View Full Version : Rockbox disturbing battery sensor in Cowon Firmware?
I've recently installed Rockbox, dual boot, on my standard 20GB X5. I like it a lot, and use it almost exclusively now. But I have noticed one weird thing, that I'm not sure is an effect from Rockbox.
Battery life with the Cowon firmware alone was around 10-12 hours; not perfect anymore, but ok. Battery life running Rockbox is around 5-6 hours; as expected, less than with the original firmware, but acceptable. But the weird thing is, the battery meter in the Cowon firmware now displays wrong readings. I can start Rockbox, and see a battery Voltage of around 3.9, and a meter showing roughly three quarters charged. I then switch off, start into the Cowon firmware, and it shows me an almost empty battery. It even switches off after half an hour or so, when the battery meter goes to empty. I can then switch the X5 back on with Rockbox, and have a half charged battery, and still 2-3 hours playing time left.
It almost looks like Rockbox has messed up the battery sensor in the original firmware. Is that possible?
midnite8791
12-14-2006, 05:39
could just be your battery meter is screwed. Let the player drain all the way down to zero battery and recharge it all the way. That usually helps reset the battery bar
could just be your battery meter is screwed. Let the player drain all the way down to zero battery and recharge it all the way. That usually helps reset the battery bar
Hmm, that might be difficult. Seeing as the battery meter and bar works fine in Rockbox, I guess I'd have to drain the battery completely in the Cowon firmware, right? But the Cowon firmware turns the player off when the bar reaches zero, even if the battery is still half full.
Do you think maybe a hard reset, disc formatting and reflashing of both the original firmware and the rockbox loader would help?
chrisophus
12-14-2006, 13:21
I've been seeing similar behavior. I start it up, the voltage is saying 3.46 volts and Rockbox shuts it down because it is isn't charged enough. I restart it in Cowon and it says the same thing. Then if I wait a bit, and restart it it might go up to 3.75 volts and then work fine. I used to be able to start it up fine even when the voltage was down to 3.3 or so. This seemed to have started within the last month or so of new builds. However, I just updated to maxwen's latest build, which has the latest CVS code and I think the bahavior is improved.
Sokudo Ningyou
12-15-2006, 02:13
I've been seeing similar behavior. I start it up, the voltage is saying 3.46 volts and Rockbox shuts it down because it is isn't charged enough. I restart it in Cowon and it says the same thing. Then if I wait a bit, and restart it it might go up to 3.75 volts and then work fine. I used to be able to start it up fine even when the voltage was down to 3.3 or so. This seemed to have started within the last month or so of new builds. However, I just updated to maxwen's latest build, which has the latest CVS code and I think the bahavior is improved.
I have the reverse problem, but then, Cowon has been giving me buggy battery readings for some time now; pretty much since my subpack decided to start going to hell. It'll drain within skipping two songs from full, I'll restart it with Rockbox, and I'll have great battery life. Rockbox has literally saved my walk from/to work, because I'd leave worrying Cowon would shut off on me within ten minutes.
Nothing goes better with an X5 than Koss Plugs.
I would have agreed with that until about two weeks ago. I'd been using my Plugs for about a year, and was very happy with the sound quality, the isolating etc. About a month ago, I noticed a frayed spot on one of the cables, the copper wires open to the elements. As replacements, I got a pair of Etymotic Research ER-6's, modified them with three ring flanges, and was almost blown away by the clarity and quality of the sound. Have to say, the increase from Plugs to ERs is almost as big as from the stock earphones to the plugs.
Nonetheless, for the price the Plugs are available at, they're pretty hard to beat.
(ON MINE) When rockbox says 3hr battery left it realy means 0hr left or needs to be charged.
As replacements, I got a pair of Etymotic Research ER-6's, modified them with three ring flanges, and was almost blown away by the clarity and quality of the sound.
Do you find the bass adequate? I had a pair and even with the low end jacked up on the EQ I found the bass anemic. To the point where they were fatiguing to listen to because the mids and highs were so prominent. I replaced them with a set of Shure E3Cs which sound vastly better (to me).
Of course anything is better than the laughable $15 koss plugs. I think I'd rather use stock earbuds than those things.
Yea I get the feeling that Rockbox has played with my battery life too... I notice similar behavior.
Sokudo Ningyou
12-16-2006, 00:46
Do you find the bass adequate? I had a pair and even with the low end jacked up on the EQ I found the bass anemic. To the point where they were fatiguing to listen to because the mids and highs were so prominent. I replaced them with a set of Shure E3Cs which sound vastly better (to me).
Of course anything is better than the laughable $15 koss plugs. I think I'd rather use stock earbuds than those things.
Hey, they're pretty damn good for my needs. And vastly better than the Sony over-the-head plugs I had for $10. But I'm also cheap, and I'm not about to spend ridiculous amounts of money for something that I can't even try first, and the Koss headquarters is a drive away for me.
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