MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Questions about undemo-ing a Kindle DX graphite

knc1 · 09-18-2012, 03:44 AM

I can't help much with the DX specific stuff, but the others ...
1) Do not make a "power" connection to the Kindle, use only a three wire connection, Tx, Rx and Gnd. If your adapter isn't powered from the USB side, then you will have to provide it with another 1.8volt source. Also, the Kindle is low voltage ttl (1.8volt) not 5 volt.

2) For the DX, getting into "downloader mode" (required for ATK) is unknown here.

1) + 2) Do not expect the ATK to work over the DX's serial port - the DX's serial port in "downloader mode" runs at 57500 with 2 stop bits - which isn't supported by the current (v1.72) ATK - - That is an i.MX31 only thing, all others are 115000 with 1 stop bit.

3) The ATK communicates with a command processor burned into the SoC rom.
It uses that to download some control files and a command processor with more features into ram.
That command processor has the ability to initialize additional (off-SoC) hardware, such as the flash storage media and copy those contents over to the machine running the ATK application (the "dump" function).

There is no "password" involved in the above process, the Kindle's operating system is not running, not even its boot-loader or boot-monitor. Only the client side, command processor.

- - - -

To determine if (1) is correct:
bring up a terminal emulator,
connected to the USB port of your adapter,
(you will be talking first to the bootloader and then the kernel, those are 115000,8,n,1 - only the i.MX31 downloader mode is 57500,8,n,2),
now just do a "normal" re-boot of the DX,
You should be greeted by first the U-Boot messages and then the Kernel console messages.

Once that is confirmed, (and the terminal settings changed to match the slower downloader mode), you are off to discover the "magic key" needed in (2) above.
Please let us know when you find it.

09-18-2012, 03:44 AM	#2
knc1 Going Viral Posts: 17,212 Karma: 18210809 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Central Texas Device: No K1, PW2, KV, KOA	I can't help much with the DX specific stuff, but the others ... 1) Do not make a "power" connection to the Kindle, use only a three wire connection, Tx, Rx and Gnd. If your adapter isn't powered from the USB side, then you will have to provide it with another 1.8volt source. Also, the Kindle is low voltage ttl (1.8volt) not 5 volt. 2) For the DX, getting into "downloader mode" (required for ATK) is unknown here. 1) + 2) Do not expect the ATK to work over the DX's serial port - the DX's serial port in "downloader mode" runs at 57500 with 2 stop bits - which isn't supported by the current (v1.72) ATK - - That is an i.MX31 only thing, all others are 115000 with 1 stop bit. 3) The ATK communicates with a command processor burned into the SoC rom. It uses that to download some control files and a command processor with more features into ram. That command processor has the ability to initialize additional (off-SoC) hardware, such as the flash storage media and copy those contents over to the machine running the ATK application (the "dump" function). There is no "password" involved in the above process, the Kindle's operating system is not running, not even its boot-loader or boot-monitor. Only the client side, command processor. - - - - To determine if (1) is correct: bring up a terminal emulator, connected to the USB port of your adapter, (you will be talking first to the bootloader and then the kernel, those are 115000,8,n,1 - only the i.MX31 downloader mode is 57500,8,n,2), now just do a "normal" re-boot of the DX, You should be greeted by first the U-Boot messages and then the Kernel console messages. Once that is confirmed, (and the terminal settings changed to match the slower downloader mode), you are off to discover the "magic key" needed in (2) above. Please let us know when you find it.