The Ware for April 2007 is shown below. Click on the image for a much larger version.
My apologies for the lateness of this Ware. I’m in in Shenzhen again, bringing up the production line for Chumbys. The fact that this post is so late is an indication that I don’t have a lot of time out here to shop for wares and post them–but I finally got a chance to go to Luo Hu this weekend and find something that I thought was just entertaining to take apart.
Bonus points to anyone who can correctly guess how much I paid for this Ware (and even more points to someone who can tell me what I should have paid for this Ware based on a BOM analysis–you have to haggle for everything in Luo Hu).
I have a lot of stories from out here, but unfortunately most of them I can’t tell until the Chumby hardware is launched (which is imminent). I’m definitely learning more about this country on my extended stay out here, and when people say they have scars to show for bringing up a product in China, trust that they mean it. It’s been no cakewalk, not to mention I miss my friends and my home terribly, but I’ve been trying to make the best of it out here. I’ll share a few quips and anecdotes in the next post of things that I probably can talk about.
I’d say it’s a video iPod clone, aka MP4 player, with an FM radio, a camera and a mini SD slot built-in. I’ll take a guess that you paid about 350 yuan for it.
I’m going to guess a cheap still/video camera. Sort of like the CVS “recyclable” camcorders available in the US, except this one has removable media.
The AK3221M is a multi-media processor, which plays “…MP4 movies and AAC/AAC+/MP3/WMA/MIDI music, records video with sound, captures still images, supports USB 2.0 host/client, MMC/SD card…”
You can clearly see the USB jack (bottom), microphone (middle left), camera sensor (top center), speaker (upper right), and memory card slot (bottom right). Looks like a Li-ion battery on the far right. Program flash and RAM are near the AK3221M. And on the top right, it looks like maybe a white LED for flash (as in bright light). I don’t see any evidence of an LCD screen, unless it’s mounted on the other side of the PCB.
Price? Hmm, in the US, these went for less than $25, but they were subsidized by the “bring back to the store to get your video/pictures” policy. In China? I’m guessing under $25. I’ll bet the BOM analysis would bring the bill up to $50 or more… These prices assume no LCD, I’d guess a small LCD would add $5-15 if there’s one in it.
Looks like a wireless modem to me…
I think this is an MP3 / video player with a camera and FM radio built-in. Here’s a link to the unit I think it is (as advertised on amazon.co.uk): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Player-Camera-play-video-Screen/dp/B000P1PR48
The camera and speaker are in the same places on this one. Those two headphone jacks at the top line up, as well as the button. I also see a Philips FM receiver chip, an SD slot, and a USB mini connector on the bottom. I also see power wires which appear to lead to a fairly sturdy battery.
Oh, and it appears to have an unpopulated footprint for some internal flash (instead of just using SD flash). Maybe you should grab a flash chip at the big silicon flea market and get it soldered on there to see what happens!
I’ll leave the BOM analysis to somebody else… :)
What I think is most interesting is that it looks like the main SDRAM chip (?) below the speaker and flash, looks like it has been manually reworked (i.e. by hand). I have read stories about reclaimed/recycled components (e.g. there was an article in IEEE spectum some time ago) being used in China. Maybe that’s what happened with this SDRAM chip?
I also think it is video recorder/player. Maybe made by http://www.china-smart.com/ called the PMP. I see a camera on the top.
Hmm.. Anyone see the RX and TX pads on the board between the Flash and SDRAM? Man, I so want to see if those are RS232-LVTTL!!
Who knows, if it runs something like uclinux, you might be able to root the box, or wipe the flash trying… :P
Well, the presence of the camera and the microphone suggested to me immediately that it must be some sort of video recorder; or convergence product with video recorder functionality. The control board has been removed because I can only see a power switch on the side; thus I’m going to have to key this one out from the microphone placement and the cpu.
Searching for AK3221 immediately yielded this result http://www.ecvv.com/product/vp848141/China-MP4-Player.html the ST/M311.
But we can’t confirm it because it’s a picture of the back, and bunnie has a picture of the front!!
