bbhog
join:2010-07-05
North York, ON Reviews:
 ·TekSavvy Cable
| reply to QuantumPimp
Re: Upgrading Firmware on Thompson DCM475 said by QuantumPimp:I'm impressed that you guys are offering to fix modems for $10 or less. Clearly not a industrial money making enterprise. That is very caring and generous.
Yeah, Teddy is a stand-up guy! |
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 Teddy Boomk kudos Received
join:2007-01-29
Toronto, ON
kudos:5 | reply to dannyphones
said by dannyphones:Hey Teddy Boom,
Where abouts downtown do you live?
How easy is this new method? I'm at Bathurst and College.
How easy...
Hard for me to judge. I have to perform a similar procedure to this on every DCM425 I sell, so I've become very practised. On the 425s, a couple of people who do this kind of thing have given up trying and get me to do it for them when they need it. At the same time, a lurker here at dslreports managed to do a DCM425 pretty easily--"it took me about 20 tries" he said, which isn't bad for a first timer.
In fact, he did it without the serial console cable even.. For the DCM475/6 A method that doesn't require serial console may be feasible, but will require more development.
If you have a TFTP server set up, and if you have a TTL to RS232 serial cable, we should talk.
(in fact, I'll stick the last couple of details in the post above, and then all you'd need is a copy of the firmware)
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electronicsguru.ca |
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| reply to Teddy Boom
Hey Teddy Boom,
Where abouts downtown do you live?
How easy is this new method? |
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Teddy Boomk kudos Received
join:2007-01-29
Toronto, ON
kudos:5
3 edits | reply to CHRoNiCWiLL
Meanwhile...
I finally have a DCM476 of my own to play with, and I've been playing.
(well, I had a DCM475 of my own way way back, but it sold quickly)
Turns out it is possible to upgrade the DCM476 with just a TTL serial cable and a TFTP server. The method is similar to the DCM425 method.. Apply a short to pin 2 of the SPI flash at exactly the right moment and you get an open console.
(edit to add some instruction)
Serial console settings
Baud: 115200
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: none
Flow control: Xon/Xoff
The moment for the short
First power up with the serial console connected. After about 3 seconds of being powered on, the console should display a bunch of information in plain text. Get used to how long it takes from applying power to seeing the output. Then apply power again, but this time apply a short between ground and pin 2 of the SPI flash (on the 476, or pin 8 on the 475) just at the moment that the information would be displayed.
If you see the normal output, you were either way too early, or too late.
If you see the Broadcom wavy logo, but the output is stuck, you've done it very slightly too early.
If the output is much longer, and results in a prompt that you can type instructions at, you are in.
Command to flash
cd d
dload -i2 192.168.100.10 02.50.bin
(or, you know, 02.16.bin if it is a 475)
A thing of beauty :D
I don't mind making up detailed instructions if the demand is there, but for now just pm me if you'd like to give it a try.
And, I'm almost certain that this will work just as well on a DCM475, but we won't know until somebody tries.
more edits:
So I just did the upgrade on a DCM475 using the short method, and it works just as well. Of course the DCM475 has a 16 pin SPI flash, so you have to apply the short to pin 8 instead of pin 2 on the 8 pin SPI flash. Everything else is exactly the same.
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electronicsguru.ca |
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Teddy Boomk kudos Received
join:2007-01-29
Toronto, ON
kudos:5 | reply to Scycotic
said by Scycotic:And some new guy is in Kitchener/Waterloo and charges $10 That is zinc, here's the thread:
»[Cable] Kitchener/Waterloo firmware upgrades
I just pinged him to see how things are going.
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electronicsguru.ca |
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| reply to mlord
And some new guy is in Kitchener/Waterloo and charges $10 |
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mlord
join:2006-11-05
Nepean, ON
kudos:9 | reply to Cory
Yes, No.
mlord is in Ottawa and charges $5
Teddy Boom is in Toronto and charges $10 |
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Cory
join:2004-09-28
Canada | reply to QuantumPimp
I was wondering if anyone is still doing firmware flashes? If so is anyone doing them in the GTA area closer to concord/thornhill/richmond hill?
Thank you.
Cheers |
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Reviews:
 ·voip.ms
| reply to Teddy Boom
SPI Programmer |
I built and designed these USB SPI programmers shown in the attachment. If I remember correctly it cost about $3.50 to make (based on ATTiny45 or 85 ... can't remember) .
Mostly did it for experience and fun but after making a bunch the hobby was too much like work at slave wages. Ended up spending weekend after weekend hand soldering, hand testing, hand packaging, hand shipping. Yuk.
Still have a dozen hanging around somewhere.
I'm impressed that you guys are offering to fix modems for $10 or less. Clearly not a industrial money making enterprise. That is very caring and generous. |
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1 edit | reply to iudjin
Teddy Boom and mlord both preform the upgrade but you need to take your modem to them.
If memory serves me correctly:
mlord is in Ottawa and charges $5
Teddy is in Toronto and charges $10 |
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iudjin
join:2013-03-10
Etobicoke, ON | reply to CHRoNiCWiLL
I am another DCP-475 modem owner with 2.08 version of firmware told by TekSavvy to get or buy new modem.
Are you still helping people with firmware update ?
Thanks in advance. |
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| reply to Teddy Boom
said by mlord:...The first 64KB appears to be a fixed "bootloader" area, including MAC address and various crypto certificates... said by Teddy Boom:...I'm pretty sure it is in the configuration file, along with what speed of service you are getting, and what priority on the network you should get... said by Teddy Boom:...Do theft of service issues make this a bad idea?
