FAQ

Q: What boot modes does the device have?

A: The EC-A3399C has three boot modes:

Normal mode
Loader mode
MaskRom mode

Normal mode

Normal mode is the normal boot process. Each component loads in turn and the system starts normally.

Loader mode

In Loader mode, the bootloader enters the upgrade state and waits for commands from the host computer, which is used for firmware upgrade and so on.

MaskRom mode

MaskRom mode is used for system repair when the bootloader is damaged.

Under normal circumstances, it is not necessary to enter MaskRom mode. Only when the bootloader verification fails (the IDB block cannot be read, or the bootloader is damaged), the BootRom code will enter MaskRom mode. At this time, the BootRom code waits for the host to transfer the bootloader code through the USB interface, then loads and runs it.

Q: How to tell which upgrade mode the device is currently in?

A: To determine which upgrade mode the board is currently in, we can check it with the upgrade tool.

Windows Operating System

The AndroidTool/RKDevTool displays the prompt Found One LOADER Device at the bottom

If the "Enter Loader mode" operation has been performed, but the upgrade tool still does not show LOADER, check whether the Windows host prompts that new hardware is found and the driver is configured. Open the Device Manager and a new device Rockusb Device will appear, as shown below. If not, you can go back to the previous step to install the driver.

If the burning tool prompts Found One MASKROM Device, it means that the device is currently in MaskRom mode.

Linux Operating System

After running upgrade_tool, you can see a Loader prompt in the list of connected devices:

firefly@T-chip:~/severdir/down_firmware$ sudo upgrade_tool
List of rockusb connected
DevNo=1 Vid=0x2207,Pid=0x330c,LocationID=106    Loader
Found 1 rockusb,Select input DevNo,Rescan press <R>,Quit press <Q>:q

If MaskRom is shown in the list, it means that the device is currently in MaskRom mode.

Debug serial port as an aid

If a debug serial port is connected to the device, you can also check the U-Boot/kernel boot log in a serial terminal to help determine the current mode. Take MobaXterm on Windows as an example. The serial port configuration is as follows (baud rate 1500000. For the connection method, please refer to Debug Serial Port):

For how to make the device enter the upgradable mode, please refer to Upgrade the firmware via USB cable.

Q: How to flash partitions?

A: The following content is intended for advanced users who need to flash partitions (boot/kernel/rootfs, etc.) separately. If you only need a full firmware upgrade, please refer to Upgrade the firmware via USB cable.

Windows Operating System

Flash partition images

The steps to flash the partition images are as follows:

Switch to the Download Image page.
Check the partitions to be burned, and multiple selections are allowed.
Make sure the path of the image file is correct. If necessary, click the blank table cell on the right side of the path to select it again.
Click the Execute button to start the upgrade, and the device will restart automatically after the upgrade.

Note: different firmwares may require different tool versions. When using Androidtool_2.58 to flash ubuntu(GPT), the default configuration works. To flash the Android8.1 firmware, switch to the Download Image page first, right-click the table and select Import config, then choose rk3399-Android81.cfg. When using Androidtool_2.71 to flash Android10 or Android9 firmwares, the default configuration works.

Linux Operating System

Flash partition images

For Android7.1 and Android8.1:

sudo upgrade_tool di -b boot.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -k kernel.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -s system.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -r recovery.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -m misc.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -re resource.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -p paramater   #flash parameter
sudo upgrade_tool ul bootloader.bin #flash bootloader

For Android9.0 and Android10.0:

sudo upgrade_tool di -b boot.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -dtbo dtbo.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -misc misc.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -parameter parameter.txt
sudo upgrade_tool di -r recovery.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -super super.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -trust trust.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -uboot uboot.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -vbmeta vbmeta.img

For Ubuntu(GPT):

sudo upgrade_tool ul $LOADER
sudo upgrade_tool di -p $PARAMETER
sudo upgrade_tool di -uboot $UBOOT
sudo upgrade_tool di -trust $TRUST
sudo upgrade_tool di -boot $BOOT
sudo upgrade_tool di -recovery $RECOVERY
sudo upgrade_tool di -misc $MISC
sudo upgrade_tool di -oem $OEM
sudo upgrade_tool di -userdata $USERDATA
sudo upgrade_tool di -rootfs $ROOTFS

If the upgrade fails due to flash problems, you can try low-level formatting and erasing the emmc:

sudo upgrade_tool lf update.img	# low-level formatting
sudo upgrade_tool ef update.img	# erase

Q: What to do if an exception occurs during flashing?

Analysis of flashing failure

If Download Boot Fail occurs during the flashing process, or an error occurs during the flashing process, as shown in the figure below, it is usually caused by a poor connection of the USB cable, an inferior cable, or the insufficient drive capability of the USB port of the computer. Please replace the USB cable or the USB port of the computer to troubleshoot.

Upgrade failed / Loader version mismatch

If the upgrade fails, you can try to erase the flash with the Erase Flash button first, and then upgrade. If the loader version of the firmware you are flashing is different from the original one on the machine, run Erase Flash before the upgrade.

Device not recognized / new device prompt

If the "Enter Loader mode" operation has been performed, but the burning tool still does not show LOADER, it is usually because the host has not recognized the device or the driver is not installed properly. The handling method has been described in the section How to tell which upgrade mode the device is currently in? above (including the screenshots of the new device Rockusb Device and the driver installation), and will not be repeated here.

Q: How to enter MaskRom mode?

A: MaskRom mode is the last line of defense when the device is bricked. Forcibly entering MaskRom involves hardware operations and carries certain risks. Therefore, only try MaskRom mode when the device cannot enter Loader mode. The principle of entering MaskRom is to manually short-circuit the data pins of the EMMC to ground. The system will consider the EMMC data to be in error and clear the EMMC data.

For the detailed steps, please refer to MaskRom mode.

Please read carefully and operate carefully!

Enter MaskRom mode

The EC-A3399C computer does not expose a MaskRom button on the enclosure. You need to open the enclosure and find the two test points on the AIO-3399C motherboard as shown in the figure below. Short-circuit the two test points with metal tweezers and keep them connected, then power on the device. After a moment, release the tweezers, and the device will enter MaskRom mode.

On this page