Ariva 254 Combo 'ON' error

[McSud]

Hey there
I have an Ariva 254 Combo, that is stuck with 'ON' on the display, it isn't outputting anything to the TV, and it just sits there and doesn't boot.
After some googling, it seems I need to reflash it via RS232, but no matter what Updaters I use, I can't get it to connect to the box.
As my luck would have it, there is no Updater software available on the Ferguson site, so I've been trying anything I could find, but no luck :(

So my next question is, has anyone recovered from this issue before, and do you have an updater for this box?
Thanks so much, and Happy Christmas!

[adm]

Hey there
I have an Ariva 254 Combo, that is stuck with 'ON' on the display, it isn't outputting anything to the TV, and it just sits there and doesn't boot.
After some googling, it seems I need to reflash it via RS232, but no matter what Updaters I use, I can't get it to connect to the box.


You will probably need a rs232 [9 pin] to rs232 [9 pin] or usb to RS232 null modem cable rather than a straight through cable. When searching for cables make sure that you include "null modem" and the description of the product says "null modem"

[McSud]

Thanks adm, do you know which is the specific updater thats compatible with this box?
I have what I thought is a Null modem cable, but it might not be fully wired, only 2/3 swapped and 5 common, not sure if the boxes want one with the handshaking wired too...

[cactikid]

Those null modem cables were very popular 15 years ago and needing a old laptop with the rs232 port.

Many issues when people used the usb models and did not work

[McSud]

Thanks Cactikid, yeah, I have a few of them hanging on a nail in the shed from years ago - I've proven that the one I'm using here is a fully wired Null cable though, but any of the upgrader programs I'm finding are not opening serial connection with the box.
Is there a specific updater program I need to use with the Ariva 254 Combo?

[adm]

Those null modem cables were very popular 15 years ago and needing a old laptop with the rs232 port.

Many issues when people used the usb models and did not work

It's many years since I had to get a USB to RS232 to work. From memory, the problems were at the laptop end and the old software. Software written when RS232 connectors on PCs and laptops were common place often only used to communicate to the ports originally allocated to RS232 (comms ports 2 and 3 ????). A USB /RS232 adaptor/cable may/will be assigned a comms port outside this range and therefore the old(er) software could not communicate with it. The trick was to configure the computer to assign the usb/rs232 to use the only comms ports that the software (maybe the update software that Mcsud is using) is expecting to use.

Possibly Google "how do I assign a comms port to usb"

[McSud]

Thanks guys, I think I got a tiny bit further.
I was having no luck whatsoever with the 'onboard' serial port, but using a USB/Serial adapter, it does seem to be at least completing the first stage of the flash, " Synchronising STBs ... Done"
But after that, I'm getting a stb memory error, so my hopes were quickly dashed.
I'm still suspicious I'm not using the correct updater tool - I'm using "STB EPROM Upgrade 2.0.0c 2009-05-22" Theres no specific updater available for this under the model number on the ferguson site.

Of course the box could be totally screwed as well hahah (although not so funny 1 day away from Christmas....)

[McSud]

well, I think I'm going to have to take the flash chip off the board of this receiver and program it independently of the box. I just can't get past that STB Memory Error now.
I'll let you know how it goes, justto find my programmer now.....

[cactikid]

Any of your friends got an old XP pc with RS232 port as would be asking first?

[McSud]

Sadly not. The oldest I have myself is a Windows 7 T410 Thinkpad, but that doesn't have a native serial port either, and behaves no different to the Win10 or 11 machines I have, even with multiple brands of USb to serial converters..
Whats so different about WinXP that seems to work better for doing this flashing I wonder?

[cactikid]

Old laptops usually had that rs232 port to connect your null modem cable to and was around the XP era as used to have a laptop in bag with null modem cable for flashing boxes.
How sure are you you dont have a straight wired serial cable and to check each terminal is in the same feed on both ends.

DB9 null modem is wired with a cross over cable

[McSud]

Yeah Cactkid, its defo a null alright, I opened the DB9 shells at each end and had a look at the pin connections and its definately crossed over, fully wired.
So its either wrong OS I'm using, or wrong Updater tool. Looking like wrong OS I spose, though its hard to see how that would be the case, bu I've ruled out everything else...barr of course if the box it totally goosed....

[cactikid]

Any retailers near you selling that box that could reflash it for you?

[McSud]

I bought the thing somewhere online, from who knows where, so sadly not an option. Ah, I've resigned to the fact now that I'll have to reflash the chip directly - I'll give it a shot at the weekend, if nothing else my update might help someone else in future.....if it works! LOL

[cactikid]

Reflashing a box that works compared to one that does not power on ?

[McSud]

Hi guys, well it took a little while to get back to solving this mystery, but I'm glad to report a happy ending.
I went ahead and manually re-flashed the eprom on the board, without removing the device (with a clip).
I simply could not get it to flash via the serial port at all, no matter what I tried, used the CH341 programmer, with the most recent abs file from the Ferguson site.

It took some finagling to get it to work though, I had to do several erase steps with different programming sw, before the device would program error free.
The most sucessful software I found to work was 'AsProgrammer' - worked the best for me.

Thanks for all your help and responses up to now!

64657

64658

[Joe_90]

Well done! Persistence paid off in the end.