Allwinner R16 (astar_d7) Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow - Partition Dump & Information

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sbruda

Senior Member
Nov 6, 2016
138
33
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Please note that I gave up on this unit (MTCD PX5 units are so much nicer...). I will try to update this post (however infrequently) with information that may appear in this thread or come my way by other means, but I will not seek information actively and updates will no longer be from my own experience or experiments.

At the time of writing this head unit is available here and (probably) here. These are both custom fit for Kia Sorento, but other versions do exist; in particular several EONON units feature the same hardware configuration (model numbers GA2160, GA7153 GA7163, and I am sure others).

Hardware-wise this seems to be the same unit as described in this thread so many tricks therein will work for this unit. In particular the USB debugging password continues to be "john@tw-desktop" (without quotes); the extra settings password is most likely either 123456 or 668811; the factory reset and developer options passwords appear to be both 7890.

In all the unit is an Allwinner quad core R16, with the MCU version 5.3.19-16-10-650101-161115 and System version V7.3.1-2016-11-12.100233_TW2. Here is the Droid Info report:

Code:
DEVICE
Model: QuadCore-R16 (astar_d7)
Manufacturer: Allwinner
Baseband Version: Not Available
RIL Version: sw-dataonly-ril-for-6.0_v1.0
Build Number: astar_d7-eng 6.0.1 MOB30R 20161112 test-keys
Build Fingerprint: Allwinner/astar_d7/astar-d7:6.0.1/MOB30R/20161112:eng/test-keys
Bootloader: unknown
Java VM: ART 2.1.0
OS Version: Marshmallow (6.0.1)
SDK: 23

DISPLAY
Resolution: 1024x600 pixels
Software Density: 160 dpi (mdpi)
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz

PROCESSOR
CPU Architecture: ARMv7 Processor rev 5 (v7l)
Board: exdroid
Chipset: sun8i
Cores: 4
Clock Speed: 480 MHz - 1200 MHz
Instruction Sets: armeabi-v7a, armeabi
CPU Features: swp half thumb fastmult vfp edsp thumbee neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt
CPU Governor: Not Available
Kernel Version: 3.4.39
Kernel Architecture: armv7l

GRAPHICS
Renderer: Mali-400 MP
Vendor: ARM
OpenGL Version: OpenGL ES 2.0

RAM
Total: 986 MB
Java Heap: 80 MB

STORAGE
Internal: 12 GB
EXTERNAL: Not Detected

Software-wise the unit comes with a fairly stock version of Marshmallow, though as usual the operating system is a bit locked down (but to my surprise not too locked down) compared to stock.

The purpose of this thread is to gather information about the software and possible customization for these units. I have added the information I gathered from my experience and I will update this post with any new information I manage to obtain.

1. Partition dump

For reference I dumped all the partitions of my device. The dump is available here. The dump was done by name (for those partitions that have a name) and symlinks point to the device name from /dev/block. Feel free to share (credit appreciated but not necessary) and please share any information that you gather from it (which will be included in this section as it becomes available).

2. Flashing firmware

There are multiple ways of flashing new firmware, depending on the actual unit and also its state (working, bootloop, etc.). All methods require that the all the files (three to six) that contain said firmware (see next section) be placed in the root of a SD card formatted FAT32 and inserted in the GPS slot of the unit. Some reports of the firmware being flashed from a USB stick rather than the SD card also exist; they also mention that choosing one USB port over another might make the difference between success and failure.

On a working system inserting the card and/or USB stick and choosing "update system" from preferences will likely do the trick.

On a system that is not working the following methods have been reported:

  • Hold Home, press Reset, and keep holding Home until the update starts (thanks).
  • A hardware solution is to short Key 1 (steering wheel controls) to ground, then press and hold Reset for 10 seconds; release Reset and disconnect Key 1 when "update" is displayed (thanks).
  • Yet another procedure might be needed for some units (thanks): Using a USB stick prepared as above and inserted in the unit, turn ignition to ACC, press Reset, turn ignition off, then after 5 seconds turn it again to ACC. A video is also available.

3. Flashable firmware

All the reports I have seen indicate that all the firmware versions are interchangeable. However, a factory reset will be needed most of the time for full functionality, especially so when installing firmware from a different vendor. It is VERY important however to note that the file bd07a5ee-fbb0-11e4-ae78-000c29ba27c0 contains the MCU firmware and so SHOULD NOT be flashed on incompatible devices as doing so will brick the unit (thanks).

Partition 11 of the above dump in particular stores a flashable image. It contains the following files:

81cb828c-9b57-11e6-ad2a-df6786178d62
827ba428-9b57-11e6-8dfb-37398ea70e52.0
827ba428-9b57-11e6-8dfb-37398ea70e52.1
bd07a5ee-fbb0-11e4-ae78-000c29ba27c0

The files 827ba428-9b57-11e6-8dfb-37398ea70e52.* in particular when cat-ed together form an ext4 file system that appear to be a copy of the system partition. This 4pda forum thread contain more information (thanks @Ahfish22); I do not speak Russian at all but Google Translate does a good job most of the time.

