Bricked IXUS 110 IS

I'm using CHDK on powershot camera without any problems. I even uploaded wrong software and then removed battery. Everything OK.

This time, I tried to load CHDK on IXUS 110 IS, firmware update method. I had trouble finding camera firmware number, so I thought I should try the first one for IXUS 110 - ixus110_sd960-100b-1.2.0-3031-full_BETA.zip. It won't overwrite anything, so it should be safe . Stupid me. I have flashed many electronics devices, and this is the first time I have done something so stupid.

Now if I power on camera with power button, Canon writes on the the display, then error E32 appears. Lens are OK. If I power on with play button, only green light blinks.

I have removed battery, standard and internal (button type). Cleared SD card, connected to PC via USB... No success...

Is there anything I could do? Please help...

I had a SX260 that stopped working completely. I thought it was the power button or door closed sensor. I ended up sending it back to Canon under warranty, and they replaced it. You may have to do that.

However, my replacement SX260 recently did the same thing, but I got it to respond by taking the card and battery out, and trying the on switch with just the battery and no card. I had to do this twice, but then the camera came on. But then I realized that I was using the SD card for the G1X, not the SX260. I suspect that this is what happened before.

So it sounds like CHDK is going out of control if you load the wrong version for the camera. This is an easy mistake to make if you have more than one camera.

Maybe Phil or reyalp can figure out a way to check that the camera and CHDK version are compatible at the beginning of the loader before doing anything else?

I have removed battery, standard and internal (button type). Cleared SD card, connected to PC via USB... No success...

Have you tried with no card installed at all? Depending on exactly how you "cleared" the card, it's possible for some remnants of CHDK to be left. The camera should boot with no card and just say "No memory card" or something like that.

If you have tried without a card and still have the problem, let us know, there may be some debugging steps someone here can come up with.

Up to now, there has been no report CHDK causing this kind of harm. That's not to say it is impossible, but it's definitely not a known risk from using the wrong version.

Going from http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Canon_error_codes it looks like E32 is an IS related error. It seems unlikely to me that trying to load the wrong version could cause permanent damage to the IS system, but who knows...

A list of this kind of incident is kept at http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Camera_failures_suspected_to_be_caused_by_CHDK feel free to add yours.

So it sounds like CHDK is going out of control if you load the wrong version for the camera.

I would not jump to the conclusion that the OP's problem was caused by CHDK. It's possible, but there are other possibilities.

Maybe Phil or reyalp can figure out a way to check that the camera and CHDK version are compatible at the beginning of the loader before doing anything else?

For cameras with different diskboot encodings, this is impossible, because the camera simply decodes the image using the wrong keys and tries to execute it. CHDK is never executed. It might be possible to check the PID and possibly firmware version on models that are compatible. However, it's not really clear what could be done at that point, there wouldn't be enough information to shut down cleanly or display a message. You could trigger an exception, but I suspect even the exception handler code would be hosed at that point. maybe a romstarter exception handler?

Yes, I have tried with erased SD, different firmware SD, and without SD card.
If I connect camera to PC with USB, PC don't detect anything attached. Camera acts the same.

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Maybe Phil or reyalp can figure out a way to check that the camera and CHDK version are compatible at the beginning of the loader before doing anything else?

For cameras with different diskboot encodings, this is impossible, because the camera simply decodes the image using the wrong keys and tries to execute it. CHDK is never executed. It might be possible to check the PID and possibly firmware version on models that are compatible. However, it's not really clear what could be done at that point, there wouldn't be enough information to shut down cleanly or display a message. You could trigger an exception, but I suspect even the exception handler code would be hosed at that point. maybe a romstarter exception handler?

It's never easy is it? It would be nice to have a message, but if it's the wrong firmware, I'd be happy for the program just to go into an infinite loop, even if you have to take the battery out to restart it. That would be preferable to executing random code that might end up flashing the camera and bricking it (if that's what's happening).

Yes, I have tried with erased SD, different firmware SD, and without SD card.
If I connect camera to PC with USB, PC don't detect anything attached. Camera acts the same.

One thing to check is whether you can run a "canon basic" script, such as the dumper found here: http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Canon_Basic/Scripts/Dumper

See the card setup link at the top of that page for what you need to do to set up the card.

If it runs, please post the resulting dump. If something has been changed in flash, we may be able to tell from that.

If canon basic runs, it may be possible to suppress the error using the functions discussed in http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/User:Srsa_4c/Working_with_a_broken_camera

If you can't get it to run, we may still be able to do something with a diskboot, but we would need to know what firmware version is on the camera.

If you have a jpeg from the camera from before it was bricked, we should be able to get the firmware version from that.

I have followed your instructions to run cannon basic script, but this is my first time, so I'm little lost.
I used EOScard to create script string, then two files must be on card, script.req and extend.m? Where should be universal dumper?

I used EOScard to create script string, then two files must be on card, script.req and extend.m? Where should be universal dumper?

See http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Canon_Basic#Format_of_the_SD_card for details: script.req should contain that magic string, and extend.m should contain the Canon Basic script (in your case, the dumper).

You need to start the cam in play mode, and make sure the card is _not_ protected by the write protection switch. You can start the script with a short press on the SET button.

A possible problem:
If the cam can't start in play mode due to the failed initialization of the IS, you might not be able to start the script.

The event procedures mentioned in that 'broken camera' wiki page are not available on your camera, unfortunately.

Can you start the cam in clock mode? Press and hold the SET button, then power the cam on with the PLAY button. Does it start and show the 'fancy' clock?

If all the above fails, you can upload a JPEG made by that camera, or you could determine the firmware version yourself with http://www.zenoshrdlu.com/acid/acid.html .

I have prepared SD card, but I can't run it. When I press play button, green light turns on for about half a second, everything else seems dead. I have tried SD card on friends camera - worked OK.

If I press simultaneously play and func. button, green light blinks for about 4 seconds, and there is LCD backlight, but remains dark. I can't bring watch on the display.

Firmware version is 101f.

I have prepared SD card, but I can't run it. When I press play button, green light turns on for about half a second, everything else seems dead. I have tried SD card on friends camera - worked OK.

If I press simultaneously play and func. button, green light blinks for about 4 seconds, and there is LCD backlight, but remains dark. I can't bring watch on the display.

Firmware version is 101f.

Yes, I was afraid of that. Apparently the IS initialization starts early in the boot process and blocks it. I think diskboot will still work, but it will take several tries trying to make even file operations to work (a ROM dump is desperately needed, the camera is a black box without it).

BTW, what's the longest time the camera will stay on (in rec mode I guess) before shutting down with E32?