Ben N Voutour

@mkultra
 
If you go to my post of 5 November you will find all the necessary instructions. You need upload a loader before doing anything
 
If you are tired or lazy to read the whole 3ad... Well...... that might be a obstacle...... ;-)

ok I just discovered the 'like icon' - I wasn't seeing it on my bright monitor so apologies for the 'late likes' 
will revisit the interesting rkdeveloptool tomorrow but still getting some errors
$sudo ./rkdeveloptool db MiniLoaderAll.bin
Creating Comm Object failed!
 

@mkultra

you must give the right path
e.g. rkdeveloptool db /home/mickeymouse/miniloaderall.bin acodrlying where you have your miniloader
 

cheers but no difference, same error
edit: the only slight change I had to do was this cos the program wouldn't compile at first:
Edit the main.cpp line 1491 from
static inline uint32_t convertChipType(const char* chip) {
char buffer[5];
memset(buffer, 0, sizeof(buffer));
to
static inline uint32_t convertChipType(const char* chip) {
char buffer[558];
memset(buffer, 0, sizeof(buffer));
No more error.
https://github.com/rockchip-linux/rkdeveloptool/issues/55

That is not maskrom mode, lsusb is telling you a wrong information.
You are in rockusb mode, which is provided by u-boot and allows limited operation.
 
To enter maskrom mode from rockusb mode, you need to get rkdeveloptool from rockchip github repository and run rkdeveloptool rd 3

making a bit of progress lol
It goes into 'mask mode' without shorting anything.....just toothpick and diy bodged male to male USB cable in the USB2 port
Bus 005 Device 008: ID 2207:320c Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Company RK3328 in Mask ROM mode
BUT when I try and flash I get an error that I can't solve at the mo 
sudo ./flash_tool.sh -c rk3328 -p system -i image/image.zip
PARTITIONS OFFSET: 0 sectors.
The device does not support this operation!
 

@Gaususcool find cheers
I found this interesting procedure for reflashing, especially if you use linux  https://www.armbian.com/z28-pro/

help please! I hosed this box some months ago, tried the multitool image but nothing
strangely the first time I tried that latest debian image from the 1st post I got a H96 Max+ splash screen and I got a bit excited but nothing afterwards and even when I burnt the SD card again I got nothing 
anyone know where pins 7 and 8 on the BGA chip are? Or is there any point trying to do the UART serial thing?
Thanks!
 

And perhaps try with different SD cards. I first used some expensive recommended 64GB SanDisk card and nothing worked then I tried a "no-name" cheap 8GB card and it worked perfectly. I think it's up to luck when it comes to the SD cards. The recommended expensive cards might work more often than the cheap ones, but sometimes it's the other way around. 

Well, since the sd controller on his board is swapped I don't think it will ever work.
But sometimes is true, more expensive cards are not always better.

Maybe with another USB stick or drive it may work. Also consider to use all the USB ports of the board, since they are not all the same. u-boot is picky.
 
About the backup, indeed you can burn the multitool backup with rkdeveloptool. You just need to decompress it first.

Just one question. How did you "burn" the iso to the SD-card? did you use dd, rufus, etc? Just in case the error is there and not with the box or the iso?

@fabiobassa @jock @hexdump 
Thank you once again for your support.
 
By the way, I still confused how to get the MiniLoaderAll.bin as you suggested.
That file is built by yourself or pick up from here:
https://github.com/rockchip-linux/rkbin/tree/master/bin/rk33
 
As I checked, from the official Rockchip repo, there are several boodloader files related to RK3328 and I don't know how to choose the correct one.
 

@jockI have one more question. Is there a way to dump the whole eMMC to .img file then using "./rkdeveloptool wl 0X0 file.img" to clone to new box. It looks similar to the backup and restore function from your Multitool. 
That's great if we can use some function of Multitool under Linux.
 
THank you.

@chinhhut
Will try to explain you what loader is with an analogy: in normal pc you have bios and master boot record. Well, maskrom is bios and is contained in the soc itself, loader is a sort of master boot record and it enables the emmc and ddr.
You can have a look here
http://opensource.rock-chips.com/wiki_Boot_option

 

I did extract it by a working firmware using a tool that unpacked the whole firmware. Try to google for RK3xxx_firmware_tools_5.23.1_by_SergioPoverony.zip and leave alone that github since it is just one piece of the puzzle. The detailed infos how to get a working loader are in the rockchip instructions

 

Of course and the command would be rkdeveloptoo rl 0x0 etc etc etc ( try rkdeveloptool -h to get the help)
But if you are lucky that works multitool, well that is the easiest way to clone and clone back

Thank you for detail explanation in a basic way.  I can understand the logic of booting process now.
 
After booting from eMMC successfully, I try to boot from SD card again to try the multitool but not success. At current, my box still only can boot from eMMC.
 
I guess using rkdevelopertool to backup will create the .img file that could be restored using "rkdeveloptool wl 0X0 yourimage.img" command, right?
I will try to backup the entire eMMC using rkdevelopetool and report the result later. 

I used Etcher to flash the Armbian image to the SD card as usual but it is unable to boot from SD card. 

That's true, because the sdcard controller is not where u-boot and kernel are told by device tree to look for.
 