Since I started this thread many people have posted many firmware versions. Here is a hopefully complete list. There might be duplicates and misses and I apologize for both in advance.

The following set of firmware (in particular V7.3.1_20170610.110122_KED1 therein) come recommended by several users (thanks).

EONON firmware:
GA2162_KBT2_20170309 (thanks)
V7.3.1_20170114.111256_KBT2 (thanks)
EONON-R16-20170509 (thanks)
EONON-R16-KLD20170515
V7.3.1_20170427.104257_KBT2 (thanks)
EONON-R16-KLD20170515 (thanks)

KED1 (MEDEKE?) firmware (thanks):
V7.3.1_20170216.180104_KED1
V7.3.1_20170720.152039_KED1

TW2 (TopWinner?) firmware (thanks):
V7.3.1_20170111.114952_TW2-IVT+ROOT+RADIO
V7.3.1_20161229.175327_TW2
V7.3.1_20161201.154419_TW2

TH6 firmware (thanks): V7.3.1_20161129.194710_TH6

JYZC1 (Joying?) firmware (thanks):V7.3.1_20170317.114203_JYZC1

Kaier firmware (thanks)

Rooted KLD (Klyde) firmware (thanks):V7.3.1_20170512.203736_KLD1-0-1-mod

4. Recovery

Mot units do have a working recovery partition, though some are reported not to have such. The command "reboot recovery" at a root prompt (terminal emulator or ADB) will enter recovery (if available).

Alternatively recovery can be reached with an external USB keyboard as follows: While holding Alt and Print Screen keep tapping i; the system will eventually restart in recovery (thanks pir8man) .

It should be noted that despite the on-screen instructions the stock recovery does not react to any buttons on the head unit, but works well with an external USB keyboard.

5. Customization

There are useful tweaks that come with the stock operating system including speed-dependent volume and (apparently, I have not tested exhaustively) the elimination of the full-screen keyboard.

I found this alternative to the stock radio app (context, source code) which is pretty nice except that the app force closes upon attempting to enter settings. If you speak Russian it may be worth discussing this with the developer.

Root: Kingoroot works, though several attempts (reboot and try again) may be needed. Note that a reliable Internet connection is needed during the whole process. I do not like the extra apps and intrusive ads that come with Kingoroot. I therefore recommend once rooted to install Chainfire's SUperSU, let it update the su binary, and then uninstall Kingoroot. Note however that the current Play Store SuperSU (namely, version 2.82) may not be able to overwrite Kingoroot's su (saying instead that "the su binary is occupied"). If this is the case you may want to try version 2.79 (downloadable from here) which is known to work. Once the Kingoroot's su binary is overwritten you can upgrade to the latest (Play Store) SuperSU.

Busybox: Installed without incidents using the usual installer from the Play Store.

Xposed: Installed using the Xposed installer v. 3.1.1 and works well. I tried Gravity Box and Xprivacy.

6. Outstanding issues

It should be possible to redefine the default apps for music, video, and radio but I did not find any way to do it.

Mapping SWC and front button panel events works to some degree (for testing purposes I mapped the "Band" button to the app drawer), but this seems to be exclusively at the mercy of the MCU, which only allows mapping to predefined actions. I could find no way to map these events to custom actions on the OS side. It was reported that button events are communicated to the OS as long as no MCU app is running. However, I was unable to reproduce this; for me no event is ever seen by the OS no matter how many (or how few) apps are running. I stopped all the MCU apps but even so KeyTest does not register any event.

Needless to say, no custom recovery (such as TWRP) exist for these units.
 
Last edited:

sambacha

Member
Oct 18, 2008
10
0
So if the hardware is the same as the other 4.4.2 units then can we update our old units to 6.0?
 

sbruda

Senior Member
Nov 6, 2016
138
33
Sherbrooke, Quebec
So if the hardware is the same as the other 4.4.2 units then can we update our old units to 6.0?
If the hardware matches then I do not see why not. In addition to dd-ing the system and boot partitions of my dump (which you are welcome to try) please see my last edits of the first post for possible flashable firmware being available.

Just make sure that you have a (tested) way to get back if things do not work... ;)
 

sambacha

Member
Oct 18, 2008
10
0
Found a thread in the russian site about updating the older units that came with 4.4.2 to 6.0. I will give that a try later today and report back. I'm mostly concerned about it's native support to USB DAC's so I can finally stop change audio sources in my DSP every time I want to use any app other than UAPP.

EDIT: spoke too soon before reading the updates to the original post!
 
Last edited:

sbruda

Senior Member
Nov 6, 2016
138
33
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Alternative to the stock radio -- help needed

I found this alternative radio app (reference, source code). It works well but I am unable to set preferences as the app force closes on selecting the setting menu item.

I would ask the developer, except that I do not speak Russian. I was wondering if any Russian speaker around here could inquire about the issue. I have also downloaded the sources and I am poking around but I am not holding my breath until I find a solution (I am a coder but not an Android developer). Many thanks in advance!
 

markastor

Senior Member
Dec 24, 2010
81
3
Found a thread in the russian site about updating the older units that came with 4.4.2 to 6.0. I will give that a try later today and report back. I'm mostly concerned about it's native support to USB DAC's so I can finally stop change audio sources in my DSP every time I want to use any app other than UAPP.

