Siglent SDM3045X Boot Hang

[BillB]

Haven't turned it on for a while, but today I fired it up and it is hanging at the Siglent boot screen.  I do have the latest firmware installed: SDM3045X_5.01.01.03 which is supposed to support a USB recovery.  However, I'm not sure I know the procedure for doing it?

Help me tautech, you're my only hope! 

[tautech]

Sure I will. 

Great you have the latest FW installed that supports recovery, that makes it much simpler. 
I have to request the recovery package from the factory or you could from Siglent USA but I'll have it faster than them unless they have on file....they probably do. (I don't yet have the SDM recovery package)
It'll most probably be a link to a download package (zipped or rar'ed) including specific instruction to place the files in the root sector of your thumb drive.....so clean one in readiness. 

I still have your email Bill so I can send the link or file direct to you.

Important note:
It is only provided on the understanding it is NOT made public otherwise your unit must go to an authorized repair center.

I should have something in ~8hrs when they're up and running for Monday morning.

[BillB]

Sounds good!  I probably should contact Siglent USA, but you're so darn helpful!    

[tautech]

Sounds good!  I probably should contact Siglent USA, but you're so darn helpful!   

Thanks. 

They're sure taking their time Bill but I'm off to the scratcher so hopefully there's something in my inbox for you in the morning. 

[tautech]

I got the files from Siglent yesterday and forwarded them to Bill by personal email.

Did they do the recovery trick for you Bill ?

[BillB]

Well, I gave it a go a few times with different USB drives, but nothing seemed to work.   

Looks like I'll need to contact Siglent America and get an RMA. 

Thanks again though for the help!

[tautech]

Well, I gave it a go a few times with different USB drives, but nothing seemed to work.   

Looks like I'll need to contact Siglent America and get an RMA. 

Thanks again though for the help!

Bugger !
I'll make sure they know of this thread.

[radiolistener]

This is why I'm afraid to buy a new Siglent equipment. These things may become to a brick at any random time. 
I'm looking at SDG2042X for more than one year, but I'm afraid to buy it, because of possible pitfalls...

[Performa01]

Well, I gave it a go a few times with different USB drives, but nothing seemed to work.   

I thought about that issue the last few days (since a few people had troubles updating the OS in their SDS1004X-E) and have a strong suspicion - it's most likely an USB stick compatibility issue after all.

While the instruments seem to handle most USB sticks just fine during regular operation (as long as they are FAT16/32 format), the boot loader is a completely different piece of software that uses more basic device drivers and might be more picky.

I don't know what USB sticks you have tried, but from my experience, Transcend works absolutely reliable and I would expect the same for SanDisk (cannot test this because I don't have an alternative OS version for the SDS1004X-E). If you haven't tried one of these, it might be worth doing so first, before sending the unit anywhere.

[tv84]

While the instruments seem to handle most USB sticks just fine during regular operation (as long as they are FAT16/32 format), the boot loader is a completely different piece of software that uses more basic device drivers and might be more picky.

(I also believe it's a USB stick problem...)

Let's try to understand this in a more scientific way:

As Performa01 suggests, it definitely can be (or is) a problem in the way the sticks's USB controller handles the scope's requests. The scopes usually use several raw-access routines which may not be correctly handled by the controller.

For example, in the DS1054Z, Rigol tries to read explicit boot sectors to see if the stick is a "special vendor USB stick" which triggers special options/access rights. Those raw boot sector access routines are not used anywhere else in the scope, only on USB boot/insert.

I suggest you all to use the ChipGenius  (http://www.usbdev.ru/files/chipgenius/) software to see which  is the controller/fw version of your stick and to establish a compatibility table with these scopes.

And, when you mention sticks that work or not work, include that controller reference so that we try to map the valid ones.

[tautech]

While the instruments seem to handle most USB sticks just fine during regular operation (as long as they are FAT16/32 format), the boot loader is a completely different piece of software that uses more basic device drivers and might be more picky.

(I also believe it's a USB stick problem...)

Let's try to understand this in a more scientific way:

As Performa01 suggests, it definitely can be (or is) a problem in the way the sticks's USB controller handles the scope's requests. The scopes usually use several raw-access routines which may not be correctly handled by the controller.

For example, in the DS1054Z, Rigol tries to read explicit boot sectors to see if the stick is a "special vendor USB stick" which triggers special options/access rights. Those raw boot sector access routines are not used anywhere else in the scope, only on USB boot/insert.

I suggest you all to use the ChipGenius  (http://www.usbdev.ru/files/chipgenius/) software to see which  is the controller/fw version of your stick and to establish a compatibility table with these scopes.

And, when you mention sticks that work or not work, include that controller reference so that we try to map the valid ones.

Yes I strongly suspect you are right.
For something like an OS upgrade or in this case a boot recovery where files are accessed from the stick very early in the boot process I've always taken the precaution of using a freshly formatted stick.

Did you try this Bill ?

[BillB]

My first attempt was with a Transcend 32GB flash drive that did work for the OS update on SDS1104X-E (even though I knew that the SDM3045X instructions said that 16GB drives wouldn't work I figured what the heck) and that didn't work.  Then I tried a FAT16 formatted, generic 2GB flash drive, and that did not work either.  Unfortunately, while I have lots of other flash drives, they are all 16GB or larger.  For giggles, I tried a 16GB Corsair formatted as EXFAT, and that didn't work either.

