For any newbies out there who might be lost in alphabet soup or technical mumbo jumbo... here is a glossary so you can understand what's going on! This is a work-in-progress, of course, so let me know if there's any terms I should add or if there's any definitions I should modify. I am posting this in its unfinished form so I don't lose it, so sorry for any definitions that aren't finished yet! I'll get to it soon!
The Big Friendly Glossary for your Vibrant!
AOSP
Android Open Source Project. This is basically Android as Google intended it, with no interface customizations from the equipment manufacturers (HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz).
ADB
Android DeBugger. A program available for Windows/Linux/OSX that is used by programmers to access and control an android phone. The program allows you to open a command prompt to the phone, transfer files back and forth, and tell the phone to reboot normally or into recovery or download mode.
BLN
Back Light Notification. With a supported notification, BLN can be used to turn on the 4 softkey lights at the bottom of the Vibrant as a visual cue of new phone notifications. Since the Vibrant does not have a notification light like many other phones, this serves as a sort-of replacement.
Brick
An electronic device that has completely lost functionality. One of the most misused terms by newbies, so watch out! Bricking a device means that it is no longer recoverable by normal means. It is almost impossible to completely brick a Vibrant; sometimes "software bricks" are encountered while flashing new software, but these can be reliably fixed by getting the phone into download mode and using ODIN.
DAC
Digital-to-Analog Converter. A device that converts digital data into an analog format that may be understandable by humans in the form of audio or video. The Vibrant has a Wolfson WM8994 DAC that has the ability to output extremely high quality audio when paired with a properly modified driver such as Voodoo Sound
Download Mode
A low-level mode that allows for downloading of a ROM via USB. A program such as Heimdall or ODIN must be used to communicate with the phone in this mode. To reach download mode, hold the VOL+ and VOL- buttons and then plug in a USB connection.
Flashing
The process of replacing or upgrading any or all parts of a ROM.
Eclair
Another name for Android 2.1. The Vibrant originally shipped with an Eclair ROM.
FFC
Front-Facing Camera. The Vibrant 4G (Galaxy S 4G) has one, as does the international version of the Vibrant. The original T-Mobile Vibrant may be modified with a front-facing camera.
Froyo
Frozen Yogurt, a delicious dairy dessert, or another name for Android 2.2. Samsung released the official Froyo rom for the Vibrant in January 2011.
Gingerbread
The next iteration of Android after Froyo, or Android 2.3. Gingerbread contains further processor optimizations for the Vibrant which will allow it to run even faster.
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service. The slowest wireless data service available.
GPS
Global Positioning System. A network of satellites in geosynchronous orbit that constantly broadcast beacon information, allowing ground-based devices that can receive the satellites' signals to calculate their position. Some Vibrants have a faulty GPS antenna connection to the mainboard which interferes with proper GPS function.
GSM
Global System for Mobile (Communications), the most commonly used cellular phone service used in the world. In the US, AT&T and T-Mobile are the two major GSM carriers.
Heimdall
A cross-platform flashing program for Galaxy S devices including the Vibrant. Unlike ODIN, this program may be used on Linux and Mac OS X.
HSUPA/HSDPA/HSPA/HSPA+
High Speed (Uplink/Downlink) Protected Access. Together, they are called HSPA. The 3G technology utilized by T-Mobile US that allows for speeds of up to 14.4Mbps down/5.76Mbps up. HSPA+ is an evolution of HSUPA/HSDPA that allows for even higher speeds. T-Mobile calls HSPA+ "4G". These are all telephony protocols that are used over UMTS.
Kernel
The part of a ROM that talks to the hardware directly. Kernels contain drivers for everything from the GPS chip to the filesystem used on the flash chips.
Kies
The official Samsung software for linking computers to their phones. It allows for synchronization of files, music, video, address books, etc. There is also a version of Kies called Kies Mini which only updates ROMs.
Modem
MOdulator/DEModulator. A device that bridges analog and digital transmission mediums, or in this case, the mobile carrier's wireless network (analog radio waves) and the phone (digital). In the context of "flashing a modem," this refers to the software that determines the behavior of the modem hardware with respect to how it reacts to various signal conditions and power needs.
OCLF
One Click Lag Fix
Odex/Deodex
Odexed files are packaged in an optimized way that allows for quick loading during the phone's boot cycle. However, they cannot be easily modified and must be deodexed first. Deodexing a file or a ROM allows for changes to the internals to be made, usually involving theming.
