DCT 5000


 * http://www.gi.com/noflash/digicable_dct5000.html
 * http://gicout60.gic.gi.com/customer_docs/
 * http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3134551333.html

note these are _not_ the 5200. no HD/PVR functionality in the base model


 * cable in
 * RF out
 * conv in
 * conv out
 * 2 ieee-1394
 * r-l-v in and out
 * 1 rs-232
 * vga out
 * parallel
 * ethernet PCNet
 * 2 usb.
 * data hs
 * ir connector
 * SPDIF
 * S-Video
 * smart card
 * pcmcia slot. The card located under the mainboard has a legend on it: "DCT5000 PCMCIA Conn".

Includes US power cord, and 8" RF cable, 22 page hookup manual.

[The processor info can be found here]
 * nec vrc5476-83e North Bridge
 * nec vr5432 CPU
 * Sony [CXD3204 IEEE 1394]
 * Sony [CXA2094]
 * AMD [79C970AKC Ethernet]
 * 2) InTel E28F320J5-120 flash
 * 1) InTel TE28F320C3 flash
 * 1) AMD [29DL323CB flash]
 * Crystal Semi [CS4620] EOL :(
 * Crystal Semi [CS4298 Programmer's manual] EOL
 * ATI [Rage XL]
 * ATI [Rage Theater]
 * two RF modules
 * Broadcom [BCM3120 Set-Top Box Tranceiver]
 * Broadcom [BCM3300 Single Chip DOCSIS Cable Modem]
 * Broadcom [7010 SetTop Box Decoder]
 * 4) Mitsubishi[M2V64S30BTP RAM]
 * 44 pin header. (ide we presume)
 * 144 pin SO-DIMM slot. (ram?)
 * ALI [M1543 Southbridge/SuperI/O]
 * EPCOS [M3654K - 45.75MHz IF splitter] (front board F202)
 * Altera [7128S CPLD] (mainboard U41)
 * Lattice [M4A3-32/32-10VC CPLD] (mainboard U42 & U37)
 * Macronix [MX23L1611 Mask ROM] - [Possible Flash Equvilent]
 * Winbond [32 x 8 SRAM]

Or direct links:
 * [Datasheet]
 * [Users manual vol. 1]
 * [Users manual vol. 2]
 * [Instruction set for MIPS IV ISA]

Ken Mc Guire got his on 3/15/2003 and found the following:


 * the serial port opperates at 38400 baud.
 * Hold down the menu and info button, keep holding them while plugging in the box, "boot" will appear (after about 5 sec's of holding) on the display and some stuff will come out the serial port.
 * the cursor and channel buttons will cycle through a menu: cold, hunt, disp, n dl, run.
 * pressing select at each ot the menu items will do something, and produce data on the RS-232 port.
 * there is a reset button inside that does the same as powering on. labeled SW900.
 * holding just the menu button during reset gets the "boot" display without any serial port activity.
 * the "pcmcia slot" connects to the motherboard via a 24 pin connector J402, so it's probably not true, or complete PCMCIA.
 * there is no video out of any of the outputs, VGA, S-VID, video out.
 * JTAG comes out to J7, a 10 pin header with half the pins grounded.
 * pinnout at: [JTAG pinout]
 * J7 with connector (it's a .050" spacing): [J7conn picture]

Here is what comes out the serial port at boot time:


 * DCT5000 Boot ROM v1.17
 * Copyright (c) 1999 by General Instrument Corp.


 * SUDB 0xBF000004
 * 58 00 00 00 53 55 44 42 00 00 11 01 07 00 00 00
 * E9 E2 EB E2 01 BC 20 02 74 7B 0B 00 03 10 20 20
 * 20 20 20 20 20 20 30 30 30 2E 00 30 00 00 00 00
 * 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 00 BF
 * 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 06 00 BF
 * 00 00 00 00 03 01 CF CA

Tom W found that while holding the INFO button down while powering up, or RESET, it will give a verbose debug of the frequenies it is "hunting" on.

Mon Motha got his DCT5000 on 3/19/2003. I haven't done much with it other than take the top off, but I'll update this page as I go. So far I'm just attempting to find some of the missing doc links.

sorphin got both of his DCT-5000's on 3/18/2003, and is doing some digging, also found this link http://24.125.76.224:8000/www.cableboxen.prjct to a page where a guy is working on mapping out how the DCT-2000 and 5000 work.

Here's a list of test points, add to them as they are discovered:


 * TP9 (next to the CPU, towards the back): Pin 76 of CPU - Sys Clock
 * TP11 (Next to U33): SDRAM Clock
 * TP510: Ground

Notes Tim Riker "found":

Connect a straight-through serial cable from the COM1 port on the host computer to the RS-232 port on the target system. Make sure that the RS-232 connector is attached to internal connector labeled J800. 9600-8-n-1

Power ON the target board. When it boots, a # prompt appears.

Enter the following commands at the # prompt:

export BOOTFILE=vmlinus export BOOTHOST= export NETADDR= export NETMASK= export BROADCAST= export ETHERHWADDR=

Tim Riker is not sure if this is after installing a different ROM or something... Still looking.

Ken Mc Guire searches through the binary images of Tim's ROM and [the original ROM] and doesn't find any of the above strings. Nothing comes out his DCT5000's J800 on power-up either.

Here's the DOCSIS configuration file of the box:

NetworkAccess = Yes

Start ClassOfService ClassID = 1 MaxRateDown = 1500000 MaxRateUp = 128000 PriorityUp = 1 GuaranteedUp = 1280 MaxBurstUp = 0 PrivacyEnable = Yes EndOf ClassOfService

MaxCPE = 4