Config.txt File

Introduction

Radios have a configuration file, which is named ConfigXXXX.txt, where XXXX is the hardware number of the radio, which you can find with 'Configure / Version'. For example, an IR-100 is 1012. The Radios page has known hardware numbers.

The configuration file can be changed to enable/disable certain features. Some of these may add a feature a particular user finds useful. For example, those using the alarm clock may prefer it to be higher in the menu structure, or the history feature might be useful to get back to a recent stream.

In addition to enabling / disabling features, the configuration file also tells the radio which software modules to load. These include network drivers, lcd display drivers etc... If you change these entries, it is possible that your radio will be unable to boot / unable to start the network / unable to display things on the lcd display. please DO NOT simply copy another config.txt file over the top of yours, hoping that your radio will take on the features of another manufacturers - the answer is that it will, including trying to load the wrong drivers

Apply the sharpfin patch, see Enabling Login

• Log into the radio using telnet (user & password = admin)
• Look in('chdir /root/hwconfig/') /root or /root/hwconfig, depending on the current firmware version of your radio
• Find your configxxxx.txt file (The xxxx is the Hardware Id, which you can find in 'Configure / Version')
• Look in it and others in the same directory to work out what modifications you wish to make (such as enabling alarms)
• Issue the command 'mount / -orw,remount' to unprotect the partition
• Edit the configxxxx.txt file with 'vi configxxxx.txt'
• ':i<ENTER>' to enter Insert mode
• Double Check your edits
• Now treble check them!
• Hit <ESC> to leave Insert Mode and enter Command mode
• ':w<ENTER>' To write current file (if you are sure and wish to save it)
• ':q!<ENTER>' To exit 'vi'
• Write protect the drive with 'sync;mount / -oro,remount'
• Reboot the radio

Comments on the Config.txt file

Simbo has provided a list of lots of the Configuration Variables here: Config_Options_List

Space for commented config.txt file (can others add information as it is known and relevant comments please )

Confirmed edits to /root/hwconfig/config1012.txt on a Logik IR-100:

Option:
stations-history
on

Option:
history-size
20

...shows the last 20 streams listened to. History info gets stored in: /root/config/PRE_history.ini, and persists after a power cycle.

 Option:
sleep-timer-upper-limit
86400

...increases sleep timer to a maximum of 24 hours. Value in seconds (M0AUR).

Option:
standby-text
YourTextHere

...replaces the 'Reciva Radio' text in standby. Use of UTF-8 encoded text in the private which is defined as special symbols in the reciva LCD driver (published by reciva as part of the GPL kernel source) is known to brick the radio. Other non-ASCII text may also have this effect, and there may be a length limit, so you should have a backup strategy before venturing beyond simple short ASCII sequences. 'Internet Radio' which is 14 charaters is OK.

Option:
clock-in-config-menu
on

...adds Clock in Configure. - Did not appear when used with Firmware v. 257-a-421-a-057 Showing here with FW 257-a-421-a-057 Simbo99 22:58, 20 January 2008 (CET)

Option:
clock-dst-menu
on

...adds DST(„Daylight Saving Time“) On/Off to Clock menu.

Option:
clock-format-menu
on

...lets you change from 24hr to AM/PM - Clock will default to 24hr if there is an active alarm.

Option:
stereo-mode
stereo

Option:
stereo-mode-menu
on

...this adds a Stereo menu in Configure with Stereo/Mono options.

Option:
aux-menu
on

...this adds the menu option Equalisation under Configure & with Treble -14/+14 and Bass -14/+14 - it did nothing to the treble/bass on an IR-100 & IPdio (962).

Option:
contrast-menu
on

...adds the menu option Contrast under Configure & counts up/down with the wheel, doesn't alter the contrast on an IR-100.

Option:
volume-control
on

Option:
initial-volume
28

...whilst listening to a stream, the wheel alters the volume with an on-screen graphic to indicate min/max Volume. Not much use on an IR-100 - which has the audio-amp volume knob. - Easiest to use with 'official' volume control at maximum and use select knob only - NOTE: This leads to a slightly audible background crackle even at low volumes.

I believe the 'initial-volume' refers to the volume of the alarm, changing the value does not appear to have any effect on an IR100 with 257-a-421-a-057 FW.