Odin
A Windows-only program for flashing all or part of a ROM to a Galaxy S phone such as the Vibrant when it is in download mode.
OTA
Over-The-Air (Update). An update that arrives over the cellular carrier's networks.
RFS
Robust FAT File System. A file system developed by Samsung that adds a journal to Microsoft's popular FAT file system. The file system used by stock Vibrant ROMs, it is criticized as being slow and can be sped up with lagfixes that replace or supplement it with the faster EXT2 and EXT4 file systems.
Recovery
A low-level mode on Android devices such as the Vibrant that allows the user to flash updates and wipe caches and erase user data without booting the entire Android operating system. Stock recovery can be replaced by Clockwork recovery if the phone is rooted, which allows flashing of unsigned packages and creating backups.
ROM
"Read-only memory," this is the core software that comes with the phone that does not get modified in day-to-day use. The Vibrant ROM may consist of a bootloader, kernel, modem, operating system, and system apps. ROMs may be updated and/or replaced using a technique called flashing.
Root/Rooting
Obtaining root access, or rooting, is a method by which restrictions placed by the operating system on the phone's default user account can be bypassed. In UNIX-based systems, 'root' is the name of the superuser/administrator account on a computer. Rooting is a form of software unlocking, which allows users to modify system files to do various tasks, such as backup and restore system applications and settings (such as a list of Wifi access points), or installing programs that would otherwise be restricted (such as a tethering program).
Source Code
The high-level, human-readable version of a program that must be compiled into a binary to be run on a computer.
Stock
Unmodified from official T-Mobile or Samsung releases.
Tethering
Using your phone to pass internet connectivity to another device (such as a laptop computer). Wired tethering uses a USB connection, and wireless tethering can be done over Bluetooth or WiFi. T-Mobile charges extra for tethering, but in most cases you can get away with occasional use.
UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. A 3G/4G telecommunications standard describing how radios talk to each other. It is considered the next step up from GSM, and is itself based upon GSM technologies. UMTS is used to send and receive with the HSPA/HSPA+ protocol on the T-Mobile network. It is also sometimes called 3GSM.
Voodoo
A collection of optimizations for the Galaxy S series of phones, including the Vibrant, developed by xda user supercurio. Voodoo Lagfix uses an EXT4 partition to speed up system access. Voodoo Color improves the oversaturation and blue cast of the Vibrant's AMOLED screen. Voodoo Sound improves the performance of the Vibrant's onboard DAC, which improves sound quality, and also adds a headphone amplifier function.
(Reserved)
Related
I am particularly interested in the wizard, however on a fundamental level WM will most likely operate the same across most models in respect to this issue (or at least that is the theory).
I realize that most GSM boards have processors on them which do things like channel syncing (which is fairly time sensitive since its tdma&fdma), a5, gsm framing, and all that. You more or less connect a sim, speaker and mic, and treat the gsm rf board as a black box.
I am hoping that somewhere someone has unearthed something that allows more direct control over the gsm board on these phones. I am aware of engineering mode, however that is not quite what I wanted.
I would like to be able to at the very least set the call parameters before a call goes out. For example, lets say that I want to disable A5, sinec there are 3 standard levels one being no encryption, and the tower and the phone negotiate and agree upon the highest common, something in the phone somewhere has to say that it supports encryption.
I am just uncertain if all that is burried away in a 'black box' somewhere and its not a software problem from within WM.
If anyone has any ideas I would greatly appreciate it, even if they are pointers to research material that may help me out a bit.
On WinMobile GSM part is isolated from the windows part, like in normal PCs modem hardware is isolated from mainboard. GSM part has its own CPU, RAM, ROM, operating system, and communicates with Windows via COM-port (or USB port in Universal). For example Universal has Qualcomm MSM6250 chip with some proprietary OS. HTC Himalaya had a different chip (I don't remember it now), and OS was based on nucleus RTOS. Anextek SP200 communicator had Siemens MC45 modem inside.
GSM hardware is a black box for WinMobile OS. MS specifies only some recomendations for OEMs, and controlling encryption is not among them. You can control it if GSM vendor supports some AT command, or some other proprietary method (maybe via dev_specific RIL command).
In the case of Universal, its GSM can be controlled from a PC with the usual Qualcomm diagnostic software (QXDM, QPST, etc), when you setup the device as a pass-through bridge between PC and GSM module. But I don't know any methods of doing the same from inside WinMobile.
mamaich said:
GSM hardware is a black box for WinMobile OS.