I know that with some other embedded linux systems I've worked with, the ROM boot loader was particular about the MLO (x-loader) being the first file on the device, so I even made sure that was the case.

I've got an RMA from Siglent America, so it's going into a box tonight. 

[BillB]

Siglent America fixed it (though, I didn't get any not about what the problem was or what they did to fix it.)  Turn around from leaving the house to getting it back was 2 weeks. 

[BillB]

Fired up the SDM3045X again this morning and it hung at boot again.   

I loaded the firmware update recovery files that tautech gave me the first time onto a USB flash drive that I tried before and gave it a go.

I'm happy to report that it recovered successfully this time!

[tautech]

Fired up the SDM3045X again this morning and it hung at boot again.   

I loaded the firmware update recovery files that tautech gave me the first time onto a USB flash drive that I tried before and gave it a go.

I'm happy to report that it recovered successfully this time!

Bill, can you please drop a note to the guys you dealt with in Ohio to let them know.
TIA.

[cycywan]

Dear tautech,

I have too a problem with my SDM3045X, it is blocked on boot with black screen and Siglent logo show.

Can you send me the recovery tool please?

Thanks in advance.

[tautech]

Dear tautech,

I have too a problem with my SDM3045X, it is blocked on boot with black screen and Siglent logo show.

Can you send me the recovery tool please?

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the forum.

Check your messages. 

[jmkrause4831]

Hello,

I have a Siglent SDM3045X that was working nicely for a year. This afternoon I turned it on and only the Siglent logo is showing. I have cycled the power a few times and unplugged the ethernet connection and still only the logo shows. I have going in circles with trying to find any support for this meter.

Is there any kind of key combination or recovery tool to fix this?

[tautech]

Hello,

I have a Siglent SDM3045X that was working nicely for a year. This afternoon I turned it on and only the Siglent logo is showing. I have cycled the power a few times and unplugged the ethernet connection and still only the logo shows. I have going in circles with trying to find any support for this meter.

Is there any kind of key combination or recovery tool to fix this?

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, we need get the latest firmware installed, so check your messages.

[staffo]

Hi,

I have the same problem with my SDM3045x.
It was bought in mars 2018 (old FW).
I have tryed the USB recovery but the SDM don't read the stick (4GB FAT32).
Is it possible to do an SDcard recovery.

Thanks in advance.

[tautech]

Hi,

I have the same problem with my SDM3045x.
It was bought in mars 2018 (old FW).
I have tryed the USB recovery but the SDM don't read the stick (4GB FAT32).
Is it possible to do an SDcard recovery.

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the forum.

It is however the process is much more advanced but should be no problem to the average technician or advanced hobbyist.

Please check your PM.

[Gonzini]

Hi all
I see I'm not alone with this hanging boot issue, I've got 2 of these units brought around the same time so probably from the same production run.
Mine are very low hours use but one I've kept at the workshop has been playing up for a while. It was hanging on cold starts with the Siglent logo, if it was left alone eventually it would get there and be usable.
Been using it to test some stuff in production using the limits and bar graph display of late and sometimes it would just lock up.
Power cycling from the from panel would clear the problem until it happened again at some point, its very random. Just put that down to a bug with that combination of display setup..
Since yesterday now it boots up into the measurement screen but hangs immediately.
I brought these in Feb / Mar 2019 so warranties gone but this was playing during the 3 years(?) it was covered, but with Covid hitting lost a few years to deal with it at the time....
So maybe corrupted firmware? It had been updated to the latest and greatest last year when i was aware of it being available.
I noticed there's 2 green LEDS showing activity internally, one of which is mentioned in the 'service manual...' The duff unit is behaving the same with that in respect to the working one.

Cheers   

[tautech]

So maybe corrupted firmware? It had been updated to the latest and greatest last year when i was aware of it being available.

If that was V5.01.01.07R1 with 2. Optimize flash R&W design it should not have boot frozen. 

Contact me via PM with your email address please.

[Gonzini]

Yes both are on V5.01.01.07R1.
I think that boot screen hang problem did go away after updating to that version, but i don't always sit there and watch it boot up if Im powering the workshop up in the mornings.
So i contacted Siglent off the website and the guys in Germany responded within about 4 hrs.
They sent me links to the USB thumb drive & U Disk recovery options.
Its given as the latest O/S version so i didn't have to update after. It seems to of made the problem go away and it boots fully and working.
What i did notice on my unit is that it would trigger once every few minutes or so even though it appeared to be completely frozen.
I'll give it a good work out tomorrow and see what happens...
Cheers

[tomud]

So maybe corrupted firmware? It had been updated to the latest and greatest last year when i was aware of it being available.

If that was V5.01.01.07R1 with 2. Optimize flash R&W design it should not have boot frozen. 

Contact me via PM with your email address please.

@tautech
If you have good contact with the engineers, write to kick the ass of the manager of these SDM series products. Don't get me wrong, because I still think it's a good product for the money and there really isn't much to refine and it would be a strong competition for other companies' products. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this is the weakest Siglent product I have, and it's also easy to improve (because it requires only a few corrections in the firmware).