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Crystal issues after update

17K views 51 replies 12 participants last post by  albertetsbd 
#1 ·
Hey, i have an assumed Batch 2 Crystal. Came stock with 11/08 firmware. To give you the full story,
I tried out CM10 + Compat1.1, ran nice but was slower than stock.
Went back to stock via backup.

Bought HDMI adaptor, tried it out found i had hissing during movie playback via hdmi.

Decided to try flashing Stock 11/19, to see if it would fix the HDMI issue. Threw it on SDCard, flashed Stock + Crystal_Root + wiped cache/dalvik/data hit reboot. Tab shutdown, that was it.
Vissibily dead since.
Tried creating an SDCard with the rom + boot+recovery img + aml_autoscript set to run the rom. Tab backlight comes on then off trying to boot off it.

If i remove the SDCard and try booting the tablet while connected via USB it comes up as an M3-Chip device. I Installed AML Flash + Drivers which pick it up fine, but theres no recovery image floating around for the Crystal.

Just to see if AML Flash would interface with the tablet, i ran a single line config with <command sn="0">shutdown</command> which shut the device down so AML Flash can communicate.

Ive checked out the Flame AMLF recovery and it looks like i need usb_spl.bin uLimage_usb_burning and uboot-orig.bin. First instinct was to replace ulimage + uboot with the ones from the crystal firmware + replace rom., ive seen mentioned that a spefic ulimage is needed though. and i assume usb_spl.bin is the lowest level.

In Summary, Tab in M3Mode after attempting update to 11/19 from 11/09 stock rom. Unresponsive to SDcard unbrick attempts.

Does anyone know if i can unbrick or am i stuffed?
 
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#3 ·
I successfully unbricked my Crystal. See my post here. I have not had time to create a guide yet, but you seem to be going in the right direction.

First try using the USB Image Tool to create the recovery SD using the Elf II image and auto-flashing that. You have to use the USB Image Tool and the recovery image and you need to use EASEUS to format the SD card to under 4GB before using the USB Image Tool to copy the image over. All the links are in the thread I posted. If it is unsuccessful, then you need to use the AML Flash Tool to get the device back enough to auto-flash with the recovery SD. I used all the Fire files but replaced the ROM.zip with the Crystals. The AML Flash Tool will not actually flash the ROM, it gets stuck around 86% but everything up to that point should get the device back to normal and ready to flash the recovery SD. If you edit the config file to remove the update and patch zip commands, it will finish the process, reboot and just start all over. So you can do that but you have to hit cancel after it shows 100% and before it starts again.

After flashing the ELF II recovery image with the recovery SD, remove the SD card, reformat it, place the normal Crystal Firmware on it, boot into recovery and flash the firmware like you would normally flash it. Let me know if you need clarification or have questions, as it's quite complicated and took me days to figure out.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Attempted using the ELFII Recovery Image, screen backlight comes on then goes off, with no other effect.

Next up tried using AML FLash, it hits 75% then fails.
[T 5][11:39:51]: load command: setenv recovery_command --usb_burning
[T 5][11:39:52]: command exec:cmd_in_mem 0x82000000
[T 5][11:39:54]: command exec:save
[T 5][11:39:55]: load uimage ...
[T 5][11:39:55]: Transfer Complete! total size is 4002649 Bytes
[T 5][11:40:01]: test command exec: crc 0x82000000 4002649 bd77e8c3
[T 5][11:40:01]: command exec: crc 0x82000000 4002649 bd77e8c3
[T 5][11:40:01]: sendCommandWithReply: crc 0x82000000 4002649 bd77e8c3 maxCount:30
[T 5][11:40:02]: command exec:bootm 0x82000000
[T 5][11:40:04]: boot uImage ...
[T 5][11:40:37]: cannot find disk!
[T 5][11:40:38]: failed because no connected device ,current step is 18
Tried to boot with the ELFII recovery or simply 11/09 firmware +u-boot + ulimage on an sd card.
Using crystal rom + ulimage + uboot Screen powers on, in landscape right side is White, left is black, then entire screen gets White lines. then powers off. pics below
The ElfII Recovery just backlight on, backlight off.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32102951/IMG_20121208_000829.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32102951/IMG_20121208_000835.jpg
 
#5 ·
Attempted using the ELFII Recovery Image, screen backlight comes on then goes off, with no other effect.

