HowTo
From Omnifi Wiki
[edit] Modify Hardware
[edit] Harddrive
Upgrade DMP1 Harddrive: OmniFi Hack
Use external USB Harddrive with DMP1: Lincomatic's Procedure
[edit] Backlight
[For skilled individuals only]
There are 5 blue "grain of rice" LED's on the left side of the screen. They appear to be side view, 0603 size. If you can find replacements for these in the right color and are skilled at soldering SMT components, that's not too bad. Personally, I had orange LED's that were full size LED's lying around. I ground each one of these down so the lens so it would illuminate the right width part of the screen. I then epoxied these to the screen. I then ground the case down a bit so it would fit.
I then ran wires to each SMT pad where the original LED used to be.
This works okay, but they run two of the LED's in series in two sets. They run the fifth LED on it's own. Each LED set is run by a transistor that PWM's the LED to dim it. In my case, my LED's had higher voltage drops than the originals, so my current was too low. To fix this you have to drop the 140 ohm current limiting resistors to about 75 ohms, and interestingly enough, you also have to reduice the resistance leading to the base of the transistors or they won't saturate. I had to go down to 6 ohms here. All this stuff is 0603 or 0805 size SMT stuff so don't do it if you don't have some experience here. Also, your resistances will need to be tweaked based on your current and voltage specs for your LED's. -- original message by DSMDriver
[edit] Button Illumination
The red buttons color can be changed by changing a few SMT LED's if desired.
There are 8 red LED's along the bottom of the faceplate. They are size 0603 (Digi-Key White LED Part#: 160-1721-1-ND). The 10 LED's for the other buttons are size 0805 (Digi-Key White LED Part#: 160-1738-1-ND). The "K" that is silkscreened onto the faceplate is the location of the cathode. The cathodes for the 0603 diodes are indicated on the bottom. The 0805 have marks on the top.
Just remove the old ones (carefully), and replace them with the new ones.
When ordering LED's, it would be a good idea to oder a few extras - the 0603's are very small and can easily be lost or dropped.
[edit] Wired Remote
The wired remote uses a S-Video cable and can be extended up to 50ft using an off-the-shelf M-M (male to male) 4-pin mini-din s-video cable and coupling connector or KVM-type M-F (male to female) cable (RadioShack, etc.). If you need to splice the cable, these are the pinouts:
- White
- Red
- Green
- Black
Confused about the pinout? Look at the 4-pin schematic here: S-Video Pinout Schematic
[edit] Setup
[edit] Wireless Networking
(Lum's Wireless STEP-BY-STEP)
Preconditions:
-Because the DMS1 is a static equipment on a network, I strongly suggest that you set a static IP on it. This step-by-step is written with that in mind. Once you have your DMS1 talking freely on Wireless (and later WEP), you should be able to change your settings to obtain a DHCP address from your home router.
-Connect the DMS1 to the network via Ethernet dongle and perform a firmware upgrade. As of 5/25/2005, the latest stable version is 2.0.313. This level of firmware is required to enable Wireless (and WEP).
-If you have a personal firewall installed, make sure you've configured it prior to starting. 'Configure' in the context means that your DMS1 will work over the Ethernet link with your SimpleCenter. (Norton Internet Security, BlackIce Defender, Windows Personal Firewall, Zone Alarm, etc. all require individual configuration). If you're not sure how to do this, you will have to disable your firewall in order for the DMS1 to work.
-IP address schemes ' because your DMS1 probably resides on your home network and uses a private IP address scheme, it is important to know the particular addressing schemes. ( ref: http://www.carolinanet.com/private_ip_space.php )
[edit] Determine your network's IP scheme.
We are going to set a static IP for the DMS1 for this exercise. You may have already done this step in trying to upgrade your firmware. In which case, disregard and proceed to step 4 ' (Goodbye Ethernet Dongle / Hello Wireless Adapter):
If you know how to set your PC's IP address, you'll be better off setting the DMS1's IP address manually until you get the wireless (and hopefully WEP) working.
