[coreboot] Set-top box Geode SC1201 based

Piero mercurio_5a at yahoo.com
Sun Aug 11 17:05:33 CEST 2013


Hi all,

I have in my hands two "old" set-top boxes branded as Kreatel Tornado/K5 2.0.
In the link provided below you would see some board pictures (38MB, password: "CorebootLinux"): 
http://tinyurl.com/kh4qllr

This set-top box works (or better worked) by loading remotely the Linux kernel via Ethernet.
The bios inside the ST49LF020 chip (as you can see in the picture, I removed the chip and I solder a PLCC32 socket to speed-up the new bios flashing :-)) is a customize version of XpressRom. 

I tried to find on Google some information about the XpressRom development platform (as indicated in the AMD guide Geode document, the evaluation platform must be distributed freely) but it seems that the software is not longer available.

I'd like to say you if I could flash inside the set-top box a coreboot Linux bios.
My intent is to convert the set-top box in an Emulator-PC (Nes, Snes, Mame) connected to a TV or an old arcade monitor cabinet.

On the net is available a guide to load (via Ethernet or USB) a Linux kernel (2.6.22) in this specific set-top box, but no information are provided to customize the bios. I want to remove the old firmware and transform the top-box in a free Linux system. 

I want to add an IDE HDD, a Serial Port and customize the box as I want :-)
FYI the link to the guide is the follow (sorry but it is in Italian language only): http://tinyurl.com/lyetzlx

According to the guide above the main characteristics are (lspci):

00:00.0 Host bridge: Cyrix Corporation PCI Master
00:0f.0 Multimedia controller: Philips Semiconductors TriMedia TM-1300 (rev 83)
00:10.0 Ethernet controller: National Semiconductor Corporation DP83815 (MacPhyter) Ethernet Controller
00:12.0 ISA bridge: National Semiconductor Corporation SCx200 Bridge
00:12.1 Bridge: National Semiconductor Corporation SCx200 SMI
00:12.2 IDE interface: National Semiconductor Corporation SCx200, SC1100 IDE controller (rev 01)
00:12.3 Multimedia audio controller: National Semiconductor Corporation SCx200, SC1100 Audio Controller
00:12.4 VGA compatible controller: National Semiconductor Corporation SCx200 Video (rev 01)
00:12.5 Bridge: National Semiconductor Corporation SCx200 XBus-
00:13.0 USB Controller: Compaq Computer Corporation ZFMicro Chipset USB (rev 08)

The Set-Top Box has RGB output, 1 Spdif output, 1 IR for remote controller, 2 SCART (video), 2 USB, 1 SmartCard Reader, 1 Ethernet Port, 128MB RAM and an AMD Geode SC1201 cpu.
Datasheet from the vendor: http://tinyurl.com/kxesx82

I downloaded a ton of guides, circuit diagrams (taken from the restrict AMD development page) but no information about the bios programming so I'd like to ask you an help how to proceed :)

Thank you very much in advance for the help :)

Peter.
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