DM500 DM500 mac-generator output, correct or not?

[eFrisky]

Hi,

Could some kind soul please confirm this for me. It would appear to be a straightforward case of comparing two files, but the findings may be interesting for anyone who is trying to jtag a DM500C box.

Background:
I've been trying very hard for the past couple of days to jtag a DM500C (original, not a clone) that I'd bricked earlier last year. I finally got around to engineering a jtag cable and then started the whole (painful) bootloader-flashing procedure. I read and re-read the "How to JTAG a DM500" doc at Digital Kaos - Downloads - How to JTAG a DM500 and all of the other related information that I could find on the wider 'net.
My DM500C uses the 'TE28F640' Intel flash chip, so naturally I used the windows bootloader-flash utility.

I initially made the silly mistake of not using a customized 'blimg' bootloader-image file with the windows flash utility. Consequently the flash worked, but my DM500C had an identity crisis and when I connected using the DreamUp utility to flash a new image, the box appeared as a 'DM56xx' !

I quickly realized the small mistake that I'd made, so I downloaded the 'dm500-mac-generator'.
Digital Kaos - Downloads - Dreambox DM500 MAC Generator

I simply selected the 'Cabel tuner' option and typed my own unique mac address before using the 'Generate' button to produce a bootloader image file.
I'm confident that I tried (and failed) multiple times to flash the bootloader ('blimg') file produced for my particular DM500C, using the mac-generator utility.

After some more reading, I decided to find an alternate 'blimg' file for the DM500C (see point 3 below) and take a closer loot at it. I used a hex editor to simply alter the mac address in the file.
I then successfully flashed this bootloader file to my DM500C. Done. Finally.

Summary:

Could some someone please
1) download the 'dm500-mac-generator' utility.
2) generate a bootloader file for DM500 CABLE.
3) download sample (known working) DM500C file. This sample file can be found here in the jtag thread 'http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/attachments/f34/1853d1229962746-how-jtag-dm500-boot500c.zip'. The CRC of this 'blimg' file is 1E6FDE38.
4) compare the two files using a hex editor.

More info and screenshots here:
Recuperar boot Dream 500c - Todo Dream

Thoughts? What did you see?

I still have my little DM500C hooked and wired up ready for bootloader-flashing, and am willing on request to do experimental flashing with other bootloader files. I've had so much practice now that I am able to flash it instantly at will using Jedi-like flashing tricks.

[jbvid]

Hi
Without going to the trouble of testing the options by looking at file differences, why not load a Gemini bomb image on it, that will tell you if its ok or not and thats all what really matters isn't it?
jbvid.

[eFrisky]

My point was simply that if the mac-generator utility continues to be recommended in the lengthy JTAG thread, then people will spend a long time trying to flash bootloader files to their DM500C which are not valid files. It would seem already a sufficient challenge for many people to just assemble the jtag components and make good the basic hardware connectivity.

From my brief experience, it seems to me that the mac-generator utility does not produce a valid bootloader file - well, for the DM500C anyway.


The file produced by the mac-changer utility for my DM500C. This file did not boot the system.


The example DM500C I downloaded from the JTAG thread and edited with a hex editor to reflect the correct MAC address of my box. This file successfully booted the system.

(Of course, I renamed both bootloader files to 'blimg' before using the windows 'jtagwin5xxx' utility and JTAG interface to transfer them to the system - the filenames shown in the screenshots are just used to keep track of multiple bootlooader files)

[jbvid]

Hi
Yes, I see the point you are making and I think others have been there too. I must admit the mac-generator wasn't around when I did my Jtag so I never used it but I had to do a lot of searching to find a suitable 'blimg' file for my dm500c and when I got one that worked ok I stored it on my PC aswell as putting it onsite for quite a few other guys who were also haveing problems. It will still be there in one of the past Jtag posts.
jbvid