[Report] BTV9 (S905X p212) - Success

[rickmschulz]

Device Information

• Name: BTV9 (TV Box common in Brazil)
• SOC: Amlogic S905X
• RAM: 1GB
• Board ID: p212 (Generic)

Installation Success Report

• Image Used: Armbian_25.11.0_amlogic_s905x_noble_6.1.158_server
• DTB File: meson-gxl-s905x-p212.dtb
• Install Script ID: 109 (T95, XiaoMI-3S, X96)
• Status: Fully working.
  • Boot from USB
  • Install to eMMC (Internal Storage)
  • Ethernet
  • Wi-Fi (Untested/Not needed for Server)

Notes:
The BTV9 works perfectly using the generic T95/X96 configuration (ID 109).
Please consider adding "BTV9" to the description for ID 109 or 105 to help future users!

Edit: Installation Note:
For booting into Armbian, I found that the physical reset button (toothpick method) did not work. I had to use the "Reboot to LibreELEC" APK from Android to successfully trigger the boot from USB.

[ophub]

Thanks for sharing your work! Your post is excellent—very well-organized and nicely illustrated. Kudos to you! I'll add this device to the support list today.

[ophub]

The device you shared has already been added: 9c8cac0

Is the Ethernet port on this device Gigabit or 100Mbps?

Do you have the stock Android firmware (ROM) for this device? If so, could you please share the download link?

Also, do you know the location of the shorting points for unbricking? If you do, could you please mark them on a photo of the board?

Thanks.

[rickmschulz]

Ethernet Speed: It is 100Mbps. (I verified this by running ethtool eth0 directly on the device).

Stock Firmware: Unfortunately, I don’t have the stock firmware image. I didn’t perform a full backup using armbian-ddbr before the installation (which I definitely should have), so the original Android ROM is no longer available.

Shorting Points: I have not opened the device case, so I cannot provide a photo of the board or identify the maskrom shorting points at this time. I identified the hardware specs (p212 board, S905X) using software tools (CPU-Z and SSH).

Since the device is currently running in production as my DNS server (Pi-hole), I cannot dismantle it right now. However, if I manage to find a firmware dump or open the device in the future, I will post an update.

Edit: Please note that I am not a specialist in this subject. If I have misunderstood any of your questions or if the information provided is incomplete, please feel free to correct me.

[ophub]

Okay, thanks for sharing.

When installing Armbian or OpenWrt on TV boxes, it often requires trial and error to find the right build, which involves frequent flashing. That is why the first person to test a device usually finds the original stock Android image first to ensure there is a fallback plan.

Additionally, entering flash mode often requires shorting specific pins on the motherboard. So, whenever I come across a TV box, I ask the original contributor if they have the corresponding stock Android firmware and a diagram of the shorting points. I archive these in a repository for long-term preservation. This makes it convenient for future users with the same device to restore the Android system or unbrick their devices when needed.

Here is the download link for the backed-up Android images and flashing tools: https://github.com/ophub/kernel/releases/tag/tools

[rickmschulz]

​I edited the main post to add information about the boot method, which I forgot to include earlier.

​Perhaps I was lucky that I did not brick it on the first try given my inexperience! Thanks.