Overall, I'm really not sure what I think, but it is worth discussing. Presumably if a user if a user changed speed, priority, or mac address in the configuration, the ISP would be able to detect and fine said user.(assuming they bothered to monitor this sort of thing)
Other changes to the configuration or firmware (better logs/settings) could be made undetectable by the ISP, but would not really be worth the time AFAIK.
So I don't really think there is any problem with randoms upgrading firmware.
related thought: There are a lot of Raspberry Pi's floating around that might be overkill but might be able to do the job.
Other related thought: depending on the keys used in the modem one might be able to push your own upgrade just by plugging it in to a crafted device (without opening the modem), but I guess there is no point in attempting that harder and less robust approach.
Anyway thanks Teddy Boom and mlord for all the hard work, I hope it motivates the ISPs to take a more sane approach to firmware upgrades and less likely to adopt a more open approach for modems. |
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mlord
join:2006-11-05
Nepean, ON
kudos:9 | reply to chall2k56
You've got a PM. |
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| reply to mlord
mlord,
I sent you an email, not sure if it got thru, since I couldn't remember my old username and password....If you dont get it, can you send me a PM with an email address to get at you with, so I can get my modem upgraded to avoid the disconnects |
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mlord
join:2006-11-05
Nepean, ON
kudos:9 | reply to Teddy Boom
Want me to bring you a pre-programmed Atmega328p when I visit (about 10 days from now) ? |
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Teddy Boomk kudos Received
join:2007-01-29
Toronto, ON
kudos:5 | reply to mlord
said by mlord:Yeah, the cheapest, easiest way to assemble a rig, is to clone my setup. Parts list with heavy edits:3.3V Arduino compatible chip (eg. Atmega328p, cost $3.50).
clips ($3/each, need 6),
12VDC to 3.3VDC power supply (about $5)
a breadboard ($4)
an SD-card socket (to hold the new firmware) ($10)
a couple of LEDs, resistors, and that's mostly it. So.. I've been trying to source clips, and I can definitely get those Zeroplus ones from China for just under $1 each landed in 200 unit quantity. Or about $1.50 each landed from the US in 20 unit quantity.
I'm sure we could get the DC power cost down below $2 with enough effort, but certainly not more than $3.20 as here:
»dx.com/p/dc-4-5-35v-to-1-25-30v-···d-156808
Micro SD card with converter as socket socket is $4.10 here:
»dx.com/p/2gb-micro-tf-card-with-···k-128032
(but only ~$3.50 if you buy 10)
Then there is the PCB, but that should be cheap enough as well.
Overall, looks like $20 cost is doable. Realistically it would still have to sell for $50 shipped though.
(mlord would have to be paid for his efforts! And others, who contribute significantly to logistics, if that's how things were to go)
The point of all this... Is it worth pursuing any further?
Possible issues:
Should people of varying experience and competency really be attempting this?
(seems to me that isn't a big deal, people will self select--if you can get the modem open, you can probably handle the electronics)
Do theft of service issues make this a bad idea?
Overall, I'm really not sure what I think, but it is worth discussing.
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electronicsguru.ca |
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Teddy Boomk kudos Received
join:2007-01-29
Toronto, ON
kudos:5 | reply to mlord
Re: Upgrading Firmware on DCM-476 modems said by mlord:said by mlord:The 476 probably just has a newer generation chip that uses less power. Funny, but ya, it is probably the LEDs. Even though the 476 draws more, that theory is probably still correct, the CPU probably is a little more efficient.
There is also probably a field failure aspect. Once they know there are very few field failures, they can afford to be a little less conservative about the thermal design.
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electronicsguru.ca |
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mlord
join:2006-11-05
Nepean, ON
kudos:9 Reviews:
 ·Start Communicat..
·TekSavvy Cable
·TekSavvy DSL
| reply to mlord
said by mlord:I've also now measured consumption on my nearly 3-year old DCM-475 that connects us to the internet here, and it shows pretty much the same number as the brand new DCM-475. Both are about 16% more power efficient than the DCM-476, independent of which PSU is used. Heh.. it's probably due to those blindingly bright blue LEDs on the DCM-476. Perhaps I should swap out the resistors on those for higher values and see if the power consumption takes a measurable drop afterward. |
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mlord
join:2006-11-05
Nepean, ON
kudos:9 Reviews:
·Start Communicat..
·TekSavvy Cable
·TekSavvy DSL
3 edits | reply to mlord
said by mlord:The 476 probably just has a newer generation chip that uses less power. Neither modem is really "better" than the other, though I do prefer the soft green LEDs of the 475 to the garish blue ones on the 476. Okay, I've taken a current generation DCM-475 modem and compared power consumption with my August/2012 DCM-476 modem. The DCM-475 actually uses ever so slightly less power than the DCM-476.
This is in "idle" mode, with no cable line connected.
And the difference was small, but consistent.
Slightly less than one watt.
0.044 amps @ 125VAC versus 0.052 amps @ 125VAC.
Edit: I've also now measured consumption on my nearly 3-year old DCM-475 that connects us to the internet here, and it shows pretty much the same number as the brand new DCM-475. Both are about 16% more power efficient than the DCM-476, independent of which PSU is used.
There are also slight differences between PSUs, depending upon which stock the manufacturer happened to have on hand when packaging the individual modems. The variance there seems to be within half a watt.
Cheers |
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| reply to CHRoNiCWiLL
Re: Upgrading Firmware on Thompson DCM475 I have yet to have problems using 3M SOIC clips on these SPI based modems (both 8 and 16 pin variants). I've programmed a considerable amount with them as well. I've ordered them from digikey. My only gripe with digikey is the shipping but they came in one day which was great. The Pomona ones are good as well.
You have to be careful when picking up probes from eBay. I ordered a batch last summer and the pitch on them was not what the auction described, the pitch of the grabbers were too big. I guess you get what you pay for when going the cheap route. |
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