In this post I’ll be taking an in-depth look at the Arris VIP2250 DVR. The VIP2250 is one of the DVR models AT&T is currently using for their U-verse digital TV service.
You may notice that some of the VIP2250 boxes carry the Motorola logo, which newer versions are Arris branded. The reason for these discrepancies is because Motorola Home division was acquired by Arris.
Rear Panel Connections
A manual, also referred to as a user manual, or simply 'instructions' is a technical document designed to assist in the use AT&T VIP2250 by users. Manuals are usually written by a technical writer, but in a language understandable to all users of AT&T VIP2250. A complete AT&T manual, should contain several basic components. At&t U-verse VIP2250 Manuals ManualsLib Att Uverse Dvr User Manual This is likewise one of the factors by obtaining the soft documents of this att uverse dvr user manual by online. You might not require more time to spend to go to the ebook creation as capably as search for them. In some cases, you likewise accomplish not discover the. This manual includes the manufacturer’s recommended safeguards and all the information needed to connect your IPTV receiver to both your in-home IP network and your entertainment system. The safety and installation information was developed and provided primarily by the receiver manufacturer, ARRIS Enterprises, Inc.
Below is the complete list of input / output connections available on the VIP2250. In my U-verse fiber installation the DVR is connected to the AT&T gateway via ethernet.
INSTALLATION MANUAL VIP1200/1216 Set-top Box. I Graphical symbols and supplemental warning markings are located on the back and bottom of the terminal. Buy PK Power AC/DC Adapter for AT&T U-Verse VIP2250 UVerse Motorola Wireless Cable Box HD Recorder Power Supply Cord Cable Charger Input: 100-240 VAC Worldwide Use Mains PSU: AC Adapters - Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases.
- Coax Digital Video Input
- 10/100Mb RJ45 Ethernet Port
- eSATA Port
- Optical Audio Output Toslink S/PDIF
- S-Video Output
- Component Video Output (Pb/Y/Pr)
- 2 x Composite Video Output
- 2 x RCA Stereo Audio Output
- Coax Video Output
- HDMI Digital Output
- USB 2.0 Port
- Power Input (+12V DC)
Under the Hood
Unlike most of other cable boxes I’ve disassembled the VIP2250 requires only a screwdriver to remove the cover. There are 3 phillips screws on the back of the box which secure the cover.
The first thing you’ll see inside is the hard drive. The drive mounting bracket in this unit acts has a heatsink for the CPU.
Behind the Front Panel
In the center of the unit is a bank of 3 status LEDs (link, HD, and record). Just to the right of the record LED is the IR receiver. If you are using an IR extender with this box you should place the infrared transmitter near this location.
Main Circuit Board
Removing the three screws holding the hard drive mounting bracket in place exposes the main board.
The main chip on the board is the Broadcom BCM7405DFKFEBB01G. The BCM7405 is a complete IP DVR system on a chip. The chip has an onboard DDR2 memory controller and support for two SATA-2 storage interfaces.
The BCM7405 product brief contains a general overview of the features supported by this chip. Much more detailed information about this chip can be found in the schematic diagram.
The chip is designed to support Ericson Mediaroom (formerly Microsoft Mediaroom). Mediaroom is a complete IPTV delivery platform which is very popular among cable companies.
UART Serial Port
Near the lower right side of the board I discovered a 5 pin header labeled UART. Typically serial ports are not this easy to find but this one was clearly labeled.
Since this serial port could provide access to the boot loader I sought out to determine if it was an active port. I found a very useful guide to reverse engineering serial ports which assisted in the process of determining the pinout and other characteristics.
My fluke multimeter proved to be very useful in the process of assessing the UART pins. A logic analyzer would have been helpful as well but I didn’t have one on hand.
Using continuity mode on the meter I started searching for ground pins by connecting one lead to the chassis and probing each pin one at a time. I found that pins 1 and 5 were directly connected to ground.
Next I switched my meter into DC voltage mode and started searching for VCC. With one lead of the meter on ground I probed each of the pins. Pins 2 and 3 measured +3.3 volts, making each a possible candidate for VCC. Although each of them could also be the TX pin.
In TTL serial TX is constant at VCC (logic high) is pulled low for a 0 (logic low). Pin 4 measured 0 volts which lead me to believe this was probably the RX pin. At this point I had enough information to start testing.
Through some research I learned that the VIP1710 used a baud rate of 115200 so I suspected the VIP2250 would probably be the same (testing later confirmed this).
TTL serial vs RS232 Serial
The TTL serial used by most embedded devices is different than the RS232 port found on computers. The two types of serial differ at the hardware level. In TTL serial the different between a logic high (1) and a logic low (0) is the different between VCC and 0 volts. In RS232 serial a logic high is a negative voltage (usually -13) and a logic high is a positive voltage (usually +13). The range can actually be anywhere between -3 to -25 and +3 to +25 respectively.