...
You can control it if GSM vendor supports some AT command, or some other proprietary method (maybe via dev_specific RIL command).
In the case of Universal, its GSM can be controlled from a PC with the usual Qualcomm diagnostic software (QXDM, QPST, etc), when you setup the device as a pass-through bridge between PC and GSM module. But I don't know any methods of doing the same from inside WinMobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is what I was afraid of. Most of the GSM radio boards (or individual chips) are set up to act that way, and since its faster and cheaper I really dont know of anyone that hasnt done that in any phone that was made in the last few years.
At any rate, is there any documentation that discusses how to locate which com port or other method is used to access the GSM device within a wizard (or any other htc model, odds are many of them are similar, if not identical with this subcomponent).
Are there any known AT commands? my first project is to write something similar to the gsm engineer mode program, obtaining BTS information. I am unsure if this is obtained only via AT commands or if its something more involved, but welcome any information on this.
Found what appears the be half the answer at http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=RIL While that gives me access to the radio for some stuff (location data app that can work with gsmloc.org for example) it does not appear to enable me to set any parameters for a new call.
So if anyone knows of any tricks that would help say for example disable a5 crypto (on a per call basis idealy) or something similar to the setup of a call I would still appreciate hearing about that.
I know that Typhoon ( spv c500 / i-mate sp3 /Dopod 565) memory block with gsm info data. I am trying to find it in Magican - but no results. I dont know how Typhoon place this info in mem.
I keep reading about problems with the radio not being compatible because the rogers radio is somehow different. What exactly is the radio? I'm betting it doesn't mean my phone will tune in to AM/FM stations....unless it does and makes me love my phone even more...lol
basically the phone radio controls your reception, with a newer radio you will usually get a better reception quality as well as GPS fix is faster.
the radio also controls how fast the camera is and a little bit of the quality(i don't know why i just know it's true
XwXDv8XwX said:
I keep reading about problems with the radio not being compatible because the rogers radio is somehow different. What exactly is the radio? I'm betting it doesn't mean my phone will tune in to AM/FM stations....unless it does and makes me love my phone even more...lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the context of phone hacking/hardware, the "radio" refers to the part of the phone which communicates with cellular towers. It is so named because the communication is done via radio waves. Specifically when people talk of flashing the radio, they are referring to the baseband processor. In most modern (2G and up) mobile phones, there are actually two processors. One is the application processor, which does all the work involving the operating system and apps. The other is the baseband processor, which actually deals with the GSM or WCDMA air interface (its a lot more complex than just broadcasting ones and zeros into the air).
Why would they use two processors instead of one? There are two main reasons. The first is that in order for cell networks to function properly, timing is key. For example, in the GSM system, each frequency is divided up into several time slots (TDMA means Time Division Multiple Access). The length of these slots are counted in the milliseconds. If a phone starts transmitting just a couple of milliseconds too late, it will overlap into the adjacent time slot and corrupt both its own and the neighboring transmission. Now, have you ever had your phone lag up because it was doing something complex? If the GSM stack ran on the same processor as the application stack, any system lagging introduced by the os/apps could cause the GSM connection to be unstable. The other reason is security. Especially in the age of smartphones, users are able to run code that may not be verified as secure. Separating the two functions prevents malicious code from tampering with the radio operations.
Note however that there are some flavors of Symbian which CAN run both the applications and baseband on the same processor. These are called real-time flavors of Symbian, so noted because the processor will always execute the baseband in real-time, regardless of how high apps are prioritized. This solves the timing problem, but other techniques have to be employed to add additional security.
Hello,
The Android 2.1 RUU update from Sprint ("HTC Sprint Hero MR 2.27.651.6.exe") caused USB connectivity between my Sprint HTC Hero and my PC to stop functioning. I followed all directions while performing the RUU update (and I'm fairly tech-savvy). Everything functions perfectly well with the exception of USB connectivity. The menu that normally appears when the phone is connected to the PC (options for "Charge only", "Disk drive", etc.) does not appear on my phone. The phone charges while connected, however, and USB connectivity DOES indeed function in FastBoot mode. So, it's not the USB cable or the phone's hardware.
I am not the only individual with this problem. There is a lengthy thread about it on Sprint's official community forums: google.com/search?q=sprint.com%3ALoss+of+USB+connectivity+from+HTC+Hero+to+Windows+PC+after+Android+2.1+update
I was able to root my phone and install a custom ROM without the ability to connect my Hero to my PC. I did this with the use of another Hero (I have two identical models in my household). I intend to post instructions for others to follow, once I find reliable solution.