Next up tried using AML FLash, it hits 75% then fails.

Tried to boot with the ELFII recovery or simply 11/09 firmware +u-boot + ulimage on an sd card.
Using crystal rom + ulimage + uboot Screen powers on, in landscape right side is White, left is black, then entire screen gets White lines. then powers off. pics below
The ElfII Recovery just backlight on, backlight off.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32102951/IMG_20121208_000829.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32102951/IMG_20121208_000835.jpg
I'll think and look into this tomorrow and get back to you. If it's failing at 75% I think it's a driver issue. Can you figure out which step it failed at and also let me know if you edited the config file?
 
#7 ·
Can you post your config file as well?
 
#8 ·
Using the stock config
Code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><br />
<progress_configs><br />
 	<command sn="0" path="usb_spl.bin" address="0xd9000000" run="true">load spl</command><br />
	<command sn="1" path="u-boot-orig.bin" address="0x8f800000" run="true">load uboot</command><br />
	<command sn="2" >crc 0x8f800000 size value</command><br />
	<command sn="3" >run 0x8f800000</command><br />
	<command sn="4">set_chgcur 0</command><br />
	<command sn="5">video dev bl_off</command><br />
	<command sn="6">video dev disable</command><br />
	<command sn="7">sf probe 2</command><br />
	<command sn="8">sf erase 0 100000</command><br />
	<command sn="9">nand erase 4000000</command><br />
	<command sn="10">defenv</command><br />
	<command sn="11">setenv bootargs ${bootargs} a9_clk_max=600000000</command><br />
	<command sn="12" cmd="setenv recovery_command --usb_burning" address="0x82000000">load addr</command><br />
	<command sn="13">cmd_in_mem 0x82000000</command><br />
	<command sn="14">save</command><br />
	<command sn="15" path="uImage_usb_burning" address="0x82000000" run="false">load uimage</command><br />
	<command sn="16" >crc 0x82000000 size value</command><br />
	<command sn="17">bootm 0x82000000</command><br />
	<command sn="18">wipe_data</command><br />
	<command sn="19">wipe_cache</command><br />
	<command sn="20" count="150">update:update_qimei.zip</command><br />
	<command sn="21" count="150">update:patch_ainol_e4.zip</command><br />
	<command sn="22">copy_media</command><br />
	<command sn="23">shutdown</command><br />
</progress_configs>
I've also tried replacing the u-boot and the uImage with ones from Crystal 11/09 firmware as well as replacing update_qimei.zip with 11/09 firmware zip, this fails as well.
Still need to try from a 32bit XP box, as im on Server 2012 64bit.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
Before we go any further, I should have asked this earlier, what is the build date found on the back of the tablet? Scroll down to "How do I figure out my batch number?" on this thread.

It's failing when it tries to mount the Crystal as a storage device. It's not even reaching the firmware zip, but even if it does, I was never able to get it to install on a Crystal. Are you using the Windows 7 64bit drivers found here? After it fails does any device show up in your device manager, if so, what's it called?

Can you boot into recovery after it fails? Did you try the auto flash SD card method after it failed?

Also here is a link to all the files I have.
 
#10 ·
Apart from booting up with USB Connected to get into M3-Chip mode, the tablet is a brick, no recovery mode, the above screen shots are what is displayed when booting with

The tablet came with 11/08 firmware and the date in the serial number is 1108,

After the fail its just unlisted in device man, and needs to be power cycled to show up in AML Flash again.

Tested on 32bit windows XP, and results are the same, cant get past the same point.

The pictures above are when trying to boot into recovery off the SDcard using elfII recovery image.
other wise any kind of boot without usb connected gets me backlight on, backlight off.
 
#11 ·
So did you install the Windows 7 USB drivers to get it from M3-Chip mode to libUSB or World Cup driver mode before trying the AML Flash Tool. I've updated my unbrick thread a little but it's not totally done yet. If you are showing a M3-Chip you need to use the AML flash to bring it back to life enough to even try the SD card method. Unfortunately, I don't have a batch 2 Crystal to test on.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yeah Im still stuck in M3-Chip mode, i have the World cup drivers installed on an xp 32bit and a server 2012 x64 box.
Ive just grabbed your files, and AML FLash still gets stuck at the same point. and your SDcard files tablet powers on then off without showing recovery etc.

