Well, I just had some installation work done on my car, and now my Empeg takes a very long time to load. It sits at the "Loading music databases..." part for a long time.
I connected to the player with HyperTerminal, and while it's loading the music databases, it shows messages like this:

hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:03 (hda), sector 4116
hda: status timeout: status=0xd0
hda: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset: success

Any ideas?

I'm also getting this message:

! mp3_decoder.cpp :1049:Failed to find valid sync after seeking to offset 2809
056, error=0xc0044000

The "Failed to find valid sync after seeking to offset" error is not really an error. I think it might be something to do with VBR files being hard to seek on. Anyways I see it all the time and there aren't any problems with the unit. Look here.

As for the irq timeout problem, then you have problems. Have you replaced the drive cable yet? If not click here...

Well, I haven't replaced the cable, but I'm not sure that it's really the cable. It shows the I/O error message that I posted above for the same three sectors (4114, 4116, 4118) everytime. It does eventually finish loading, but it just takes a lot longer than it should.

Possibly a dodgy couple of sectors then. Have you tried fscking it like this?

I tried the fsck procedure in the FAQ entry you linked to, and fsck didn't find anything wrong with the drive. However, the problem is still there.

Sectors 411x probably aren't part of the music partition. hda4 is the big music partition but there are 4 others, one of which probably contain that sector. I'm not sure whether fdisk is on the empeg but it should tell you which partition has those sectors.

According to my fdisk, you're probably looking at hda5 which is the root partition. You can't fsck a mounted drive and I don't know how you can check it. Does someone else know?

No problem at all to fsck a READ-ONLY mounted drive. Just do it. How do ya think the root partition ever gets checked on any system?

Just reboot afterwards to ensure no confusion (not necessary with newer Linux kernels, but on the Empeg..).

Cheers

Well, I'm pretty sure that I fscked the root partition when I followed the FAQ entry you linked to. That didn't report any errors.

Could you post the full boot log please?

True. But in the case of an empeg how do you fsck to fix it if something is wrong?

Correct again, if you followed that FAQ entry to the letter you did fsck the root partition. I was looking for the fsck /dev/hda5 and completely skipped over the fsck /. I always though you had to specify the device name and not just the mount point.

I'm going to hide in the corner now.

Here it is:

empeg-car bootstrap v1.02 20001106 (hugo@empeg.com):Wed May 2
Tried to mount /dev/hdc4 but got error 6
If there is anyone present who wants to upgrade the flash, let them speak now,ready mounted)
SA1100 serial driver version 4.27 with no seri
Remounting
or forever hold their peace...it seems not. Let fly the Penguins of Linux!emounting second music partition read-onlyRT

e000 v1.04No seconda
Copying kernel...(irq = 17) is a

Calling linux kernel... development mode. You
Uncompressing Linux....................................... done, booting the ker
Sign
player 206f69

khttpd: listening on port 80
nel.empe
Linux version 2.2.14-rmk5-np17-empeg50-hijack-v266 (root@tbird.localnet) (gcc vecpp : 385:empeg-car 2.00-beta11 2002/02/08.
em
rsion 2.95.3 20010315 (release)) #2 Fri May 3 20:44:54 EDT 2002sed, CS4231A revision a0
ide0: reset: success
Processor: Intel StrongARM
Based upon Swansea University Computer Society NET3.039
ide0 at 0x000-0x007,0x038 on irq
NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, 9590MB
IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP63
TCP: Hash tables configured (ehash 16384 bhash 16384)r initialized
smc chip
IrDA (tm) Protocols for Linux-2.2 (Dag Brattli)c9194.c:v0.12 03/06/96 by Erik Stahlman (erik@v
Linux-IrDA: IrCOMM protocol ( revision:Tue May 18 03:11:39 1999 )9194: SMC91C94(r:9) at 0x4008000 IRQ:7 INTF:TP MEM:6144b MAC 00:0
ircomm_tty: virtual tty driver for IrCOMM ( revision:Wed May 26 00:49:11 1999 )
6
Partition check:
hda: hda1 < hda5 hda6 > hda2
Starting kswapd v 1.5
SA1100 serial driver version 4.27 with no serial options enabled
RAMDISK: Loading 320 blocks [1 disk] int
ttyS00 at 0xf8010000 (irq = 15) is a SA1100 UART
VFS: Mounted root
empeg dsp mixer initialisedg proc
Mounti
empeg dsp initialisedon
empeg audio-in initialised, CS4231A revision a0 but got error 19
empeg remote control/panel button initialised.artition
Tried
empeg usb initialised, PDIUSBD12 id 1012
Error
empeg state support initialised 0089/88c1 (save to d0005680).
Remounting first music p
empeg RDS driver initialised
empeg power-pic driver initialised (

hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drivecoder.cpp :1049:Failed to find valid
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive3, error=0xc0044000
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive6 (hugo@empeg.com)
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drivee is anyone present who wants to upgra
ide0 at 0x000-0x007,0x038 on irq 6
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, 9590MB w/2048kB Cache, CHS=19485/16/63r peace...it seems not. Let fly the Penguins of Linux!
empeg-flash driver initialized
smc chip id/revision 0x3349Copying kernel...
6
Partition check:
hda:hda: set_geom(16383,16,63)10315 (release)) #7 Fri Feb 8 1
hda1 < hda5 hda6 > hda2 hda3 hda4
RAMDISK: ext2 filesystem found at block 0vision 11
RAMDISK: Loading 320 blocks [1 disk] into ram disk... done.98 Corel Computer Corp.
VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem).mpeg-car player (hardware revision 9
empeg-pump v0.03 (19980601)
Press Ctrl-A to enter pump...hange_root: old root has d_count=1
Calibrating delay loop... 207.67 BogoMIPS
Trying to unmount old root ... okayry: 15024k/16M available (964k code
Freeing unused kernel memory
Mounting proc
Mounting first music partitiones: 16384 (order 4, 64k)
Tried to mount /dev/hda4 as reiserfs but got error 19ache hash table entries: 4096 (order 2, 16k)
Mounting second music partition
POSIX conformance tes
Tried to mount /dev/hdc4 but got error 6
Linux NET4.0 for Linux 2.2
Error mounting partitions (possibly already mounted)omputer Society NET3.039
Remounting first music partition read-only/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
Remounting second music partition read-only
TCP: Hash tables con
No secondary hard diskash 16384)
Press 'q' now to go into development mode. You Have Zero Seconds To ComðStartingBrattli)
Linux-IrDA: IrCOMM proto
playervision:

khttpd: listening on port 80
kftpd: listening on port 21

hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:03 (hda), sector 4114
hda: status timeout: status=0xd0
hda: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:03 (hda), sector 4116
hda: status timeout: status=0xd0
hda: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:03 (hda), sector 4118
hda: status timeout: status=0xd0
hda: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset: success
Prolux 4 empeg car - 2.1434 Feb 7 2002
Vcb: 0x4086d000
! mp3_decoder.cpp :1049:Failed to find valid sync after seeking to offset 3271
882, error=0xc0044000

The top of your log is really wacky. It looks like half of it is from a previous boot???

- Trevor

Nope, I don't think so... I started a new session, so it should only be one. I'm not too sure why some letters are cut off though... I used 115200, 8, N, 1, no flow control.

Your settings are fine. However which program are you using for serial comms? It looks like you are getting (well not getting) quite a few lost characters. I am not a believer in Hyperterminal and I never will be. Try something like CRT/SecureCRT. They're not free but are tons better.

Any halfway decent PC should be able to keep up with the flow rate which tends to suggest to me that the software is at fault.

I have seen others post logs like these before so your not the only one with this problem.

It looks like you are getting (well not getting) quite a few lost characters. I am not a believer in Hyperterminal and I never will be.

Hyperterminal on Windows 2000 simply does not work. In NT it was OK. Don't know about the non-NT versions.

Try something like CRT/SecureCRT. They're not free but are tons better.

I use Tera Term Pro, which is free and is tons better than Hyperterminal.

