Question on the term "Brick"...

I've searched the Forum and I don't see a clear definition of what "Brick" means?

It seems something like a bad mod and the unit freezes?

If "Bricking" happens, is the unit toast?

Can't you just reset it somehow and start from factory specs?

I'll be doing my first mods here soon and I just want to make sure I understand this....

Also...

What is the most common cause for Bricking?

How does someone avoid Bricking?

Thanks in advance!

Robert

PS

Just bought my girlfriend a F900 and had it installed yesterday with the hardwire bypass...she's lovin it. We both have F900's in our cars and I can't recommend them enough...and a HUGE thank you again to everyone here on the forum for helping

well usually when you brick a device its no longer functioning but some people say its bricked if they cant simply find an easy way to fix it, ive never had problems modding my headunit so you might wanna hear from some people that might of.... if there are any

4. brick 268 up, 71 down love ithate it

 

As verb: to brick something. This is the action of rendering any small-medium size electronic device useless. This can happen whilst changing the firmware, soldering or any other process involving either hardware of software.

I bricked my mobile phone when I tried to install Linux on it.

My analogy/quote would be:

"I see you're using your F90BT as a doorstop because you messed with the software without reading the AVIC411 forums and thus bricked it."

4. brick 268 up, 71 down love ithate it

 

As verb: to brick something. This is the action of rendering any small-medium size electronic device useless. This can happen whilst changing the firmware, soldering or any other process involving either hardware of software.

I bricked my mobile phone when I tried to install Linux on it.

 

My analogy/quote would be:

 

"I see you're using your F90BT as a doorstop because you messed with the software without reading the AVIC411 forums and thus bricked it."

but why couldnt you just wipe everything out and reflash it? i understand what bricking means, just not why it cant be reflashed to factory specs..

Because if mess up enough of the FLASH it will no longer be able to boot up far enough to be able to read your FLASH card. Therefore, you no longer have a way to reprogram it to fix it. If you don't believe this, just erase all of the internal FLASH and try it yourself. Of course, the Pioneer factory and service center have more direct ways to reprogram the internal FLASH.

Sometimes, even that is not possible. For example, some devices have microcontrollers that have their own internal FLASH memory. Part of the memory configures the device. If you program the wrong configuration into the device, it is no longer able to run, even enough to allow the configuration to be reprogrammed. Such chips are then bricked, and have to be replaced.

Or in other terms...... a paperweight!

Because if mess up enough of the FLASH it will no longer be able to boot up far enough to be able to read your FLASH card. Therefore, you no longer have a way to reprogram it to fix it. If you don't believe this, just erase all of the internal FLASH and try it yourself. Of course, the Pioneer factory and service center have more direct ways to reprogram the internal FLASH.

 

Sometimes, even that is not possible. For example, some devices have microcontrollers that have their own internal FLASH memory. Part of the memory configures the device. If you program the wrong configuration into the device, it is no longer able to run, even enough to allow the configuration to be reprogrammed. Such chips are then bricked, and have to be replaced.

wow.. thats pretty cool.. well i mean not if it happens to us but pretty cool none the less.

Brick means it's totally fried, in other words it functions a well as a brick (a material used in construction)

like my amp is bricked after my trunk filling up with 5 gallons of water yesterday.. dam bodyshop...

brick = door stop = useless piece of crap = broken ... get the point?