I’m almost certain but I need a while to get a frontal shot of the device to confirm it.
Well my first attempt at one of these, and yea I agree with the rest of the crowd, it’s an mp4 player with built in fm. I am going to take a guess at the actual model However will skip the BOM as I know I paid way too much for everything while I was in China.
http://pushplaydigital.com/items/~new-items~/ditaindo253-detail.htm
Thanks for the fun.
Y’know given the plethora of devices that seem to have an identical feature set, and the fact that the product pages actually advertise the model of ANYKA microcontroller.
Could it be that this is some sort of common platform or reference design that many different Chinese MP4 player/cameras are based on?
I am a bit late but I agree with everyone else. Its clearly an MP3 player/camera. I am going to guess an SAMSUNG SV 637. I have no idea how much it went for, maybe in the $100 range.
It has the right profile to be the guts of a videoconferencing rig, but the internals are… overkill?
Where are the Q.C. FAILED stickers?
Kris’s amazon.com link is close, except for the condensor mic which is on the left hand side in the picture, but the hole in the case is on the right hand side in the amazon image.
My analysis: MP4 player (ANKYA) with FM radio (Philips) and a Camera (can see the CCD) and a High Intensity White LED Torch (the big yellow blob) and Voice Recording (the mic) and SD Card save facility.
Oops! The hole is for the speaker. :-p
Should be one of those magical Chinese MP4/MP3 players we see so often in Singapore (Sim Lim Square). Some of them even come in the U2 special edition Ipod box, I bet the box is “real”. The LED is probably there for illumination when u wanna take a picture (kinda like a lame flash). Hmm I don’t know, maybe USD20 for the whole thing?
Looks like a cellphone to me, possibly WM5 based, but Im no expert.
Made a small mistake on my previous comment.
Just search on ebay for “1GB MP3 MP4 PLAYER + CAMERA + SD Slot + FM 881”.
The empty space to the upper left of SD slot is most likely the space for that other 1GB memory
Looks like my earlier replay did not go through.
Kris is right. But on ebay if you search for “1GB MP3 MP4 PLAYER + CAMERA + SD Slot + FM 881″ it has a much better picture. Every thing matches.
I would guess you paid $50 for it. BOM is probably $25
Very intersting device…2.4” screen. MP3/WMA/WMV/MEPG4, 2M Pixels camera. Looks like they improved on the preivous IPOD knock-off you brought to another level. :)
Try this web site for the main chip.
aka AK3221M Mobile Multimedia Application Processor
http://www.anyka.com/EN/ProductContent.aspx?id=41
Supported audio AAC/AAC+/MP3/WMA/MIDI/WAV/AMR
Supported video MPEG4/H.263/M-JPEG
Up to 4M resoution on the CMOS camera.
Nice… TOUCH SCREEN INTERFACE….
USB 2.0
Support for assorted flash…
etc.
Nice development platform. They claim most source code is open.
http://www.anyka.com/EN/ProductContent.aspx?id=27
Hmm… Pocket Karaoke?!?
Looks like it probably has an ARM core. ( ARM926EJ-S )
I bet it can run some Linux.
If the BOM is that cheap, it would be very interesting to see how it could be used/abused in embedded devices like Chumby et-tu.
The spec for this device is as follows:
# 2.4″TFT /240*320 QVGA display
# 2 mega pixel camera function
# two earphone plug.Audio playback function:
# including MP3/MIDI/WMA/WAV/AAC, etc.
# Movie function: support MEPG4 (AVI/ 3GP)
# Picture display: support JPG/GIF/BMP format
# Build-in microphone voice recording.
# A-B repeat function
# Games function and E-book
# With SD/MMC slot.
# Built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion
# Built-in loud speaker
# Support several languages
# USB2.0
# Firmware upgradble .
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/126083
It has 1GB of memory but there is space for another.
The menu button is just above the speaker and the reset button is below. The esc button is the other side just under the mic.