Peter

Here's the CRT version:

empeg-car bootstrap v1.02 20001106 (hugo@empeg.com)
If there is anyone present who wants to upgrade the flash, let them speak now,
or forever hold their peace...it seems not. Let fly the Penguins of Linux!

e000 v1.04
Copying kernel...
Calling linux kernel...
Uncompressing Linux....................................... done, booting the kernel.
Linux version 2.2.14-rmk5-np17-empeg50-hijack-v266 (root@tbird.localnet) (gcc version 2.95.3 20010315 (release)) #2 Fri May 3 20:44:54 EDT 2002
Processor: Intel StrongARM-1100 revision 11
NetWinder Floating Point Emulator V0.94.1 (c) 1998 Corel Computer Corp.
empeg-car player (hardware revision 9, serial number 40103702)
Command line: mem=16m
Calibrating delay loop... 207.67 BogoMIPS
Memory: 14952k/16M available (1040k code, 20k reserved, 368k data, 4k init)
Dentry hash table entries: 2048 (order 2, 16k)
Buffer cache hash table entries: 16384 (order 4, 64k)
Page cache hash table entries: 4096 (order 2, 16k)
POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX
Linux NET4.0 for Linux 2.2
Based upon Swansea University Computer Society NET3.039
NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP
TCP: Hash tables configured (ehash 16384 bhash 16384)
IrDA (tm) Protocols for Linux-2.2 (Dag Brattli)
Linux-IrDA: IrCOMM protocol ( revision:Tue May 18 03:11:39 1999 )
ircomm_tty: virtual tty driver for IrCOMM ( revision:Wed May 26 00:49:11 1999 )
Starting kswapd v 1.5
SA1100 serial driver version 4.27 with no serial options enabled
ttyS00 at 0xf8010000 (irq = 15) is a SA1100 UART
ttyS01 at 0xf8050000 (irq = 17) is a SA1100 UART
ttyS02 at 0xf8030000 (irq = 16) is a SA1100 UART
Signature is 67706d65 'empg'
Scheduling custom logo.
empeg display initialised.
empeg dsp audio initialised
empeg dsp mixer initialised
empeg dsp initialised
empeg audio-in initialised, CS4231A revision a0
empeg remote control/panel button initialised.
empeg usb initialised, PDIUSBD12 id 1012
empeg state support initialised 0089/88c1 (save to d0005b80).
empeg RDS driver initialised
empeg power-pic driver initialised (first boot)
RAM disk driver initialized: 16 RAM disks of 4096K size
empeg single channel IDE
Probing primary interface...
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, ATA DISK drive
ide0 at 0x000-0x007,0x038 on irq 6
hda: FUJITSU MHM2100AT, 9590MB w/2048kB Cache, CHS=19485/16/63
empeg-flash driver initialized
smc chip id/revision 0x3349
smc9194.c:v0.12 03/06/96 by Erik Stahlman (erik@vt.edu)

SMC9194: SMC91C94(r:9) at 0x4008000 IRQ:7 INTF:TP MEM:6144b MAC 00:02:d7:28:0e:76
Partition check:
hda:hda: set_geom(16383,16,63)
hda1 < hda5 hda6 > hda2 hda3 hda4
RAMDISK: ext2 filesystem found at block 0
RAMDISK: Loading 320 blocks [1 disk] into ram disk... done.
VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem).
empeg-pump v0.03 (19980601)
Press Ctrl-A to enter pump...•Ô•j½Õ¹Ñ•‘�ɽ½Ñ�¡•áÑÉ�™¥±•ÍåÍÑ•µ¥�É•…‘½¹±å¹)5ÿchange_root: old root has d_count=1
Trying to unmount old root ... okay
Freeing unused kernel memory: 4k initempeg init 0.8
I see this is a developer image!
Mounting proc
Mounting first music partition
Tried to mount /dev/hda4 as reiserfs but got error 19
Mounting second music partition
Tried to mount /dev/hdc4 but got error 6
Error mounting partitions (possibly already mounted)
Remounting first music partition read-only
Remounting second music partition read-only
No secondary hard disk
Press 'q' now to go into development mode. You Have Zero Seconds To ComStarting player

khttpd: listening on port 80
kftpd: listening on port 21
player.cpp : 385:empeg-car 2.00-beta11 2002/02/08.
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:03 (hda), sector 4114
hda: status timeout: status=0xd0
hda: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:03 (hda), sector 4116
hda: status timeout: status=0xd0
hda: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset: success
hda: irq timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:03 (hda), sector 4118
hda: status timeout: status=0xd0
hda: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset: success
Prolux 4 empeg car - 2.1434 Feb 7 2002
Vcb: 0x4086d000

Hmm... Well, do I need to format the drive and start over, or is there something else I can do to fix this?

Thanks!

IRQ errors like that are really the sign of a bad cable. Please check this link for more info...