This means that in order to connect an RS232 serial port to the TTL serial port on the VIp2250 an adapter must be used. I already had a RS-232 to TTL adapter on hand that I bought from TCNISO a long time a go.
These adapters are fairly easy to build but the easiest solution is a prebuilt MAX232. Broadcom actually provides a schematic diagram for a UART serial adapter circuit that uses the MAX3232CSE chip in the BCM97405 schematic (page 23).
Since most computers don’t have serial ports anymore you may also need a USB to serial adapter.
USB serial adapter connected to an RS-232 to TTL adapter.
Serial pinout for the VIP2250:
- Pin 1 – GND
- Pin2 – TX (confirmed)
- Pin 3 – VCC (+3.3V)
- Pin 4 – RX (suspected but unconfirmed)
- Pin 5 – GND
Serial Port Settings: 115200-8-N-1
After connecting all of the adapters together I figured up PuTTY and connected power to the cable box.
The serial output shows that when the box initializes it starts the BCM97405B1_B2 Motorola 1st stage boot loader. The motorola boot loader then starts the Microsoft IPTV boot loader which then starts the Windows CE operating system.
I was hoping it would be easy to interrupt the boot loader to get a shell but so far my attempts have been unsuccessful. The article I found for the VIP1710 suggested that pressing CTRL + C would interrupt the boot loader but I wasn’t able to get this to work. I also tried several other key commands with no success.
This leads me to believe that either I haven’t correctly identified the RX serial pin or the boot loader is not configured to allow an interrupt.
If anyone has any thoughts on how to interrupt the boot loader please leave a comment.
EJTAG Port
The main board also has a clearly labeled 14 pin EJTAG TAP port. A pin header needs to be soldered onto the board before a JTAG cable can be connected though.
Vip2250 Manual Ir Placement
A wealth of information regarding the EJTAG port can be found in the schematic diagram and the preliminary hardware data module documents.
Supported Debugging Features
- MIPS-standard software debugging with software breakpoints
- Non-intrusive hardware single stepping
- Non-intrusive hardware breakpoints on virtual addresses, physical addresses, and data values: two instruction breakpoints, two data breakpoints, and two data value breakpoints.
- The EJTAG debugging facility is performed on one TP at a time
I haven’t done any testing to with the JTAG port yet so I cannot confirm it’s status. The Broadcom documentation suggests using either the Wind River Vision Probe or the Green Hills JTAG. Based on what I’ve read in the documentation it seems apparent that Broadcom’s BroadBand Studio program plays some role in the debugging process.
If anyone is aware of a cheap USB EJTAG cable that supports the BCM7405 please leave a comment.
Internal Hard Drive
The VIP2250 contains a 500GB Seagate SATA hard drive (model ST3500414cs). This drive provides about 170 hours of HD video storage. This drive was designed specifically for video storage and runs very cool and quiet.
File System Structure
The hard drive contains 2 small FAT16 partitions, and one large FAT32 partition. I was able to successfully mount all of the partitions on a Linux system and examine the files. Since the partitions are formatted with FAT the drive can also be accessed using Windows.
The 126MB partition contains files for the operating system (Windows CE 5.0.1400). The small 32MB partition contains event logs, and subscriber activity logs in XML format.
The largest partition contains many 1GB SLC files which are used for video storage. These SLC files appear to function as filesystem on top of a filesystem (Probably providing encrypted storage for the video).
Another blogger has done some analysis on these files and came up with a procedure to upgrade the hard drive in the VIP1216.
I have tested his procedure and I can confirm it also works on the VIP2250. The only caveat is the DVR can only utilize up to 1TB of space. If you install a drive that is larger than 1TB you will need to follow the procedure on Slumbuddy’s blog to resize the size of the data partition so it is less than 1TB in size.
Upgrading to a 1TB drive will increase the HD video storage capacity from 170 hours to about 380 hours. I would recommend using a hard drive specifically designed for DVR usage such as the 1TB Western Digital AV-GP drive.
Operating System Structure
The 126MB OS partition contains a variety of files including the primary Windows CE operating system image file nk.bin, as well as etc.bin.
![Vip2250 Vip2250](/uploads/1/2/9/3/129343150/585522774.jpg)
The contents of these image files can be extracted using nkbintools and CreateDump.bat. To extract the contents of nk.bin place the file in a directory where you have extracted the contents of nkbintools.zip. Place the CreateDump.bat batch in the same directory. Then run the CreateDump.bat file from a command prompt. If the extraction was successful the contents will be extracted to a new folder called dump.