There are other IP addressing schemes: typical ones are:
IP: 192.168.0.x
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
IP: 172.16.x.y
Subnet: 255.255.0.0
IP: 10.x.y.z
Subnet 255.0.0.0
Windows 2000/XP Users: To view what your IP address scheme might be, click on Start -> Run. Type in cmd and click 'Run.' A black window ' a DOS prompt will appear. Type in ipconfig /all and press Enter.
This screen tells me most of what I need to know. I know that I am on a 192.168.1.x network and my subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. My gateway (the machine that connects me to the outside world) is 192.168.1.1. Write these numbers down for reference.
[edit] Choose an IP address for DMS1
Pick an IP address on your network that you know for sure isn't being used. For my network, I picked the following IP address for my DMS1:
Manual Configuration
Address: 192.168.1.10
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
This IP represents an otherwise unused IP address on my network, of course. Problems arise when you try to use an IP address that's already claimed by another device--one or both of them will disengage themselves from the network, or worse, both will try to communicate and cause network collisions.
If you have a 192.168.0.x network, then pick 192.168.0.10, for example.
For 172.16.x.y networks, try 172.16.50.100, for example. It's best to pick a number that is 'close' to your PC's IP address. If your PC's address is 172.16.50.55, then try to pick 172.165.50.10. This is to avoid conflicts with the subnet masks being other than standard.
To determine if this IP isn't being used yet, type the following in the above window: In my example, my network is a 192.168.1.x. I picked 192.168.1.10 to try out as a candidate: ping 192.168.1.10
If you get a request timed out message, congratulations! It means that there are no devices currently using that address. Make sure you pick an IP address that matches your network configuration. If you get a REPLY FROM and a bunch of numbers, then there is a device on your network with that address. Vary your IP address slightly and try again till you find one that gets no reply.
The Subnet Mask and Gateway IP for the DMS1 should match those displayed by the ipconfig command above.
[edit] Set a static IP address manually on the DMS1
On the DMS1, Navigate using the right and left arrows and the knob to get to the Network Settings.
(I had some weird trouble initially when setting my IP address where my DMS1 would restart in the middle of setting the address... If this happens to you, get back into the configuration and quickly set the address and get to the SAVE CHANGES? screen before it can reboot...)
Select the following:
Manual Configuration
Address: 192.168.1.10
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
Once set, press the left arrow until you are prompted to 'Save Changes?' and do so.
Verify that your DMS1 still can connect to your SimpleCenter using the Ethernet and the new IP address. If it can't it may be because your network may be using a different IP address scheme or there is a duplicate IP address (barring any obvious problems like SimpleCenter ain't runnin' or your PC ain't talkin' to the WAP / Wireless Router).
If all goes well, you should be able to open a command prompt and ping your DMS1. In my case, I type the following in the DOS command prompt: ping 192.168.1.10
and wait for the REPLY FROM 192.168.1.10: ... messages. The Reply from messages now indicate that my DMS1 is the device that is responding to my pings
[edit] Goodbye Ethernet Dongle / Hello Wireless Adapter
So far, we've been working to prepare the DMS1 for the great wireless.
Unplug the Ethernet Adapter on your DMS1. I recommend you remove the USB dongle entirely from the machine and let it dangle beside it.
This step is particularly important because we want no chance that the DMS1 will find and try to communicate with the Ethernet Adapter. It's going to try to use the preferred Network Adapter when it can.
Plug in the USB Wireless Adapter into the DMS1 and go to the Wireless Settings setup.
[edit] Wireless Settings on the Router / WAP
On your WAP (Wireless Access Point) we will proceed assuming that you have the following setup on your wireless station (WAP / Router):
WEP / WPA : DISABLED (although WPA is not used by DMS1)
MAC Address Filtering : DISABLED
SSID Broadcast : ENABLED (you should be able to disable it later)
no other quirky setups such as deny PC's with MAC addresses / IP addresses etc.