EDIT: spoke too soon before reading the updates to the original post!

Can you share your experience and the russian thread's link?
 
Last edited:

lung1

Senior Member
Jul 12, 2014
78
11
31
Oradea
Found a thread in the russian site about updating the older units that came with 4.4.2 to 6.0. I will give that a try later today and report back. I'm mostly concerned about it's native support to USB DAC's so I can finally stop change audio sources in my DSP every time I want to use any app other than UAPP.

EDIT: spoke too soon before reading the updates to the original post!

Can you give us a link?

---------- Post added at 07:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:21 AM ----------

can I flash this over Android 4.4?
This is my unit:
Android 4.4.2 Operation System
CPU Processor: Allwinner R16 Cortex A9 Quad-core 1.6GHz
RAM Memory: Samsung DDR3 1GB/16GB
 

pir8man

Senior Member
I just installed an EONON GA2162. Link

Which appears to be a clone of the same..

MCU version: 5.3.19-108-10-943101-170114
System version: V7.3.1_20170114.111256_KBT2

Code:
DEVICE
Model: QuadCore-R16 (astar_d7)
Manufacturer: Allwinner
Baseband Version: Not Available
RIL Version: sw-dataonly-ril-for-6.0_v1.0
Build Number: astar_d7-eng 6.0.1 MOB30R 20170112 test-keys
Build Fingerprint: Allwinner/astar_d7/astar-d7:6.0.1/MOB30R/20170112:eng/test-keys
Bootloader: unknown
Java VM: ART 2.1.0
OS Version: Marshmallow (6.0.1)
SDK: 23

DISPLAY
Resolution: 1024x600 pixels
Software Density: 160 dpi (mdpi)
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz

PROCESSOR
CPU Architecture: ARMv7 Processor rev 5 (v7l)
Board: exdroid
Chipset: sun8i
Cores: 4
Clock Speed: 480 MHz - 1200 MHz
Instruction Sets: armeabi-v7a, armeabi
CPU Features: swp half thumb fastmult vfp edsp thumbee neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt
CPU Governor: Not Available
Kernel Version: 3.4.39
Kernel Architecture: armv7l

GRAPHICS
Renderer: Mali-400 MP
Vendor: ARM
OpenGL Version: OpenGL ES 2.0

RAM
Total: 836 MB
Java Heap: 80 MB

STORAGE
Internal: 12 GB
EXTERNAL: Not Detected

I can dump the rom if anyone desires.
 
Last edited:

pirulazul

Senior Member
[*]It would be great if long press events (SWC and/or front panel buttons) can be used. Some hints in various threads suggest that this is possible with these units but I found no way to do it. Advice is once more much appreciated.
Hi, I recently bought one of these for a Ford Mondeo and I somehow have figured about using keypress events.
The problem doesn't lie in the unit itself, but the damn apps it has.
I have been two entire days staring at Extreme Logcat screen and button event but no go, but, suddently, key event started registering next, prev and play/pause.
GREAT, I thought, and I started configuring Xposed Additions to start some audio visualizers in some buttons but when I started the music app, it stopped registering the events. It closed that app and those events where working again. Tried powerAmp and everything works like a charm. Menu and back keystrokes can also be mapped while the on-screen button still do the default action, so:
- It seems like the built-in apps capture those events and prevent anyone (tasker, Xposed Additions) to use them.
- MP3 and video player can be replaced pretty easyly but radio and specially bluetooth manager (Which has a whooping 12 keys that can be customized (0-9, # and *)) cannot be replaced.
- Decompiling the app, and disabling those captures could be the solution to use all those keystrokes OR finding some way to block those apps from capturing those events.

If I get something new I'll post asap.
Hope this helps.
 
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khalwd

Member
Sep 14, 2010
15
1
I just installed an EONON GA2162. Link

Which appears to be a clone of the same..

MCU version: 5.3.19-108-10-943101-170114
System version: V7.3.1_20170114.111256_KBT2

Code:
DEVICE
Model: QuadCore-R16 (astar_d7)
Manufacturer: Allwinner
Baseband Version: Not Available
RIL Version: sw-dataonly-ril-for-6.0_v1.0
Build Number: astar_d7-eng 6.0.1 MOB30R 20170112 test-keys
Build Fingerprint: Allwinner/astar_d7/astar-d7:6.0.1/MOB30R/20170112:eng/test-keys
Bootloader: unknown
Java VM: ART 2.1.0
OS Version: Marshmallow (6.0.1)
SDK: 23

DISPLAY
Resolution: 1024x600 pixels
Software Density: 160 dpi (mdpi)
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz

PROCESSOR
CPU Architecture: ARMv7 Processor rev 5 (v7l)
Board: exdroid
Chipset: sun8i
Cores: 4
Clock Speed: 480 MHz - 1200 MHz
Instruction Sets: armeabi-v7a, armeabi
CPU Features: swp half thumb fastmult vfp edsp thumbee neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt
CPU Governor: Not Available
Kernel Version: 3.4.39
Kernel Architecture: armv7l

GRAPHICS
Renderer: Mali-400 MP
Vendor: ARM
OpenGL Version: OpenGL ES 2.0

RAM
Total: 836 MB
Java Heap: 80 MB

STORAGE
Internal: 12 GB
EXTERNAL: Not Detected

I can dump the rom if anyone desires.

could you please upload this rom for us

thanks man
 

guille0429

New member
Mar 9, 2017
1
0
me sumo al pedido

Saludos !

no se si alguien puede pero estaría bueno que puedan subir los packs de actualización. para R16 en la resolucion 1024*600

por ejemplo estos son los Nombres de los archivos que hacen falta...
tambien especificar el android si es 4.4 o 5.1 o 6.0

bd07a5ee-fbb0-11e4-ae78-000c29ba27c0

90436790-1e25-11e5-9b35-000c29ba27c0
91973a18-1e25-11e5-b937-000c29ba27c0
92e82e86-1e25-11e5-bffa-000c29ba27c0
 

velvetpig

Member
Feb 24, 2017
7
2
could you please upload this rom for us

thanks man

Hi,
(my first post):laugh:
I would also like to have a copy of this ROM.
I have the same Droid report.
Being someone that cant leave things alone i have somehow corrupted my unit.
I rooted with Kingoroot and all worked well. Uploaded a recovery to the cloud, all good.
Decided to down load back to the unit. Wife moves car and interrupts download.
Now when i boot up all i get is the car logo and the android screen, this is where it stops.
Tried installing various updates, They seem to install. Progress bar for abut 5 min shows update end
then boots to the car logo Android screen and stops.
Cheers
 

sbruda

Senior Member
Nov 6, 2016
138
33
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Hi,

Hi, I recently bought one of these for a Ford Mondeo and I somehow have figured about using keypress events.
The problem doesn't lie in the unit itself, but the damn apps it has.
I have been two entire days staring at Extreme Logcat screen and button event but no go, but, suddently, key event started registering next, prev and play/pause.
GREAT, I thought, and I started configuring Xposed Additions to start some audio visualizers in some buttons but when I started the music app, it stopped registering the events. It closed that app and those events where working again. Tried powerAmp and everything works like a charm. Menu and back keystrokes can also be mapped while the on-screen button still do the default action, so:

Thank you for the report. I tried the same (stop all system apps) but even so KeyTest does not register any event. This was done for the panel buttons since I do not have yet any SWC (the unit is on the bench), which may or may not be the cause of my failure.

- It seems like the built-in apps capture those events and prevent anyone (tasker, Xposed Additions) to use them.
- MP3 and video player can be replaced pretty easyly but radio and specially bluetooth manager (Which has a whooping 12 keys that can be customized (0-9, # and *)) cannot be replaced.

Have you found any way to replace the default association for these apps? By default the "Mode" action cycles through the default apps, did you find any way to convince this action to cycle through some other (custom) rotation?

- Decompiling the app, and disabling those captures could be the solution to use all those keystrokes OR finding some way to block those apps from capturing those events.

I'll try to look into this, but at this time I cannot promise any timeline.

Cheers!
 

zerozoneice

Senior Member
Dec 18, 2010
1,846
223
would one of my units be similar to yours?
i received a newer firmware from the chinese (build 29.12) as a ZIP which contains the 4 files as above, but i can't update it since i get a signature error (seen below). In the meantime i managed to **** up the screen by accidentally switching to 800x480 and now i can't see anything useful on the display...
 

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Last edited:

sbruda

Senior Member
Nov 6, 2016
138
33
Sherbrooke, Quebec
would one of my units be similar to yours?
Looks pretty much the same as mine (with a slightly newer firmware though).

i received a newer firmware from the chinese (build 29.12) as a ZIP which contains the 4 files as above, but i can't update it since i get a signature error (seen below). In the meantime i managed to **** up the screen by accidentally switching to 800x480 and now i can't see anything useful on the display...
Most (all?) Chinese vendors know absolutely nothing about the units they sell so it is quite possible to have the wrong firmware. This, or the file got corrupted during transfer somehow. Have you tried my firmware blob or the others that float around? The probability that it will work look decent and what have you gotta loose?

You can also try to restore the resolution by trial and error (touching the screen where things should be). A couple of success stories have been posted in this thread though the process looks painful...
 

zerozoneice

Senior Member
Dec 18, 2010
1,846
223
there are couple of FWs around, i saw them on 4PDA as well. The latest is february, something. The problem is that the ZIP file has the 4 files you listed above, instead of an IMG file. Shouldn't IMG be the default ROM update? I mean even PowerSuit recognizes only IMGs, that is if i manage to connect to the damn box somehow.

I tried TV out, hoping the signal is ****ed only from the mainboard to the screen and it would manage to display it on another external screen, but....there is no TV out. Didn't work with the cables provided.