I did notice update.exe inside the AML Flash folder is a console app, you can read/write to memory, run, boot, run commands etc.
did some testing, "update.exe read 100 0xd9000000" reads out the bytes at that address.

So theoretically someone with a working batch 2 crystal could raw dump their whole nand, and flash it back on. Wish id known i could nand dump before i played around updating firmware.
Assuming you can get into m6 mode without bricking your tablet, the command would be "update.exe read 0x4820 0xd9000000", and pipe the contents to a file

Since there is ZERO google results on this update.exe that comes with AML Flash, heres some output from it.

Code:
C:\Users\James>"C:\AMD\New folder (3)\New folder\AML_Flash\update.exe" help<br />
update: used for A3_board upgrade firmware through USB(Ver 0.7a)<br />
usage: update [<option>] <command><br />
<br />
commands:<br />
  help                                          print the help<br />
  scan          [<mptool>/<msdev>]              scan devices and list them<br />
  write         [<dev_no>] <file> <addr>        write file to mptool ram<br />
  read          [<dev_no>] <length> <addr>      read data from mptool<br />
  run           [<dev_no>] <addr>               run firmware from the ram_addr<br />
  boot          [<dev_no>] <file> <addr>        download file and run<br />
  identify      [<dev_no>]                      get info from the mptool<br />
  tplcmd        [<dev_no>] <cmd>                send cmd to the mptool<br />
  tplstat       [<dev_no>]                      get status from mptool<br />
  msdev         [<dev_no>]                      get msdev disk_num<br />
  msget         [<dev_no>]                      get msdev state<br />
  msset         [<dev_no>] <cmd>                send cmd to msdev
tplcmd lets you send the same commands the Config script uses.
msdev/msget both say "cannot find the device"
identify returns
Code:
<br />
update.exe identify<br />
AmlUsbIdentifyHost<br />
This firmware version is 0-8-0-0<br />
aml_close_logfile<br />
 
#13 ·
Okay, so I wrote up my guide here. Check it out and make sure you didn't miss any of the steps that I took and report back.

You could also request that another user make a batch 2 crystal raw dump of their whole nand and see if you can restore from that.
 
#14 ·
I think my problem is im not getting to 86%, the Kernel uimage never boots, so it never comes up as a storage device in windows, i hit 75% and it just never responds, need to force power off/back on then it appears as an M3 chip again. I assume this is the uImage never booting.
Will keep tinkering, hopefully a full recovery image for AML pops up
would make things simple lol.
 
#15 ·
That would definitely make things easier. I'll try to put together a flash.zip and custom config file for you on Tuesday or Wednesday. Maybe it will work?
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Did you also try my files and follow the instructions step by step? Were you a "legacy" Batch 1 where you had to use the 1.0.3 comp zip with cm10? I'm trying to figure out if the files I posted only work for legacy batch 1 tablets.
 
#22 ·
Yes, I'm not entirely sure I can explain it well but you would make a completely fresh install of the 1119 firmware. The programs I linked to are cloning software. I use software like that to make exact copies of computer hard drives, including all the master boot record information and the operating system. So with a computer hard drive you can make a cloned hard drive, take out the old hard drive and put in the new one and it will be exactly the same as the old hard drive, no need to re-install the operating system or any of your software and data.

I checked out USB Image Tool today and it appears to only copy the storage space. I checked out HDD Raw Copy Tool though and it looks like it is copying the entire internal storage, I linked to it in the above post. It's easy to use, you can even download the portable version on that page so you don't have to install any software on your computer. Plug in your tablet, open the program, click on the internal SD card, click on "continue," double click on "double click to open file," name the image and then save it.

DarkLotus would then do the reverse. It may or may not work, but it's worth a shot and won't take very long.
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks but it appears the image only captured like the /Android/data etc folders, none of the system stuff. I think your on the right track with dd though http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/7220-how-to-dumping-your-rom-by-adb-raw-nand-dump/

Also best compression ever 8gb > 74mb


Still trying to find out if you can get a non bricked tablet into m6-chip mode, then we can use the amlflash update.exe to dump the whole internal nand block for block, then write it back the same way which totally skips Android/kernel/u-boot etc all those layers its direct byte for byte copy of the nand, if we can manage this even a Batch 1 image should work, since the gsensor/camera are external modules and the SoC/Screen are identical.