You can use the same process to extract etc.bin but since the batch file references nk.bin it’s easiest to rename etc.bin to nk.bin to avoid having to modify the script.
Using nkbintools it should also be possible to insert modified files (such as registry files) back into the nk.bin image. I haven’t attempted to do this yet though.
![Vip2250 Manual Vip2250 Manual](/uploads/1/2/9/3/129343150/125372056.jpg)
Registry Structure
Inside the nk.bin image file there are 3 main registry files, boot.hv, default.hv and user.hv. The HVEdit utility can be used to decode the hive files into text files (.hvm) which can be modified and then converted back to .hv format.
BCM97405 Reference Design
Broadcom provides a full reference design platform based on the BCM7405 chip which they identify as the BCM97405. The BCM97405 is a fully functional set top box that exposes all of the different input/output ports provided by the chip.
The BCM97405 schematic diagram provides a wealth of information on the platform design including block diagrams of various circuits as well as pinouts for the chips.
I suspect these are provides to hardware manufacturers to assist in designing their own platform based on the BCM7405 SOC. These boxes are probably also useful for software developers writing code to run on this platform.
These reference design units can often be found for sale on eBay but the prices are not cheap.
Further Testing
As I continue testing the VIP2250 I’m curious if anyone else has done any further testing with the serial port. If you have any information or comments on interrupting the bootloader to obtain a shell please let me know. I’m also interesting in obtaining a full image of the firmware for the BCM7405.
Share this:
Loading..
ARRIS
DVR Receiver Installation Manual
VIP2250
For use with your AT&T U-verse TV Service
TO REDUCE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
Graphical symbols and supplemental warning markings are located on the back and bottom of the terminal.
WARNING
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
Product identification and supply rating are provided on the label found on the bottom of the unit.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
•Read these instructions.
•Keep these instructions.
•Heed all warnings.
•Follow all instructions.
•Do not use this apparatus near water.
•Clean only with a dry cloth.
•Do not block any ventilation openings. Install according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
•Do not install near any heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
•Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
•Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
•Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
•Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as the power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
ii | VIP2250 U-verse DVR Receiver Installation Manual |
V E N T I L A T E
2 inches
Follow these important safety guidelines when positioning and connecting your TV receiver:
•Do not block the slots and openings
•Do not place anything on top of the TV receiver
•Do not position the TV receiver in a confined space, such as an enclosed cabinet, that does not provide adequate ventilation.
•Do not position the TV receiver near any external heat source that could raise the temperature around the unit. Do not place the terminal on top of another heat producing electronic device.
•Allow for adequate ventilation around the TV receiver to maintain normal operating temperature. Do not place it in a sealed enclosure without providing for adequate airflow.
•Do not plug the AC power adapter into a switched power outlet.
Att Cable Box Vip2250
•A coaxial cable screen shield needs to be connected to the earth at the building entrance per ANSI/NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code (NEC), in particular Section 820.93, Grounding of Outer Conductive Shield of a Coaxial Cable.
•Because the receiver contains a hard drive, it must be positioned so that it remains horizontal and rests on its rubber feet. Do not attempt to mount or position it in a vertical position.
•To allow the disk drive to spin down properly, wait at least 10 seconds after disconnecting power before moving the receiver.
•Always transport the receiver in its original factory carton, or in an equally well-padded container.
•Whether installed or being transported, do not expose the receiver to temperature extremes. The temperature range for operation is from 0° to +40°C. The non-operating (transport or storage) temperature range is from -40° to +60°C.
This manual includes the manufacturer’s recommended safeguards and all the information needed to connect your receiver to both your in-home IP network and your entertainment system. The safety and installation information was developed and provided primarily by the receiver manufacturer, ARRIS Enterprises, Inc.
VIP2250 U-verse DVR Receiver Installation Manual | iii |
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Connecting Your TV Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Connection Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Connecting Your TV Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Common Cabling Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Connecting to an HDTV – Video Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Connecting to an HDTV – Audio Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Connecting to a Home Theater Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Connecting to a Stereo TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Connecting to a Stereo TV and Stereo VCR . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Connecting to a Home Theater Receiver, TV, and VCR . . . . . . . 11 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
iv | VIP2250 U-verse DVR Receiver Installation Manual |
Introduction
Congratulations on receiving this ARRIS VIP2250 U-verse DVR TV Receiver.
The VIP2250 provides these extraordinary home entertainment features:
•High Definition TV (HDTV), which provides up to twice the color resolution and up to six times the sharpness of standard TV when connected to an HD-capable TV
•A digital video recorder (DVR), which can record Standard Definition and High Definition programs
•A direct digital connection to consumer audio and video devices through multiple interfaces
•Video on Demand (VoD)
•Commercial free, CD quality music
This installation manual introduces the basic features, outlines important safeguards, and provides options for integrating your TV receiver into your entertainment system. Take a few moments to read through this manual. Its configuration diagrams and troubleshooting section will help you make the most of your home entertainment experience.