Trial & error...i would need to see another menu next to me in order to see where the hell i'm pressing on my screen :)
Resolution change is the first menu, but is hidden in the extra settings, behind a password which i'd also need to enter....blindly.

Did you manage to install any of the 4PDA firmwares properly on yours? Try the December 29th one, this is the one that Infidini sent me....

LE: LOL, i just read the following passage from the thread you posted above:

"What is the Extra Settings password?
Resolved: 123456
Note: Do NOT change the resolution of the head unit. You will destroy your unit. However it is reversible."

Post 807: another quickfinger like me, changed the res. the other way around, from 800 to 1200, but he still sees something....:)
https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=70762889&postcount=807

Post 747: same problem as me.
https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=70047172&postcount=747

How can i flash this damn unit? How can we connect to it?
@sbruda: i have an idea. Can you please post screenshots of the menu, from the main menu screen all the way to the extra settings, where u enter the password and then the "change resolution" menu option? It can help me to figure my fingers around the screen blindly...:) THX!

---------- Post added at 04:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:15 PM ----------

HERE is the link to the FW that infidini support provided me.
 
Last edited:

sbruda

Senior Member
Nov 6, 2016
138
33
Sherbrooke, Quebec
there are couple of FWs around, i saw them on 4PDA as well. The latest is february, something. The problem is that the ZIP file has the 4 files you listed above, instead of an IMG file. Shouldn't IMG be the default ROM update? I mean even PowerSuit recognizes only IMGs, that is if i manage to connect to the damn box somehow.
I believe that the four files can be used directly to upgrade, at least this is what people have reported (I have never tried to upgrade myself). This also makes sense given that a restore to factory from the (Android) menu will presumably use the partition with those files.

I tried TV out, hoping the signal is ****ed only from the mainboard to the screen and it would manage to display it on another external screen, but....there is no TV out. Didn't work with the cables provided.
It would appear that TV out only works for the DVD.

Did you manage to install any of the 4PDA firmwares properly on yours? Try the December 29th one, this is the one that Infidini sent me....
No, I meant to but I am really pressed for time nowadays so I have no idea when will I get to it.

@sbruda: i have an idea. Can you please post screenshots of the menu, from the main menu screen all the way to the extra settings, where u enter the password and then the "change resolution" menu option? It can help me to figure my fingers around the screen blindly...:)
Here they are. Sorry for the crappy photos but I have no idea how to take screenshots on this unit (please advise):
  • 1-main.jpg - main screen
  • 2-notif.jpg - notifications pulled down (two times)
  • 3-settings-scrolled.jpg - the settings app scrolled all the way down
  • 4-car-settings-scrolled.jpg - the Car settings screen scrolled all the way down
  • 5-settings-pass.jpg - the password entry box and keyboard (I would advise the use of a USB keyboard instead though)
  • 6-extra-settings.jpg - the Extra setting screen
  • 7-resolution.jpg - the resolution dialogue
I hope this helps. If somebody can advise on how to take screenshots I will come back with better quality photos.
 
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zerozoneice

Senior Member
Dec 18, 2010
1,846
223
  • 1-main.jpg - main screen
  • 2-notif.jpg - notifications pulled down (two times)
  • 3-settings-scrolled.jpg - the settings app scrolled all the way down
  • 4-car-settings-scrolled.jpg - the Car settings screen scrolled all the way down
  • 5-settings-pass.jpg - the password entry box and keyboard (I would advise the use of a USB keyboard instead though)
  • 6-extra-settings.jpg - the Extra setting screen
  • 7-resolution.jpg - the resolution dialogue
I hope this helps. If somebody can advise on how to take screenshots I will come back with better quality photos.

thx, they're good enough. using phone is fine. afaik password for that extras in my case is 123456 and restore to factory settings 7890
i will try tomorrow.

---------- Post added at 07:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 PM ----------

How do you power on the thing when not connected in the car???
 

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  • 10
    Please note that I gave up on this unit (MTCD PX5 units are so much nicer...). I will try to update this post (however infrequently) with information that may appear in this thread or come my way by other means, but I will not seek information actively and updates will no longer be from my own experience or experiments.

    At the time of writing this head unit is available here and (probably) here. These are both custom fit for Kia Sorento, but other versions do exist; in particular several EONON units feature the same hardware configuration (model numbers GA2160, GA7153 GA7163, and I am sure others).

    Hardware-wise this seems to be the same unit as described in this thread so many tricks therein will work for this unit. In particular the USB debugging password continues to be "john@tw-desktop" (without quotes); the extra settings password is most likely either 123456 or 668811; the factory reset and developer options passwords appear to be both 7890.

