Dr 40 freezing on startup screen

[Heronildo Pimentel]

I updated the firmware of the DR 40 from 2.30 to 2.40, but when I log in I do not leave the loading screen written "LINEAR PCM RECORDER". how to downgrade ??

 

[GTBecker]

> ... how to downgrade...

I don't believe you can.

An obvious suggestion is to do the update (including downloading a new zip file) again. Does it appear to succeed?

You might also try powering the recorder up with a different formatted SD card and, if that still fails, try powering up with no card, then insert a card while powered.

Lacking success you might try Test Mode to see if you can identify a failure. Try holding both Quick and Rewind while powering up to enter Test Mode.

 

[Generator]

Thanks for sharing how to enter TEST mode. More documentation on how to use it to troubleshoot would be most helpful. You wouldn’t know where one could find that, would you?

 

[Arthur M.]

Hi, sorry to dig an old thread. I have the same problem on my DR-40 unit. Mine turns on then shows this screen and shutdown about 5 seconds later. It's in this state for years and I've tried everything. I can even successfully enter test mode, but from there, nothing have any effect.

I'm almost certain this is a problem of a corrupted eeprom (SPI flash). I managed to get a dump of mine with a SPI programmer but then I'm suck. Tascam site have files for 2.50 and 2.51 firmware version, but they're not similar to my eeprom dump. It could be that the firmware is compacted with god knows what algorithm (I've tried lzss, lzma, bz2, etc. etc...).

If anyone can make a eeprom dump of a working unit, I would be very glad. (my unit's flash is MX25L1606EZNI). Thank you.

 

[Arthur M.]

I managed to get my unit working again, after years.

To wrap up the solution:

Boot into TEST MODE with << + QUICK + HOME
Go into Menu > VERSION. Press REC to run DistClear.
Go to Menu > ROM. Into "EEPROM Check" screen, Press REC to run the Write test.
Go again into Menu > VERSION and press REC to run DistClear again.
Now restart the device.
It should boot into the Language selection screen.
From then it should ask to write a sys file, Press ok. It should boot normally.

If it get stuck into the Language Selection. Press Enter quickly and lots of times. It should force it into boot.

I hope it helps anyone.

 

[lutprodic]

Hey Arthur, It's been many years since my dr-40 is entirely dead, but it was my fault. I tried to install the dr-40x firmware into my dr-40. The installation failed and I bricked it. The device is 99% dead, I cannot even boot into test mode, the only thing that happens when I press [<< + QUICK + HOME] is that there's a very high frequency sound while pressing the buttons, and that's it. Any ideas to be able to get into test mode? I've tried with new batteries, connected by USB, with and without an SD card.

 

[Arthur M.]

You can write back a good firmware image directly to eeprom.
Mine is attached*. Is not exactly a perfect image, since I've dumped it right before recovering it, but it should work.

You'll need to unsolder from pcb, solder to an adapter, then plug into a eeprom programmer, do the writing, check, solder back to pcb, then run the procedure of distClear I mentioned earlier.
Good luck.

*I tried to upload a zip file but it is not allowed. Not sure if it's allowed to post binaries files here. I can try to upload anywhere else latter.

 

[Max Relic]

@Arthur M.
Upload the file on a free web hosting service (Dropbox, Google Drive...) and post here the link.

 

[Magnum]

Hi Arthur M. You post of Jan 17 2024 helped me greatly to get my DR40 to actually start up, which was just crashing on startup screen, which seems to be a very common problem with the DR40, a hell of a lot of people complaining of this same issue. Only thing is it got me out of one major problem into another less major but very frustrating one. Now when I enter 'Rec Mode' menu and try to either change from stereo to dual recording or inbuilt mics to line in it crashes with an audible pop! I can't get to any of the menus for auto level recording, peaking, limiting, dual or 4 track recording, line in nothing there not there until you can move those you see in image!

Since getting it running again to try and solver this issue I have; updated firmware, removed batteries for hours until internal battery goes flat, tried another card, reformatted card, initialized resetting unit to factory, run on both new internal batteries and USB pack or from computer. Nothing has worked.

I contacted Tascam support with turns out to be TAP Service. All I got was the unit was discontinued, upgrade firmware was no longer supported since 2021 but did point me to the web page the last update V2.51 was on because you can't find it via Tascam site. https://tascam.jp/int/product/dr-40/support

There was no comments or assistance to any other questions I asked regrading startup crashing etc. I gather that means too old we don't support even with advice any longer either?? I have looked on Tascam site for another options of support services even in other countries but seems that's it!

Any advise out there????

Thanks Magnum

 

[lutprodic]

*I tried to upload a zip file but it is not allowed. Not sure if it's allowed to post binaries files here. I can try to upload anywhere else latter.

Hey Arthur, would you be so kind to upload the firmware dump to https://gofile.io and share the link please? I would be so grateful and you'll save my ugly brick, thanks in advance!

 

[Arthur M.]

Hi folks.
To avoid the risk of recommending procedures that will not work, or even cause more trouble, I'm planning to get a new, clean fw dump of my working recorder to simplify the recovery process.

One thing I've not mentioned before is that I've bought and soldered a new MX25L1606EZNI chip. I'm almost sure the problems this unit presents are related to a defective memory. It must be failing to write back correctly and then it gets bricked.

So I can't give any guarantees that writing the firmware back to the same chip will work in all cases, it may be needed to buy a new eeprom.

For now, here's the files that I have at the moment, it may be helpful:

E_DR-40_FW-Update_vA.pdf: Describes the procedure to update the unit using the official files provided by TASCAM (like bellow DR-40_146.251)

DR-40_146.251: Latest firmware released by tascam for this unit. This file is intended to be used from within the screen of a working unit, as described in the pdf.

TASCAM_DR-40_FLASH_DUMP_V0220.0109.bin: This is a firmware dump extracted directly from the SPI FLASH of my own Tascam DR-40 unit. This dump was made when my unit was still freezing. Since I managed to recover it using the steps mentioned on Mar 09, 2024. I've not made an updated dump since it involves tearing down and desoldering the chip.
Also, this will not work as a regular firmware update file. You must "burn" it directly to the chip, using a spi flash programmer like this



I'm sorry for the convoluted process, I hope to extract a good fw dump soon, so this recovery will be more straightforward.

 

[Magnum]

Hi Arthur further to my post/query of 27 April where I had followed your instructions posted 9 March, (not 17 Jan as I said, I miss read thread dates). This got my unit past the crashing on startup so many have had, which at least got it usable to some degree but crashes when changing rec modes or source. Please see video, I had to make it a GIF as this platform wouldn't accept mov files, so hopefully it works. I can change mode from stereo to mono and back but once I try to go to dual or 4 channel it crashes, the same trying to change off internal to external inputs.

Any idea what can be done??

Cheers Gary