I know this cos I bought one and it broke on day 2. So I did the sensible thing and ripped it apart to see which chips it uses. Mine cost £35
enfoque o lente camera y video
plz can any body help me to find firmware for my (digital mp4 player)
same spec above >proc from anyka (ak3221m)
# 2.4″TFT /240*320 QVGA display
# 2 mega pixel camera function
# two earphone plug.Audio playback function:
# including MP3/MIDI/WMA/WAV/AAC, etc.
# Movie function: support MEPG4 (AVI/ 3GP)
# Picture display: support JPG/GIF/BMP format
# Build-in microphone voice recording.
# A-B repeat function
# Games function and E-book
# With SD/MMC slot.
# Built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion
# Built-in loud speaker
# Support several languages
# USB2.0
“My apologies for the lateness of this Ware. I’m in in Shenzhen again, bringing up the production line for Chumbys. The fact that this post is so late is an indication that I don’t have a lot of time out here to shop for wares and post them–but I finally got a chance to go to Luo Hu this weekend and find something that I thought was just entertaining to take apart.
Bonus points to anyone who can correctly guess how much I paid for this Ware (and even more points to someone who can tell me what I should have paid for this Ware based on a BOM analysis–you have to haggle for everything in Luo Hu).
I have a lot of stories from out here, but unfortunately most of them I can’t tell until the Chumby hardware is launched (which is imminent). I’m definitely learning more about this country on my extended stay out here, and when people say they have scars to show for bringing up a product in China, trust that they mean it. It’s been no cakewalk, not to mention I miss my friends and my home terribly, but I’ve been trying to make the best of it out here. I’ll share a few quips and anecdotes in the next post of things that I probably can talk about. ”
You have the FIRMWARE of this mp4 player with camera?
me help please!
hello
I brought a AK3221M Mobile Multimedia Application Processor by anyka and the disk that has come with it does not seem to work properly! I have been looking on the internet to see if I can install the information to put my music on to this mp4 however it seems impossible. I am running on a windows XP. Can anyone help me please?
becky
little mike
Hey addme i help you donuteater @ gmail dot com
dear Keii Says
my email :barayan2002@yahoo.com
dear Keii : i got yr email thank you so much
I have Sony Mpeg4 player Made in Japan as called on it,
with cammera 3.6Mpix. 1Gb memory ,SD slot
when press Menu key and put in USB , Windows Xp need Inf for 2 Usb device that cannot Known??!!!!
where can i find that drives????
to backup firnware from 16Mb memory.
I have a MP4 player same as the photo. 2.5 inch canmera radio etc but cannot find the bios firmware. Can anyone assist with a download location please. I have been on to the original chinese website and requested help but nothing happens.
Best regards to all.
Tim.
Does anybody monitor this site or am I alone? Where is everybody?
Anybody who has a problem with their mp4 player most especially ankya should contact me.i can give u detailed tutorials to put it back 2gether and trust me,these players look eak,but nothing short of a fire can put them out.You just have to upgrade firmware to get rid of that chinese gumby programming.Dont even bother trying with the mini installation cd u buy along with it,looks like they all are hunched up with a couple of trojans.
denskeet@yahoo.com
Can someone tell me where is the battery placed so I can replace them with a new one…
i can’t open my player u2 clone !!!!!!! in bios mode for an upgrade ,can someone tell me how can I???
actualy i got two of these
this is an mp4 player. but the surprisig thing is that one has an empty slot
for a chip and it has a capacity of 1gb and the other has the chip missing
in the first one but it’s capacity is 512mb
the chip at the top left is the camera chip
the top right chip is for the memory
the bottom left chip (missing in picture)is a memory chip
the bottom right chip i sfor the firmware
actualy i bought a 4gb chip and i soldered it in the empty slot
and the result came that i had to upgrade the firmware and when
i did it the mp4 player had a capacity of not 5gb but only 4gb
it appears tha this type of pmp uses only the empty slot if availble
Can anyone suggest from where to get firmware upgrade for Ankya Mp4 player the one shown at top of page.
Nice post. Thanks for sharing these tips.