I installed the "EXTBLUE_04SEP.zip" ROM using the "recovery-RA-heroc-v1.6.2.img" image. Surprisingly, I still have no USB capabilities, even though USB continues to function as expected when the phone is in FastBoot mode.
When I first called my local Sprint service location about this problem (several months ago), they said, "We're aware of this problem. It will take a couple of hours to fix. We need to restart the USB services on the device." I'm not exactly sure to which services he was referring, which is why I've come for help. It's worth noting that one customer in the sprint.com thread said that the store could not fix his phone (big surprise) and that they had a new phone shipped to him.
Having the phone replaced seems silly. With root access to the device, there must be some diagnostic process I can follow in order to determine which USB-related services are failing to start.
I find it odd that the lack of USB connectivity would persist across different ROMs, but after all, they are based on the same Android builds.
I even formatted the ext partition, cleared all user data, etc. before updating the ROM. The ROM works beautifully... except for USB.
I am deeply appreciative for any insights that the experts here may be able to offer.
Thank you in advance.
If you are running 2.1 I would try usb switcher from the market. There are some other usb mount widgets, some are free and some are paid. I do not know if usb switcher works on the Hero, but i was using a widget that I just clicked on to enable usb. If you are on 2.1 do a search in market for usb and you should find some.
Go download PDANet from here: http://www.junefabrics.com/android/
Install that on your computer, and then when it wants you to connect your phone, connect it. It should install the drivers for you. Then you should be able to use your phone with your comp
Thank you both for your replies.
I tried downloading the only free USB mounting app from the Market, but it crashes on launch. Others have complained about the same behavior in the app reviews.
Further, it seems as though such apps are simply replacements for the included "USB switcher" app that asks the user what to do when the phone is connected to a computer. Given that my core USB functionality is "dormant" (or outright busted), I suspect that these apps will have no effect, even if they worked as designed.
PDANet brought no joy, either. I installed the software and it never detects that the phone is connected.
I should clarify on a couple of points. I have another HTC Hero (also Sprint CDMA) that I also updated to 2.1 (via official RUU) and its USB port functions absolutely fine on the same computer. This fact indicates that it's:
a) not the USB cable
b) it's not the PC (and therefore not HTC Sync, drivers, etc.)
In other words, the drivers are installed on the PC, and function as expected with anyone else's Hero. My Hero never "presents itself" to the computer, so the result is the same, whether or not drivers are installed on the PC.
Any other thoughts? Thanks again for your responses.
I found the following information regarding the USB kernel module in Ubuntu. Perhaps unloading the module would be useful in this situation, too. In Ubuntu, it's
Code:
# modprobe -w -r usb_storage
# modprobe usb_storage
I suspect that the USB kernel module in Android goes by a different name. Does anyone know what it might be?
Thanks again.
I decided to go a different route here.
I thought about attempting to restore the phone to the condition it was in when I received it, to see if USB would once again function with the older software. After all, USB was fine until I ran Sprint's RUU for Android 2.1.
The phone shipped with "RUU_Hero_C_Sprint_1.29.651.1.exe" or similar, I believe. But when I tried to run that RUU in "FastMode", the installer failed with "Bootloader version mismatch" (error message may not be verbatim).
So, I decided to try installing the same software that "bricked" my USB functionality in the first place (downloaded from Sprint's website). Surprisingly, that RUU executable ("HTC Sprint Hero MR 2.27.651.6.exe") actually worked for restoring my phone to a suitable condition in which to bring it to a local Sprint store.
It looks like replacing the phone is the only real option when the 2.1 update wrecks the phone's USB functionality.
The most curious bit is that RUUs install perfectly fine over FastBoot. The USB-related hardware is obviously functional if it works in FastBoot mode. The question is why doesn't USB function in ANY ROM (including the official Sprint ROMs)?
I've given-up. I'll report back after I return from the Sprint store. (In other words, there should be no means by which the store is able to determine that I rooted my phone at any point, and thus my warranty should still apply.)
The only reason I mentioned an app to toggle mounting the sdcard is that when I was messing with apps on my phone I deleted one that toggled the choice of charging, mounting, etc. I have extended controls and they have a switch for mounting the sdcard and it worked. There was also some others that i have that worked, but are no longer available in the market.
