TO ALL MEMBERS: CONCERNING THE FAQ POSTS/FAQ Requests

[sweetspot]

Please note that all FAQ threads are not posted as sticky's for a reason. They're locked and not open for further comment of said thread. However, if any forum member sees a problem or mistake with anything said in the FAQ posts, please create a new thread in that FAQ section explaining the error, or newly obtained information, and a mod will change the original post(s). Understand that this is only done in order to keep the threads neat and organized. This should go for any/all FAQ threads.

Thanks for taking the time to read this totally boring topic.

S.S.

[seadzz]

We are striving to make this FAQ the most comprehensive solution to common problems and question.

If you have any thoughts or suggetions that would be of help to new and power ifp users please let us know.

sdz

[Legoguy]

How about how to make the UMS iFP work with Linux Kernel 2.6.*? I'd be happy to elaborate, as a lot of people seem to be needing this...

[seadzz]

I'll send you a PM on this subject.

sdz

[JohnnyTest]

Let me know if you have anything !

[seadzz]

If you use Linux and are having a problem making UMS firmware work this could be your ticket to heaven....or where ever.

Many thanks for this info to forum member Legoguy

Problem Description:

iRiver USB Mass Storage firmware does not support the ALLOW_MEDIUM_REMOVAL flag,
and hangs when it is sent, therefore making the filesystem on the player
inaccessible.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Plug in an iRiver iFP-xxxT with iRiver's UMS firmware
2. Watch as dmesg reports thread sleeping/awaking and other not-so-good things
3. Try `mount -t vfat /dev/sda /mnt/ifp` and it reports either non block device
or bad superblock

This is more of a bug-fixing-report, here's a patch from Javier Marcet, against
the 2.6.4 kernel sources, thet fixes the problem; Credit goes to him and the
other people involved in this SourceForge thread:
http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/f...forum_id=18786

Patch:

--- linux/include/scsi/scsi_devinfo.h.orig 2004-01-06 01:00:29.000000000 +0100
+++ linux/include/scsi/scsi_devinfo.h 2004-01-06 20:15:50.036892568 +0100
@@ -19,4 +19,5 @@
#define BLIST_MS_SKIP_PAGE_0 8 0x2000 /* do not send ms page 0x08 */
#define BLIST_MS_SKIP_PAGE_3 F 0x4000 /* do not send ms page 0x3f */
#define BLIST_USE_10_BYTE_MS 0x8000 /* use 10 byte ms before 6 byte ms */
+#define BLIST_NORMB 0x10000 /* Known to be not removable */
#endif
--- linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c.orig 2004-01-06 01:00:29.000000000 +0100
+++ linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c 2004-01-06 20:10:19.731106680 +0100
@@ -536,7 +536,8 @@
sdev->online = FALSE;
}

- sdev->removable = (0x80 & inq_result[1]) >> 7;
+ sdev->removable = (((0x80 & inq_result[1]) >> 7) &&
+ !(*bflags & BLIST_NORMB));
sdev->lockable = sdev->removable;
sdev->soft_reset = (inq_result[7] & 1) && ((inq_result[3] & 7) == 2);

--- linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_devinfo.c.orig 2004-01-06 01:00:29.000000000 0100
+++ linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_devinfo.c 2004-01-06 20:13:46.890613648 +0100
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@
{"SGI", "TP9500", "*", BLIST_SPARSELUN | BLIST_LARGELUN},
{"MYLEX", "DACARMRB", "*", BLIST_SPARSELUN | BLIST_LARGELUN},
{"XYRATEX", "RS", "*", BLIST_SPARSELUN | BLIST_LARGELUN},
+ {"iRiver", "iFP Mass Driver", NULL, BLIST_NORMB},
{ NULL, NULL, NULL, 0 },
};


See also:

http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/lin...ndex.html#0930

[Big D]

Originally posted by Seadzz

If you use Linux and are having a problem making UMS firmware work this could be your ticket to heaven....or where ever.