If WEP is enabled, please disable it for the duration of setting up the Wireless.
If WPA is enabled, consider switching to WEP if you want the DMS1 to communicate Wirelessly.
Know your SSID. (Service Set Identifier). If you have a LinkSys WAP, chances are your default SSID is 'Linksys'. On D-Link, you might have 'default'. In any case, set it to something that distinguishes your network from others, especially if you live in a crowded area because the DMS1 will find all of them. Please consult your WAP manual for setting the SSID.
Talking point: My SSID is 'brinkingreft' (taken from a Jerky Boys skit about a Japanese customer who bought a VCR and called up tech support complaining about his brinkingright).
A note about channels ' the DMS1 will find your SimpleCenter on almost any channel, but I've read that it's best to stick to 5 or 7, so I stay on those channels. My WEP is currently disabled, but that's only temporary!
[edit] Wireless Settings on the DMS1
In the DMS1 Wireless Settings setup screen, highlight the SSID line. If your SSID doesn't already show up there, the press the RIGHT ARROW (or the select button) and let it scan the wireless networks.
If your SSID does not show up in the list, you may have one of several problems:
-your WAP / Wireless Router is located TOO FAR from your DMS1 antenna. Try moving the antenna to a different location to see if you can get better reception. Higher in the room is usually better;
-your WAP / Wireless Router is located TOO CLOSE. This happened to me; I had to move my WAP OUT OF MY ROOM to the far end of the next room. Now I have a solid wireless connection;
-your WAP / Wireless Router / Wireless Antennae is/are located too close to heavily metallic objects. I used to keep my WAP in the A/C closet but the metallic ductwork made the connection too flaky, never could maintain a stable connection. Now my WAP is located in the window sill behind the couch.
Follow step 8 to aid in your WAP Antenna placement / DMS1 Wireless Antenna placement.
If you can see your SSID, select it and press SELECT / ENTER to get back to the Wireless Setting screens. Make sure you have the following settings:
SSID: <your SSID selected>
Mode: Infrastructure
WEP: Disabled
Press the left arrow until you are prompted to save your settings and let it reboot.
[edit] What To Do If It Won't Recognize The Wireless Antenna
Once the DMS1 has rebooted, it should go through the "Searching for Networks..." then "Searching for Media..." If it says Searching For Media, it's at least recognized your USB Wireless Antenna. If it says, Searching For Networks, it may still be trying to find your Ethernet connection.
If this is the case, go back into the Wireless Settings (not the Network Settings), select the proper SSID -- make some change in order to force the sucker to prompt you to save your changes. You may have to change it back once again to the correct value and save your changes... This last step is crucial'you want to have made the 'Save-able' change in the Wireless Settings to enable the wireless. If you went back and made a change in the Network Settings, it'll forget all about the Wireless and try to connect via Ethernet.
Again, at this stage you should have already a) upgraded your firmware to at least 2.0.313 b) removed your Ethernet Dongle from the DMS1 completely
[edit] What To Do If It Won't Find SimpleCenter
If the DMS1 says--"Searching for Media..." and doesn't get past it, then the DMS1 has at least discovered your Wireless Antenna. Take care of the obvious problems (like your SimpleCenter isn't running or the PC running SimpleCenter has turned off), then go to the PC with SimpleCenter and open up a DOS Command Prompt and type in
PING 192.168.1.10 (or whatever your DMS1's address is)
See if you can get responses from the DMS1. If it says, Request Timed Out--you don't have connectivity to it. Take a step back and try pinging your WAP / Wireless Router instead.
PING 192.168.1.1 (usually the Default Gateway is the Wireless Router's address. For WAP users like me it's a different address such as 192.168.1.252, but hopefully you'd know what this address is.)