    In all the unit is an Allwinner quad core R16, with the MCU version 5.3.19-16-10-650101-161115 and System version V7.3.1-2016-11-12.100233_TW2. Here is the Droid Info report:

    Code:
    DEVICE
    Model: QuadCore-R16 (astar_d7)
    Manufacturer: Allwinner
    Baseband Version: Not Available
    RIL Version: sw-dataonly-ril-for-6.0_v1.0
    Build Number: astar_d7-eng 6.0.1 MOB30R 20161112 test-keys
    Build Fingerprint: Allwinner/astar_d7/astar-d7:6.0.1/MOB30R/20161112:eng/test-keys
    Bootloader: unknown
    Java VM: ART 2.1.0
    OS Version: Marshmallow (6.0.1)
    SDK: 23
    
    DISPLAY
    Resolution: 1024x600 pixels
    Software Density: 160 dpi (mdpi)
    Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
    
    PROCESSOR
    CPU Architecture: ARMv7 Processor rev 5 (v7l)
    Board: exdroid
    Chipset: sun8i
    Cores: 4
    Clock Speed: 480 MHz - 1200 MHz
    Instruction Sets: armeabi-v7a, armeabi
    CPU Features: swp half thumb fastmult vfp edsp thumbee neon vfpv3 tls vfpv4 idiva idivt
    CPU Governor: Not Available
    Kernel Version: 3.4.39
    Kernel Architecture: armv7l
    
    GRAPHICS
    Renderer: Mali-400 MP
    Vendor: ARM
    OpenGL Version: OpenGL ES 2.0
    
    RAM
    Total: 986 MB
    Java Heap: 80 MB
    
    STORAGE
    Internal: 12 GB
    EXTERNAL: Not Detected

    Software-wise the unit comes with a fairly stock version of Marshmallow, though as usual the operating system is a bit locked down (but to my surprise not too locked down) compared to stock.

    The purpose of this thread is to gather information about the software and possible customization for these units. I have added the information I gathered from my experience and I will update this post with any new information I manage to obtain.

    1. Partition dump

    For reference I dumped all the partitions of my device. The dump is available here. The dump was done by name (for those partitions that have a name) and symlinks point to the device name from /dev/block. Feel free to share (credit appreciated but not necessary) and please share any information that you gather from it (which will be included in this section as it becomes available).

    2. Flashing firmware

    There are multiple ways of flashing new firmware, depending on the actual unit and also its state (working, bootloop, etc.). All methods require that the all the files (three to six) that contain said firmware (see next section) be placed in the root of a SD card formatted FAT32 and inserted in the GPS slot of the unit. Some reports of the firmware being flashed from a USB stick rather than the SD card also exist; they also mention that choosing one USB port over another might make the difference between success and failure.

    On a working system inserting the card and/or USB stick and choosing "update system" from preferences will likely do the trick.

    On a system that is not working the following methods have been reported:

    • Hold Home, press Reset, and keep holding Home until the update starts (thanks).
    • A hardware solution is to short Key 1 (steering wheel controls) to ground, then press and hold Reset for 10 seconds; release Reset and disconnect Key 1 when "update" is displayed (thanks).
    • Yet another procedure might be needed for some units (thanks): Using a USB stick prepared as above and inserted in the unit, turn ignition to ACC, press Reset, turn ignition off, then after 5 seconds turn it again to ACC. A video is also available.

    3. Flashable firmware

    All the reports I have seen indicate that all the firmware versions are interchangeable. However, a factory reset will be needed most of the time for full functionality, especially so when installing firmware from a different vendor. It is VERY important however to note that the file bd07a5ee-fbb0-11e4-ae78-000c29ba27c0 contains the MCU firmware and so SHOULD NOT be flashed on incompatible devices as doing so will brick the unit (thanks).

    Partition 11 of the above dump in particular stores a flashable image. It contains the following files:

    81cb828c-9b57-11e6-ad2a-df6786178d62
    827ba428-9b57-11e6-8dfb-37398ea70e52.0
    827ba428-9b57-11e6-8dfb-37398ea70e52.1
    bd07a5ee-fbb0-11e4-ae78-000c29ba27c0

    The files 827ba428-9b57-11e6-8dfb-37398ea70e52.* in particular when cat-ed together form an ext4 file system that appear to be a copy of the system partition. This 4pda forum thread contain more information (thanks @Ahfish22); I do not speak Russian at all but Google Translate does a good job most of the time.

    Since I started this thread many people have posted many firmware versions. Here is a hopefully complete list. There might be duplicates and misses and I apologize for both in advance.

    The following set of firmware (in particular V7.3.1_20170610.110122_KED1 therein) come recommended by several users (thanks).

    EONON firmware:
    GA2162_KBT2_20170309 (thanks)
    V7.3.1_20170114.111256_KBT2 (thanks)
    EONON-R16-20170509 (thanks)
    EONON-R16-KLD20170515
    V7.3.1_20170427.104257_KBT2 (thanks)
    EONON-R16-KLD20170515 (thanks)

    KED1 (MEDEKE?) firmware (thanks):
    V7.3.1_20170216.180104_KED1
    V7.3.1_20170720.152039_KED1

    TW2 (TopWinner?) firmware (thanks):
    V7.3.1_20170111.114952_TW2-IVT+ROOT+RADIO
    V7.3.1_20161229.175327_TW2
    V7.3.1_20161201.154419_TW2

    TH6 firmware (thanks): V7.3.1_20161129.194710_TH6

    JYZC1 (Joying?) firmware (thanks):V7.3.1_20170317.114203_JYZC1

    Kaier firmware (thanks)

    Rooted KLD (Klyde) firmware (thanks):V7.3.1_20170512.203736_KLD1-0-1-mod

    4. Recovery

    Mot units do have a working recovery partition, though some are reported not to have such. The command "reboot recovery" at a root prompt (terminal emulator or ADB) will enter recovery (if available).

