What can I do with my semi-functional PW3 motherboard to help people out?

[coplate]

Originally Posted by encol

Any progress on the USB Boot switch?

No luck so far. I soldered a switch to it, and when I have it connected, nothing useful seems to happen differently from normal boot.

In diags mode this option is always there though, I haven't tried hitting it

Menu
====
3. Load MMC0 over USB storage
4. Erase MMC0
I. Initialize Partition Table (fdisk) and format FAT
O. Format and overwrite FAT partition
E. Export FAT partition
U. Update using update*.bin file on FAT partition
M. Update using update*.bin file on FAT partition of second MMC port
D. dmesg / kernel printk ring buffer.
Q. quit

[knc1]

Stay away from option "4" - it works, no need to test it.

Search for the thread with "Fastboot" in its title - that is a long thread about recovering a device from "Erase All".

Additional information here and posts following:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...29&postcount=9

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by knc1

Same reason you keep every recipe you meet?
I suppose that is reason enough.

Actually I have rehomed over 1000 recipes.
But yes, you never know when you might need a cord or a chicken recipe.

Now back to the OP,
Are you having fun learning about your motherboard?

[coplate]

Is anyone aware of someone hitting that 'Load MMC0 over USB storage' option on pw2 or higher?. I know I've read threads about updating using the FAT partition.

[coplate]

Mixed news.

Good news.
There are serial pads on the back!

Tp800 an tp801.

Bad news. I ripped of the on/off pads on the front.

Good news. The power switch still works, and I can use a jumper on that.

Bad news, the jumper is also cursed :-)

What's the current state of non-amazon OS being flashed and booted with bootm?

[encol]

Originally Posted by coplate

No luck so far. I soldered a switch to it, and when I have it connected, nothing useful seems to happen differently from normal boot.

maybe it can work in conjuction with another switch (for example "USB boot"+"On/Off")?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by coplate

No luck so far. I soldered a switch to it, and when I have it connected, nothing useful seems to happen differently from normal boot.

Well, now, that depends on where you look.
So tell us, where/how you are looking for something different?

Don't expect any change to what you see over the serial port, not unless the USB boot is successful.
The USB boot (like the other, working boot mode) is performed by the SoC rom code, which is normally serial port silent (the serial port isn't programmed to work yet).

Have you read the ARM/ARM section on booting the i.MX6 devices?
(ARM Reference Manual)

[coplate]

I was looking in the serial log, but part of what is the same, is that it boots into the image on the mmc, instead of pausing or anything.

It looks like I actually ripped the pads off of that on this board too ( I'm not a delicate man ), and so I did do some attempts with the replacement board, but I didn't want to dig too hard at my working one.

I'm sure some of you have already noticed, but I'm pretty sure this is not just a normal jumper., there are a lot of little components on both sides of it, that makes me think it probably needs some kind of signal attached to it?


Well, I should have kept reading in the thread you linked for the KT2 exposed, you talk a lot about the 'cb lines' and control lines on the microFTX for the usb boot and the ones on the on/off and reset pads.

It was nice to find most of the pins on the bottom of the board that matched up to serial and the switch, those are alot easier to solder to than the little ones in the debug pad, and that makes me more hopeful that the same will be true on the Oasis, that there are pads on the back that people will eventually find.


I think Right now I cam going to put a pin in this, unless people want to send me concrete ideas to test on it.

Between all the damage I've done to it ( Water damage, pads de-soldered and ripped off, connectors melted ), it might be time to just frame it and hang it on the wall.

[knc1]

I think I have several threads on connecting to the serial port pads.

But the key point you should try -
with the wires strip'd, position the strip'd portion where you want it, put tape directly on top of where the connection will be -
Keep pressing them firmly in place so they don't move -
Put loop in the wires -
Place a drop of 5-minute epoxy on the wire loop -
Continue to press the wires so they don't move until this strain relief blob sets up.

NOW you can carefully remove the tape to uncover where you need to solder.

Position, Temporarily tape, strain relief, remove tape, solder <<-- that order.

[coplate]

I figure I can upload the pictures of what my board looks like now, as a warning to everyone else.

On the back of the board, I found the pads for the serial, they were labelled TM800 and TM801, this matches the 'P800 SERIAL DEBUG' listed on the front of the board. If I didn't cross the wireds board RX is on top, board TX is on bottom, matching the front. ( circled in purple )

On the back of the board the power switch is available on TM1351, I cannot match that to anything.( circled in blue )

On the big picture of my whole setup, the Orange Diamonds on the front are where the pads are on the back.

I also attached all the pads I destroyed and completely ripped off, the brown circles are where pads and entire traces are missing from.