Recent Posts

1

Starting Development and Compiling / Re: Ingenic MIPS GCC 7.2.0 Toolchain to compile m3k native port

« Last post by amachronic on Today at 02:11:33 PM »

[...] Anyway is a good idea to build it with latest toolchain 

Using the latest GCC won't make things appreciably faster or more responsive. You could expect a few percent performance improvement, at most, which at best will translate to a few percent better battery life. Poor UI performance is likely due to slow I/O or slow algorithms, and a newer compiler won't fix either of those problems. The only case I can think of where shaving a few percent off CPU time might make a difference is heavy EQ use at high sample rates (above 96 KHz).

Upgrading the compiler may also break things -- newer compilers are far more aggressive at taking advantage of undefined behavior (UB), and Rockbox is a pretty old codebase with a lot of low-level code prone to UB.

And while MXU might provide better battery life with CPU-heavy codecs, it would be a difficult undertaking to write and maintain MXU-optimized decoder or DSP routines. But if you want to try, go right ahead! I'm just pointing out it's not simple or easy, and IMHO the effort would be better spent on other things.

2

Other - Installation/Removal / Re: Surfans F20 "NAND open error"

« Last post by twotoneblue on June 28, 2022, 06:13:53 PM »

But isn't that the same as the hosted build?

Btw, sorry I forgot to answer this; yes, it is the same functionality as observed with the hosted build :-)

3

Rockbox Utility / Re: Please help me understand this error ipod classic 120gb gen 7

« Last post by reapur on June 28, 2022, 04:01:20 PM »

an Update...
Nothing I tried in the auto install part of the document worked. even tho I could see the DFU device appear using the mks5lboot utility, the setup still fails with the same as the image I attached.
So I tried the manual installation, this is in linux mint 20.3
I followed the manual instructions of my specific device pdf file very closely and I was able to get the firmware on the ipod, but the rockboxutility still failed to transfer the rockbox software.
I rebooted a few times and still it would sit at the attached screen shot. I felt stuck, I tried to remove the new fw using whatever method I could find and could not!

the problem now is the ipod was in read only mode so I couldn't transfer the zip file
I booted into my windows box and tried that manual setup, and it still failed in the same was as the images show.

At some point while rebooting and reconnecting, I was able to write to it in windows so I transferred the .rockbox over to the ipod.
I didn't write down what I was doing at this point as I had pretty much given up.
At some point I rebooted and voila, rockbox booted up and I could see the interface.

Needless to say I am a happy camper. But I am a little sadistic in that I want to repeat this whole process so I can understand what worked and what didn't work. I know it's crazy.

What steps do I need to do to restore the ipod to be an apple device? so I can repeat this whole thing?

Many Thanks

4

Rockbox Utility / Re: Please help me understand this error ipod classic 120gb gen 7

« Last post by reapur on June 28, 2022, 02:36:52 PM »

Thanks you bluebrother,
ya it's a little confusing, I'll try again, the video doesn't show the hold switch sequence but I'm assuming I do step 1 right after the installer tells me to to hold MENU and CENTER. Fingers crossed.

5

Starting Development and Compiling / Re: Ingenic MIPS GCC 7.2.0 Toolchain to compile m3k native port

« Last post by vitt13 on June 28, 2022, 02:26:39 PM »

But also I'd like to build with new mips-linux-gnu-ingenic-gcc7.2.0-glibc2.29-fp32-r5.1.3 toolchain... with xburst march and latest optimizations suppport.
...
Perhaps the new optimizations will help to load/utilize cpu/chip more effectively with less battery drain and generally make the ui more responsive. Anyway is a good idea to build it with latest toolchain 

I confirm that the toolchain mips-linux-gnu-ingenic-gcc7.2.0-glibc2.29-fp32-r5.0.4 does not automatically generate code with specific xburst SIMD instructions and optimizations. You need to change source code of codecs and decoders with using specific SIMD assembly instructions (MXU).
I reffer to this  https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IngenicJz47xx , "Ingenic Media Extension Instruction Set" and "MXU User Guide" ftp://ftp.ingenic.com/SOC/X1000/X1000_M200_MXU-User-Guide.pdf

6

Rockbox Utility / Re: Please help me understand this error ipod classic 120gb gen 7

« Last post by bluebrother on June 28, 2022, 02:24:37 PM »

DFU is the Device Firmware Upgrade device class in USB. A lot of modern controllers with USB support can use it to receive firmware updates these days. Google for "usb dfu" for more info.

On the Ipods (only applies to 6G / 7G) enabling DFU mode is time sensitive, you need to press several buttons at the correct time. I'm assuming you didn't get the timing right. The manual has more information on this, especially this link.