The initial-volume is the software-volume level when the radio comes out of standby.Simbo99 22:58, 20 January 2008 (CET)

( Please edit / add more configuration options as known )

From "grepping" through the configxxx.txt

Option:
alarm-clock
off|config1|config2|no-alarm

off: no clock at all, no-alarm: just a clock, no alarm. config1&config2: alarm clock functionality enabled, difference between settings not yet known. 'config1' = alarm goes straight to radio without buzzer (IR100 257-a-421-a-057)

Option:
number-of-alarms
5

This allows you to set multiple alarms and choose weekdays, weekends etc and whether to use the buzzer or a preset - NOTE - Any selected preset must remain tuned to the same channel for the alarm to continue to tune to radio - NOTE - All alarms start with a buzzer, which sounds for 20-30 secs and then tunes to a chosen station, which as to be selected from the 5 presets - Can be switched at will by pressing the Select knob. Buzzer can be disabled by using the alarm clock/config2 hack above.

Some configxxxx.txt files have 10 as the number of alarms, I have not tried anything above five though!

Option:
power-on-select-key
on

This allows a select spinner press to turn the radio on

Option:
menu-timeout
10

This controls how long a menu is shown before dropping back to the now playing screen

Option:
back-as-menu-item
on

Adds a <<Back option to every menu

Option:
presets-as-menu-items
on

This shows Twelve presets in "Stations" list. To store a station on any of the presets: Listen to a stream, go (back) to "Stations", scroll to an empty preset, long press on the select spinner - station stored. To listen to a station on these new presets: From "Stations", scroll to desired preset then short press select spinner.

Option:
off-in-main-menu
on

This shows an off option at the bottom of the main menu

Option:
long-select-action
popup

This enables an equalizer menu accessed with a long press of the Select button - Note this is visible but completely non functional on the IR100.

 Option:
 snooze-key
 power

This option produces a 5min snooze on the alarm when you press the power key, I guess it could be mapped elsewhere, the alarm time shown in brackets advances 5 mins to confirm,

IR100 - FW v.257-a-421-a-057 - This works, but makes switching off by the power button rather difficult - the radio seems confused as to what it is supposed to do, press once and sound will break up for about 30secs before powering down.

I also detected a change in the level (up) of the transformer hum while trying this one.

 Option:
 force-metadata
 on

Depending on the station/stream etc, you get track and artist information as a scrolling line - directly after the "REAL ENABLED" it will read something like "REAL ENABLED - xxxx artist - xxx track" This is totally dependent on the stream/podcast station and what they decide to transmit.

Option:
show-busy-bar-on-samba-scan
on

Shows a busy-bar instead of filenames as samba scans a share for media.

Option:
acpoweron-state
network

...on AC power on, radio connects to network then goes to standby, staying connected to network. Only works if "Go to standby after power cycle" under 'My Radios' on the Reciva site is *unticked*.

Option:
dynamic-mute
off

...(Can someone else try this & confirm then delete/edit this text - taa Simbo99) Keeps the audio amp powered on, so doesn't chop first few seconds of MP3s. Makes Modifying time delay when starting a track redundant?

Cannot comment on mp3s from PC, but it does look like it works! I logged onto an MP3 stream which plays a set file (beatlesradio.com) before you get the stream and for the first time, had the whole thing! (Tried on two IR100s with 257-a-421-a-057 FW.). A comment on the discussion list from "JohnR" suggests that this is not a total fix; it alters things, but there is still a loss of a few seconds at the start of tracks from a Twonky media server (which does not have the delays when used to other devices).

I noticed this problem with Twonky (it would miss off the first 15 secs of each track. I then tried TVersity and this seems to work perfectly (just need to set the Media Playback device as "Windows Media Center").

BAD news about this one, IR100 FW 257-a-421-a-057 - after a couple of days, I noticed a background crackling, which I could not put up with, after editing this config out, it dissapeared, It is worse when the radio is silent, for example when searching for media,butseems to be there all the time, also very noticable on Radio 4, which seems to have a hiss of its own as well. The problem was worse on one radio than the other, so some may possibly not have it at all. I don't know much about electronics, but my best guess is that the config was set up in the original way to hide a quality control issue at the factory.

I noticed this crackling on an unmodified IR100 when listening to quiet audio (eg Radio 4 or Radio 3). I then noticed that the crackling sound corresponded exactly to the activity light on my WiFi access point - it was the WiFi dongle impacting on the speaker (like the transformer hum problem). I moved the dongle to the other side of the radio and this removed the crackling noise. The above config mod works a treat .... I've been using my IR100 with TVersity to listen to audio from my PC and the 'dynamic-mute off' has cured the 3 second mute at the start of each track. Good work you guys.

Option:
long-browse-press-clears-media-queue
on

...While streaming media from a PC, this allows you to clear the media queue without having to go back up the menus. Very usefull if you stream media!

