Bootloader menu
The Bootloader is a program installed in STB to configure the STB boot process, make recovery STB operations, and for other auxiliary purposes. A Bootloader menu can be brought up during the STB boot process.
It is not recommended to make changes to the Bootloader menu without properly understanding Bootloader settings and the consequences of changing them!
How to bring up Bootloader menu
- Power off STB or use software reset (command Reboot device in System Settings);
Press and hold down the Menu key on the Remote Control;
- Keep pressing the Menu key, power on STB (skip this item in case of software reset);
- Release Menu when Bootloader menu (blue screen) is loaded.
If there is no image on the screen may be your analog TV receiver doesn't support Video mode (PAL or NTSC) set on STB. Then complete the next steps:
Power off the STB;
Press and hold Menu on the RC (direct your RC right to the STB);
Power on the STB with holding Menu on the RC;
Keep on holding Menu during 5-10 seconds;
Switch PAL - NTSC with a single press on red (F1) key on RC.
Setting video output mode and graphic resolution
To correctly display the video signal on TV it is possible to change the following parameters at the boot stage:
- TV System - STB video output mode;
- Grafic Res. - resolution of STB video output window.
For description of these parameters, see "Video Output Mode and Graphic Resolution".
Software version and device information
- Launch the Bootloader menu.
- Choose Upgrade Menu and press “right” on the RC. If this item is missing (this step can be absent if the second copy of bootloader doesn't on) go to next step .
- Select Device info (STB description) - and press “right” on the RC:
- Vendor - Manufactory identifier.
- Model - STB model identifier.
- Ver. Hardware - Version of system board realization.
- Serial Number - Serial number of device (STB).
- MAC address - Physical address of network interface.
- Select Loader Info (bootloader description) and press “right” on the remote control:
- Version Number - Bootloader version (if the second bootloader is on, then you will see the second bootloader version).
- Date & Time - Date and Time of bootloader version.
- Image info (firmware description) - press “right” on the RC:
- Forced - The values - Yes and No. Used in the software update procedure with DHCP. The value Yes allows updating to the same version of the image. If set to No the update is only allowed for newer versions. More in details - in the developer section DHCP server configuration. Loading and updating STB software.
- Version - image version.
- Date - Date and time of image creation.
- Description - full description of version.
Ver. Bootst. - the version of the bootstrap file (the file is used to update STB from the bootloader menu);
Ver. Userfs. - the version of the root file system (included in the STB software image).
Selecting boot mode NAND / NAND2 / DHCP
A boot mode determines a source of STB software image loading into the STB's RAM. STB booting is launched after power-up of the device or program restart. As a source of STB software image can be:
- NAND/NAND2 - an internal non-volatile flash memory NAND (bank1) or NAND2 (bank2). Used to store STB software. Loading from flash memory is ordinary STB boot mode - bootloader will use that bank which is specified in this setting.
- DHCP - external network storage which location the STB requests from the DHCP server. An example of the DHCP server configuration is described in the developer section DHCP server configuration. Loading and updating STB software.
1. Using two memory banks (NAND and NAND2) improves the reliability of the software update process. If the update operation fails, you can download SW from an alternative bank.
2. After each successful update the bank number from which to load changes to the opposite value.
- Launch the Bootloader menu.
- Select Upgrade Tools or Upgrade Menu (if the second copy of the bootloader is used).
- Select Boot Mode and select the required item by pressing Right on RC :
- NAND;
- NAND2;
- DHCP.
- NAND;
- Select Exit & Save and press Right on the RC ;
- Confirm with OK.
- Current boot mode value (NAND or DHCP) and the status of the loading process are indicated on the TV screen.
If the software is successfully loaded the user interface of the embedded or external portal should be displayed on the TV screen (depending on the settings of the STB software).
Selecting software update mode
- Launch the Bootloader menu.
- Select Upgrade Tools and by pressing Right on RC set the update mode:
- USB Bootstrap - for updating will be used the firmware version (image) from the USB drive connected to the STB;
- MC Upgrade - for updating will be used the firmware version (image) that transferred to STB from PC by Multicast;
- TFTP Upgrade - for updating will be used the firmware version (image) that transferred to STB from the TFTP server.
- After a successful software update, the STB automatically reboots.
Reset to factory settings from Bootloader menu
- Launch the Bootloader menu.
- Select Def. Settings and press Right on RC;
- Confirm by pressing OK;
- Select Exit & Save to save the changes and exit;
- STB will automatically reboot.
Note. After resetting to the factory settings, STB is auto-set to DHCP boot mode. To switch STB to ordinary boot mode (from built-in memory NAND) user need to go back to Bootloader menu and select NAND or NAND2 boot mode.
After reset to the factory settings, environment variables of STB including bootloader settings are set to original (assigned at the factory) value.
