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  • Author Author: moreati
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Screen mirroring a Moto Z to HDMI, with the Moto Mod Development Kit (MDK)

moreati

After much messing around I've achieved my initial goal: getting the Moto Z to display on an HDTV.

image

Ingredients

  1. Moto Z, Moto Z Force, or Moto Z Play phone
  2. Moto Mods Developer Kit (MDK)
  3. SlimPort Micro-USB to HDMI adapter
  4. HDMI cable
  5. HDTV
  6. MDK Utility app (from the Play Store)
  7. MDK-COMPUTE firmware for the MDK (nuttx.tftf)
  8. Bent paperclip

 

Instructions

  1. Install MDK Utility on your phone
  2. Download the MDK-COMPUTE firmware (nuttx.tftf)

    I assert this firmware was built by me from Motorola sources. However I've not tested beyond a single trial, which seemed to work. It could brick your MDK, or your phone, or your TV, kill your dog and burn your house to the ground.

  3. Detach the MDK from your phone, remove any board or personality card
  4. Set dip switches A1 & A3 to ON (i.e. closest to the camera cutout).
  5. Set the remaining dip switches to OFF.
  6. Reattach the MDK to your phone.
  7. Launch MDK Utility.
  8. Set the Mode to Developer Mode (if it's not already so).
  9. Click Select FIle(s) and choose the MDK-COMPUTE firmware (nuttx.tftf) that you downloaded.
  10. Click Perform Update.
  11. MDK Utility will ask you to confirm you wish to install this unsecure (i.e. unsigned) firmware. If you are sure then click continue.

    If you are in any way uncertain about this procedure, or the firmware then click Cancel.

  12. In a few seconds you should get a pop up saying Firmware update succeeded.
  13. Check that the Moto Mods Status at the top of the screen reads
    NameMDK-COMPUTE
    VID0x00000042
    PID0x00000001
    Firmware0x00000001
    Package NameDefault
  14. Plug the Slimport adapter into USB-3 (micro USB) port on the MDK
  15. Plug the HDMI lead into the Slimport adapter and your TV
  16. On your TV select the appropriate HDMI input
  17. Unlock your phone, the screen should now be mirrored on your TV

 

FAQ

How do I build the firmware myself?

It is the unmodified MDK COMPUTE example.

  1. Setup your build environment as per Embedded Firmware Development
  2. Download the source, stopping at build/install kconfig-mconf as per Developer Tools: Build from source: Build Firmware.
  3. Build NuttX with the following commands

    $ export PATH=$PATH:$BUILD_TOP/manifesto:$BUILD_TOP/bootrom-tools
    $ cd $BUILD_TOP/nuttx/nuttx
    $ make distclean
    $ cd $BUILD_TOP/nuttx/nuttx/tools
    $ ./configure.sh hdk/muc/compute
    $ cd $BUILD_TOP/nuttx/nuttx
    $ make

  4. You're done, the firmware is built as nuttx.tftf
  • in reply to ryanmarshallga

    That looks like an interesting product!

    I did a lot of googling when I bought my Moto Z3 for a product like this but only found this article.  Maybe this HDMI converter cable did not exist yet?

    I now have more advanced smart TV's and don't need to connect my phone any longer.  Funny how problems tend to solve themselves if you just wait long enough ;-)

  • The slimport connection is rather ficky. Bump it slightly and it looses HDMI signal.

  • in reply to jcreyf

    Update: I ran into the issue 2 times over the last month where I probably didn't pull the phone cleanly away from the mod, causing the phone to lock up and freeze completely.  I then got the bright blue screen with Moto logo and wouldn't respond to any buttons or touches.  The only way to get it to shut down and eventually start up again, was doing a hard reboot of the phone (pressing down 'volume up' + 'volume down' + 'power' for several seconds).

    I think that's quite nasty!  It's very easy to shift the mod a little to either left or right as you attach it to the phone or remove it, with the potential of connectors hitting something they don't like and puke by freezing up like this.

  • I bought the Moto Z3 and sadly moved to an area where internet connection is not guaranteed / stable enough for Google's Chromecast to work properly all the time.  My home network is in perfect shape and fast ... but Chromecast needs to "call home" over the web every so many seconds and throws a fit like a toddler if it can't and then goes on strike.

    I've tried many different things to try cast video from my cell phone to the TV but nothing worked flawlessly until I found Alex's notes on how he got mirroring to work through the Moto Mod Developer Kit.

    I ordered the kit from Element14 and spent a couple hours setting up a development environment and build the nuttx firmware.

    I hooked up my phone; followed Alex's steps and it works fine!  Both video and audio are now transferred through USB to HDMI.  No more need for Chromecast or any other protocol that requires internet access.

     

    Note though that it only works on my 4K UHD TV (3840 x 2160) and fails on my 1080p TV! (1920 x 1080)

    The Moto Z3 has a native resolution of 2160 x 1080, which is slightly more than 2K (2048 x 1080).

    The MDK + firmware seem to mirror the phone's screen pixel for pixel without any translation between resolutions.  So you need a monitor that can handle the phone's resolution!

    I started looking into either reducing the phone's resolution to 1080p or to alter the MDK firmware to convert the resolution in the MDK to 1080p but haven't been successful (yet).

    It's probably easier to just retire the 1080p TV and replace it with another 4K.