Kenwood CX910 Keg to Sony Conversion Help Needed

[gmonchak]

Well after exhausting all of the options I am aware of I figured I might try reaching out for help.

I'll note that I am a Keg user via Kenwod HU for 5-6 years now, so I am familiar with the system, hacking, etc. I am no expert, but I have been smart enough to reap the benefits off all of your hard work and dedication.  I would like to now thank all of you before I get into my latest challenge.

I recently picked up another Keg off of eBay at a deal that I want to make work with an older sony HU I had lying around. Here's my intended setup:

Sony CDX-M650 HU
Kenwood CX910 Keg
KHD-010G DMS (reports in windows as 20gb)
Home Made (by me) Sony to PB cable. I used a sony unilink cable and cut it in half and soldered the PB connector on after getting brand new one from online source.

[gmonchak]

So my problem is that I can't seem to get the Keg converted to sony and working with the Sony HU. I started with first using the DMStools to install the Sony v7 firmware on the DMS (after backing up and deleting everything on PHATSYS partition). The PB starts up and appears to install the firmware then shuts off. I cycle the power to the PB/HU and the PB acts in the following ways.

If I let it start up with DMS in,  the red comes on with HU and then the green blinks once long and once or twice short while the drive spins up and reads then I hear a click and both LEDs go off and I hear the drive spin down.

If I start it up with the DMS out the red LED lights up and stays on permanently and the green comes on for a long time (approx 20 seconds) then goes off, blinks once quickly then comes back on for the long 20 second duration. It keeps doing this indefinetly unless I insert the DMS, then it does the exact same thing as when I start up with the DMS in and shuts off.

At no time has the Sony HU been able to detect the PB. I have quadruple checked my cable against the pinout found here on the forum, and I have it perfect. (Has anyone confirmed that that pinout works definetly?)

I used the pinout diagram found here for the cable creation

[gmonchak]

I have tried multiple times to reload the firmware with the same results. I have tried multiple versions of the firmware as well just to cover my bases, all with the same results.

So based on my limited knowledge, it seems that the Keg isnt taking well to being converted to a sony unit? I deduce this from the fact that It powers up correctly, will do the entire 7-10 minute firmware update, but then once completed shuts down like I have read a unit will when an unoriginal DMS is inserted into a non-hacked PB unit, it reads up the drive detects the problem, then shuts off.

I have tried to install logging to the DMS via DMStools, but no files ever get created and I have nothing to look for for further diagnosis. I appologize for such a long and arduous read, but I wanted to get all the information out there for my best chances of getting some help with this. Thanks in Advance for any suggestions.

[VorTechS]

It's quite obviously not booting up correctly.  To establish why, it might be useful to rename one of the existing files (try PHTSYS\properties.xml) to bootload.log, allow the box to attempt the boot and then take a look at the contents of bootload.log afterwards.  (Needless to say, it might be worth taking a copy of the file first - but make sure you rename the original file, not the copy as place on the disk is/may be important)

Hopefully in there will be a clue as to what the problem is.

[gmonchak]

there is actually a bootload.log file. here are the contents.

BOOT0-0: OK
BOOT0-1: OK
BOOT0: Successful
BOOT9: Successful
BOOTB: Successful
BOO

When i was mentioning logging, i thought the Dmstools invoked some kind of verbose logging beyond this. I have seen a few posts witth quite extensive log files, and thought there was a way to trigger it. And as always thanks for the imput VortechS.

[VorTechS]

If it was already there, delete the contents of the file and save it and make sure they re-appear.  The file should be complete, i.e. that last line should be a full line like the ones above.  If not, I suspect something is causing the box to 'power down', and given you've been messing with the cable - that has to be the prime suspect.....

Someone else has had problems with re-cabling a box before, but he managed to fry it - I'll see if I can get him to pop in and share his experience in case there are similarities here.

Oh also, if the bootload.log looks exactly like above - then you shouldn't need to mess with the DMS anymore, everything in the boot sequence before that last line checks out, so the usual causes of a failed boot are not at fault here.

[gmonchak]

OK, so i cleared the contents of that file and attempted a boot and it did same thing red light then green for a flicker or two while booting, then click off both leds. i then looked at the file and it was blank still? the thing that makes me believe its not in the cable is if i wipe the dms and use DMstools to re-install firmware it will boot up do the firmware install then once its finished it clicks off. i figure if its making it throuch a firmware install that the cable is good? or does the communication with the HU not matter at that point?

[VorTechS]

Argh, must remember clearing contents is bad!  (Sorry my fault not yours, I will remember this once I put the changes into the DMS tools).

Delete the file, and rename properties.xml to bootload.log (after having taken a copy of it) - and then reboot the box and see what's in there.

[gmonchak]

Easter Gods are a shining. Sorry I've been sidetracked for a few days on other projects, but I decided to take it back to grass roots and verify everything hardware related. I ohm'ed out the custom cable I had made and discovered that two of the wires were crossed. The "data" and "bus on" channels were reversed because a color chart for the Sony unilink I had found online had the green(bus on) and blue (data) wire charting reversed on their pinouts. Lesson - can't always trust what you find on the net.  So I rectified the cable and voila! working sony Pahtbox.

I have the whole system working on the bench right now, but I just had a few other questions...we'll really looking for verification to other info I found.

1. A sony PB dosen't support any kind of voice prompting whatsoever? It won't annouce playlists (or disks) when changed. No VIOT/SSA?

2. The sony PB gets seen as CD2 via the headunit? (Well this is what is displayed on my CDX-M650)

[gmonchak]

Just wanted to post my successful results with fabricating a SONY to PB cable. The pinout found on the Wiki here. http://www.phathack.com/index.cgi?page=pinouts works 100% on the CDX-M650 and I would assume all compatible SONY HU's. The following is the proper pinout to wire color for a factory Sony Unilink Cable. I simply cut off one end of a factory Unilink cable and made the necessary connections to a mouser connector also refrenced in the above link. There are a few connections that require bridges for the +12v and ground to the PB connector, but once assembled, it works marvelously. Sony Unilink cables are relatively cheap so starting from there and attaching the proper PB connector was a financial decision. My diagram is nothing new, just a little reinforcement and confirmation.

1 - Brown - PB function "Ready" - Not connected on PB connector
2 - Purple - PB Function "Reset" - Connected to Pin 11 on PB connector
3 - Orange - PB Function "SIRCS" - Not connected on PB connector
4 - Yellow - PB Function "Clock" - Connected to Pin 24 on PB connector
5 - Blue - PB Function "Data" - Connected to Pin 21 on PB connector
6 - Green - PB Function "Bus ON" - Connected to Pin 22 on PB connector
7 - Red - PB Function "+12v" - Connected to Pins 10,13 on PB connector
8 - Black - PB Function "Ground" - Connected to Pins 4,9,16 on PB Connector

[gmonchak]

I would like to also take the time to thank VorTechS for your perseverance in your persuit of keeping this still relevent technology alive long after Phatnoise and it's acquiring companies have abandoned it. For the life of me, I still haven't been able to find a better technology that provides an easier experience for listening to digital music safely on the road. Koodos to you and the countless others that have contributed.