    Alternatively recovery can be reached with an external USB keyboard as follows: While holding Alt and Print Screen keep tapping i; the system will eventually restart in recovery (thanks pir8man) .

    It should be noted that despite the on-screen instructions the stock recovery does not react to any buttons on the head unit, but works well with an external USB keyboard.

    5. Customization

    There are useful tweaks that come with the stock operating system including speed-dependent volume and (apparently, I have not tested exhaustively) the elimination of the full-screen keyboard.

    I found this alternative to the stock radio app (context, source code) which is pretty nice except that the app force closes upon attempting to enter settings. If you speak Russian it may be worth discussing this with the developer.

    Root: Kingoroot works, though several attempts (reboot and try again) may be needed. Note that a reliable Internet connection is needed during the whole process. I do not like the extra apps and intrusive ads that come with Kingoroot. I therefore recommend once rooted to install Chainfire's SUperSU, let it update the su binary, and then uninstall Kingoroot. Note however that the current Play Store SuperSU (namely, version 2.82) may not be able to overwrite Kingoroot's su (saying instead that "the su binary is occupied"). If this is the case you may want to try version 2.79 (downloadable from here) which is known to work. Once the Kingoroot's su binary is overwritten you can upgrade to the latest (Play Store) SuperSU.

    Busybox: Installed without incidents using the usual installer from the Play Store.

    Xposed: Installed using the Xposed installer v. 3.1.1 and works well. I tried Gravity Box and Xprivacy.

    6. Outstanding issues

    It should be possible to redefine the default apps for music, video, and radio but I did not find any way to do it.

    Mapping SWC and front button panel events works to some degree (for testing purposes I mapped the "Band" button to the app drawer), but this seems to be exclusively at the mercy of the MCU, which only allows mapping to predefined actions. I could find no way to map these events to custom actions on the OS side. It was reported that button events are communicated to the OS as long as no MCU app is running. However, I was unable to reproduce this; for me no event is ever seen by the OS no matter how many (or how few) apps are running. I stopped all the MCU apps but even so KeyTest does not register any event.

    Needless to say, no custom recovery (such as TWRP) exist for these units.
    6
    I spent my day getting educated about my head unit today. From reading up on the 4pda threads HERE and HERE and finally a look at the previous model's thread HERE.

    With a fresh partition dump on a USB drive, I was set to go testing. My particular version is EONON's GA2162 Model. I loaded several versions of the OS found on 4PDA. I am currently running the latest that I found, dated 20170224. Each version worked well with the onboard MCU. At one point, I had to factory reset because my hardware buttons stopped responding. This only occurred once, but I wanted to mention it in case anyone gets stuck with this situation.

    It appears that the MCU is what really makes the hardware work with the Android system. the ROM is pretty much interchangeable between the various models based on this board. I found the included apps and icon colors were the difference between releases. Functionality was flawless on each of the 5 versions I tested today.

    I could not get PhoenixSuit or LiveSuit to operate with my unit. I believe it is because I do not have the correct cable type. Because of that I was stuck with the boot downloader to update the system partition. This went painlessly. I loaded the four flash files to the root folder of my USB stick and connected it to the head unit. Then booted to download mode.

    From the previous model thread, i found all the access I needed with:
    USB Debugging password: "john@tw-desktop"
    Extra Settings password: 123456
    Developer Options password: 7890

    I have a DD dump of my original ROM. It is 370MB in size. I saw the requests for a post of it. Any suggestions on where to post such a large file?

    Boot Modes:
    Download Method 1: Hold "HOME" hardware button and press 'Reset" button. Release "HOME" button at update mode screen.
    Download Method 2: Short "Key1" wire to ground will force download mode.

    Recovery Method 1: Enter "reboot recovery" command from a command line (terminal or adb).
    Recovery Method 2: Attach a USB keyboard. Hold "Alt" key AND "Print Screen". While holding, keep tapping "i". When the system restarts, it should trigger a restart in recovery mode.
    5
    would you please share your launcher apk and your launch screenshot... ?

    You should rename the file to Launcher2.apk, replace it in the folder system/priv-app/Launcher2/ and set permissions to 0644. Need root.

    Attention! Before you do that, install any other launcher. Need it, whatever your head unit is not locked, if something you did wrong.
    5
    There is a modded rom on 4pda with autorun that works and is a good rom: V7.3.1_20170610.110122_KED1

    Totally agree with Petro, this tomorrow works very well and has root already.

    If you want to change the boot animation, enter 'Topway' into the external SD dialogue.