7

Feature Ideas / Re: usb connection between 2 devices and midi clock to synch speed/pitch

« Last post by bluebrother on June 28, 2022, 02:12:51 PM »

for example, the SanDisk Sansa Clip+   , it can send impulses to pc when connected to controll this or that on the connected pc, like volume or browse <> etc. ..... cant these obviously outgoing impulses not also be used?

First, what are those "impulses" are supposed to be? Rockbox supports USB HID, i.e. acting like a keyboard / mouse. So if you want to use those "impulses" sent by Rockbox you need an application to do something useful with it. In case of HID it's simple since there are specific "volume" events for keyboard the OS on the PC can make use of. However, given your original question, you seem to want to use it with some kind of audio software. Having an external device like Rockbox pressing buttons on the keyboard wouldn't make sense at all when working with some kind of audio application. So ... what kind of "impulses" would make sense? Since we're talking about (controlling) audio applications you'd likely end up with MIDI. But Rockbox does not support USB MIDI. And while MIDI itself isn't terribly complex implementing it is still a notable amount of work, and you still need someone to do it.

Secondly, leaving all those issues aside, there's another one: what would you sync those "impulses" to? When playing back a MIDI file with Rockbox you could use the MIDI clock, and you could send MIDI clock signals over USB MIDI. But for anything else ... typical audio files don't have something like a "beat" signal. Technically speaking they are just of noise over time. So what "impulse" would you want to send? I don't see anything useful that could be used.

also, if we let rockbox out of sight right for now, if it really needs a host, can this host be created as an external device as well - a small device with two usb outlines connecting two rockboxdevices.. does it work like that in theory?/

If you bring yet-another-thing into the mix thing end up getting ... definitely not easier. And you'd still have the problems I mentioned above -- what would you keep in sync? If you think about DJ software on a PC: there is still no beat signal in a typical audio file. These applications usually analyze the file to get that (or the file has it embedded as extra metadata). For this you need computing power. Now think about the time the Ipods came out and the processing power they do have (hint: wouldn't be fast, and thus not useful.)

Things that (at least IMO) could be useful: Rockbox supporting USB MIDI, and playing back MIDI files on Rockbox sending the MIDI events to the connected PC. Or allow to record MIDI signals received from the PC (though if you already have a PC in the mix you can simply do that on the PC). Rockbox supporting USB Audio allowing the Ipod to act as external soundcard (there actually was work done on this in the past, but it never ended up in Rockbox. Such things end up being quite an amount of work, and require someone willing to do it.)

8

Starting Development and Compiling / Re: Ingenic MIPS GCC 7.2.0 Toolchain to compile m3k native port

« Last post by korvin on June 28, 2022, 11:48:20 AM »

Also found this linker script from jz4730 sources with similar "trick" for small data.
-....

As first step -> I have successefully build rockbox with standart GCC 4.9.4 and Binutils 2.26.1...
But also I'd like to build with new mips-linux-gnu-ingenic-gcc7.2.0-glibc2.29-fp32-r5.1.3 toolchain... with xburst march and latest optimizations suppport.

any good news?

Perhaps the new optimizations will help to load/utilize cpu/chip more effectively with less battery drain and generally make the ui more responsive. Anyway is a good idea to build it with latest toolchain 

9

Feature Ideas / Re: usb connection between 2 devices and midi clock to synch speed/pitch

« Last post by mookee on June 28, 2022, 03:28:03 AM »

mmh;/

thanks for the precise answer!!

some questions though please.

for example, the SanDisk Sansa Clip+   , it can send impulses to pc when connected to controll this or that on the connected pc, like volume or browse <> etc. ..... cant these obviously outgoing impulses not also be used?

also, if we let rockbox out of sight right for now, if it really needs a host, can this host be created as an external device as well - a small device with two usb outlines connecting two rockboxdevices.. does it work like that in theory?/


best, c.

10

Rockbox Utility / Please help me understand this error ipod classic 120gb gen 7

« Last post by reapur on June 27, 2022, 05:19:30 PM »

Hello,
I just recently discovered rockbox and I'm hoping it can help with my ipod classic 120gb gen 7 issue I'm having with my Ram 1500 uconnect 5.x. I guess apple no longer supports the api for the classic so ram dropped it.

I've tried the auto installation several times on linux mint and windows 10. always the same error. I did go into itunes and reset the ipod to factory image. I'm using the original cables that I've had when I bought the ipod.

Please take a look a the attached image, this is the error that always comes up. I have not been successful in my searches in google for DFU errors. I actually don't know what DFU means.

Can you please help understand this error and maybe to get rockbox installed.

Thanks