Dead card after wrong pda and firmware flashing

[david jaoui]

Hi,
I'm posting cause I looked for over 4 hours on threads and websites without success.

I have micronet SP905 V2 pcmcia card (prism 2.5) with detachable antenna.
It seems to be same hardware than reliawave 30 mw (demarc which I downloaded firmwares from) but not so sure you'll see !!!
Clue : Micronet is recognized as platform 8002 by winupdate flash and reliawave platform 800c.

I couldn't upgrade firmware from PRI: 0.3.0 STA : 1.3.4 because "wrong platform message" with a lot of 1.1.1 and 1.5.6 hex files.

I found pda file for 800c/4 in dlink dwl650 firmware and the winupdate seemed to accept to upgrade my firmware to 1.5.6 with that pda file added.

I did THE mistake (even after backuping original firmware and pda of the card) !
"Writing error from the pda" and the card is not even recognized by the OS (winXP) so not possible to reverse the process.

Is my card dead ? Can I do something to have it back ?
If yes, Can I still upgrade it in some way to 1.5.6 and 1.1.1 ? How ?

I still don't understand what's the difference between platforms versions (hard or software) and what are pda files role ?
Are they changeable or fixed to hardware ?
What are the differences between prism 2 and 2.5 regarding hardware and software ?
Thanx,

D



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[Jouni Malinen]

Post by david jaoui
I have micronet SP905 V2 pcmcia card (prism 2.5) with detachable antenna.
It seems to be same hardware than reliawave 30 mw (demarc which I downloaded firmwares from) but not so sure you'll see !!!
Clue : Micronet is recognized as platform 8002 by winupdate flash and reliawave platform 800c.

Are you sure about that Prism2.5 part? If nicid is 0x8002, it is Prism2
using HFA3841 as MAC chip..

Post by david jaoui
I couldn't upgrade firmware from PRI: 0.3.0 STA : 1.3.4 because "wrong platform message" with a lot of 1.1.1 and 1.5.6 hex files.

And there is a good reason for this.. They are not compatible with your
card. There is no PRI 1.1.1 firmware for HFA3841 (as far as I know).

Post by david jaoui
I found pda file for 800c/4 in dlink dwl650 firmware and the winupdate seemed to accept to upgrade my firmware to 1.5.6 with that pda file added.
Is my card dead ? Can I do something to have it back ?

Yes and yes, but not easily. If you can get someone with suitable
hardware and firmware images to reflash it using genesis mode..

Post by david jaoui
If yes, Can I still upgrade it in some way to 1.5.6 and 1.1.1 ? How ?

No, PRI 1.1.1 does not exist for your card. Upgrading to STA 1.5.6
should work; assuming you have correct image.

Post by david jaoui
What are the differences between prism 2 and 2.5 regarding hardware and software ?

They use (among other things) different MAC chip and thus different
firmware image, but have more or less identical interface to the host
system.

[James Harper]

I've heard this 'genesis' mode mentioned before, what is it? From the
name I can assume it is a time when the card is without form and is void
:)

How does one put a card into this mode to receive the new firmware
images? Is it do-able with both the pci and cardbus versions?

thanks

James

-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Jouni Malinen
Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:49
Subject: Re: Dead card after wrong pda and firmware flashing

Post by david jaoui
I have micronet SP905 V2 pcmcia card (prism 2.5) with detachable
antenna. It seems to be same hardware than reliawave 30 mw (demarc
which I downloaded firmwares from) but not so sure you'll

see !!! Clue

Post by david jaoui
: Micronet is recognized as platform 8002 by winupdate flash and
reliawave platform 800c.

Are you sure about that Prism2.5 part? If nicid is 0x8002, it
is Prism2 using HFA3841 as MAC chip..

Post by david jaoui
I couldn't upgrade firmware from PRI: 0.3.0 STA : 1.3.4

because "wrong

Post by david jaoui
platform message" with a lot of 1.1.1 and 1.5.6 hex files.

And there is a good reason for this.. They are not compatible
with your card. There is no PRI 1.1.1 firmware for HFA3841
(as far as I know).

Post by david jaoui
I found pda file for 800c/4 in dlink dwl650 firmware and

the winupdate

Post by david jaoui
seemed to accept to upgrade my firmware to 1.5.6 with that pda file
added.
Is my card dead ? Can I do something to have it back ?

