Kobo Aura H2O not responding, recognized as NS Blank Codex

[sebastian]

So my Kobo Aura H2O suddenly stopped working and I can't get it to reset (no manual reset either).

My Windows 10 just told me out of the blue that it had recognized the device as "NS Blank Codex". Any idea what to do with this now? I read that this is some kind of debug / recovery mode but I'm not sure what to do with it.

Update:

I recovered the u-boot_lpddr2_512-E606G0-LPDDR2.bin and uImage-E606G0 from an H2O image and I think I could try getting these on the reader with https://github.com/boundarydevices/imx_usb_loader but I'm not sure if that will help anything. I don't want to open the device unless no other option is available so I think I might try that first.

[frostschutz]

[deleted vidme link]kobo-aura-h2o-factory-reset

That's the method that usually works... if you did not mess up the firmware update with corrupt kernel/bootloader somehow.

Someone posted about doing things with the external card slot (for Aura and other devices) but I haven't done it myself...

Does the white LED (powerbutton) blink at all? If it does - but nothing shown on the display - it might be a broken display

[sebastian]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

[deleted vidme link]kobo-aura-h2o-factory-reset

That's the method that usually works... if you did not mess up the firmware update with corrupt kernel/bootloader somehow.

Someone posted about doing things with the external card slot (for Aura and other devices) but I haven't done it myself...

Does the white LED (powerbutton) blink at all? If it does - but nothing shown on the display - it might be a broken display

I tried to do the factory reset, but it doesn't do anything. I myself didn't mess up or change anything. I updated it from 3.19 to some 4.x version a few days ago, that was all. Didn't touch it in the meantime.

The LED in the powerbutton shows no activity. The only thing that works is plugging the reader into a PC where it is recognized as NS Blank Codex.

[sebastian]

So, an update. I tried uploading firmware to the Kobo and all I managed right now is to make the power LED emit a faint glow while the bootloader is running. At least that's something.

# ./imx_usb ./u-boot_lpddr2_512-E606G0-LPDDR2.bin
config file <.//imx_usb.conf>
vid=0x066f pid=0x3780 file_name=mx23_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x004f file_name=mx28_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0052 file_name=mx50_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0054 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0061 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0063 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0071 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x007d file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0080 file_name=mx6_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0076 file_name=mx7_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x0041 file_name=mx51_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x004e file_name=mx53_usb_work.conf
vid=0x15a2 pid=0x006a file_name=vybrid_usb_work.conf
vid=0x066f pid=0x37ff file_name=linux_gadget.conf
config file <.//mx50_usb_work.conf>
parse .//mx50_usb_work.conf
Interface 0 claimed
HAB security state: development mode (0x56787856)
== work item
filename ./u-boot_lpddr2_512-E606G0-LPDDR2.bin
load_size 0 bytes
load_addr 0x00000000
dcd 1
clear_dcd 0
plug 1
jump_mode 2
jump_addr 0x00000000
== end work item
No dcd table, barker=402000d1

loading binary file(./u-boot_lpddr2_512-E606G0-LPDDR2.bin) to f8006000, skip=0, fsize=1000 type=aa
<<<4096, 4096 bytes>>>
succeeded (status 0x88888888)
jumping to 0xf8006400
HAB security state: development mode (0x56787856)
== work item
filename ./u-boot_lpddr2_512-E606G0-LPDDR2.bin
load_size 0 bytes
load_addr 0x00000000
dcd 0
clear_dcd 0
plug 0
jump_mode 2
jump_addr 0x00000000
== end work item
header_max=1800

loading binary file(./u-boot_lpddr2_512-E606G0-LPDDR2.bin) to 77800000, skip=0, fsize=23e38 type=aa

<<<147000, 147008 bytes>>>
succeeded (status 0x88888888)
jumping to 0x7780042c

But I fear that the configuration is not really valid for the Kobo :/

Right now the config looks like this (default):

hid,64,0xf8006400,0xf8006400,128M
#file:dcd,plug,load nnn,jump [nnn/header/header2]
#jump nnn - new header is placed after last downloaded word
#            entire file is loaded before jump, needs load nnn as well
# i.e. file:load nnn,jump nnn
#jump header - only length parameter is downloaded
#     header - uses existing header(error if none), but clears plug and dcd values unless plug also specified
#     header2 - uses 2nd header found(error if none)
#plug - without jump uses header but clears plug flag to stop after plug execution

SPL:dcd
u-boot.bin:load 0x77800000
SPL:load 0xF8006400, jump header

But I have no idea what to put there to make it work on the Aura H2O