Many thanks for this info to forum member Legoguy

Problem Description:

iRiver USB Mass Storage firmware does not support the ALLOW_MEDIUM_REMOVAL flag,
and hangs when it is sent, therefore making the filesystem on the player
inaccessible.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Plug in an iRiver iFP-xxxT with iRiver's UMS firmware
2. Watch as dmesg reports thread sleeping/awaking and other not-so-good things
3. Try `mount -t vfat /dev/sda /mnt/ifp` and it reports either non block device
or bad superblock

This is more of a bug-fixing-report, here's a patch from Javier Marcet, against
the 2.6.4 kernel sources, thet fixes the problem; Credit goes to him and the
other people involved in this SourceForge thread:
http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/foru ... m_id=18786

Patch:

--- linux/include/scsi/scsi_devinfo.h.orig 2004-01-06 01:00:29.000000000 +0100
+++ linux/include/scsi/scsi_devinfo.h 2004-01-06 20:15:50.036892568 +0100
@@ -19,4 +19,5 @@
#define BLIST_MS_SKIP_PAGE_0 8 0x2000 /* do not send ms page 0x08 */
#define BLIST_MS_SKIP_PAGE_3 F 0x4000 /* do not send ms page 0x3f */
#define BLIST_USE_10_BYTE_MS 0x8000 /* use 10 byte ms before 6 byte ms */
+#define BLIST_NORMB 0x10000 /* Known to be not removable */
#endif
--- linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c.orig 2004-01-06 01:00:29.000000000 +0100
+++ linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_scan.c 2004-01-06 20:10:19.731106680 +0100
@@ -536,7 +536,8 @@
sdev->online = FALSE;
}

- sdev->removable = (0x80 & inq_result[1]) >> 7;
+ sdev->removable = (((0x80 & inq_result[1]) >> 7) &&
+ !(*bflags & BLIST_NORMB));
sdev->lockable = sdev->removable;
sdev->soft_reset = (inq_result[7] & 1) && ((inq_result[3] & 7) == 2);

--- linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_devinfo.c.orig 2004-01-06 01:00:29.000000000 0100
+++ linux/drivers/scsi/scsi_devinfo.c 2004-01-06 20:13:46.890613648 +0100
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@
{"SGI", "TP9500", "*", BLIST_SPARSELUN | BLIST_LARGELUN},
{"MYLEX", "DACARMRB", "*", BLIST_SPARSELUN | BLIST_LARGELUN},
{"XYRATEX", "RS", "*", BLIST_SPARSELUN | BLIST_LARGELUN},
+ {"iRiver", "iFP Mass Driver", NULL, BLIST_NORMB},
{ NULL, NULL, NULL, 0 },
};


See also:

http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/ ... .html#0930

[Big D]

Courtesy of Flamegrilled

1) Buy bulk packs of good alkaline cells, you can buy (in the UK) a pack of Duracells or Panasonic AA alkalinesx30 cells, for about £10.

or

2) Hunt down and order some good ni-mh cells (1800 mH or better) and a suitable charger

What you spend on the ni-mh cells, and charger, will repay itself greatly - trust me on this, i've hardly ever resorted to alkalines (only kept one or two on me for last-ditch emergency use).

3) If using Ogg for the compressed audio format, remember
Ogg decoding is literally a battery killer on the iFP, not as much as such on the iHP since the ifp has no HD.

If you are gonna work with Ogg, until either the excessive battery consumption problem is resolved, go with hi-capacity ni-mh cells and carry spares.

Observation
-------------

If you were expecting walkman type battery life using an mp3 deck (40hours-80 hours per two AA's ala walkman, 20-40 hrs on a single cell source) - then i'd suggest you forget that little fantasy...

I'd go with Duracells for alkalines, Panasonic alkalines second out of preference in alkaline terms - as i've picked up Ever Ready's before to use on pocket instrumentation devices.. and i've yet to buy a pack of En's that weren't duff or in a bad state of charge.

At least, from experience (my walkman proved it) Duracells are a good example of getting what you pay for (the item packaged with the iFP was a Duracell OEM supply item) - I use Duracells in pocket instruments and Panasonics (when I need to) for when i used an iFP (long gone now).

FG

[Big D]

Originally posted by Seadzz

You have to unscrew the top of the metal cylinder then loop the string on to the player. After forming a loop slip little silver cap through the loop. Once you have that done screw the small cap back onto the larger part and off you go.

enjoy!

[Big D]

Originally posted by Seadzz

Just got my new player and it has firmware 1.XX installed how do I upgrade it?

Answer:

Go to the iRiver site and download the most current firmware. Save it to your desktop or some other easy to fine place. Depending on which site you down load from this file may be in a hex format or may be a zip file. If a zip file unzip saving it to your desktop.

If you use IMM firmware open the IMM and follow the firmware upgrade icons and proceedures shown there.

If you have UMS installed use this:

Plug in your if to your computer, and copy the .hex file to the root folder of the ihp, eg the first one that is shown when you double-click on the drive in "My Computer".

Now, disconnect the if from your computer and make sure you have a fresh battery installed in case your existing battery is low.

Go into the menu. It's in the first sub-menu, the very last option is for performing the firmware upgrade. Make sure the 'yes' box is ticked, and exit the menu, the firmware upgrade screen will now be displayed, do not touch the player until the firmware upgrade is complete.