Option:
hierarchical-locations
on

Organizes the station browser into the not very loved 'continent' order. Answer: Is there a change on the IR100?--Tim 20:12, 22 January 2008 (CET) - If you are running FW v.257-a-421-a-057, which misses the continent step out rfcvb72 19:19, (GMT) 22 January 2008

Option:
preset-poweron
on

Any preset switches on the radio from standby, but infuriatingly only opens the top menu, so pretty much useless until someone can work out another command (if there is one) to make it tune straight to the desired station. (IR100 v.257-a-421-a-057)

Option:
scrobbling
on

No effect at all on and IR100 v.257-a-421-a-057 , but no harm either. I think that this may be intended for devices which include an ipod dock, as LastFM features 'Scrobbling' of ipods.

Changes to /root/hwconfig/all_radios.txt

Most if not all models seem to refer to this file in their main config, so it's contents are presumably referenced as if they were in the main configxxx.txt

Option:
reply-button-function
on

Pressing the reply button when tuned to a stream calls up an add to favourites menu, which adds the stream to 'My Stations' on the radio and your Reciva account.

It may work if you place it in the main configxxx.txt for your radio, but I have not tested it.

Tested on a IR100 with v.257-a-421-a-057 firmware, the text was already there, I just had to change the instruction from 'off' to 'on'

The only radio I know of with this feature as standard is the Tangent Quattro with up to date firmware.

Suggested combinations for various radios

The following known to work well and provide sensible User Interface benefits to Radio owners:

IR 100 with firmware 257-a-421-a-057 (Can someone enter a set of sensible suggestions ?)

Max:
clock-dst-menu:on | back-as-menu-item:on | number-of-alarms:5 | alarm-clock:config1 |  
back-as-menu-item: on

"number-of-alarms" is very useful

Rfcvb72 - IR 100 with firmware 257-a-421-a-057 - I have these mods running on two IR100's at the moment
clock-dst-menu:on | back-as-menu-item:on | number-of-alarms:5 | alarm-clock:config1 |  
back-as-menu-item: on | off-in-main-menu: on | stations-history (20)| power-on-select | dynamic-mute: off | 

And in /root/hwconfig/all_radios.txt:

reply-button-function: on

The only problem I have had is with the snooze function on the power button, which caused shutdown problems, might work better if mapped to another button, but then if you cant find the button, why have a snooze function?

Favourites are: number-of-alarms:5 | alarm-clock:config1 | power-on-select | dynamic-mute: off
all of which make a real difference to the user experience.

How to turn off wireless on standby

As noted on Bill888's support page, the Ipdio (962) uses less power on standby (2.9 watts vs. 7 watts), due to it's wireless being switched off.

A quick look through config962.txt threw up the following:

# --------------------------------------------
# Turn off wifi power in standby - start
# --------------------------------------------

Option:
soft-power-down
mode2

Option:
wireless-ethernet-connector
2

Option:
wireless-ethernet-pin
32

# --------------------------------------------
# Turn off wifi power in standby - end
# --------------------------------------------

I pasted this into config1012.txt, below the last 'Option' string and above the driver info and now my wireless is off when the radio is on standby, the dongle usb does not blink and I cannot ping from a command prompt or access the Sharpfin webserver.

Interestingly, the radio seems to switch on to connect and switch off much quicker now, which seems a bit contrary.

Presumably it is using less power as well, though I don't have a meter to test it with. It will be intersting to see if the radio uses less power switched on as per the ipdio as well.

This also has the benefit for those of us with external dongles of not leaving a hot, powered up dongle where little hands can find it when the radio is not in use.

ADVICE: IF YOU WANT TO COPY/PASTE THIS, COPY IT OVER FROM config962.txt TO config1012.txt FROM ONE VI WINDOW TO ANOTHER. COPYING IN WINDOWS TEXT FORMAT DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK.

AND MAKE SURE YOU CHECK IT!

Note: I've tested it with a lan-adapter[cable] and it's working great! (Radio:IR100) --Tim 20:33, 22 January 2008 (CET)

After changing "soft-power-down","wireless-ethernet-connector","wireless-ethernet-pin":
Power consumption(230V):
Working->Volume=min ->47,7mA
Working->Volume=max ->approx 60mA(depends on radio station/programm, tested with BBC1
Standby ->41,1mA
Unplugged the lan-adapter-> 41,1mA
--Tim 21:51, 22 January 2008 (CET)

Further notes and observations

This thread on the Reciva website has a few clues ( which may now all be explained above ).

Here is a screen shot from a display with changes to the configXXXX.txt file http://sharpfin.zevv.nl/images/1/14/LCD-menu.jpg