Makes perfect sense, unCoRrUpTeD. It was a solid suggestion, and I do appreciate your willingness to assist.
I just returned from the Sprint store and they told me that a) the liquid submersion strip had been tripped (it was bright red) and that b) there's a crack at the base of the phone, immediately adjacent to the USB mini port. The technician stated that either of those items could be the cause of the "malfunctioning" USB port.
In other words, they blamed me, told me that my 1-year limited warranty that covers manufacturing defects does not apply (because of the submersion strip and crack) and that I'll have to file an insurance claim if I want a fully-functional phone. I don't feel like I should have to pay a $100 deductible to replace a phone that Sprint's own update wrecked. I sincerely doubt that the USB port ceasing to work immediately after the 2.1 update was a coincidence.
Given that this phone has never been exposed to any type of liquid, and that it's never been dropped (it lives in a silicon case that protects it heavily from both types of damage), I'm a little irked. The silicon case probably traps moisture, hence the tripped submersion strip, and my buddy's Hero cracked in the exact same spot, next to the USB port.
I guess the case on this one is closed for now: I'll have to live without the ability to connect to the phone to the PC. At least FastBoot ROM installations still function.
Thanks again for the help.
You might want to try this and then run the 1.56 RUU and see if it fixes the problem.
Another thing you could try is adbwireless. This will work if you have a wireless router. Download it from the market and then connect your phone to your wireless router. Start adbwirelss and it will give you an ip address. You type this into either the cmd window or terminal and then you can use adb to push or pull crap from your phone. You might also be able to use droid explorer if you are using windows and just do the adb connect xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:5555 and then use droid explorer to see everything.
I'm sure this has been answered in at least part somewhere on xda, however I have had little luck finding out what I need. I am looking for information as to how the networking is controlled and run on android, specificlly the sprint version for the HTC EVO. I'm going to gut it as soon as I can, remove sprint hotspot, setup some scripts to do it my way, and get the usb tethering to work again. I'm also looking for details on the RIL. Specificlly where the settings are stored and how it operates. I want to have it so I can at least manually kick the 3g and wimax on at the same time so I can use the 3g for the hotspot when wimax is not available while I'm driving around.
Another question since I'm at this. What is the best way to get at the boot image so I can load in a custom kernel of my own?
Also, is QOS/SFQ not available for android? Has anyone tried to work with qos on android? I want to get it worked out so I can control how the hotspot works in detail.
And how do you switch the usb vendor/product id's from the command line on the phone itself?
On a side note, is there a compiled list of all the changes Sprint made to android?
Stock 2.2 ROM with Root
HTC Evo 4G - Supersonic
Radio 2.15.00.11.19
PRI 1.90_003
Kernel 2.6.32.27-netarchy-toastmod-4.3.4-cfs-havs-more-nosbc
Hello,
I'm new to the forum, and having a real hard time identifying what is, and isn't possible regarding hardware manipulation. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note5 SM-N9208, which originated in Taiwan. I am on T-Mobile in the U.S., and I would like to make this device fully compatible with T-MOBILE's network. I am new to rooting, and flashing, so I don't have a strong enough understanding of the capabilities of such things. I was led to believe that it was possible to root, unlock the bootloader, change the CID, and flash the radio to the correct baseband/firmware (sorry if this sounds ridiculous). I have heard, however, that the different models will not accept firmware from different models. I don't understand what prohibits this activity, because the internals seem to all be the same. If anyone can explain this to me, or provide me with a way to accomplish this, if possible, I would be incredibly grateful.
Bootloader signing... do not crossflash. I did and now I'm buying a new logic board.
The latest DFS lets you change the frequency/band a la atheros wifi card + athtool... menu will let you pick bands and write to the phone. That is the only thing I saw besides changing bands from the programming menu.
Well hardware is not limiting you. Its the software. Some of the things just cant be done ex you can run .exe on windows directly but not .apk bcoz apk for android and .exe for winndows. Similarly some of flashing and apps and mod wont work unless they are compatible. Sometimes a mobile has different models which has a little difference but it makes things large. Ex. My mom's grand 2 is SM-G7102 but there is another version SM-G7108 both have identical physique , same circuit but software has +/- additional features. I guess u got it. This is marketing technique. Dont lose hope. You can succeed just gain a little more knowledge. Im 17 nd ive gained knowledge by self exploration. Keep it up. If there is any problem ask other XDA membera