Rockbox Technical Forums

Third Party => Repairing and Upgrading Rockbox Capable Players => Topic started by: BoeseMiez on December 14, 2006, 09:19:52 AM

Title: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cable
Post by: BoeseMiez on December 14, 2006, 09:19:52 AM
Hey guys,

I looked through the topics but actually haven't really found a question with the same problem which is a huge problem for me and my dearly beloved Iriver.

Some days ago I installed the newest Rockbox version successfully on my iRiver iHP-120 (now H120) with Firmware 1.63EU and everything worked fine. But two days ago I started it normally, wanted to play some music and suddenly the Rockbox USB screen appeared. Then, after some seconds it disappeared again, I could play music but it appeared again after some seconds. But from then on it shows only the USB mode all the time... Every time I start it either Rockbox boots showing after a second "Bootloader USB mode" or (and that's curious) it starts with the normal software showing the "Connected"-graphics after a second. This rotates from time to time...
I already deleted all Rockbox-files because I can still contact it from my pc using the USB cable (but of course after pulling it out the screen still keeps there). After this hasn't helped I now have formatted the whole drive but the problem still remains the same.

Would you pleeeeeeeeease help me get my beloved iRiver fixed - I don't know what to do without him...  :'(
Prethanx!
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: pabouk on December 14, 2006, 11:55:18 AM
Do you have the same problem in the original firmware?
To boot the OF hold REC while pressing PLAY.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: BoeseMiez on December 14, 2006, 12:05:27 PM
Do you have the same problem in the original firmware?
To boot the OF hold REC while pressing PLAY.
I just looked and the answer is YES  :(
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: PaulPosition on December 14, 2006, 12:14:02 PM
Looks like some sort of short circuit on the usb pinouts, or maybe somewhere inside the device, that makes it think it's connected to USB..  The fact it is intermittent really points to a material problem. I'd check the connectors to make sure there isn't anything that lodged itself in but baring that, you might need to either open up the device and do electrical trickery *I* know nothing about, or RMA it..  :(
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: pabouk on December 14, 2006, 05:04:57 PM
As a dirty and quick software workaround you can disable the USB disk mode by turning on the screenshot functionality in Rockbox. When activated the firmware will save a screenshot to the disk instead of switching to the USB disk mode. The parameter is here:
main menu > Info > Debug > Screendump

I hope your disk will not be filled up by screenshots too quickly :D
If you run into any problems after activating this you can return to the default settings simply by pressing REC _after_ turning the player on and holding the button until you see "Cleared".

To repair the hardware you can try to use a compressed air/gas duster/cleaner and/or a tiny cotton cleaner moistened by pure alcohol.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: BoeseMiez on December 14, 2006, 07:23:11 PM
As a dirty and quick software workaround you can disable the USB disk mode by turning on the screenshot functionality in Rockbox. When activated the firmware will save a screenshot to the disk instead of switching to the USB disk mode. The parameter is here:
main menu > Info > Debug > Screendump
I hope your disk will not be filled up by screenshots too quickly :D
If you run into any problems after activating this you can return to the default settings simply by pressing REC _after_ turning the player on and holding the button until you see "Cleared".
Thanks four your help but as I've said I'm not able to get into any menu on my player anymore. All it says after booting (OF AND Rockbox) is that there's a USB connection... :(
I guess I'll have to try it mechanically while hoping not to destroy it...
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: pabouk on December 15, 2006, 05:44:06 AM
If the hardware cannot be repaired there are other possibilities ;):
a) preconfigure Rockbox by writing a configuration block with screenshots turned on
b) build your own modified version of Rockbox which will ignore the "USB connected" signal

I suppose that the player still works as a USB disk.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: BoeseMiez on December 15, 2006, 11:05:17 AM
If the hardware cannot be repaired there are other possibilities ;):
a) preconfigure Rockbox by writing a configuration block with screenshots turned on
b) build your own modified version of Rockbox which will ignore the "USB connected" signal

I suppose that the player still works as a USB disk.
But as I've also said I've formatted the whole disk so that there are no more files available...
The problem - if caused by the software - has to be in the flash memory / the fixed operating system.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: pabouk on December 15, 2006, 12:29:45 PM
I probably did not explain the last message clearly. I suggested you two possible software workarounds not repairs. Excuse my poor English, it is not my native language.
Quote
If the hardware cannot be repaired there are other possibilities

I am 99.9999% sure that the problem is in hardware.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: BoeseMiez on December 16, 2006, 11:23:31 AM
I probably did not explain the last message clearly. I suggested you two possible software workarounds not repairs. Excuse my poor English, it is not my native language.
Quote
If the hardware cannot be repaired there are other possibilities

I am 99.9999% sure that the problem is in hardware.

OK, guys, now I'm at my wits' end. My technically gifted father just opened the player but found nothing wrong except of some dust. He checked everything but after he was rebuilt the problem still occured.... :(
Now I guess I'll have to send him for reparation... although I have no more guarantee (it's 2,5 years old).

 :'(
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: Cheese_Us on December 18, 2006, 02:11:38 PM
Unfortunately I can't give you any help on this, but I have a similar problem I just posted in this thread.
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=7751.0

Seems like I have going through the same processes like you and by know I also think it's a problem related to the Flash or something of the fixed firmware.