If you can ping your WAP / Wireless Router station, then try this:
PING 192.168.1.10 /n 10000 (put your DMS1's address here)
This will force the PING program to try to ping the DMS1 10,000 times, once a second or so. Move your PC's screen so you can watch this window with the Request Timed Out messages. Move your DMS1's antenna or your WAP / Wireless Router around the room until you can get some sort of REPLY FROM message... This is a very basic tool for helping you find your wireless connectivity "sweet spot."
Once you're through and have a solid REPLY FROM repeatedly, you can press CTRL-C or CTRL-Break on your keyboard and stop the pinging...
Restart your DMS1 (power it off and on again), then restart your SimpleCenter. It **SHOULD** say "SimpleCenter (PC's Name)" indicating that it's found your copy of the SimpleCenter running on your PC. If you have multiple PC's each with SimpleCenter running, it should find each one of them. Keep restarting each of the DMS1 / SimpleCenter until it can finally talk to each other...
If all else fails, prepare two letters...
[edit] Post Conditions
You'd probably want to spend time enjoying your DMS1 streaming music wirelessly at this point and all is good.
There are several things that you should be able to do, now that you,ve managed to get Wireless up and running. The following are offered as exercises for the reader:
- Disable the SSID broadcast on your WAP. This is merely for security reasons. Your DMS1 is now programmed with your SSID, it'll should be able to discover and connect to it on its own. If you still need to configure your DMP1 for Wireless, it's best to leave SSID enabled until you've gotten the DMP1 working as well.
- Enable MAC filtering on your WAP. Again for security reasons, you'd want your WAP to only communicate with 'friendly' wireless devices. Your DMS1's Wireless Antenna has a MAC address written on a sticker on the bottom of the antenna. It would be a six-octet string. That is, aa bb cc dd ee ff format. It would be a combination of numbers 0 - 9 and the letters A - F which represents a number in the base-16 format. This is the string of numbers you'd supply your WAP for MAC filtering.
- Find a better channel for your WAP to operate on. If you live in a crowded apartment complex with everyone's WAP's talking on Channel 7, then you'd want to select a Channel 11 or something, for clearer (if not less cluttered) reception. You may have to restart the DMS1 and/or SimpleCenter several times to get it synched up with the new channel.
- Enable/Re-Enable WEP. There will be a separate Step-By-Step document for this evolution.
To get your DMS1 / DMP1 talking Wireless using WEP (after you got it talking wireless) see the next section or read this message: OmniFi Group Message 861
One of the quirky steps of the DMS1 is to set the Network settings first, then pressing left arrow until it prompts you to save settings. Then set the Wireless Settings (WEP key, etc.) I recommend a Manual Configuration with a static IP and a 128 bit HEX WEP key. Then press left until you are prompted to save your settings. Then after reboot, press the scan SSID and let it find your router, and press left till it saves configuration and reboots one more time.
[edit] Enabling WEP
The key to WEP is to start out simple. Once you have established WEP connectivity using a very weak key, go back and begin to increase the strength of your key.
The following How-To has been written from a point of view of a LinkSys Wireless Access Point and a separate LinkSys Router. For some people, the WAP and Router are one and the same. Other brands such as D-Link and Belkin may have slightly different setup screens, but the idea should be the same...
- Make sure that the DMS1 firmware is at least 2.0.313. For the DMP1, at least 2.0.315. If not, perform a firmware upgrade prior to starting. The prior versions of firmware doesn't properly handle WEP. Additionally, make sure you've got Wireless connectivity to your DMS1 (DMP1). If not, revisit the above steps...
- Save off the current WEP keys on the Wireless Access Point (did a screen capture). We're clobbering these keys for now. The screen capture is so that we can get back to it at a later point, if we need to.
- Go to the Wireless Access Point (Router) and turn on 128-bit HEX WEP (not WPA), and provide no passphrase.
- On the Wireless Access Point ensure that you have SHARED-KEY AUTHENTICATION (or some analogous equivalent) turned on. OPEN-KEY AUTHENTICATION will not work, so beware. On the LinkSys, you could set this to "BOTH" (that is, both SHARED and OPEN-KEY AUTHENTICATION so that your other devices will work with OPEN-KEY). DMS1 (DMP1) requires SHARED-KEY).
