# Olympus vn-240pc flash based voice recorder

## salmonix

Hi there, 

I have  an Olympus vn-240pc digital voice recorder. It is flash based, but that is the most I have been able to figure out. It manages 4 folders, the 4th with subfolders.

The problem is how to manage it from a PPC gentoo.

lsusb says>

 *Quote:*   

> Bus 002 Device 003: ID 15d9:0a33  
> 
> Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
> 
> Bus 001 Device 006: ID 07b4:020d Olympus Optical Co., Ltd Digital Voice Recorder VN-240PC
> ...

 

dmesg says>

 *Quote:*   

> adb: finished probe task...
> 
> ohci_hcd 0001:10:18.0: auto-wakeup
> 
> usb 1-1: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 6
> ...

 

The usbdev1.6_ep* devices appeare in /dev, but when I try to mount them I have a non block device error.

Sure, this is flash based, but I have no clue how to manage them, how to get info about the driver I might use. I would like to suck the files on my ppc somehow.

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## dch24

Hi salmonix,

I'm sorry, but it's not a USB mass storage device. It doesn't have linux support. Would you like to write a driver for it?

http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/showproduct.php/product/2161

It doesn't have mac support either, so if a linux driver were written, the mac community would be happy to know it.  :Smile: 

It might be possible to get the Windows driver to run in Wine...

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## salmonix

Damn....

I'm not a programmer... only slightly  :Sad: 

Where to start writing a driver?  :Embarassed: 

Actually this piece is not working even under winXP 64bit. I can not really use wine for I run PPC........

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## dch24

Well, contact Olympus and ask them if they will give you the documentation. Linux drivers can even be done under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), and if you successfully negotiate with Olympus to get the information, I'll write the driver.  :Smile: 

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## salmonix

 *dch24 wrote:*   

> Well, contact Olympus and ask them if they will give you the documentation. Linux drivers can even be done under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), and if you successfully negotiate with Olympus to get the information, I'll write the driver. 

 

OK. I have sent them a mail asking about any method on connecting the recorder to linux or the type of their flash drive. A response if promised by monday. If it is negative I'll try to negotiate on getting the documentation. 

anyway, I really sorry that my programming competence is below attempting to write a driver... ( i wouldn't mind changing it some way.)

Hope the bests...

And great offer,dch24!

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## salmonix

(PS. It starts under wine on a PC........ That's all about 64bitXP, folks...)

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## salmonix

The Olympus recorder software offers .wav files at the end. It requires IMA ADPCM codec to achieve it.

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## dch24

Hi salmonix,

Glad that you got it working under wine. That's a good sign. I'm going to be out of town next week, but I'll check this thread when I get back. (So ... if Olympus wants to provide documentation, perhaps under NDA, let's work on that on or around 1 March)

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## salmonix

 *dch24 wrote:*   

> Hi salmonix,
> 
> Glad that you got it working under wine. That's a good sign. I'm going to be out of town next week, but I'll check this thread when I get back. (So ... if Olympus wants to provide documentation, perhaps under NDA, let's work on that on or around 1 March)

 

Well, I apologise: I was exaggerating. The software starts under wine and drops an error message saying that IMA-ADPCM codec should be enabled. Now, under 64bit windows it does not start. As I have learned win64bt is rather weak at managing 16bit software (I experienced it before), and this codec seems to be a 16bit one. That is why it seems to be a piece of decoration under XP64bit in my case - it does not start. The Olympus software is not complaining because this codec is enabled for XP64bit. But still can not start.

It dropped this message of course running from Wine, 'cause maybe it was looking for the sofrware. I hope it tries to access it independetly and not through the OS - I do not know how mature is the IMAP impementation for Wine. I'll ask WineHQ. 

That is correct.

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## dbs

Hey,

Are you guys still waiting on the specifications from Olympus, did they even respond?  I am interested in working on a linux kernel module for the Olympus vn-240pc, and would be happy to contribute.  Please let me know.

Regards,

dbs

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## salmonix

dbs,

No, I have no response. I have mailed to their Taiwan centre, USA centre, and called and mailed the local regional country representatives. They promised me to forward my request but nothing has happened.

Probably corporate ignorance, probably background licence agreement with MS (though their driver did not work on XP64bit for me, so probably the former.)

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