    Hi, guys!
    I made a new modded rom V7.3.2_20170801.182935_KED1.
    See changes here
    Thx.
    4
    Info & Findings

    There seems to be some confusion about which specific models this thread references. This thread references the mainboard&CPU(SOC) that is re-branded by each manufacturer for any specific head unit model. I find it easiest to think of the mainboard as the starting point. and the MCU as a secondary layer that turns on and off all the various hardware modules as we switch from them via apps. The Mainboard is generic and interchangeable. The Android OS is not generic, but IS interchangeable. Worst case is the MCU is not configured for the new OS and a factory reset is needed to get the two working together again. The MCU firmware itself is NOT generic NOR interchangeable.

    These mainboards may be attached to different screen sizes and/or button layouts. My understanding is that the MCU interfaces between the various hardware features (bluetooth, wifi, gps, radio, cameras, buttons, etc) and the Android OS. This means the MCU is specific each manufacturer that takes this mainboard and attached their own hardware modules and interface (screen, buttons). Detailed MCU information: HERE

    In my case, I have an EONON GA2162 head unit. Which is Allwinner R16 based motherboard with EONON Specific hardware modules. The MCU is programmed with KBT2 firmware to accommodate EONON's specific changes. I can change to any other released System firmware and may need to factory reset for full functionality. I can only update the MCU to newer KBT2 MCU Firmwares.

    It appears the Allwinner R16 based motherboard is the same board used in the android 4.4.4 units linked: HERE The main hardware difference between those units and ours is the SOC/CPU. Ours is AllWinner R16 (Cortex A9) based where the other units are RockChip PX3(Cortex A9) based. Our units come with Android 6.x standard simply because by the time AllWinner SOC hit the market, development had already turned to 6.x and 7.x System OS.
    w OS.

    Hardware Details:
    Hardware: Resolution: 1024 * 600
    Output power: 4 * 45W
    Cores: 4
    ROM 16 GB
    Display: LCD TFT, 6,2 / 7/8/9 / 10.1 inch capacitive 5 points
    Operating System: Android 6.0.1
    RAM 1 GB
    Main CPU: Allwinner R16 Cortex A9 Quad Core (upto) 1.6GHz
    Radio: analog 6686 with RDS
    Navigation: GPS / GLONASS

    Sytem Versions:
    This units Android system is 6.0.1, however the software versions for this unit vary
    KBT2 (EONON):
    @Pir8man V7.3.1_20170112_KBT2
    @VelvetPig V7.3.1_20170309 GA2162_KBT2

    KED1 (MEDEKE?):
    V7.3.1_20170216.180104_KED1
    V7.3.1_20170224.153853_KED1
    V7.3.1_20170103.140506_KED1

    TW2 (TopWinner?):
    V7.3.1_20170111.114952_TW2
    V7.3.1_20161229.175327_TW2
    V7.3.1_20161201.154419_TW2

    TH6:
    V7.3.1_20161129.194710_TH6

    JYZC1 (Joying?):
    V7.3.1_20170317.114203_JYZC1

    Other Downloads:
    PhoenixSuit Software: http://www.mediafire.com/file/oz5digccn3t52ee/115_cz0084d9kx1a5dm5f_4.3---4.4+刷机.rar
    KingoRoot Appliction

    Additonal Information:
    USB Debugging is password protected.
    Resolved: The password is "john@tw-desktop". Credit to @nikko82

    Factory Reset / Developer Options password: 7890
    Extra Settings password: 123456
    Alternate password: 668811
    Note: Do NOT change the resolution of the head unit. You will destroy your unit. However it is reversible.


    Backup (ROM DUMP) Procedure:
    Code:
    Thanks to @iceglue
    1. Start TERMINAL EMULATOR2. Execute Superuser: su
    3. Go to partition directory: cd /dev/block/by-name
    4. Copy to SD Card:
    dd if=boot of=/extsd0/boot.img bs=4096
    dd if=bootloader of=/extsd0/bootloader.img bs=4096
    dd if=env of=/extsd0/env.img bs=4096
    dd if=data of=/extsd0/data.img bs=4096
    dd if=misc of=/extsd0/misc.img bs=4096
    dd if=recovery of=/extsd0/recovery.img bs=4096
    dd if=system of=/extsd0/system.img bs=4096
    dd if=private of=/extsd0/private.img bs=4096

    RECOVERY:
    No Custom (CWM/TWRP) recovery available yet for the R16 based units running Android 6.x. Also some units are being shipped without the basic android recovery. Terminal and using unix 'dd' command (with root access) to read/write partitions is the current solution for ROM recovery.

    Boot Modes:
    Download Method 1: Hold "HOME" hardware button and press 'Reset" button. Release "HOME" button at update mode screen.
    Download Method 2: Short "Key1" wire to ground will force download mode.

    Recovery Method 1: Enter "reboot recovery" command from a command line (terminal or adb).
    Recovery Method 2: Attach a USB keyboard. Hold "Alt" key AND "Print Screen". While holding, keep tapping "i". When the system restarts, it should trigger a restart in recovery mode.



    EDIT: Fixed GDrive link to Eonon Backup file