wtf.. APX MODE?

[condi]

hi guys,

it looks that accidentally i've booted my device into apx mode!
...uploading screens...

br
condi

 

[obicom]

What do you mean with apx mode?
Where are the screenshots?
How did you reach this?

 

[condi]

i didnt wanted to get into apx... accidentally when trying to get root again (after reflash stock rom).. WOW
suddenly device automattically came out from it - still blank-black screen.. some sort of timeout when idle? gr....
now we've got to find out how to enter it with purpose!
will upload mobile-camera photo of that..

 

[norberto_]

Hey its a good news, because APX mode is needed for NVFlash.
As i know with NV flash we can flash our tablet
so the bootloop can be repaired, and more things can be done.

We have to find out how to enter into APX mode.

 

[condi]

Hey its a good news, because APX mode is needed for NVFlash.
As i know with NV flash we can flash our tablet
so the bootloop can be repaired, and more things can be done.

We have to find out how to enter into APX mode.

yeeeeeeeah i was so excited, even wanted to put charger, and keep it in apx mode as long as we could get and make some good things... but it just turned off.
ehhh how did i done it? it was another of several tries to make root, i experimented with turning on/off mtp device in device manager, first of screenshots shows, when apx mode jumped in. i think its concerned in correct rebooting device, but there should be some combination/scenario of behavior to get into apx mode.


C:\Users\Admin\Downloads\NVFlash>nvflash --sync
Nvflash started
rcm version 0X4
Command send failed (usb write failed)
-------------------------------------
only this is what i got before it went out.

 

[skoperst]

Condi,
I also got apx mode once by chance, but i didnt manage to do it again.
I entered into recovery several times while rebooting and pressing the recovery buttons, one of the times it just got into apx...

 

[condi]

Condi,
I also got apx mode once by chance, but i didnt manage to do it again.
I entered into recovery several times while rebooting and pressing the recovery buttons, one of the times it just got into apx...

Hi friend,

thanks for confirmation about it, now i've got hope that we'll discover how to enter apx mode

 

[DooMLoRD]

interesting... now we can find a way to use NVFLASH files to flash custom recoveries/kernels...
i had told ppl to test out stuff regarding NVFLASH:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=20889203&highlight=nvflash#post20889203
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=20973791&highlight=nvflash#post20973791
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=21716011&highlight=nvflash#post21716011

i am busy currently... but when i am free might need some willing users to test out a few things

 

[DreadPirateDan]

Any chance the reset button might have something to do with it?
It "seems" to kill all power, yet pressing it whilst on makes it flash the red led a couple times.. so ovbiously there is some power.

Also, when it connected to your pc and was recognised as an Nvidia devices etc, how did the drivers install? Was it something handled automatically by auto update, or had you previously installed drivers yourself trying to find it another time?

Edit: Just too add, has anyone tried contacting Nvidia about it? I sent them an email about it, they just refferred me to their dev section (which ended up being a section for games developers! ) I'm pretty sure they confused APX with APEX. So I email again but no response since.. perhaps if a few of us send through they might sweat a bit and give the answer . Figured we'd possibly have more luck dealing with them than Sony (even though I realise Sony would be the all-knowing in this)

 

[DreadPirateDan]

OK, I just stumbled onto this thread where defsix has found a switch inside the tablet.

I can't see the picture but could this potentially be a s-off switch or something like that, that could allow us to either flash unsigned zips or get into APX/NVflash stuff?

 

[sapphire88]

this could lead to an unbrick?? do you think that i may better wait for this (or for any other way to unrick) or to go and try to make it replecade by another one?

 

[DreadPirateDan]

Well... I recommend waiting just a little bit more, my reasoning being:

There are only 2 potential outcomes for taking it in:

1. All sweet, they fix it or replace it

2. They send it away, discover you've messed with it, log your serial number and label your warranty as void.

If this can't fix it soon enough I'd recommend just sending it back and taking a chance - I mean what the use in still having a warranty for a perma-brick when you could chance having it fixed only risking your warranty (not like they can just keep it after they check it out).