Im starting to wonder if maybe the nand or something is corrupt because all signs point that i should have a bootable device once i have usb_spl and uboot flashed to the device. trying to use update.exe to read out like 0x100 bytes works, but trying to read 0x20000 bytes to read out the whole usb_spl ive just written fails. Really need a working Crystal to test
or to crack it open and get the serial output


If i do Update.exe write usb_spl.bin D9000000, then read from the same address bytes match. if i restart the tablet bytes go back to not matching,.

Wrote a batchscript to read 512 bytes at a time and pipe them into a .img, to see if the mysterious bytes that it gets set back to is anything. read out 20kb and it looks nothing like usb_spl, theres no strings etc :|

Some more info: http://openlinux.amlogic.com/wiki/index.php/Arm/Platform_Info/Information_for_8726M/Burn_system_for_8726M_Howto

Ive also ordered a new micro sd card as well as a card reader ( was using a secondary android phone to burn my sd images, could be part of the problem ).

also on an unrelated note if you look at bootloader.img from g06refe2-ota-eng.grady.wang the first 15k bytes looks like the usb-spl.bin file, except ovbiously a different version than usb_spl.bin we have, the one in the g06refe2 bootloader has strings only mentioning "boot from SPI" "boot from SDIO". where as usb_spl.bin does not have those and has "boot from USB" majority of other strings match though so th
 
#26 · (Edited by Moderator)
Didn't get a chance to look at much today because I ended up having a long day at work. Have you tried running the NAND erase config script and then running the regular config script?

When I first bricked my Crystal is also came up at M3 but when I wiped the NAND it showed up as M6. It's weird though because it looks like the regular config script has the NAND erase built in but maybe it needs to be done separately.

Also a little info on the step you are failing on here. According to pretty much everyone else, they were able to boot into recovery even when failing on step 18.

Do you have a Windows update set to automatically install drivers for newly detected devices?

EDIT: Also try putting the drivers in the "Windows 7 - World Cup Drivers" folder on BOX.com into the "AmlogicusbBurningdriver" folder in the "AML Image Burn Tool" folder. Try other USB ports and cables. The cable that came with my Crystal didn't work and port 3 on my laptop didn't work but port 4 did.
 
#28 ·

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#29 ·
Will giver her a shot.
Im waiting on a new sdcard/sdcard reader and ill grab a new mini usb cable as well, then be trying all old methods again.
Everything ive read says the AML8276M if wired up like normal, is capable of booting from sd before even looking at the nand, so the recovery SD card really should work no matter what, so will try with proper equip once it arrives.

Other than that, ive realized update.exe is writing/reading RAM only not nand, no explanation as to why it doesnt work though.
 
#31 ·
Im waiting on a new sdcard/sdcard reader and ill grab a new mini usb cable as well, then be trying all old methods again.
Found a 2Gb SDcard and made a recovery card as here (metode one) http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/41478-how-to-unbrick-your-ainol-crystal/page__view__findpost__p__459906
step 1 step2 -OK , now I can see the green man and the charge bar if the charger is connected . And thats all

I trip on step4 - nothing happends.

Number on the back is 121008G02907 , which stock ROM must I use?

P.S. Before I tried many times with a 4Gb card - no result at all.
 
#30 ·
Hi guys!

My ainol crystal 120908 used to work well in Soulgem V3. Actually it is really working well except that one day I noticed that the landscape mode on screen is not anymore working. I tried reseting the tablet via back-up and restore, nothing happened,tried to flashing again using Jasper v4 but still, landscape mode does not work well. G sensor is still working ( tried via temple run and as well as camera icons).

What do you think is the problem?
 
#41 ·
The Elf II recovery more than likely wont work on the 2nd gen and 3rd gen Crystals because there is a new board revision. So if you had the stock Crystal img you could do it. But I can't even get the 12/12 firmware from Ainol so I doubt if I asked them to give me a recovery image that they would do that. They changed the bootloader in the 3rd gen. I'm guessing they did this so people can't flash the wrong roms.

No clue why these guys just don't release the files so people can provide fixes. I've asked them for various releases and it falls on deaf ears. I guess I have to buy more tablets a month from them.
 
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