Anyways, keep posting when you've had any luck, so will I...
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: whatboutbob on January 16, 2007, 05:57:18 AM
Apologies for not seeing this earlier guys, but LinusN actually wrote a patch to disable USB connection/disconnection quite a while back (aka pabouks option 'b' above) that should work around your problem...let me see if I can find it...

edit: ahh...found the patch (attached)...but can't find the original post discussing it ('twas around Oct '05). Not sure if it'll work with the current builds, but you might like to give it a shot.

[attachment deleted by admin, too old]
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: nls on January 19, 2007, 06:53:26 AM
If the bootloader detects usb connect and enters "usb mode" it will never boot rockbox so the patch will unfortunately not help.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: whatboutbob on January 22, 2007, 04:19:55 PM
Apologies for not seeing this earlier guys, but LinusN actually wrote a patch to disable USB connection/disconnection quite a while back (aka pabouks option 'b' above) that should work around your problem...let me see if I can find it...

edit: ahh...found the patch (attached)...but can't find the original post discussing it ('twas around Oct '05). Not sure if it'll work with the current builds, but you might like to give it a shot.

Hrmm...am curious why it worked for me then. Older version of the bootloader I wonder?
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: Treehugga on February 15, 2007, 10:46:13 PM
Apologies for not seeing this earlier guys, but LinusN actually wrote a patch to disable USB connection/disconnection quite a while back (aka pabouks option 'b' above) that should work around your problem...let me see if I can find it...

edit: ahh...found the patch (attached)...but can't find the original post discussing it ('twas around Oct '05). Not sure if it'll work with the current builds, but you might like to give it a shot.

call me a noob, but what do i do with this file?

I'm having the same problem, except for me rockbox is permanently in USB mode. Sometimes I get the normal file list, but as soon as I press any button, it's back to USB mode. Oddly enough, only about half the time it actually boots to the bootloader. But there's more...

This all happened when I plugged in my USB cable a few days ago. I haven't actually done this in ages, but i had to download a few recordings. Everything was working fine, so I plugged in my USB cable. Drive pops up in windows, i open it and suddenly it disappears. I look down at my player and it's still in USB mode, and has been ever since. My computer doesn't even detect it anymore. However, sometimes when I plug it in, i get 10-20 seconds of reading and writing to the hard drive, and then it disconnects. This only happens sometimes when I plug in the USB cable.

As strange as it sounds, what I've been doing so far is constantly unplugging and replugging in my USB cable to download a few measly files. Something is odd though, since it's only recognized  when I plug in the cable. However, if I leave the cable in there, it doesn't appear and disappear as I'd expect if this were a phasic occurance. My access to the hard drive has something to do with inserting the cable. But other than that, i have no clue.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: Treehugga on February 15, 2007, 11:43:15 PM
okay, so I put in the file, and I constantly get ATA ERROR -11, and ATA ERROR -32, and sometimes ATA ERROR -31, with the rare instance of having rockbox actually load...then going back to USB mode(not bootloader)
For some reason, now when my computer actually detects the hard drive, I have even less time with it. I think it's down to 4 seconds.

I just replaced the hard drive last month!!!! i'm about ready to throw this thing at a wall.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: LinusN on February 16, 2007, 02:53:39 AM
okay, so I put in the file, and I constantly get ATA ERROR -11, and ATA ERROR -32, and sometimes ATA ERROR -31, with the rare instance of having rockbox actually load...then going back to USB mode(not bootloader)
For some reason, now when my computer actually detects the hard drive, I have even less time with it. I think it's down to 4 seconds.
It sounds like the USB daughterboard is loose. It is a very common problem, pretty easily fixed if you have soldering skills. If you don't have the skills, don't even consider trying.

Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: Treehugga on February 16, 2007, 11:14:31 PM
any guides out there? I have soldering skills, but not with pcb's, only residential wiring.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: LinusN on February 17, 2007, 07:16:16 AM
any guides out there? I have soldering skills, but not with pcb's, only residential wiring.
There are no guides yet. Maybe I should create one. However, you should not attempt this if you don't have experience with soldering fine-pitch PCB's.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: Muse on May 19, 2007, 12:04:14 AM
I'm curious how this turned out because I'm having similar problems. My H120 is not seen in Windows by USB, however. I suspect HD failure, but figure there's a very decent chance that's not the problem.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: LinusN on May 19, 2007, 02:54:14 AM
I'll try to create a tutorial next time I perform this repair. I'll probably do that in a week or so.
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: Treehugga on August 21, 2007, 06:49:43 PM
sorry to revive a dead topic, but I decided to start tinkering with my H120 again, about 6 months after my problem. It's still there, but i've got an update.
Currently it's stuck at "ATA error: -11," but it's showing up on my pc and i finally got to backup everything! Now I'm eager to fix this thing again. Linus, you didn't happen to create that tutorial did you?
Title: Re: iRiver iHP-120 - "USB mode" on every time without being linked with the cabl
Post by: LinusN on August 22, 2007, 02:52:35 AM
No, I have been busy with other stuff. I'll try to find some time as soon as I can.