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Firmware/hardware split
[Deleted User]
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According to the manual, the standby button switches between operation and standby modes. However:
If so, I wonder how best to think about the machine as it is clearly not just a special purpose PC. Anyone have some insights?
It also would affect what kinds of things might change as the firmware is upgraded.
Just trying to understand this impressive machine better...
Glyn
- recording can take place in standby mode, and
- on entering operation mode, the firmware is loaded.
If so, I wonder how best to think about the machine as it is clearly not just a special purpose PC. Anyone have some insights?
It also would affect what kinds of things might change as the firmware is upgraded.
Just trying to understand this impressive machine better...
Glyn
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I wonder if anyone has ported Linux to it, written their own firmware, etc.? ;-)
It only needs one alarm - as it suspends it just needs to check for the 1st scheduled recording, or scheduled wake-up, and set that as a time to boot.
After it boots, it checks why it woke up to see whether to act as if awake (wake-up due to button, remote or scheduled wake-up) or whether to make a recording and then standby again when it's finished.
Ian
So that comment "2. on entering operation mode, the firmware is loaded." sounds like a bit of a white lie to me (unless they are talking about a cold reset)
BTW, as the 9200 is (I believe) based on the NEC Emma2 chipset I think there's a strong chance that the operating system is actually Nucleus Plus though I guess it might be VxWorks
Cliff
When the 9200t is switched on from the back power switch, or switched on from the standby button on the front, there is a digital read out on the front panel indicating the boot loader version and a percentage indicator going up 10, 20, 30 ..100 until its finished loading what it needs - takes 10 seconds, then the machine goes through a "starting" (this is the readout on the front of the unit at this point) phase for 5 seconds until its able to display picture and sound.
When the unit is in 'standby' but needs to do a timer recording it goes through the same process. I.e. the boot loader process described above on switch on happens with the count up progress indicator while it’s loading everything necessary up before the recordings start. I think in this case the machine is pretty much on normally but without displaying picture and sound, and switching on from this state is the same as a channel change. I dont think the EPG polulates in the background though even though at least one of the tuners is being used for a recordings and EPG one of the tuners is active so maybe some functions will not perform when the machine is on for a recording but stil in standby.
Cliff
I believe it's VxWorks, as Humax are advertised on the Wind River website (well... guess it could be embedded linux?)
Yes. It would be nice if the 9200t took 5 seconds rather than 15 seconds to start up mind.
However I'd have no worries about a jet running VxWorks - it is a very good RTOS and is so well established in 1,000's and 1,000's of commercial products that its stability must rate orders of magnitude above Microsoft software.
Now if Boeing announced they were going to design jets around Microsoft Windows CE I *would* get worried (very worried!)
Cliff