Adapting the device tree for the kernel is easy, but u-boot dtb requires a recompilation.
 
When armbian is installed, u-boot is totally responsible for the boot process. It scans the devices to find a valid bootable system and the order is first sdcard, then USB and finally internal eMMC.
If you have a lucky USB stick, you could try to put the Multitool on a USB stick and see if boots from there. I say "lucky USB stick" because u-boot USB code is buggy and does not always work.
 
All kind of regular images (armbian, multitool, libreelec if available too...) can be burnt on USB stick or USB external hard drive: u-boot should prefer booting from there (if the buggy code doesn't kick in).
 
 

@chinhhut

Try these steps:
1) push the little switch inside the hole while inserting a male-male cable into the otg
2) on another linux machine you should have now a new device (lsusb will help you) and you can run rkdeveloptool
3) rkdeveloptool ld should List Device
4) rkdeveloptool rd 3 should Reset Device into mode 3  ( maskrom )
5) rkdeveloptool db MiniLoaderAll.bin ( of course from your path) should upload a temporary loader to recognize the internal emmc
6) if all is successfull until now you can rkdeveloptool wl 0X0 yourimage.img . This should flash the internal emmc .

DISCLAIMER: very " dangerous" approach , be ready to have the opportunity to short the emmc clock pin to ground to go back into mask rom
 
MiniLoaderAll.zip

I'm going to follow your guide but I just want to confirm about the whole story from your idea.
According to your guide, the MiniLoaderAll.zip contain the u-boot of the box? After flashing it to the eMMC successfully, the box may support to boot from USB and unable to boot from Android anymore? 
 
One more question, how to get the MiniLoaderAll.zip as your attachment? You extract it from similar Rk3328 box or that's built manually by yourself.
Thank you once again for detail suggestion.

@fabiobassa @jock I've followed your guide and got success. Thank you so much.
root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ls 99-rk-rockusb.rules Makefile.in RKComm.h RKImage.h RKScan.h cfg configure.ac main.cpp CMakeLists.txt Property.hpp RKComm.o RKImage.o RKScan.o config.h.in crc.cpp main.o DefineHeader.h RKBoot.cpp RKDevice.cpp RKLog.cpp Readme.txt config.ini crc.o parameter_gpt.txt Endian.h RKBoot.h RKDevice.h RKLog.h aclocal.m4 config.log gpt.h rkdeveloptool Makefile RKBoot.o RKDevice.o RKLog.o autom4te.cache config.status license.txt Makefile.am RKComm.cpp RKImage.cpp RKScan.cpp boot_merger.h configure log root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ./rkdeveloptool ld DevNo=1 Vid=0x2207,Pid=0x320c,LocationID=101 Loader root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ./rkdeveloptool rd 3 Reset Device OK. root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ./rkdeveloptool db MiniLoaderAll.bin Opening loader failed, exiting download boot! root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ./rkdeveloptool db /root/MiniLoaderAll.bin Downloading bootloader succeeded. root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ./rkdeveloptool wl 0X0 /root/Armbian_21.11.0-trunk_Rk3318-box_bullseye_edge_5.14.14_minimal.img Write LBA from file (100%) root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ./rkdeveloptool ---------------------Tool Usage --------------------- Help: -h or --help Version: -v or --version ListDevice: ld DownloadBoot: db <Loader> UpgradeLoader: ul <Loader> ReadLBA: rl <BeginSec> <SectorLen> <File> WriteLBA: wl <BeginSec> <File> WriteLBA: wlx <PartitionName> <File> WriteGPT: gpt <gpt partition table> WriteParameter: prm <parameter> PrintPartition: ppt EraseFlash: ef TestDevice: td ResetDevice: rd [subcode] ReadFlashID: rid ReadFlashInfo: rfi ReadChipInfo: rci ReadCapability: rcb PackBootLoader: pack UnpackBootLoader: unpack <boot loader> TagSPL: tagspl <tag> <U-Boot SPL> ------------------------------------------------------- root@mybox:~/rkdeveloptool# ./rkdeveloptool ld DevNo=1 Vid=0x2207,Pid=0x320c,LocationID=101 Maskrom  

@chinhhut
Glad you got success .
Don't forget to put a like that helps @jock and myself in community reputation
 
 
 

@chinhhut - this might be some interesting reading too regarding boxes, which cannot boot from sd card: https://github.com/hexdump0815/u-boot-misc/issues/2
 
best wishes - hexdump

how do get the dts file for my box?
do i need to use multitool to dump it first?
i want my clock to work in armbian along with working graphics and a decent overclock
i know that dmssru on 4pda ru forums made a semi decent attempt to overclock android 9 for h96 max but my wifi and bt would not work properly.
and how do i get the metal can off my wifi module? it seems to be soldered on.
here is the firmware for the h96 max modded by dmssru on 4pda
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1W7BkOj1Q16O_wvlLlFh06v_D5Yol9KvE
and here is the tools and Firmware , Software & Drivers
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vevBj3JySrkcurvnLPqU6aY-5APtXHYI
and here some random builds as well
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w1KgbetDIIIU08-jmN3ll_0IF9cR5Lic/view
also this...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l_WECaMMWS0BI0rIY7uiWcw6X_BPu-yZ/view?usp=sharing
 
Hope These help