- On the Wireless Access Point (Router) press CLEAR to set all of the keys to zero, then enter the following Hex values
- On some Wireless Access Points (such as ZyXel), it expects an actual Hexadecimal number. Provide the following (with the little 0x in front of the long string of numbers):
- There should be a selection for Detault TX key. Choose Key 1 (either by selecting from a list or clicking the radio button beside what should be the default key).
- On the DMS1 (DMP1) Omnifi, and navigate to the Wireless Setup screen and enable WEP
- Select 128-bit HEX on the DMS1 (DMP1)
- Enter the hex string of the first TX key. 01000000000000000000000000. Remember that this string is a 01 followed by twenty-four zeros, no spaces, and no '0x' in front of the string.
- Press the left arrow until it asks you to save your changes. Reply 'Yes' to the query.
- After reboot (which it'll do), go to the SSID search screen and scan for your SSID again and verify that this SSID has WEP turned on. Select this SSID, and save changes and reboot (Don't yet know if we need this step, but at least you can now see that your SSID has WEP enabled).
- On the DMS1, you should now be sitting at the main menu, with your SimpleCenter server name displayed prominently on the screen. You should be able to navigate normally and play your music. You should also be able to ping your DMS1's IP address successfully, too.
- On the DMP1, go to the Synchronize now sceen and perform the sync, hopefully without problems!!! Simple!
on Key1, enter 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 on Key2, enter 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 on Key3, enter 03 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 on Key4, enter 04 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
on Key1, enter 0x01000000000000000000000000 on Key2, enter 0x02000000000000000000000000 on Key3, enter 0x03000000000000000000000000 on Key3, enter 0x04000000000000000000000000
Now that you are over the big hurdle, go back to the WEP setup screen on the Wireless Access Point, and modify one byte at a time on your Key 1, then go to the DMS1 (DMP1) to match your updated Key 1 in there. You should be able to input a complex HEX string in there, and the WEP should still work fine (see important note below).
[edit] Important Notes:
- When setting up a new WEP key in the DMS1 / DMP1, it'll ALWAYS SHOW a string of zero's.
- WAP antenna placement is very important. Almost TOO important and hard to measure.
- Because we have not figured out how to make 128-bit (or even 64-bit) ASCII keys work, your other devices must also be trained to use the same 128-bit HEX key as the DMS1 / DMP1, if they use SHARED-KEY AUTHENTICATION.
Your WEP key hasn't been wiped out--it just doesn't show when you call it up to enter / update the key. Keep this in mind. If you make a mistake, press the LEFT ARROW to step out of the setup and DON'T SAVE YOUR CHANGES. Everything should be the way it was, allowing you to go back in and attempt the change again.
Sometimes your DMS1 might not be able to establish a connection with the WAP, even it it is sitting 5 feet away! Try moving the WAP into another room until you get a strong, reliable connection. Too close is not too good. Ideally the WAP iought to sitt in the middle of your house, the garage at one end, the stereo and DMS1 at the other end.
If your Wireless communication seems to crap out after a few minutes, it may be that there is too much traffic on your wireless access point, or the placement of the antenna is not good (too strong or too weak of a signal)
I also found that when I kept my WAP in my A/C closet next to the air ducts, connectivity *sucked* (no pun intended). The metallic tape, the metal enclosure of the Air Conditioning Air Handler simply made the WAP signal useless. I moved it out of that closet and hid it behind my couch in the living room after I found out about b) above...
There seems to be a tool you can buy for around $30 to help you with your Wireless Coverage.
http://www.hawkingtech.com/prodSpec.php?ProdID=223
http://www.wifiseeker.com/
For a quick and dirty (and cheap) method determining link quality, refer to this HowTo#What_To_Do_If_It_Won.E2.80.99t_Find_SimpleCenter and follow the steps for pinging your DMS1 while you move your WAP around the room for a strong signal.
