Did I F.. It Up?

[hildeand]

Hi, guys,

I couldn't let things be and wait for advice, so I tried to copy the AAC plugin to my 120 GB DMS and added a forceupdate file. When I put it in the Music Keg, it just says "Line error". I've tried resetting it, but I either get the same or the controller says "AUX". However, when I use a DMS from my other car, it works, although the controls are a bit different.

Please, is there any way to get the DMS to work again?

Hilde

[hildeand]

OK, getting somewhere, I used the excellent DMS Tool (and I'd be glad to make a donation!) to fix the DMS. Only fixing the PHTSYS, it worked again, even AAC files (re previous question).

However, in the keg, the previous excellent functionality of browsing both playlists, artists, albums, and genres was gone...

To get further, I have now tried to repair the full DMS, including formatting of the PHTDTA, and asking it to flash the firmware. But, it has now been running formatting of the PHTDTA (this is a 120 GB) partition for almost an hour...

Is this normal, or am I running into the issue of not having XP being able to format anything larger than 40 GB?

Cheers,
Hilde

[markbowen]

The DMS tools can format any size disk, and it takes that long because it is automatically checking for bad blocks on the disk.

Why did you check it to flash the firmware?  Chances are you already had the latest firmware on your keg, no need to flash it again.  If you don't want it to flash just delete the forceupdate and forcesettings files.

Your browsing by playlist, artist, etc. is gone, because in wiping the phtsys partition you also wiped your VOIT/SSA plugin data.  You'll have to use the DMS tools again to reload the firmware, this time checking the "enable VOIT/SSA" option -- but I'm not sure if that option works on an un-hacked keg.  You should go ahead and hack it if you feel confident about it.

[hildeand]

Thanks for your help, Mark!

The formatting finished, after nearly two hours.

Why I updated the firmware? I guess I thought the firmware contained the expanded browsing capability, and I did check the VIOT/SSA option. Still, it doesn't work, just changing between playlists.

This is really not very good news - I very frequently search for artists/albums - aargh!

Does anyone know a way to get this back? I mean, it was there from the beginning when I got the keg, or perhaps it only came after I purchased the VIOT upgrade. Still, the voice announcements work, so something of the VIOT is still there.

Truly hope someone has some advice, and hopefully something not involving hacking it, as the DMS is large enough and I really feel I'm on this ice with these things...

Hilde

[sbingner]

VIOT should work without being hacked... do you have a kenwood head unit?  if not, the VIOT/SSA option will do nothing for you.

[hildeand]

Well, I have a standard Jaguar head unit, but I use the Kenwood KCA-RC71 FM modulator to control the keg. The voice prompts and pressing 2 to change between browsing respectively playlists/artists/albums/genres has worked perfectly before.

But it stopped working after I had to repair the DMS PHTSYS partition (I think it might have had something to do with trying a DMS from the other car, an Audi?), even before I flashed for firmware update.

As far as I remember when I purchased the VIOT plugin, this is merely a plugin that resides on the DMS? Or is something in the firmware updated with the plugin?

Anyway, it clearly did not work just by reparing the DMS using the DMS Tool. However, I notice that the SSA plugin is not present in the Plugins folder on the DMS. Would it help simply copying it there? I just don't know enough about the various files to understand what tells the keg that the plugin is there, although I see it is recommended deleting the plugin.dat file.

Yours,
Hilde

[VorTechS]

Replied to PM...

If the plugin is not present in the Plugins folder, did you check the option 'Install SSA/VIOT plugin' on the DMS tools?  If you used the 'Repair DMS (PHTSYS) function and didn't check that option, the subsequent format of PHTSYS would have deleted the original plugin.  Either re-run the 'Repair DMS (PHTSYS)' or perform a 'Firmware Update' checking the 'Install SSA/VIOT' option.

Oh, and aren't you supposed to press 'Scan' on the adaptor to initialise the VIOT options?

[hildeand]

Hi, VorTechS,

Thanks for replying when being busy!

The procedure you outline is basically what I've tried, and re-tried tonight... It puts the plugin on the DMS, and I press 2 (Scan) to start the browse cycling, but alas, with no result.

I really don't understand how I lost the functionality or why it won't install. I guess I don't know exactly how these plugins work - am I right that the DMS is only a vessel to install them in the box, and that after that, they actually reside on the box? If so, does the box query the DMS to check that it also has the plugin? In any case, with the VIOT functionality gone before I tried flashing the box with firmware update, what could possibly cause this? Could the insertion of an Audi DMS (which by the way also has this functionality, using numerical buttons to switch between browsing modes) have been the cause?

Usually being able to understand how things work and then solve problems, it's rather frustrating being unable to penetrate the logic of this thing, although the PhatBox/keg concept in itself is a stroke of genius and something I'd never be without...

Any further suggestions?

Cheers,
Hilde

[hildeand]

Latest update on VIOT:

Tried the 10 GB original keg DMS, repaired it using the DMS Tool, and selected only the VIOT/SSA plugin, not AAC.

It worked! Both the VIOT browsing functionality and the AAC files!!

So I truly hope tomorrow's experiment with doing the same on the 120 GB yields the same result...

Happy Hilde