Yes and yes, but not easily. If you can get someone with
suitable hardware and firmware images to reflash it using
genesis mode..

Post by david jaoui
If yes, Can I still upgrade it in some way to 1.5.6 and

1.1.1 ? How ?
No, PRI 1.1.1 does not exist for your card. Upgrading to STA
1.5.6 should work; assuming you have correct image.

Post by david jaoui
What are the differences between prism 2 and 2.5 regarding hardware and software ?

They use (among other things) different MAC chip and thus
different firmware image, but have more or less identical
interface to the host system.
--
Jouni Malinen PGP
id EFC895FA
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[Martin Polak]

Post by James Harper
I've heard this 'genesis' mode mentioned before, what is it? From the
name I can assume it is a time when the card is without form and is void
:)
How does one put a card into this mode to receive the new firmware
images? Is it do-able with both the pci and cardbus versions?
thanks
James

Please search the list archives. There is a way of reflashing dead cards
by using linux and wlan-ng drivers.


Martin

[don]

I have a dead hfa3841 card that failed during a reflash. I've never
heard of genesis mode before but a look around the net has provided some
sketchy information. It seems that if the hfa3841 chip powers up with a
10k pull up from the MD11 pin to the 3.3 volt rail then it goes into ram
load mode instead of reading the flash rom.

Is the above correct? If so, would it be possible to use a card with
defunct flash memory by wiring up the pull up resistor and then loading
the firmware directly into ram using prism2_srec?


Don Magee

Post by Jouni Malinen

Post by david jaoui
Is my card dead ? Can I do something to have it back ?

Yes and yes, but not easily. If you can get someone with suitable
hardware and firmware images to reflash it using genesis mode..

[Jouni Malinen]

Post by don
I have a dead hfa3841 card that failed during a reflash. I've never
heard of genesis mode before but a look around the net has provided some
sketchy information. It seems that if the hfa3841 chip powers up with a
10k pull up from the MD11 pin to the 3.3 volt rail then it goes into ram
load mode instead of reading the flash rom.

I don't remember which pin it was, but yes, that sounds about correct. I
have such hardware modification in one PC Card slot (dip switch for
selecting normal operations or pull up for Genesis mode), but I haven't
yet had enough time to implement code for flashing in genesis mode.

Post by don
Is the above correct? If so, would it be possible to use a card with
defunct flash memory by wiring up the pull up resistor and then loading
the firmware directly into ram using prism2_srec?

That should be possible, but not with current prism2_srec/Host AP
driver.

[david jaoui]

Hi,

Thanx for your answer Jouni.

You might be right : it's not sure it's a prism 2.5.

I have the dosflash utility and I have tryed it.
I have access to the card in legacy mode and I can do some stuffs in Genesis mode
but, I have errors and i can't complete operations.

About the software, The problem seems to be the PDA.
Before messing up with my card, I dumped everything : PDA, firmware and the whole flash.

Do you think they are valid to use and to reinsert into the card ?
If it still fail, do you think my card can go to garbage ?

Is Genesis mode a way to have full access to the card ? Because it's seems to be blocked. (busy bit uncleared error).

Maybe I don't type the right command line under dos. Can you help about that ?
Thanx

DJ



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[Jouni Malinen]

Post by david jaoui
Before messing up with my card, I dumped everything : PDA, firmware and the whole flash.
Do you think they are valid to use and to reinsert into the card ?

That might be possible, assuming you indeed saved everything from the
flash.

Post by david jaoui
Is Genesis mode a way to have full access to the card ? Because it's seems to be blocked. (busy bit uncleared error).

Genesis mode stops normal startup from flash and make the card wait for
commands that can be used to write the flash. It should allow reflashing
of cards that have invalid firmware image on them.

[david jaoui]

Genesis mode stops normal startup from flash and make the card wait for
commands that can be used to write the flash. It should allow
reflashing
of cards that have invalid firmware image on them.


OK, but does that work for replacing wrong PDA too ?
Is it possible to reflash the whole flash ?
Can you give the right command line to flash correctly with a whole flash memory image in a right way with genesis mode or host based flash mode ? (cause i'm lost)

For now, with those modes I still have "busy bit uncleared" or "Memory Allocation Error".
Hope it's not too bad Doc.

I hope it'll be solved in order not to throw a 127 € PCMCIA card to the garbage.
Thanks, Bye



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