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View Full Version : Cingular SX66 Upgrade - a complete "How-to"


Loomis
25th June 2005, 04:38 PM
Cingular SX66 Upgrade - a complete "How-to"

I am not associated with XDA-Developers, but these guys do a lot of good work. If this post helps you, please support their efforts by making a small contribution to XDA-Developers forum – I did. This is a long post and I wouldn't blame moderators for shortenning it. If this is the case, the entire procedure is available on my website:
http://www.souljernation.com/files/SX66Upgrade.doc

Well, I was one of the lucky winners of a Siemens SX66 "AT&T" variant, sold by Cingular, which can not be upgraded using the Siemens SX66Update.exe program. Each time I try, I would get a COUNTRY ID ERROR.

SO, after loads of research, I finally put all of the pieces together to get the thing upgraded to Version 1.33.10 with Radio Stack Version 1.12.00 and Bluetooth stack 1.0.0.3900

This configuration is working pretty well for me and has solved a bunch of the little annoyances of the 1.32 version of the ROM and 1.02 Radio ROM.

Here is the procedure for upgrading – get used to going through the initialization process – you’ll have to do it several times. I am not sure if a full backup is a good idea since it will overwrite the BT stack after you upgrade it. But it is definitely a good idea after you are finished upgrading and getting the PDA restored to the way you use it.

You will need the following files which can easily be found using Google:
Siemens’ upgrade package: SX66update.exe
Hacked Upgrade utility: MaUpgradeUt_noID.exe
Blue Angel Flash Tools: BAFlashTools.zip
Radio ROM version 1.12.00: R1.12.00.zip
Restart Radio utility: restartradio.exe
Broadcom Bluetooth stack cabinet: BroadcomCorp_BT1.0.0.3900.cab

Now, you do not want to search all over the internet for these, so here is a nice clean package that contains everything all ready to go…. LMSX66Upgrade.zip
http://www.souljernation.com/files/LMSX66upgrade.zip

You can extract this file to its own directory or build the file set by downloading the files individually.

Here is how to build the file set:
1) Extract the Siemens SX66Update file.exe to a new directory called SX66Upgade (using winzip or winrar). Add the file MaUpgradeUt_noID.exe to this directory.
2) Extract the BAFlashTools.zip file to another new directory called BAFlashTools.
3) Extract the R1.12.00.zip to the BAFlashTools directory.
4) Don’t worry about the BT stack and resetradio for now – just keep track of them.


If you downloaded my fileset you can skip all of that stuff and just extract it to a temp directory somewhere on your PC.

Before proceeding, make sure that you have a good connection and partnership from PC to SX66, that the main battery is fully charged and that you have the power supply plugged in to the cradle. These are all very important steps!!

Remove the device from the cradle.

Start the upgrade –
Manually trigger a bootload by holding the record button and the power button and pushing the reset. Your device will say SERIAL, but the back light will not be on, so it will be difficult to see.

Plug the device into the cradle and the display should change to USB.

Go into the SX66Update folder on your PC and run the MaUpgradeUt_noID.exe and follow instructions – don’t worry that it does not display the current software versions.

In about 1 minute or less, you should see a bar graph displaying progress. If the program is inactive for longer than a minute or two, restart the PC and try again.

Once the ROMS are updated, the system will reboot, go through the initialization process, but don’t waste any time because the system will get wiped again after the radio upgrade.

Wait for the device to go though the program installation and become usable and partner it with the PC again. (I know, this is tedious – but, hey, we’re geeks, right?)

Next, open the BAFlashTools directory and run BaUpgradeUt.exe. This will take you through the same process, but only flash the radio ROM with the 1.12 stack.

Once complete, the system will go through another complete initialization. Suffer through it, plug it in to the cradle, and partner it with your PC yet another time.

Using the Explorer option of ActiveSync, create a temporary folder on the SX66 and copy restartradio.exe and BroadcomCorp_BT1.0.0.3900.cab to this new folder.

Using the PDA, go into the temp folder and run restartradio.exe by taping it once. This will shut down the BT stack. Look for the telltale “X” by the antenna ICON in the menu bar.

Next, tap the BroadcomCorp_BT1.0.0.3900.cab file and it will self-install the new BT stack. This file will delete itself once installed.

FINALLY, do a soft reset by pushing the reset button and you are done.

NOTE: the Bluetooth stack is integrated into the system ROM. If you do a hard reset or the battery dies and the system memory is lost, the BT stack will revert to the old version.

Good Luck!!

ejdmoo
28th June 2005, 07:28 AM
Perhaps this should find its place in the wiki?

TheLastOne
28th June 2005, 07:58 AM
This is made obsolete by the new series of 1.40 roms. Soon enough, Cingular will have their version too.

Instructions to update to 1.33.10 are already on wiki, as they are the same instructions as all the other ones. So are instructions to upgrade your bluetooth to 1.0.0.3900 (also made obsolete by the 1.40 series).

Not to mention that there is a 1.13 radio rom, which is superior to the 1.12 rom, seemingly.

Loomis
28th June 2005, 02:51 PM
I actually noticed all of that, yet I found very few posts to actually recommend those versions and fewer still that actually detail how to find all of the right files and upgrade the SX66 specifically. This is especially true of the SX66 AT&T variant which can not be upgraded with the Siemens' upgrade package. It took me a very long time to find all of this information and get it to work right based on scattered postings - I'm just trying to save brother SX66 owners a little time and frustration and would argue that this post is actually valid until obsoleted by an official Cingular update package (which undoubtedly will not work on the AT&T variant.....)

TheLastOne
29th June 2005, 02:44 AM
I'll give you that. I was just refuting ejdmoo's post more than anything.

willpower102
28th April 2006, 05:41 AM
I assume that you are refering to the wiki upgrade information here
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BA_1.40.00_Upgrade
here
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BA_1.42.00_Upgrade
and here
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BA_GettingStarted

I have a seimens sx-66 and none of these methods worked. They all either gave me the country id error or they froze and left me with no radio.

What i ended up having to do was download the official ssiemens version for the PH20B1 near the bottom of this page.
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BA_Upgrades

and then add [CHECKCEID_TYPE]=1 to the ruu.conf as described in this page . And was FINALLY able to even upgrade to the official siemens rom that i'm supposed to have no problem with.

this is what i started out with
PH20B1 : B 1
WWE : E
XGULA001
1.20.10 : 1 0
1.20.115
1.02.10 : 02.10

HDuser
28th April 2006, 10:05 AM
Sorry The SX-66 is not very well supported on this site and all the begging that I have done for somebody to open a wiki section for it has not worked.

Here are the facts (in my eyes)

Best Search to use on this site
Author = cdaly1970
Sort = Posts

Best Person to PM on this site
cdaly1970

Best SX66 info you can get here (what ...and the author is cdaly1970)
http://home.comcast.net/~sx66-blueangel/

Best Site
http://www.pdaphonehome.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=167

Best Person to PM on that site
cdaly1970

So that 4 Woskars for Charlie !!!