When the upgrade is completed, the player will switch itself off. Now all you do is switch it on, and you should see the version of the new firmware on the startup screen.

You can safely delete the .hex file from the ifp now.

enjoy the music,

sdz

[Big D]

Originally posted by Seadzz

I just got my new player and want to know what encoder to use, mp3, wma or ogg. What is the best one and what settings should I use?

Answer:

There is no simple answer to the question of which encoder to use. Lets talk about bitrates first and get back to the encoder. Bitrate is the speed of the encoder. Faster speed means better quality but also means bigger file size.

As a rule encoding at 128kbps will give you a file size of 1 MB per minute of encoded music. A 4 minute song will give you a 4 MB file and a 11 track album will result in a 44MB album. You need to take this into account since in flash players you do not have super large storage space. You will need to ask yourself what do you want out of your player. If max number of songs is your goal then encode at a lower rate 96kbps for example. If max capacity is not important and you want max quality then encode higher maybe 256kbps. A solution may be in the something 128kbps range.

In any event is a balancing act between quality and capacity, which you need to wrestle with before you decide on which codec to use.

The best method is to rip a track you know well and encode it using several bitrates (use only one codec at this point). I use a track with lots of violin, piano and female voices....heavy metal is not the best bet for use in selecting codecs since this type of R&R tends to mask codec artifacts. Go back and test these encodes against the wav file. Once you get a bitrate that is close or close enough to the wav file to make you happy AND the file size is about what you want then you have your magic bitrate.

On to the codec question:

The oldest and most universally supported codec is MP3. There are many variants but the most popular is called LAME. You can find a link to this download at the download section of this forum. MP3LAME is supported in many audio devices other than mp3 players and if you intend to share music with others you should consider MP3 as your first choice. Also mp3 gives the best battery life so if battery life is important to you go mp3LAME.

WMA is a Microsoft developed codec that is newer than mp3 and is designed as a low bitrate encoder. This means it sounds best at low bitrates (so MS claims). Test it yourself to see if it is right for you.

Ogg Vorbis-ogg for short. Newest of the codecs and is open source if that is important to you. Generally thought to produce higher quality playback then mp3 files of similar size. Note: It consumes large amounts of battery power compared to mp3 but to some users the audio playback quality is worth the cost.

At the end of the day your ears need to be the judge. Take your bitrate of choice which you have determined earlier and encode a given track with mp3LAME, WMA and OGG. Let your ears tell you what sounds best and take it from there.

In the area of encoding there is no best since the type of music you listen to R&R POP, Classical all sound different at different bitrates and codecs. Your ears are not calibrated the same as mine and I do not have to listen to your player.

Pick what works best for you.

Enjoy the music,

sdz

[Big D]

Originally posted by Seadzz

I just loaded a number of tracks into my new player and they only play in alphabetical order. How do I get them to play in track number order? I want to hear my music the same way as it was on the album.


Answer:

You need to include a number in the track naming sequence. For your existing track rips download a track name editing software package from the download section of this website. Using the freeDB lookup function get the names from the DB and make sure you include the track number.

Should look like this:

01 – first song

02 – second song

09 – this song

10 – song after that

Without the zero in place your player may skip around in playing tracks so remember to include this place holder.

Enjoy

sdz

[Big D]

Originally posted by Sweet Spot

I can't upload music from my ifp to my computer. How can I fix this?

To prevent unauthorized coping of music iRiver has included features in its
software that prevents you from uploading encoded music from your player to
another computer.

There are a few workarounds to this.

1) rename files from music.mp3 to music.rec. Files with the rec suffix can
be stored in your player and played normally. They can also be uploaded
into your computer. This process is a pain in the butt however if you have
several hundred tracks in your player.

2) You can upgrade your firmware to the UMS version. This will allow you to
use the player as a Mass Storage Device. You will NOT BE ABLE to use your
IMM any longer with this upgrade. To transfer files in and out you will
have to use Windows Explorer. Do not do this upgrade unless you are
comfortable using windows.

CAUTION: When this upgrade is done the entire contents of
your player will be erased. The player needs to format itself as a UMS
device and in the process deletes everything.

How do I upload firmware if I use UMS software?

1) Go to the iRiver download site and download the new firmware to your
desktop. Insure the hex file is not compressed. Drop and drag this hex
file to your root directory in the player using windows explorer.

2) Disconnect the player from your computer the usual way. Using the Nav
keys go to firmware upgrade in the player. Toggle to upgrade firmware,
select yes. The player will then upgrade its self to the latest and
greatest firmware.

