[TheNeedforRead]

Thanks knc1.

Everything goes perfectly to the end of Step 3.

I am stuck on Step 4.

1. Get into the diagnostics boot
Turn on your kindle, and watch the blank putty window you have open.
As soon as text starts appearing in the window, begin tapping keys on your keyboard.

For me, the Putty window stays totally blank.

Notes:

-By step 4 the Kindle is attached in 'USB Drive mode' according to the screen, and attempts to power it on by pressing the power button have no effect.

-Since I can't physically access the Kindle screen to attempt a screen reboot (it is face down on a glass table, and is impossible to move without shifting the pins), I have tried repeatedly rebooting by holding the power button

-On the first two attempts I left the kindle attached by it's micro-usb, since the instructions to eject it don't appear at this step. Just in case, on 3rd and 4th tries I attempted to boot with micro usb detached.

I believe I have followed all preceding steps very carefully. To describe the steps I have completed is to describe the steps instructed... but of course I have perhaps overlooked something.

I have started from scratch four times. I am confident that the serial/board connections are sound because I am able to obtain the 'fionaxxx' password each time via Python.
(edit: perhaps, if TX is transmission and RX is receiving, the TX pin is loose. checking now..)