and now the device is bricked due to that, I dont know if it will resucitate again.

[pmp4]

Finally I didnt be able to resucitate the cross-button cool sand based device, so I tear it down all  .

The SoC has written: QAR 2100 2022AD06090 (Yes, here it's QAR and it's not QA like in Spreadtrum device)

I guess there are two kinds of cross-button players, cool sand based devices and spreadtrum based devices. By the other side, all round-buttons rockstar devices are spreadtrum devices (I guess).

UNISOC was the result of fusion of Spreadtrum and RDA microelectronics, so maybe the usb RDA mode of coolsand technologies devices is related to that.

https://www.design-reuse.com/news/28868/rda-baseband-ip-coolsand.html

Press reset button is dangerous in coolsand devices, I guess it erase all the first stages of NOR memory and can brick forever the SoC if you press two times fastly.

By the other side, there is no danger in Spreadtrum devices, you can press reset hundreds times without stop and nothing is bricked.
And even I guess you can write wrong firmwares and the fdl upload mode always survives (but I can't confirm it yet).

[bahus]

This is the device:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003708199722.html

Just received one for experiments from provided aliexpress link. And it seems it's not Spreadtrum device

It's reported as SMTLINK DEVICE
VID: 301a
PID: 2800
Serial Number: 20201111000001

Also in player settings I see the following Device information:
K177 yp3 1.6.23-2087945842

I ordered blue one maybe color matters( like not popular color so received old hardware version from old batch) So far doesn't look like good target for rockbox if you can't even buy reliably supported hardware.

[PaulF]

ARM chips have a 2 wire JTAG via SWD. Has anyone tried it?

[pmp4]

This is the device:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003708199722.html

Just received one for experiments from provided aliexpress link. And it seems it's not Spreadtrum device

It's reported as SMTLINK DEVICE
VID: 301a
PID: 2800
Serial Number: 20201111000001

Also in player settings I see the following Device information:
K177 yp3 1.6.23-2087945842

I ordered blue one maybe color matters( like not popular color so received old hardware version from old batch) So far doesn't look like good target for rockbox if you can't even buy reliably supported hardware.

My Spreadtrum device was bought exactly from here:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003353647527.html

And it's black, round button, from "COLHU Store"

I didnt know that it could be so many differences (Spreadtrum, Coolsand, SMTLink).

Until now, in this thread, the largest amount of information is about Spreadtrum, but anyway it would be interesting get information about any other cheap manufacturer.

Good luck!

[pmp4]

I bought another "RockStar" portable player from here:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004725085169.html

15.67 EUR shipment included (received in 12 days to Spain). "Azu Store".

It's the version with side buttons (it's not touch).

Aliexpress photos are fake.
LCD screen is the same than in round-button version, 128x160 pixels 262k colors, 1.77 inch.
This seems to be a little darker, but I think the LCD is the same, the difference is from the material that cover the LCD, it's a little less transparent in the side buttons version (I think it's a kind of crystal in side buttons version, and a kind of plastic in the round button version).

There are another cheapest versions and even one touch version for 17 EUR from another sellers, but I didnt test and I can't confirm that it will be spreadtrum devices.

I can confirm this device is a Spreadtrum device, same fdl to read and write firmware than round button version.

It has little differences about the other round button, this is what says the little paper that comes in the box:
-Round button version:
   Battery 250 mAh
   Bluetooth 3.0
   Weight 31g
   90.5 x 39.5 x 10 mm
-Side buttons version:
   Battery 210 mAh
   Bluetooth 4.1
   Weight 51g
   57.5 x 43.5 x 11.5 mm

I tried to read firmware, modify it and write it, all successful and ok.

Firmware seems to be a little different from Round button version, uncompressed it has different sizes of every partition, but kern.bin is almost the same, same information about hardware, just different compile date. All GUI and menus are the same in both versions, round-button and side-buttons.

Platform Version: MOCOR_12C.W13.04.23.BTDialer.20_Release
Project Version:   6531E_PCB_V1.0
A80_MK_220_21KEY_LCD(XXTCTC7735S_SJCTC9106_JLCTC3021_XXT9108BOE)_V1.0
BASE  Version:     BASE_SVN
HW Version:        6531E_PCB_V1.0
12-17-2021 11:50:29

Then I tried some more (useful from a RockBox future implementation point of view), I tried to write the Round button version firmware in the Side buttons device, and it worked, it works almost in the same way, but it have little differences (now it can move through the menu using the left buttons too, with the original firmware I can only move using right buttons).

The button to active special firmware upload mode is the left-up button.

[pmp4]

I bought a touch version from here, "peoplemarketing store"

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005004741657835.html

I bought the version with 16 GB sd card included and headphones, it's not the cheapest and I reallly I dont need the sdcard, but I didnt know if it was a sdcard or a version with internal memory. Of course I recommend buy it without sdcard.

I received in 18 days (to Spain shipment). Price: 20.27 USD

There are cheaper sellers, just for 15 $ the touch version (without headphones/sdcad), shipment included. But I cant confirm if it's the same player or not.

I can confirm this player is Spreadtrum based too. And it can run firmwares uploaded to this thread, but others firmware are not usable because this player have less buttons (just 3 buttons in the right side) and touchscreen only works with his firmware. But his firmware can be read and modified like the other players, same fdl in UniFlash.

It's needed some workaround to replace the firmware for a modification, unlike previous 2 players, I'll put instructions if someone is interested. But it can be done, all software related, without open the case.

This seller sells the touch version for 14.70 EUR and the side buttons version for 12.75 EUR, but I can't confirm if it's the same player, you never know with aliexpress  https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004990376825.html

I made a video with the firmware modification of the touch version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj2eyzGatVo

As curious thing, this version has a Dictionary English to Chinese (instead games), but I can't find the list of words in the firmware, so maybe it has some nand memory inside the SoC, I dont know, I tried to read another memory zones with UniFlash without luck (NOR memory is 4 MB like the other players). Unpacking firmware, sizes of every partition is almost the same than other firmwares, except usr.bin that is 4 MB in this players and 3 MB in the others.

And in this version I can pair with BT 2.0 headphones (because I can put the "0000" code with the touchscreen keyboard), it works fine.

Regards!