[19:20 UTC]
[Fri, 26 Apr 2024]
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Hardware Reviews
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Editorial Review [19 May 2002]
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Magic Module - It's a kind of magic (Page 1 of 2)
The module.
On the table before me I have a small item from Dream Media TV. A german company
offering a product that could shake quite a few markets. It is a development
module based on 30Mhz ARM7 processor with 256Kb of RAM and 2Mb Flash inside.
Thanks to a 68 pin PCMCIA connector that easily fits into typical CI slot
of DVB receiver.
 What could one of these be used for?
Well, it could be
used to read and write authorisation cards, secure your laptop or provide
access to encrypted data. It could be used as Mission Impossible like gadget
around the office and something to show off in front of friends at school.
It doesn't have to but it could be, you know...
Or... perhaps it could be used as a development board for a DIY Conditional Access
Module. Good idea, ain't it?
"But how? What for? Why would anyone bother?" you may ask.
True, you can buy any CAM you want (except maybe NDS/Videoguard) from
most of satellite shops around Europe for much less than such development
would cost anyway.
Unless off course, we were talking about "one of them free developments
that the weird internet people do".
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| To flash the module with software (regardless of what the software is)
manufacturer designed clever device of looks very much like typical passive
Season interface, although the chipset used is obviously different. All
you have to do is connect standard serial cable to RS232 connector of the
programmer, insert device into the module and use Magic Loader software
to flash it. |
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 The
module needs power during programming process since RS232 is not capable
of providing enough current for the job. This is resolved by simply inserting
the module into one of the receiver's CI sockets or your notebooks PCMCIA
slot.
Although the idea is close to pure genius it proves to be troublesome
on some boxes. Nokia 9600S with DVB2000 for example will not fire up any
module until its use is requested by the channel. In simple words, since
Magic Module in its raw form is not compatible with any encryptions the
device will not be switched on and can't be programmed. This can be fixed
by temporarily flashing your Nokia with.. ehem.. original OS. There you
go.
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|
 I
personally used Humax for the programming.
Power to the module is indicated by green LED on programmer, while programming
process by flashing red LED. I had no problem programming the device under
Win98 and Win 2000 as well as under linux with newly released 0.2 loader
software.
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| Programming process requires no degree... |
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