I'll check it out tonight possibly (aus time mind you/+10 hour GMT) if the gf isn't raging at me and see what it let us do!

 

[sapphire88]

well then, one day or two days doesn't change anything, i can esaly wait till tuesday/wednesday, if i have to send it to them, and the warranty void...well then...it's just my fault after all...but i can wait 2days..

 

[condi]

'mount' command from recovery shell:

$ /system/xbin/mount
/system/xbin/mount
rootfs on / type rootfs (rw)
tmpfs on /dev type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,relatime,mode=755)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,relatime,mode=600)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,relatime)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw,relatime)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p4 on /cache type ext4 (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,barrier=1,dat
a=ordered)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p3 on /system type ext4 (rw,nodev,noatime,nodiratime,barrier=1
,data=ordered)

still no recovery here hmm...

 

[sapphire88]

so, if i try to update the firmware via recovery, when it says that it has had an error (the classic of base or sku), adb will be accessible?

 

[condi]

so, if i try to update the firmware via recovery, when it says that it has had an error (the classic of base or sku), adb will be accessible?

unfortunately not, but maybe something can be discovered through that way

 

[DreadPirateDan]

OK so i got home early and just cracked it open (quite literally - a little tab snapped )

So all I can gather so far is that switching this switch to "off" just kills all power. The tab will boot with ac adapter connected but not without it.

All the combos I could think of failed ie
- power on + vol up
- Power on + vol down
- power on + vol up + vol down
- power on +reset
- power on + reset + vol up
- power on + reset + vol down
- power on + reset + vol up + vol down

Nothings changing besides the fact it need ac adapter to turn on

(usb has been plugged in too)

Any ideas?

 

[agc93]

OK so i got home early and just cracked it open (quite literally - a little tab snapped )

So all I can gather so far is that switching this switch to "off" just kills all power. The tab will boot with ac adapter connected but not without it.

All the combos I could think of failed ie
- power on + vol up
- Power on + vol down
- power on + vol up + vol down
- power on +reset
- power on + reset + vol up
- power on + reset + vol down
- power on + reset + vol up + vol down

Nothings changing besides the fact it need ac adapter to turn on

(usb has been plugged in too)

Any ideas?

Looking at that original post, I'm pretty sure that's actually just a battery power kill switch. Between the fairly obvious PCB labelling and the position on the board, it would seem to be a purely hardware function. If I got a closer look at the whole PCB (don't want to open mine up just yet), we might be able to see something enlightening, but at this point, I think its just a power switch.

 

[DreadPirateDan]

Yeah my thoughts are similar to that. There is nothing else visible at that level of tear down, It must be there simply for sony techs to quickly turn off the battery without dismantling everything.

And until someone gives us a solid reason to pursue the internels, I'd recommend staying away from opening your own tabs. The way the tablet is clipped/taped together, it's either gunna come off easy, or be a ***** like it did for me and snap something. (there's double sided tape as well as clips.. took some firm force to peel it away and when it finally caved, it snapped open in the blink of an eye snapping 2 tabs! booo.)

I can't imagine there's really any promising hardware to boot to apx mode, when people have already gotten there on software alone

 

[condi]

yeah, i also think that is related to battery. i disassembled my tab few times, tried some combinations with on/off internal switch, no luck with apx. also tried to ground 'charging' socket - all one by one pins of it. without result. also tried special service microusb cable, with 3 options with resistors - which i use for example for galaxy s - to force download mode - without luck on sony..

about grounding - testpoint - a lot of sony ericsson phones had backdoor in that way, simple grounding one point of service interface.

today i thought about nfx services - they're involved in all of that recovery mistery, decrypting update.zip, and i think that also in apx thing.

apx mode appeared when i was trying to get root - again after hmmm... 5-10 failed try. so maybe nfx logged some number of reboots, reboots in random time, when copying, when some adb commands where running, and forced device to apx mode?

of course its just a theory