Help unbricking PW1

[dom123dom]

Originally Posted by knc1

./fastboot
Read and follow the output messages.

Thanks, was trying that yesterday and getting this:

ubuntukindle:~/Documents# ./fastboot
bash: ./fastboot: No such file or directory

hence I tried the chmod as I thought maybe permissions.

However this morning I looked it up and seems to be missing 32 bit libraries so I ran these:

sudo apt-get install lib32ncurses5
sudo apt-get install lib32z1

now ./fastboot returns it's possible parameters

Since I'm logging most of the stuff I use here, this is how you see the USB serial adapter you have attached to your linux box:

root@ubuntukindle:~/Documents# ll /sys/class/tty/ttyUSB*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 Jan 28 07:28 /sys/class/tty/ttyUSB0 -> ../../devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:06.0/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.0/ttyUSB0/tty/ttyUSB0/
root@ubuntukindle:~/Documents#

yes i know i probably shouldn't be root...

[dom123dom]

I'm really not sure how/if I can even use this fastboot tool...my ubuntu guest detected the kindle briefly in it's USB devices as "Freescale SemiConducters Inc iMX50 SystemOnChip in RecoveryMode [0001]

I can't see it now in the list and it doesn't appear in disks.

Not sure what to do next...I was hoping I can get a version output or something to check if fastboot can actually see the kindle but if i try "fastboot version" i get nothing back just the command prompt.

root@ubuntukindle:~/Documents# fastboot version
root@ubuntukindle:~/Documents#

I have the sim0ple debricking guide which has fastboot commands in it but how do i know if the ubuntu guest can actually see the kindle?

Edit: I don't think i got that version command right anyway...maybe if i try to reboot it with "fastboot reboot" it will give me an indication...

[dom123dom]

I also added lsinput package:

sudo apt-get install input-utils

lsinput

this will show the USB devices with friendly names.

Or you can use lsusb which is already included in ubuntu

[dom123dom]

root@ubuntukindle:~/Documents# ./fastboot reboot
< waiting for device >

guess it's not detecting it properly....

[dom123dom]

alternate command:
./fastboot getvar bootmode

root@ubuntukindle:~/Documents# ./fastboot getvar bootmode
< waiting for device >

[dom123dom]

hmm this kindle is really not happy. I can get the same symptoms on linux and xp now. I installed minicom on my ubuntu guest and that sees the same serial port boot output.

Welcome to minicom 2.7.1

OPTIONS: I18n
Compiled on Aug 13 2017, 15:25:34.
Port /dev/ttyUSB0, 22:05:39

Press CTRL-A Z for help on special keys



U-Boot 2009.08-lab126 (Jan 08 2013 - 21:47:48)

CPU: Freescale i.MX50 family 1.1V at 800 MHz
mx50 pll1: 800MHz
mx50 pll2: 400MHz
mx50 pll3: 216MHz
ipg clock : 66666666Hz
ipg per clock : 66666666Hz
uart clock : 24000000Hz
ahb clock : 133333333Hz
axi_a clock : 400000000Hz
axi_b clock : 200000000Hz
weim_clock : 100000000Hz
ddr clock : 800000000Hz
esdhc1 clock : 80000000Hz
esdhc2 clock : 80000000Hz
esdhc3 clock : 80000000Hz
esdhc4 clock : 80000000Hz
MMC: FSL_ESDHC: 0, FSL_ESDHC: 1
Board: Unknown
Boot Reason: [POR]
Boot Device: MMC
Board Id:
S/N:
Invalid board id! Can't determine system type for RAM init.. bailing!
DRAM: 0 kB
Using default environment

The problem I'm facing is I can't get the kindle to be recognised over USB in a useable way.

After a lot of reading I think I need to reflash partitions but I can't find a way to get it to a point where fastboot can see it....

[dom123dom]

Since I am a sucker for punishment I'm buying another broken kindle tomorrow, this one is a Kindle 8th Gen (2016) with a serial code starting G000. It has a BATTERY INVALID -22 error.

Fun to be had with a more recent model...

[dom123dom]

Still waiting on the battery for my other kindle so thinking again about what i could do to this one. I contacted the guy I bought it from, he had no idea of serial number etc. as someone gave it to him....or so he says.

Anyway I'm wondering if that info will still be on the eMMC or if I'm stuffed without it.

If I could do something like this:



would there be some way of reading what's on the chip and finding out the serial number etc. I suspect not but maybe someone else might know...

Or perhaps I could load up some new firmware and dummy details just to get it to boot?

I'm happy to sacrifice this device for learning purposes....

[dom123dom]

Reading up a little more on this it looks like pretty advanced soldering/skill work....might be a little early for me to be trying this sort of stuff. I think a heat gun/rework station will be necessary at some point though, will have a look at pricing.

I would like to find out which chip it is and maybe tear down the kindle a little as a learning exercise though so I will research that a bit.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by dom123dom

Still waiting on the battery for my other kindle so thinking again about what i could do to this one. I contacted the guy I bought it from, he had no idea of serial number etc. as someone gave it to him....or so he says.

Anyway I'm wondering if that info will still be on the eMMC or if I'm stuffed without it.

If I could do something like this:



would there be some way of reading what's on the chip and finding out the serial number etc. I suspect not but maybe someone else might know...

Or perhaps I could load up some new firmware and dummy details just to get it to boot?

I'm happy to sacrifice this device for learning purposes....

Jeese, that thing looks complicated.
Perhaps the person who did that, did not know that test sockets for BGA parts can be purchased (rather than built by hand )

[dom123dom]

Originally Posted by knc1

Jeese, that thing looks complicated.
Perhaps the person who did that, did not know that test sockets for BGA parts can be purchased (rather than built by hand )

Well that would make 2 of us I'll look at those test kits also!

[dom123dom]

A little progress....

I hooked up the kindle to my Raspberry Pi just to see if it I get anything different. The serial output is exactly the same. However it is recognising a USB device when I plug it in and the console shows me this:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0403:6001 Future Technology Devices International, Ltd FT232 USB-Serial (UART) IC
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 15a2:0052 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. i.MX50 SystemOnChip in RecoveryMode
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 05ac:0256 Apple, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp. SMSC9512/9514 Fast Ethernet Adapter
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp. SMC9514 Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
pi@raspberrypi:~ $

The Kindle is on this line:

Bus 001 Device 007: ID 15a2:0052 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. i.MX50 SystemOnChip in RecoveryMode

So maybe there is a chance to fastboot it or something, I will go back over the threads I have read and see if I can find anything worth trying.


I also found a post from another site with this info:
A new USB device named NS Blank CODEX should appear on your host computer
the EY21 has no keys to press, a USB console will be launched for 10s

[dom123dom]

Typed a huge update and lost it..FML

[dom123dom]

Have been:
- Reading manufacturer site documents for i.MX50 here and getting much better understanding of the chip and how to interact with it.

Need to find out
- What is the exact eMMC chip model in the PW1?
(e.g. PW2 has this chip: 4GB eMMC from SanDisk, model SDIN7DP2-4G...what's in PW1?) Teardowns for PW1 found so far don't show this info.

Next steps:
- connect PW1 to an XP PC with USB 2 and re-try mfgtool using instructions from chip manufacturer to see if detected.
- research a hot air gun
- research a reballing template for PW1 eMMC chip

[dom123dom]

My old XP PC with USB2 recognises the Kindle so I can see it with mfgtool.

Now I need to figure out whaht images to load onto it.

This thread is similar to my situation but he never finishes it off to say if he fixed it or not....