Included in the carton:
•VIP2250 Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Receiver
•Power adapter
For more information about your U-verse TV service, refer to the other documentation from your service provider.
Dimensions: | 10.0” W. x 8.0” D., x 2.2” H. | |
Unit Weight: | 4.37 lbs. | |
Top Assembly Weight (incl. carton and all inserts): | 6.39 lbs. |
Overview
Front Panel
The illustration below and the table following it describe the VIP2250 front-panel features.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Key | Item | Function | ||
1 | POWER | Turns the U-verse TV receiver on or off | ||
If held for ten (10) seconds or longer, restarts the TV receiver | ||||
Lights green when the TV receiver is on | ||||
2 | USB | USB 2.0 connector | ||
3 | LINK | Lights green when receiving a video stream | ||
4 | HD | Lights blue when receiving video resolution of 720p or 1080i | ||
5 | RECORD | Lights red when a recording is in progress | ||
6 | MENU | Displays the menu | ||
7 | Up/Down | Changes the channel (channel up/channel down) | ||
arrow keys | ||||
Left/Right | Use to navigate through on-screen program guide and menu | |||
arrow keys | ||||
OK | Use to select programs or menu options | |||
center key |
Overview
Rear Panel
The illustration below and the table following it describe the VIP2250 front-panel features.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
5 | 6 | ||
Key | Item | Function | |
1 | TO WALL | Coaxial input for digital signal from your service provider | |
(VIDEO IN) | |||
2 | NETWORK | Ethernet 10/100Base-T RJ-45 port for IP video output | |
3 | eSATA | (Reserved for future use) | |
4 | OPTICAL | Toslink (S/PDIF) audio output to a digital home theater | |
receiver | |||
5 | S-VIDEO | High-quality video output to a VCR or TV that accepts | |
S-Video. It carries video only; you must also connect to the | |||
TV or home theater receiver for audio | |||
6 | Y Pb Pr | RCA component video outputs to an HDTV | |
7 | VIDEO OUT | RCA video outputs to a TV, VCR, or other device | |
8 | AUDIO OUT | Left and right RCA stereo audio outputs | |
R and L | |||
9 | TO TV | Coaxial output to connect the TV receiver to the TV or VCR | |
(VIDEO OUT) | |||
10 | HDMI | Connects to a High Definition TV or home theater receiver | |
Downloading excel for mac for free. with an HDMI input (for a DVI input, use an HDMI-to-DVI | |||
adapter) | |||
11 | USB | USB 2.0 connector | |
12 | POWER | Connector for the DC power adapter (36 W.) | |
+12 VDC |
Connecting Your TV Receiver
This section describes connecting the VIP2250 to your home entertainment system. Instructions and diagrams are included for connections to:
•High-Definition TV (HDTV)
•Home Theater Receiver–Audio
•Stereo TV
•Stereo TV and Stereo VCR
•Home Theater Receiver, TV, and VCR
Before you move or change components on your entertainment system, disconnect power from the TV receiver.
Connection Options
The VIP2250 offers the following video outputs:
HDTV | HDMI or Component video |
Standard | S-Video, Composite video, or RF coaxial |
To determine the available inputs on your TV, check the manual supplied with the TV or on the TV itself. Use the following guidelines to determine the best connections for your system. Use one of the following.
Connector | Description |
HDMI | HDMI offers higher video quality than component video. If your |
HDMI | |
HDTV has an HDMI input, use the HDMI connector. | |
HDMI provides both digital video and digital audio (including | |
Dolby® Digital 5.1 Surround Sound). No other connections are | |
necessary. | |
If your HDTV has a DVI input, you can use an HDMI-to-DVI | |
converter cable to connect to the VIP2250 HDMI connector. | |
Use a cable with an HDMI connector on one end and a DVI | |
connector on the other end. We do not recommend using an | |
HDMI-to-DVI or DVI-to-HDMI adapter. Because DVI does not | |
carry audio, a separate audio connection is required for a DVI | |
TV. If your TV has an optical S/PDIF audio connection, use the | |
OPTICAL connection. Otherwise, use the baseband AUDIO L | |
and R connections. | |
Component | The Y Pb Pr connectors provide component video, the most |
Video | widely supported HDTV connection. |
Component video provides a High-Definition analog video signal. | |
If your equipment supports an optical S/PDIF audio connection, | |
use the OPTICAL connection. Otherwise, use the baseband | |
AUDIO L and R connections. |