[Big D]

Originally posted by Seadzz

I just bought a new ifp player how do I get music files into my unit?

Answer:

Your new player is a wonderful device. however, to use it you must convert your music into a format that the player can store. Your player is similar to the HD in your computer, however it does not have anywhere near the storage space that your computer does. This being the case you need to squeeze the music files down into a smaller size than what is on your CD's so it can fit into your player. This process is called compression.

Lucky for you your player supports mp3, wma and depending on model ogg vorbis. If you have a ifp-3XX or ifp-5XX ogg is supported and you will have to download this firmware from iRiver. (Downloading is easy and will be covered in this FAQ list.)

Getting back to compression, providing you have selected the codec (the
choice of mp3, wma or ogg) the process of getting music into your player can begin. You need to download some freeware from the internet first.

A good choice for people new to ripping and encoding is Cdex since it comes with all the newer encoders built in, and is relatively easy to use. Other people prefer EAC because iit's been around for a long while, and does a very good job with scratched or damaged CD's. And it's also very easy to use.
Go and download one or both of them before you go forward. I suggest getting comfortable with either of the programs also...

1. Lets assume you have either ripper installed in your computer. Go to setting and select the encoder you want to use.(or you can just use a front end encoder such as Razor LAME or Oggdrop Remember, Keeping the file sizes small, will allow you to store more files on your iFP. 128 Kbps is the recommended bitrate because it's small but doesn't sacrifice too much quality. VBR is recommended for quality and size as well.

Stick a CD into your computer and rip and encode the CD following the Cdex or EAC instructions. Make sure you tell the program where you want to store the tracks....a file called converted music on your desktop is a good place so it is easy to find. But this may vary depending on how you may have your HD partitioned.

3. Once you have the tracks ripped and encoded all you need do is connect your ifp to your computer and use the IMM to drag and drop these new files to your player. Presto you now have music in your player.

(P.S. Rippers and encoders and how to use them should or will be in a seperate FAQ section. Please refer to them if you're confused about how to use them. Some people ..such as the editor here..are very picky about what they use to rip and encode their stuff, and there's a LOT of options. Never be afraid to experiment. A good way to go about it, is to take a CD you're very familiar with, and do what you will. Use it to encode with different codecs, bitrates etc..)

[Big D]

Originally posted by Seadzz

Well let's start with the easy fixes first:

1. Did you properly install the setup CD that came with your player
including installing the device driver? The player does require that this
be done before the computer and player can talk to each other.

2. It the USB cable properly connected to both the computer and the player?
In the case of ifp-3XX players make sure that the rubberized port cover does
not prevent the mini usb plug from properly going all the way in. When the
mini plug is properly seated you can feel a little "pop"

3. Did you just upgrade to UMS software? If so the IMM software will not
see the player anymore. You will need to look at Windows Explorer and see
if the player is seen there as a new external drive.

If you did all of this now things become a little more tecky but don't worry

(Some OS's may require re boot at this point)

1. You will want to open the systems properties dialog box, check device
manager. What you are looking for there (provided your player is plugged in
is a yellow flag which is to alert you of a hardware conflict. If you have
this refer to your computer trouble shooting manual to resolve this issue.
You may have to remove the ifp device driver and try a fresh install. This
fresh install will almost 100% of the time fix this problem.

[Big D]

Folks,

To keep this area as neat and orderly as possible please post any questions you may have about your players in the proper section of the forum.

The FAQ section is a reference area that is used to store information only. This is not the proper place to post questions, observations or issues in.

The information provided here is given as a guide. There may be errors within the FAQ and we apologise if there are.

If you find an error please PM one of the moderators so we can correct it.

Please note that this is not a discussion forum.

If you would like to submit to the FAQ please contact a moderator first. We are more than happy for people to contribute.

[urbantus]

It would be nice to have a guide with information about setting up the directory for the iRiver H series players

To include the general advice on keepng everything nice and neat and fool proof

To link to the best advice and software

Thx

[Dunno]

Many people are unsure on how they should use and maintain their players batteries, perhaps this should be included in the FAQ's, (example below).

Do charge the battery often. The battery lasts longer with partial rather than full discharges.

Avoid full cycle because of wear. 80% depth-of-discharge recommended. Re- charge more often. Avoid full discharge. Low voltage may cut off safety circuit.

No maintenance needed. Loses capacity due to aging whether used or not.

Store at 40% charge in a cool place (40% state-of-charge reads 3.75-3.80V/cell at open terminal.
Do not store at full charge and at warm temperatures because of accelerated aging.

Go HERE for a descripton of LiPo battery contents.